the journal editorial report. i'm paul gigot. hope to see you right here next week. . >> with a kind of journalism is that? >> barney frank announces his retirement and the media can't help themselves from putting him on a pedastal with glowing tribute. tim tebow scores touchdowns on the field but is losing it with the press over public praying. are the media tackling him too

hard? a "new york times" writer makes a comparison between the ku klux klan and the tea party. >> as we continue with the fire alarm.... >> unexpected interruptions while delivering the news. >> on the panel this week, writer and fox news contributor, judith miller. cal thomas, jim pinkerton and kirsten powers. fox news watch is on right now >> you think mandating people to buy insurance is the right tool? >> i don't know how many times i've said this, let's do it again. absolutely what we did in massachusetts was right for massachusetts. >> but you did say at other places at times it would be a

model for the nation? >> you are wrong brett. brett, no. the tape out there, read the tape. the tape goes on to say for each state to be able to look at it. >> jon: brett baier pushing him to clarify past positions on individual health insurance and the mandate to buy it. judy, you are shaking your head during that playback. what do you think about mr. romney's overall performance? >> he just doesn't do a chuckle very well. this is most uncomfortable man trying not to jump up and wrap his arms around brett's neck. it so interesting he is thrown off stride by something that is going to be such an obvious line of attack. >> they are all think they are invincible at some level. i think brett had the right to challenge him. i noticed an interview with anne romney, mitt's wife, she claimed

that he held the same positions all his life. that is not factually correct. if you want to play the tape. let's go to the videotape as they say. i think newt gingrich's approach is much better. when he is talking about the commercial he made with nancy pelosi, that the stupidest thing i ever do. but to deny that you had a position on gay rights, on the individual mandate, a lot of other things that republicans are concerned about, is just not correct. >> he brings up the name of newt gingrich. there was controversy involving gingrich when a "washington post" blogger put it on a cattle call, send us the information or dirt on newt? >> share in the fun, as well. look social media has lifted a lid a flag stone off a lot of

stuff that has been going on for a long time. >> jon: anything wrong with that? >> look. first thing you do, in the old days you ask people and google it. it's another way of searching. >> it was interesting a request to go through sarah palin e-mails and then people are looking for dirt seem to be republicans. i can't imagine this during presidential campaign having one say, hey i'm looking for dirt on barack obama. >> that is exactly right. >> jon: newt announced this week he is going to be nominee. >> look, here is the stuff you are getting, chris matthews asked barney franks does newt gingrich personify evil? is that a journalistic question. we study hard so we can ask

those questions. >> that is opinion. i don't think anyone thinks he likes newt gingrich. he is allowed to have it. sean hannity is allowed saying what he thinks. >> jon: barney frank, we'll get to him later. who had the worst week in the media, cain or romney? >> herman cain, no question. >> i think, look, these issues are legitimate if you are going to portray yourself as a morally up right happily married faithful man. i do think that glee is just a show on fox broadcast network. it is a sentiment many people feel when they attack and bring down republicans particularly on a moral issue. >> it's a double standard kirsten mentioned earlier.

however, cain again as cal said, he admitted make the mistake. ask david vitter who is happily re-elected senator. if you deny it and how come you gave this woman money and you never told the wife or her existence. that is to tempting for any reporter. >> it's the cover-up more than the actual alleged incident because he clearly so uncomfortable and uncertain about how to handle this. you get the inevitable backing of american flag, him standing there. and values when your campaign is falling apart. it was actually very sad and painful i thought on a personal level but it was inevitable. >> jon: there does seem to be in watching his appearances, there does seem to be, i don't know a much more humble or chastened

herman cain. there is not the bravado you saw early on. >> he tried that and it didn't work. what he realizes now is people are coming out of the woodwork and he has to continue to answer these questions. in this situation he did put himself out there as happily married man. then you find out he is getting financial assistance with this woman and texting with her. it's inappropriate at best. >> you mentioned double standard. biggest double standard is sex for the media. republicans get hauled out for it. democrats if not get a free ride or an excuse. everybody from ted kennedy, jesse jackson, bill clinton they continue to have it. >> to get a free ride. >> general ed wards was brought down. >> good comparison but they

didn't pursue that story. >> john edwards would not have been pursued if it wasn't for the national inquiry. >> but he was pursued and it did know about it. >> they knew about the woman going around with him. >> jon: let me ask you this. did the media bring down herman cain's campaign or did he do it himself? >> you have to say the media did it. yeah, but the media is reporting the facts in this presidential race as in every other presidential race. whatever party you are in, media is third party, you have to deal with it. it's part of the rules of the road. again, one of the rules is, if you do apologize and seek forgiveness, people are likely to forgive you.

gingrich, he has admitted, i did it. whatever you accuse me of, i did it. voters are forgiving. >> jon: all of you who want to run for president take note. to keep up on the media stories, go to our website and watch the daily bias bash. up next, into l media reaction to barney franks announcement that he is retiring. >> barney frank is retiring after four decades in office. how is the press covering his departure? and an n.f.l. quarterback is taking shots from the media for his religious beliefs on the field. is this an attack on christianity? christianity? answers next on news watch. i take my multi-vitamin but wanted to do something more for my nutrition. there's so much information out there. what's good for you today, is bad for you tomorrow. i had no idea what to choose. until i found pronutrients --

