WOW! Saudi Prince Owns 4th Largest Stake in FOX NEWS. Top GOP Investigator supports Probe!

[berni_mccoy]

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/02/23/issa-probe-fox/

Top Republican Investigator Rep. Issa Indicates Openness To Probing Saudi Ownership Of Fox News

Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal owns the fourth largest stake in News Corp — the parent company of Fox News — making him the largest shareholder outside the family of News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch. According to the Financial Times, News Corp announced today that it is purchasing a $70 million dollar stake in Prince Alwaleed’s Rotana Media, a Middle Eastern music and news conglomerate. Boasting about the increased cooperation between the Murdoch empire and his own media corporation, Prince Alwaleed said, “This is a qualitative leap not just for Rotana but for the whole Arab world.” Because Prince Alwaleed has publicly acknowledged that he has forced Fox News to edit its coverage he disliked, conservative activists have attacked the business partnership as “really dangerous for America.”
...
TP: If evidence surfaces of bin Talal dictating their content more would you call for an investigation?

ISSA: Look, if you’ve got a single investigation I would suggest you turn it over to our people to look into. <...> If you’ve got a specific bent, please turn it in for our committee on national security to work on, and I’d be happy to work on.

...
For instance, Prince Alwaleed owns a $4.3 billion dollar stake in Citigroup, and has announced that he opposes President Obama’s financial reforms like the banker speculation tax. On Fox News, the bank tax and other financial reforms have been smeared with misinformation and outright lies.

[spanone]

1. a big ol k&r

[Liberal_in_LA]

25. double kick

[happygoluckytoyou]

89. SEND THE STORY AND LINK... letterman, leno, the late night humor machine is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tabatha]

2. Glenn Beck paid by Saudis.

Most of the 911 terrorists came from SA.

By Glenn Beck's own logic, Glenn Beck is a terrorist.

[cutlassmama]

11. no doubt

[Jefferson23]

21. lol, sounds about right. n/t

[SpiralHawk]

29. Something like 19 of the 21 terrorists on 9/11 were Saudi

But they had 'friends' at the Bush White House. So the Chickenhawk Republicon 'strategerists' sent us off on an Oil-Pipeline Profits CRUSADE in Af-freaking-ghanistan, and I-freaking-raq.

[Blue Owl]

81. Don't these two sons of bitches...

make a handsome couple. Douchebags.

[trusty elf]

87. Saud & Fraud

Funny how repuglicans don't protest against this queer marriage.

[KoKo]

30. Good Point...worth checking further into... +1

[berni_mccoy]

34. Yep.

[butterfly77]

48. time to send this to some of my rightwing brainwashed associates.

They seem to believe everything Fox.

[pnorman]

50. That's my plan too!

My thanks to the OP!

[butterfly77]

53. I'm sending it to my friends too..

[Enthusiast]

62. Well yeah. But Glenn Beck

has no logic.

But I agree. Imagine if Obama had such solid ties to Saudi Arabia.

[kristopher]

3. K&R

[foxfeet]

4. K&R

[progressoid]

5. Big Ass K/R

[movonne]

6. What will it take to wake up the people of the U.S.up...and no

wonder bush was holding hand and kissing the prince....the right has many tentacles...faux new is un-American and traders to this country...

[dmr]

10. Makes you wonder about all the anti-gov't rhetoric

Too bad all those patriotic Americans who tune in to Fox don't know who or why or what is influencing them.

[movonne]

19. well let's do our part to see it gets around...tell people you know...so

people here are good with the u-tube...

[blm]

20. not just FOX. Kingdom Holdings held huge shares of AOL/TIME Warner/CNN for over a decade now.

THAT is why Bush was kept on a pedestal. Why Gore was irrationally skewered. Why MR MATALIN Carville became the 'voice' of the Democrats throughout Bush's reign. And why Kerry's campaign was heavily edited, muted or ignored.

But, the GOP sure didn't worry about THAT decade of creeping fascism, did they?

[dmr]

32. AOL/TIME Warner/CNN? I didn't know that!

I'm left speechless.

