Ailes smears Democratic candidates

Via Josh Marshall, Fox News head Roger Ailes suggested that Democratic presidential candidates dodging his network's debate are going to be afraid of Al Qaeda:

And he had some choice words for Democratic candidates who have decided not to debate on Fox.

“The candidates that can’t face Fox, can’t face Al Qaeda,” said Mr. Ailes. “And that’s what’s coming.”

Marshall's response? Jokingly comparing Fox to terrorists:

Fox's Roger Ailes says: "The candidates that can't face Fox, can't face Al Qaeda. And that's what's coming."

I guess we at least agree about the nature of the organization?

Late Update: From TPM Reader RT: "I guess he validates the theory you shouldn't negotiate with terrorists."

Inspiring stuff all around.

Comments

[Rob]

Isn't "smear" an awfully loaded word for Ailes' tongue-in-cheek ridicule of the Democratic candidates? Did your previous post smear Mo Dowd when you called her a mind-reader? I wouldn't have thought so, but if we're going to use the word as loosely as you have, we'd have to say you've been at least as guilty of smearing as Ailes.

[AP]

You really don't get that Marshall was making fun of the wording Ailes used? Ailes inadvertently linked Fox and Al Qaeda through parallelism, and Marshall teased him about it. This is cause for self-righteous tut-tutting?

(On the other side, can Rob please point out to me what exactly is "tongue-in-cheek" about what Ailes said? Seems completely serious to me, and I somehow can't imagine anyone laughing after he said it.)