“I think the press is thin-skinned. They’re good at dishing it out and they’re lousy at taking it. …What they’re getting is a dose of medicine that they dish out with politicians everyday.” — Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” this morning in reference to Attorney General Eric Holder hosting an off-the-record meeting with the media.

Important Q to Ponder: “Is the @nytimes saying they won’t talk to public officials off the record? Because I’m pretty sure they do every day.” — TIME Senior National Correspondent Michael Grunwald.

Uh oh.

“I think I just got propositioned on Facebook from a woman in Africa.” — Don Irvine, Chairman of Accuracy in Media.

And now, your daily Bible verse

“A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17″ — Kim Hume, wife of FNC’s Brit Hume.

Story pitch that never came to fruition

“As an intern at @rollcall, I pitched a story on all the politics & journalism related bars to @brunodebbie. Never finished it.” — Politico‘s Byron Tau.

Journo tells dad not to call C-SPAN

“I’ll be in the hot seat on @cspanwj at 8:30 live from Yahoo’s DC bureau. Watch here: cs.pn/e1vwvH (Dad, please don’t call in.)” — Yahoo! News’ Chris Moody.

Anthony Weiner Dick Jokes Part I

“Anthony Weiner still a guy who showed his dick to strangers, Politico reports.” — HuffPost‘s Arthur Delaney on Politico’s Maggie Haberman‘s Weiner piece, which doesn’t quite say that. Read here.

Anthony Weiner Dick Jokes Part II

What’s a story about ex-Rep. Weiner without a penis metaphor? Haberman’s lede:

In the week since he took the New York City mayoral race by storm, Anthony Weiner has delighted in the media circus he single-handedly created. He has mixed it up with reporters and taunted longtime adversaries in the same manner that made him a liberal lightning rod in Congress.

Think you’re having a rough day? Here’s a story alert from ABC7: “One man is dead and dozens of cats have been transported to a local animal shelter after a house fire in Herndon.”

Read more Morning Chatter… continued…

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A graying homeless man with an admitted history of mental illness set up shop in Dupont Circle Wednesday afternoon with an elaborate boombox and speaker system. “I love to dance!” he said, getting his groove on amid a sticky Washington heatwave.

So who is he and what’s he doing here?

Adjacent to the stereo speakers and propped up against one of the ledges that surround the fountain was a handwritten sign on a piece of cardboard that contained two scrawled email addresses — his own and presumably that of Fox News anchor Brit Hume.

Here’s where things get dicey. The man claims to be Louis Hume, the son of the journalist. He says he’s not Brit Hume’s biological son, but that Hume raised him in every way that matters. He even has a birth certificate (as pictured here) to attempt to prove his claim and named Brit Hume’s first wife, Clare Jacobs Stoner, as the woman who raised him and his “biological aunt.”

Dressed in cream-colored shorts, a bright white T-shirt that reads, “Help the Homeless” and worn sneakers, Louis (not likely his real name) was dripping with sweat as he pried himself away from dancing for a brief interview.

“He taught me all the proper ways to live, which I paid little attention to,” he said of Brit Hume. “I’ve led a very wild life, I guess you could say. God told me recently that I had to start telling people about meeting him. I guess he doesn’t like the idea.”

He continued, wistfully, “It seems like forever since I’ve seen him. I lived out West. But yeah, he’s my dad. I met God. God gave me a ride, like a three, four, five hour drive. I want to tell the story and be on a lie detector machine so people know I ain’t lying about it. But I’m mostly up here just preaching the gospel.”

“Louis Hume” said a few months ago he tried to camp out down by the Fox News studios on North Capitol Street to try to see his “father.” But he said cops chased him off. “I went to Fox News and I said ‘Okay, well listen, my Dad’s working up there. You go tell him to come down here and tell me to leave and I will.’ So they relayed the message up to him,” he said. “My Dad told security, ‘I don’t have a son, my son died.’ So he was saying, basically, I’m not his son anymore, I don’t know.”