I'm off to Google. If you have any links, please share.

[blm]

33. here's a DU thread from 2004 you may find interesting...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x46963#46973

[OnyxCollie]

39. Kingdom Holdings Investments World Map

http://www.kingdom.com.sa/en/InvP_InvWorldMap.asp

[bluesmail]

41. Thanks for pointing out the CNN connection. EOM

[Enthusiast]

64. Creeping socialism yes,

creeping fascism, not so much.

Nice post. Our greatest challenge is the M$M. When we are represented it is by a "liberal" of their choosing, one that will only speak of things approved, like Carville. I even see this on NPR.

[blm]

77. Disagree with you. Bushes, their UAE-Dubai-Saudi royals and Chinese industrialist pals are FASCISTS

through and through.

[Enthusiast]

86. I think you misunderstand me.

My words were in response to where you said the Bushes weren't concerned about creeping fascism.

My point was they were only concerned about what they considered creeping socialism. I didn't mean to suggest the Bushies were not fascists. They are fascists all the way, through and through, as you say.

[blm]

90. oh.....in that context it makes MUCH more sense.

.

[liberation]

92. But technically, shouldn't it be "islamofascism?"

That used to be the right's favorite buzz word to refer to anything and everything slightly related with the middle East and islamic religions. So...

[Enthusiast]

102. It's Limbaugh's term

to generate fear and loathing-the creep.

[RainDog]

7. wahhabists and wahhabaptists have a lot in common

they both oppose democracy, equal rights for women, ethical treatment of other humans in working situations, science, logic...

makes perfect sense to me that one of the big Bush backers also has a stake in the Republican television network.

Totalitarians sink to their lowest common level. I'd say Fox is about as low down and skanky as any pseudo news service can get.

[Enthusiast]

66. Low down and skanky,

Yup. And CNN is just about as bad.

[pleah]

8. K&R

[katmondoo]

9. I think the Saudi's own part of my house

Citimortgage hold the mortgage on my house. I believe they are part of the Citigroup.

[cartach]

44. Bulldoze it. EOM

[invictus]

12. Perhaps Arab ownership will balance out the "Israel can do no wrong" / "let's kill Muslims" views ..

... usually expressed on Fox News.

[Chemisse]

27. That would be interesting to see if the coverage shifted

Someone else will have to watch and see; Fox news makes me sick.

[fascisthunter]

13. so these fascist around the Globe get to warp politics in the USA

and yet these fools fronting patriotism watch that channel every day.

[arcadian]

14. The Saudis attacked us on 9/11

[madinmaryland]

17. Why do Murdoch, Ailes, O'Rielly, Hannity, and company hate America??

[madinmaryland]

15. Saudi's and Australians own News Corp. Hmmm. Will the recent

changes forbid any contributions to candidates? Would that also mean that their obvious far right leanings would be banned as foreign contributions to campaigns.

[City Lights]

16. Time to change their name to Al-Fox.

Rupert bin Murdoch. Roger bin Ailes. Bill bin O'Reilly. Sean bin Hannity.

[20Jan1961]

18. So foreign corporations can buy our media AND our elections?!?

I'm sure glad we have the 1st amendment to protect vulnerable corporations - foreign and domestic - from the tyranny of the majority who would dare to take away their right to buy our entire system of government.

Seriously, we need to do something about this! This video really galvanized me, I hope you will join the fight to save our democracy!

ItsOurDemocracy.com

[Enthusiast]

67. Nice video!

I don't seem to be able to leave a positive comment. Makes me suspicious. I am becoming suspicious of just about everything. Imagine that.

[mod mom]

74. excellent video, why not give it it's own thread?

:hi:

[Deep13]

22. Rupert Murdock, Saudi whore.

Too funny.

[spanone]

23. issa will bury it. i don't trust him.

[berni_mccoy]

26. He can try, but the cat is out of the bag now.

[blm]

35. Yeah - This stinks of trying to control the debate, the 'investigation' and its outcome.

WHEN did Issa ever show concern over the last few decades about Poppy Bush's Saudi pals owning so much of America and (lately) its media?

