Outfoxed By Democratic Governor O’Malley, “Liberal” Van Susteren Leaps To Defend Republicans
Reported by Ellen - August 12, 2011 - Comments

http://www.newshounds.us/2011/08/12/outfox...

“Liberal” Greta Van Susteren obviously got more than she bargained – or was prepared for – during an interview with Maryland’s Democratic governor, Martin O’Malley Wednesday night (8/10/11). O’Malley was there to discuss how his state's sound financial footing might be threatened by the federal government's credit downgrade. But when O’Malley seized the framing of the conversation and insisted on making calm, civil but pointed criticisms of Republicans and their policies, Van Susteren couldn’t handle it. I think it’s crucial that Democrats who go on Fox seize control of the agenda just this way. For that, O’Malley is our latest Top Dog.

O’Malley signaled right at the start he was not going to be a Tea Party kind of governor when he announced that his state’s AAA rating was due to both “cuts and revenue.” Noting that fiscal responsibility hasn’t been easy, he added that he’s done “unpopular things like raising the sales tax by a penny.” But, he continued, “for that, we have a very good quality of life, an innovation economy that’s well poised to create jobs.”

Van Susteren didn’t show a moment’s interest in how O’Malley or Maryland was managing. Instead, she moved on to prompt him to criticize the federal government, by pointing out that Maryland’s rating was now in jeopardy because of S&P’s downgrade of the U.S.

But if she thought O’Malley was going to use the opportunity to attack Obama or Congress in general, she was wrong. He blamed “the dysfunction with the extremists in the Republican party in Congress.”