This story is heartbreaking on a variety of levels. continued…

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Reflection on WHCD’s past

“You know you are old if you can remember when the White House Correspondents Dinner was just a dinner in a hotel basement.” — WaPo‘s Karen Tumulty.

A polite and impolite view of Politico‘s Leibo piece

“Not a reflexive @politico hater by any means but the Allen/Vandehei piece on @MarkLeibovich sure bears out his thesis of DC’s awfulness.” — The Hill‘s Associate Editor Niall Stanage. Then there’s Michael Cohen, a columnist for The Guardian, who wasn’t so kind. He wrote, “Dear Washington DC: This article is kind of the reason people don’t like you.” Read the Politico piece here.

Number of Weiner jokes made National Journal‘s Political Pursuit game last night at the Newseum: At least 2. One was made by an unknown member of the audience; the other by WaPo‘s Chris Cillizza, who was on the winning team of journliasts that included WaPo‘s Paul Kane, NYT‘s Carl Hulse, Roll Call‘s Shira Toeplitz and The Cook Report’s Amy Walter. More on the event later…

And now a note from our Spiritual Counselor Sophia Nelson, of theGrio.com and Essence: “We are spiritual beings having an earthly experience. Protect your spirit. Feed your spirit. Guard your spirit. Bless your spirit.”

If you can’t beat ‘em, leave the country

“Out of the city and country for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Totally unplanned. Tears of unbridled joy. Alhamdullilah.” — Washington freelancer Sam Knight, who writes for Salon and Washington Monthly.

NPR has rep to uphold

“*sigh* If I had a nickel for every time I’ve thought this… ” –NPR’s Audie Cornish, host of “All Things Considered” in response to this: “@GeeDee215: okay. i’mma stop. This is NPR, etc.”

Yeah, riiiight: “It’s definitely smaller this year.” — SKDknickerbocker’s Doug Thornell on this year’s Garden Brunch hosted by Tammy Haddad, SKD’s Hilary Rosen and others.

AnonymASS Tipster of the Week: “Hey Peter Ogburn. While you humiliate some person who no one knows, same question can be asked of you: who the hell are you? Or who should care about the mostly puerile things you write? Advice? Find something else to do with your life.” Dear ASS: He is Peter Ogburn, THAT’s who. Who are you? Oh, right, the person who is too cowardly to attach your name to your note.

Journo Love

“Follow by the far the funniest @politico: @LucyConstance.” — Politico‘s Alexander Burns.

And finally, a morning Bible lesson from FNC’s Brit Hume‘s wife, Kim Hume: “A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones. Proverbs 14:30 (NKJV)”

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SHOWOFF: “Sunset over the Gulf of Mexico in Boca Grande, FL, 2/28/2013″ — FNC’s Brit Hume.

Conventional wisdom

“So non threat to Woodward is a problem cuz jr reporter might not be able to stand as courageously agst non-threat as Woodward. #truth.” – TPM‘s Josh Marshall.

Angry Ass Convo Between Two Journos

The conversation is between The Weekly Standard’s John McCormack and BuzzFeed’s Andrew Kaczynski.

John McCormack: “Politico article on abortion issue includes two quotes–one from Planned Parenthood and one, for balance, from ACLU”

Andrew Kaczynski: “@McCormackJohn Lot of balance in those Weekly Standard Chuck Hagel stories.”

John McCormack: “@BuzzFeedAndrew Well, at least they’re more balanced than Buzzfeed’s articles on gay marriage. Also: We don’t pretend we’re not ideological.”

Menendez: No more hooker q’s for now

“No questions for Menendez about his controversy. Seems he’s reached a point where he can talk about other things.” — Politico‘s Ginger Gibson on Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.).

Producer is “all screwed up” when walking

“After living in London I never know which way to look for cars. Totally screwed me up.” — FNC Senate Producer Kara Rowland.