[Initech]

24. Anyone think al-Fox might be manipulating the teabaggers?

[SpiralHawk]

28. "Republicon strategery. Smirk." - xCommander AWOL (R - Oil Profits Wisdom Keeper)

"Too bad about you American proles. Smirk."

[OnyxCollie]

31. Alwaleed bin Talal was on Charlie Rose recently.

He made it clear that the US can not continue it's spending.

They (the Saudis) want their money and they're going to get it.

[mariawr]

36. Fox Arabia G-NO-P Noise....

..they distort
..we deride.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

Fox of Arabia now it becomes clear

[malaise]

37. But but but

The rightwingers love FOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - this is sweet.

[RB TexLa]

38. Foreign investment is now a bad thing?

[berni_mccoy]

40. Who is saying that? It's the hypocrisy my friend. And when a Saudi Prince controls

The Republican Media Machine, you gotta wonder what their party is all about.

[cartach]

45. Foreign control is sure as hell a bad thing. EOM

[bluesmail]

42. Neither do I trust Issa, either, neither, nor. EOM

[spanone]

43. keeping kicked!

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[Blue_Tires]

46. i'd LOVE to see someone grill Bill O' about this...

[onehandle]

47. The financiers of 9/11 own Fox News?

This is a surprise?

[Politicalboi]

49. Thinking back

Who announced Bush Won! in 2000? Oh that's right Faux Noise did, and the rest followed. Who benefited with a Bush win? Let's see now, could it have been the Saudi's? It sure the hell wasn't us.

[lonestarnot]

51. I wonder when this will be on the snooze?

[rasputin1952]

52. Take a look at the scroll at the bottom of this from their site...

It's amazing what they are into:

http://www.kingdom.com.sa/en/IntInvs_TMT.asp

[NYC_SKP]

60. Yikes! Apple, Kodak, Citi, Motorola, TimeWarner, Disney, Fairmont, eBay, PepsiCo...

Oh well.

Except for Apple, eBay, I don't give a dime to any of these.

Still makes one wonder.

[rasputin1952]

68. I didn't dig deep enough to see what %age of the companies were...

owned by these guys, but i read a few years back, that they have "nothing" compared to what the British have invested in the US. When one adds Germany, Japan and China...I'd be amazed if Americans own damn near anything in this country...:eyes:

I'm not a "protectionist", and I'm damn sure not a "corporatist", but those that have money to burn, (ie, "investors"), are turning this world into one huge barrel of cash for themselves, and leave mere crumbs for those that produce their wealth. The amount of control these entities have is almost beyond comprehension...and few, if any, care about people, the earth we live on or anything else that can be beneficial to our very existence. We are all "mud people" to them.

[lonestarnot]

70. disposable dudes and dudettes, not to mention planet earth.

[rasputin1952]

71. I agree...

The shortsightedness of these entities is truly disturbing. They would strip the earth of everything in their drive to riches and power. There is no sense of balance, it is all a game to them..."How much can I get, how quickly can I get it?"

Absolutely no sense of responsibility at all...the very essence of greed...:grr:

[NYC_SKP]

79. If you click on any of those scrolling corporate logos, a page opens up...

...I didn't check them all, but I think they bought a 5% share of Apple and made 17% return on investment last year.

Investments are one thing, this new hedge fund weirdness has turned it all into a casino.

Except that when they win they keep the winnings and when they lose it seems to cost all of us.

:donut:

[ctaylors6]

98. they own 7% of News Corp

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/eb261f04-2006-11df-81a2-00144feab49a.html

[The Gunslinger]

54. I shall now refer to it as "Saudi owned fox news".

[alp227]

55. This is just so jaw-dropping on so many levels...

A mouthpiece for the Republican Party that constantly displays Islamophobia and hyper-patriotism in its opinion shows (and even its "news coverage") is partly owned by the government of a nation from where some people committed the worst terrorist attack in US History.

And then one of the most conservative members of Congress (not some predictable critic of FNC like Barney Frank or John Conyers or John Kerry or Russ Feingold) calls for an investigation!

