Shocker: Fox host calls out Republicans who blocked 9/11 responders bill

Rachel Maddow Hails Shep Smith Over 9/11 First Responders Bill (VIDEO)
You read this correctly -- on Tuesday night's episode of her show, Rachel Maddow reached across the aisle to praise Fox News host Shepard Smith. Smith has recently been criticizing Republican senators' efforts to block a Health Care bill for 9/11 First Responders. "All hail Shep Smith at Fox News...and I'm not kidding," Maddow said. "Because Fox News can get callbacks from Republican senators, Shep Smith making a hullabaloo on his show about the Republicans who are not supporting Health Care f...

Shep Smith Names Every GOPer Who Wouldn't Talk 9/11 Bill With Him
Fox News' Shep Smith is continuing to hammer Republican senators who wouldn't pass the 9/11 First Responders bill, this time calling out by name those who wouldn't appear on his show to discuss the issue. "We called a lot of Republicans today who are in office at the moment," he said Monday afternoon. "These are the ones who told us 'no': Senators Alexander, Barrasso, Cornyn, Crapo, DeMint, Enzi, Grassley, Kyl, McConnell, Sessions, Baucus, Gregg, and Inhofe. No response from Bunning, Coburn, ...

How Did Republicans End Up Against 9/11 Responders Bill?
With just hours left in the 111th Congress, Republican lawmakers find themselves the target of ire and scorn from the most unlikely of adversaries: the Firefighters and police officers who rushed into the burning towers on September 11 nearly a decade ago and worked at the site for months afterward. That predicament crystallized Tuesday when Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor during the 9/11 attacks, condemned Republicans as being on the wrong side of “Morality” and “obl...

Rachel Maddow: 'All Hail Shep Smith At Fox News' (VIDEO)
MSNBC's Rachel Maddow lauded Fox News host Shep Smith last night for his repeated walloping of Republicans for opposing the 9/11 First Responders bill. "Shep Smith making a hullabaloo on his show about the Republicans who are not supporting Health Care for 9/11 First Responders means that those Republicans might feel compelled to explain publicly why they don't support Health Care for 9/11 first responders." If you recall, Shep first said "it's disgusting" that the bill hasn't been able to pa...

Robert Gibbs Looks To Jon Stewart To Help Get 9/11 First Responders Bill Through
There’s been a lot of talk about comedians being too involved in politics recently and it’s all seemed rather silly. Comedians and satirists have been an essential part of running a government since the first king decided he wanted a guy in a goofy hat to hang out in his throne room. However this story, about Robert Gibbs praising Jon Stewart is sure to get a lot of tongues wagging. And it should. Just not in the way it surely will. Today in a press briefing, Robert Gibbs praised Ste...

Foxs Shep Smith Calls Out Republicans Over 9/11 First Responders Bill
The 9/11 First Responders bill still hasn’t passed the Senate, Sen. John Kyl is “skeptical about that bill,” and Shepard Smith is outraged. Today, he addressed the bill again with former New York Governor George Pataki , and it’s safe to say he’s still not happy. Smith was so unhappy, in fact, that he read off a list of Republican senators the show contacted…who then declined to speak with him about the issue. There were several especially prominent names on t...

Wednesday Open Thread
It appears even loyal Fox News has turned on Senate Republicans for their obstruction of the 9/11 First Responders bill. Fox & Friends demanded the bill be passed; conservative guests have criticized Republicans’ opposition; and yesterday, host Shep Smith called out a dozen GOP senators by name who had refused to appear on his program to discuss the bill. Today, Smith zeroed in on Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), who has said he will block the bill, even if it means 9/11 responders have to wai...

Shep Smith Shames Republicans On 9/11 First Responders Bill (VIDEO)
Fox News' Shep Smith shamed Republicans holding up a bill to help the First Responders to the September 11th tragedy Monday on "Studio B." Smith hosted Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and discussed the possibility of a "Christmas miracle" — that is, the Senate taking up the Legislation before its recess. After wishing Gillibrand luck and playing video of Republican Senator Jon Kyl expressing skepticism over the bill, Smith then called out Republican senators by name for either decl...