A little help from your friends

NYT‘s political correspondent Nick Confessore: “Packing and moving an apartment is like waiting for the Time-Warner guy, in hell, for infinity.”

NYT‘s Washington Bureau Chief David Leonhardt: “@nickconfessore Just wait until you’re simultaneously unpacking and waiting for the Time Warner guy.”

Goofball FLOTUS pool report

“FLOTUS pool report from @jestei ‘I am sorry I am unable to provide you with the lid, as FLOTUS has none. (Stock pots, maybe.)’” — NYT‘s Jonathan Weisman. A “lid” in pool reportese marks the conclusion of a day’s formal events.

Necessary Tweet of the Day

“I’m going to try stovetop smoking salmon tonight. (I decided I needed more alliterative cooking processes.)” — Slate and NYT‘s Farhad Majoo.

Uh oh. “Anyone else ever mean to send a text and send a Tweet instead just by force of habit? Dangerous.” — Politico‘s Ben White.

See who made our FishbowlDC Fan Club Board. continued…

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Erickson: “@brithume Merry Christmas Brit. God bless you and yours.”

Hume: “@EWErickson Same to you brother, and thank you for the wonderful diary entry on 12/21. Blessings.”

In other could’ve left this off Twitter news…ABC “The View’s” Sherri Shepherd writes on Twitter, “Jeffrey has had a fever since yesterday – I’ve been sneezed on, coughed on, snotted on… all he wants is hugs from mommy-Lord plz help me.” And this… “Merry Christmas! (We’re marking the traditions today because we’ll be in Disney-Florida tomorrow-Thursday.)” — National Journal Editorial Director Ron Fournier. Thanks for letting us know your schedule Ron!

Peter Ogburn contributed to this report.

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After a follow-up story by The Hollywood Reporter challenging the accuracy of Sherman’s piece, FNC Contributor Brit Hume demanded that Sherman issue a correction. “The Hollywood Reporter story covers a lot more than Fox News Sunday, & demolishes your original story,” Hume tweeted to Sherman. “Time for a correction.”

Try as it might, THR‘s story doesn’t exactly change anything about Sherman’s original report. It does cite “Fox News insiders’ (which Sherman cited in his own story, though surely different ones ) who dispute the charge, noting that Fox News Sunday hosted a discussion on gun policy.

Sherman’s story, however, also stated that fact.

The big development in THR‘s story comes at the very end… continued…

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“Someone wrote me an email and said they thought the Secret Service was going to intervene.” — Politico‘s Mike Allen early this morning on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

By Far, Funniest Reaction of the Night

“Mitt shot his whole wad in the first debate.” — D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton. Whoa, Eleanor, HUH?! WaPo‘s Mike DeBonis tried to come to her defense, saying, “To defend Eleanor Norton a bit, she’s an aficionado of antique muzzle loading firearms. I hope.”

Sweet and Sour Reaction to Candy

“Candy Crowley holding the reins tight tonight…no shenanigans in her house.” — NBC’s and E!’s Ryan Seacrest.

“Best & worst moment of debate was Candy correcting Romney – she was right, but I’m not sure she should have inserted herself in that way.” — Roll Call‘s Emily Pierce.

“Righties already trying to make this about the Qs and moderator.” — Politico‘s SENIOR political reporter Jonathan Martin in what may be his first understandable tweet in awhile. Congrats JMart!

“I’m terribly disappointed in Candy. I defended her today, and I was wrong.” — Houston Chronicle political blogger and Newsbusters’ Kathleen McKinley.

“Ok Candy, you better facilitate, not follow-up!” — Conservative blogger Matt Mackowiack.

“Candy Crowley proved why these media fact checkers are toxic liars.” — Breitbart.com’s John Nolte.

“(I worked with Candy Crowley at CNN and think she’s terrific)” — CBS News investigative journo Sharyl Attkisson.

