Dropping the pretense

By Steve Benen

Anyone who’s seen Fox News knows its on-air personalities offer Republicans in-kind contributions with practically every broadcast. Once in a while, though, they drop the pretense and make the support more direct.

It’s no secret that Sean Hannity, the conservative Fox News commentator, has helped to raise Rudy Giuliani’s profile — but now he’s helped the former mayor raise money, too.

In a little noticed event this month, Hannity — co-host of Fox News’ “Hannity & Colmes” and host of a popular WABC radio show — introduced the Republican front-runner at a closed-door, $250-per-head fund-raiser Aug. 9 in Cincinnati, campaign officials acknowledge.

In so doing, some believe that Hannity — while clearly a commentator paid to express his opinions — crossed the line from punditry into financial rainmaking for a presidential candidate whose bottom line is now better for it.

Atrios’ joke about calling a bloggers’ ethics panel comes to mind….

I can appreciate the fact that Fox News exists to blur the line between reporting and advocacy, but this seems over the top, even by the network’s standards. Indeed, when Dan Rather’s daughter organized and hosted a Democratic Party fundraiser in Texas in 2001, and the then-CBS anchor made an appearance, Bill O’Reilly blasted the ethical impropriety.

“Now Rather gave a speech at a fund-raiser, so money changed hands,” O’Reilly said on the air. “I mean, I wouldn’t do that.”

(The article is here.)