Tuesday Open Thread
Joining in on Jon Stewart’s outrage over the failure of the 9/11 First Responders bill today was Fox News’ Shep Smith, who asked: “How do they sleep at night?” Stewart devoted his whole show last night to gravely attacking Senate Republicans for voting against the bill, which would provide Health Care to the First Responders on September 11. Shep was equally incensed: “Who’s going to hold these people’s feet to the fire? We’re able to put a 52-stor...

Shepard Smith attacks Tom Coburn for blocking 9/11 first responders bill
For the second day in a row now, Fox News' Shepard Smith used his 3 p.m. show to publicly shame specific Republicans for blocking passage of the bill that would fund healthcare for ailing 9/11 First Responders. Yesterday, Shep called out a dozen Senators who refused to come on his show and explain themselves. Today, Shep singled out Senator Tom Coburn, a conservative's conservative, who is at this point the last Republican still willing to publicly block the bill from coming to the floor. Repub...

Shepard Smith Unloads On Blockers Of 9/11 Responders Bill: 'How Do They Sleep At Night?' (VIDEO)
Shepard Smith excoriated the Senators who are holding up the so-called "Zadroga Bill" to assist 9/11 First Responders who suffer from medical problems as a result of their time at Ground Zero. The bill, which provides $7 billion for the responders, passed the House but is being held up by Republicans in the Senate. Speaking to Fox News colleague Chris Wallace on Friday, Smith asked, "How do they sleep at night after this vote on Ground Zero First Responders from 9/11? Are they going to get tha...

Grassley still undecided on 9/11 first responders bill
While it’s important to provide assistance to 9/11 First Responders sickened by the toxic dust from the collapse of the World Trade Center, that assistance should not create another unsustainable entitlement program, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said Tuesday in a statement to The Iowa Independent. Legislation, known as the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, has been pending in the Senate for most of the year. It’s passage has been blocked by Republicans during the lame-duck sessio...

Tom Coburn looks to block passage of health-care benefits for 9/11 First Responders
By Michael J.W. Stickings Full credit, or almost full credit, to Jon Stewart for raising awareness of the urgent health-care needs of 9/11 First Responders at a time when most in the media, and so many in Washington, couldn't be bothered, and for advocating swift passage of the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. As Slate's Chris Beam notes, examining Stewart's undesired role as partisan Political Activist, "[t]he bill wasn't as far from passage as it seemed -- Stewart just shined a ligh...

Ground Zero Workers Visit Coburns Office To Beg Him To Lift Hold On 9/11 First Responders Bill
Though GOP obstructionism in the Lame Duck session has failed to stop many important bills, including the Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the likely the ratification of the START Treaty, one piece of Legislation Senate Republicans have successfully hindered thus far is a bill to provide health benefits to 9/11 First Responders. Though few GOPers have been willing to publicly discuss their opposition — indeed, not a single Republican came to the Senate floor to defend thei...

Shep Smith to Tom Coburn: I cant believe youre blocking this 9/11 health care bill
Via Mediaite, I’m paraphrasing — but only a little. Shep’s emphatically in scold mode here, not only devoting a chunk of airtime to sympathetic video of 9/11 responders complaining about the delay but taking care to put Coburn’s photo onscreen at the end of the clip as a sort of lame shame ritual. Cloture on the bill failed last week, but Schumer and Gillibrand said over the weekend that they expect tomorrow’s second attempt to succeed. Quick passage assured, then...

Jon Kyl Still Making Sorry Excuses for Not Supporting First Responders Bill
It looks like Shep Smith isn't the only person on Fox News that was shamed by Jon Stewart into getting a bit tougher on these Republicans for filibustering the First Responders bill. Chris Wallace brought up Stewart's interview with First Responders to Jon Kyl, and in response we just got more sorry excuses as to why he still would not support the bill. Last week, an incensed Jon Stewart invited 9/11 First Responders to The Daily Show to offer their thoughts on this callous behavior. “Disg...