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u.s. house of representatives. here is how the media reacted to the news. >> one of the most familiar and powerful characters on capitol hill is calling it quits. barney frank who has served for 30 years announced that he will retire at the end of his term in 2012 saying he has enough. >> he was the smartest person in the world. that was one of his strengths on capitol hill. >> jon: so what about it. jim, barney frank had baggage too but you didn't hear a great deal about that. >> a prosecution scandal in the late '80s. he was doing things with fannie mae as early as 1991. yet the media, with the exception of few media types,

dana, look, they said he was a bully that was in the "washington post". >> i want to give you the address of a double standard in media coverage here. >> what they face oftentimes creatures of washington get kid gloves when they leave. it's regardless of the party. it's frustrating to the people. because reporters know them and they like them and they go to the same parties they overlook things and give them the nice coverage that isn't going to destruct their friendship. >> one of the rules in politics is that you don't bash the press. barney frank bashed them all the time on phone calls. he called one up the other day and mentioned in a story he was jewish. report says this is a jew speaking and begins to rake on

him. they loved nirm him anyway. >> he always called you back. he was one of those veterans the relationship with the press maertd. what we were reading was the 16 terms, that is what we were reading. a lot of wit and legislation, a lot of returned phone calls. >> robert straugs s former democratic chairman always came up with an insult but it was endearing. >> he was a left-handed gay jew. a lot of bullying -- >> what about the reasons he gave for his resignation. you didn't see a great deal of examination of that.

everybody seem to take a side but the affecting a is he is not going to be chairman of the appropriations committee unless there is some miracle democrats take control of the house. >> he won't be representing the fishermen. how do you represent fish? i don't know. look it was redistricting it was the fact as you say he was getting out of power couldn't be chairman of the committee anymore. he has maxine waters breathing down his neck. he was tired of it all. that was partially legitimate. >> i think he got beat up in the fannie mae and freddie mac thing but it probably hurt him and deservedly so. anyone want to do a great summation of his 30 years in wch needs to gretchen morgan book,

barney frank is right up there along with jim johnson the ceo of fannie mae as culprits of the whole scandal. >> jon: if you see something that seems to you as media bias e-mail to us. up next, the press tackles tebowing. >> necessity call a penalty of expression of faith. is that fair? they liken the tea party to the kkk. did he [ male announcer ] in his eyes...a race needs no finish line. ♪ in her eyes... the world is never too big. in his...the weather should never keep you inside. ♪ because they see no limits, there's eukanuba nutrition designed to help their body go as far as their mind wants to.

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>> jon: tim tebow is drawing national attention for his unorthodox football skills but

also outward displays of christian faith on the field. you will see him kneeling in prayer on the sidelines or pointing his finger in the air after scoring a touchdown. his refusal to tone down his religious displays has made media critics uneasy. full disclosure, i'm a denver fan. [ laughter ] >> jon: what is it about him? he seems to be a lightning rod for criticism in the n.f.l. like two other players. >> and he is good guy. we don't want to see him in the slammer. >> to coin a phrase it's a double standard when it comes to religion. some of us are old enough to remember mohammad ali, he would bring up mohammad who the head of the splinter black muslim group in chicago. nobody dared ever questioned or

say anything about him. they write negative things, the press is secular and it is because they think his religion is weird. i'll tell you one thing. he has won four in a row. he wins another one, the criticism will diminish very fast. >> the criticism won't diminish immediately because there is such an anti-christian in the media. the majority of this country is christian. a third is evangelical christian which is what tim is. why is he not allowed to express his faith? it's such a strange criticism. >> there are some muslim players and this they bowed to mecca would they pile on them? >> i think so.

sports is a national religion in a sense and it's supposed to bring us together. but tebow decided to make the pro-life ad and enormous response of the secular left to that ad made him a polarizing figure and that is unfortunate. >> there were cries to pull the ad off the air on the superbowl even before anybody had seen it. then once it appeared it seems to me to be very tastefully done. >> i agree. if you go right to the core of the liberal media sense built its pro-choice on abortion. it's anti-pro-life. therefore tebow, if judy is right that religion, what happens to tebow when he practices christianity in a stadium of other believers. a blogger called it tebow syndrome.

they just can't stop foaming at the mouth. >> let's examine the book review of hundred percent american thomas r. pegram. a review read, imagine a political movement created that moment of terrible anxiety, shrouded in a peculiar combination of manipulation and grass-roots mobilization. it's ranked dominated by christian conservatives and self-proclaimed patriots. and a agenda nationalism and moral regeneration with a whiff of racism going through it. no, not that movement. apparently the professor is trying to compare the ku klux klan which is the topic of the book to the tea party movement. >> if ever i have read anything

less fair and more bigoted i'm not aware of it. >> jon: we have to take one more break. when we come back an unexpected interruption during the nightly interruption during the nightly news. forty years ago, he wasn't worried about retirement. he'd yet to hear of mutual funds, iras, or annuities. back then, he had something more important to do. he wasn't focused on his future but fortunately, somebody else was. at usaa we provide retirement solutions for our military, veterans and their families. from investments... to life insurance... to health care options. learn more with our free usaa retirement guide. call 877-242-usaa. [ femala $100 cream. we were flattered when regenerist beat flabbergasted when we creamed a $500 cream. for about $30 regenerist micro-sculpting cream hydrates better than over 20 of america's most expensive luxury creams. fantastic. phenomenal. regenerist.

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>> jon: brian williams proved his professionalism earlier this week. he calmly continued his live beoblg while a fire alarm sounded moments in the nightly news. as the alarm continued, he

reassured viewers he has no in danger before reading on. >> this grim u.s. economy, this one gets your attention, you'll forgive us, we have a fire alarm announcement going on in the studio. staying in the air, perhaps not something special anymore. again we have an announcement going on here in the studio. we should advise our viewers there is no danger to us. we would love -- we thought the speakers were turned off but it looks like we have a routine alarm one floor below the studio. all is well. as we continue to deal with the fire alarm, we press on with tonight's broadcast. we are still dealing with the fire alarm problem with new york. we'll go down to andrea mitchell to continue things here. >> unflappable, he trained as a volunteer firefighter. that is wrap for news watch.