[rpannier]

56. Fox news owned by terrorist enablers?

I don't think the Saudi Prince is a terrorist enabler

But...I can spin just like faux does

[deacon]

57. k + r n/t

[Turborama]

58. K&R

Thanks, Berni. I've added the TPM article to my Facebook profile.

I'd love to see this hit all the other networks as a main story and become headline news in the papers, but I'm not holding my breath.

On a related tangent, I tried to watch this video just now but it's been censored in the country I'm currently living in (Indonesia):

"This video contains content from FOX News Network, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x437190

Strange because Faux news is broadcast here 24/7 on the main satellite provider. What have the Saudi's got against Indonesia? Also, Faux have gone to great lengths to broadcast their propaganda all across Pakistan, this Saudi involvement coming to light makes me even more curious about their motives.

http://tinyurl.com/FauxnewsalloverPakistan

[raouldukelives]

59. So thats why Beck hates the 9/11 victims so much.

[defendandprotect]

61. kick

[JCMach1]

63. Rupert F'in Murdoch is a FOREIGNER

Why investigate now...?

PURE RACISM...

[Echo In Light]

65. K&R

[Christa]

69. No wonder

they call Global Warming a myth.

[tsuki]

72. I've been screaming this for years. See you can get through to conservatives if you

yell long and loud enough. I was beginning to think their heads were impenetrable.

[SpiralHawk]

73. OMG - FOX is totally the Saudi propaganda network

and Republicons just lap it up...

I remember xCommander AWOL Bush, Dickie 'Five-Military Deferments' Cheney, and the other Republicon Chickenhawks wanted to give all our American ports away to Dubai.

What's up with that?

What's wrong with Republicons?

[JimboDem]

75. Beck, O'reilly, Hannity,et al....

You are paid by THE Saudis!!!!!

How UNPATRIOTIC. Open a madras.:thumbsdown: :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:

[patrice]

76. Let's Twitter the f-ing shit out of this, boys and girls! nt

[Bryn]

78. I'd LOVE to see Elizabeth Hassleback's face on the View

When Whoopi and others ask her about this one!

K&R

[seeinfweggos]

80. this could get good.

seriously

[Turbineguy]

82. Fox news

damaging America. Who knew?

[onlyadream]

83. hope this spells the beginning of the end for faux "news" nt

[pjt7]

84. I have read multiple times that he is the 2nd

largest stakeholder in News Corp.

[wordpix]

85. will conserva-idiots finally wake up to the corporate takeover of US?

Maybe not b/c they're so easily brainwashed. :popcorn:

Go get another drink, Glenn Beck (used to be an alcoholic).

[liberation]

93. I am sure they will "rationalize" it somehow...

... you know math has a liberal bias, right? who said that 1/4th is really 25%? Those eggheads from Math? Right? And what do we know about egghead academic types? Well, for starters those university campus are breeding grounds of Marxist extremists. With all their educasshium and elitishum. Numbers are a liberal concoction to push a troubling agenda of the militant secular leftist terrorist elites. Any good red blooded American should not sit idly and pay attention to numbers, because you know what else is associated with numbers? The devil....

[Lovecraft71]

88. Wonder how the Saudi's feel when FOX uses their term "Homocide Bomber"?

Whenever FOX uses their term "Homocide Bomber", wonder how that makes the Saudi's feel?

[liberation]

94. "homocide bomber?" is there a gay militant terrorist group we are unaware of?

.

[LLStarks]

91. K&R

[FedUpWithIt All]

95. K&R of course.. n/t

[douglas9]

96. Trento's Take: Fox News Can't Upset Murdoch's Saudi Prince

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7646706&mesg_id=7646706

[samsingh]

97. imagine if Arab money destroys fox news

[SemperEadem]

99. pallin' around with terrorists, it would seem

they are doing the bidding of "the enemy" apparently.

Such whores they are over on fux noose.

[samsingh]

101. that's a good one!

[awnobles]

100. CIA controls Fox

Through these avenues. They are "able to legally" because it is(was at the time) a wholly foreign owned company. Look at the the history of the CIA/Military Intelligence before you write me off.