OReilly On 9/11 First Responders Bill: It Will Pass, Just May Take A Little Longer
Bill O’Reilly zapped Karl Rove from Texas to The O’Reilly Factor to discuss the 9/11 ‘First Responders’ bill that’s been gripping the political media. And their verdict? It still needs more time. According to O’Reilly, “It’s chaos” as it is—so why not wait until next year? Rove mainly agreed, while reiterating the fact that Republicans have questions about the bill, especially regarding its Budget. Some of those questions might even turn in...

Democrats laud Jon Stewart for pushing 9/11 responders bill (The Ticket)
Could Jon Stewart be looking at a new career as a Lobbyist? Probably not, but the Comedy Central host is winning kudos from Washington Democrats for pushing a Sept. 11 First Responders bill on the "Daily Show." White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Tuesday that he hopes Stewart can help Democrats win passage of the bill, which would offer Health Care compensation to responders and their families: I think if there's the ability for that to sort of break through in our politica...

Has Tom Coburn (R-OK) Lost His Mind?
I guess in single-party states like Cuba, Syria, Laos, Turkmenistan, Liberia, Vietnam and Oklahoma, there's no sense among the political class that there's any real accountability from voters. The Democrats actually did have someone run against Tom Coburn last month, though you probably never heard of him. Jim Rogers, who also ran for president (of the United States) in 2008, managed to snag 265,519 votes (26%) against Coburn, just about half the number of votes that Andrew Rice got in 2008 wh...

Last Chance for 9-11 Health Bill
After new START gets ratification today, we’re going to apparently get the first test vote on the 9-11 Health Care bill. With Tom Coburn committed to blocking or at least delaying the bill, there’s no chance of unanimous consent, but the leadership of both parties is working out some kind of agreement to consider it. The House is prepared to pass the measure as well, but they’re waiting to see what the Senate will do. Basically, nobody wants to come back the week after Chris...

Congress Poised To Expedite 9/11 Responders Bill Over GOP Objections
After months of GOP obstruction, a bill to help 9/11 First Responders cover their mounting Health Care costs is expected to zip through Congress. In addition to being a feather in the cap of New York and New Jersey Democrats -- who have been pushing the bill for months -- it will likely enjoy the distinction of being the last legislative item to pass the unusually productive 111th Congress lame duck session. Republicans have blocked the bill in both the House and Senate over objections to its ...

Rachel Maddow: All Hail Shep Smith At Fox News (And Im Not Kidding)
Rachel Maddow turned her attention toward Fox News on her program tonight to—wait, don’t grab your pitchforks just yet! It turns out that the MSNBC host comes in peace… if your name’s Shepard Smith, that is. Maddow praised Shep for the “hullabaloo” he’s been making in the name of the 9/11 First Respodners bill. She’s just thrilled that a man whose network actually matters to Republicans decided to hold Republicans accountable. “All hail Shep Smit...

Shep Smith Calls Out Sen. Coburn Over His Threat To Block 9/11 First-Responders Bill
Except for maybe Jon Stewart, no one else has been out ahead of the 9/11 First-Responders Bill as Fox News Shepard Smith. Last Friday after The Daily Show dedicated most of the previous night’s program to the oddly Controversial bill, Smith piled on, asking how congressional members who have held up the bill providing Health Care to emergency relief workers on 9/11 “sleep at night.” Yesterday he called out ever single GOP lawmaker by name who turned down a request to join him o...

Shep Smith Zeroes In On Tom Coburn For Opposing 9/11 First Responders Bill
Fox News' Shep Smith has been shellacking Republicans left and right for opposing the 9/11 First Responders bill, and today he zeroed in on Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) for vowing to slow down or block the bill until the next session of Congress. In this latest installment, he showed a picture of Coburn and said: He is the man who is vowing to slow this down or block it, so that the necessary funding for the illnesses of the First Responders who made it to Ground Zero to try to save lives on the d...

9/11 First Responders Health Care Bill Faces Key Test Vote In Senate
WASHINGTON — The Senate is headed for a key test vote on a bill that would provide up $6.2 billion to aid people who became sick after being exposed to Toxins at the World Trade Center ruins. Bill supporters say they're confident they have the 60 votes needed to prevail on the vote expected Wednesday. But they worry that Republicans who oppose the measure could try to stall a final vote as the holidays near and Congress' Lame Duck session winds down. The bill would provide medical and ec...