“A lot of anger on the Twitters at Crowley for challenging Mitt. You see, that isn’t supposed to happen.” — WaPo lefty blogger Greg Sargent.

“I must say that if you aren’t drinking some Jack Daniels during this debate you really are missing something.” — Roll Call Columnist and Political Analyst Stuart Rothenberg.

“Who won the debate tonight? Candy Crowley. She knew her facts and made sure she pointed them out to her opponents. She’s got my vote.” — Author Jonathan Krohn.

Debate Recap: Top Quotes

“If Sec. Clinton is responsible for the security failure in Benghazi, who is responsible for 8 days of of b.s.about what happened that day?” — FNC’s Brit Hume.

“As a woman voter, I feel very wanted tonight!” — ABC talk show host Katie Couric.

“OMG. Panelist on FOX News just said ‘BULLSHIT!’” — ABC7′s Mike Conneen.

“I was filing during that Libya exchange, but holy living fuck.” — TPM‘s Brian Beutler.

“Candy Crowley halts Romney in his tracks, calling him out live in real time on an incorrect Libya statement.” — NYT‘s Ashley Parker.

“I’m excitable – but politics is about emotion as well as reason. My view is Obama halted Mitt’s momentum in its tracks.” — The Daily Beast‘s Andrew Sullivan.

“Watching the @politicolive show again on dc newschannell 8. Forget how fun it was to watch, albeit kind of a train wreck.” — QGA and longtime Senate flack Jim Manley.

“The town hall debate format makes me feel bad about the human condition, like that “What Would You Do” hidden camera show. #sighbinder” — Digital media exec Kenny Day.

“Bottom line: Obama was far more aggressive this time, these 2 men don’t like each other and this race is still a toss-up.” — The Hill‘s Managing Editor Bob Cusack.

“No one puts baby in a binder.” — National Journal‘s Chris Frates.

“Ok, goodnight everyone. tucking myself into my binder for some shuteye.” — AtlanticWire Senior Writer Jen Doll.

“Chris Matthews is wetting his pants in joy, gibbering like a meth freak on laughing gas.” — Conservative blogger and former TWTer Robert Stacy McCain.

“Bottom bottom line: Obama shows up big timme and wins. Is it enough to reverse the polarities?” — HuffPost‘s Howard Fineman.

“MSNBC fawning. Fox News fuming. A pox on both your houses.” — WaPo‘s Dan Zak.

“Love switching channels. MSNBC says clr Obama win, CNN, eh, slight Obama edge. Fox still talking about Benghazi.” — NYT‘s Jonathan Weisman.

“Did Van Jones just call Mitt Romney a ‘DOUCHE’ on CNN – @CNNSituationRoom? Wow, didn’t think that was permitted.” — former Eric Cantor Spokesman Brad Dayspring, who now works as senior adviser to the YG Action Fund.

Greta sees hot pink and blue

“Yes, it is true…both wives in a hot pink (or at least on my monitor it looks like hot pink but faces can be bluish on my tv monitor)” — FNC’s Greta Van Susteren.

Important Q to Ponder: “Do I have time to make pierogies before this debate? Yes, yes I do!” — The Washington Examiner‘s Nikki Schwab.

Something else to Ponder: “How, in a country as powerful and dynamic as ours, could bindersfullofwomen.com not already be taken?” — WSJ‘s Neil King.

The Observer

“You keep it crazy, Bobby Jindal.” — Ronan Farrow, son of Mia and Woody Allen, reacting to post debate interviews from Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. Farrow is a writer, human rights lawyer and formerly Sec. of State Hillary Clinton‘s Special Adviser for Global Youth issues.

And another journo eats chicken…

“Chicken in pot, my debate night tradition. Thanks, Herbert Hoover!” — blogger and pundit Craig Crawford. Anonymous writes in, “That’s a sweet tradition, but his shicken looks like a dog’s dinner.”

Good rap quote from whitest guy in Washington

“Mystikal: That’s right my meat and potatoes come from my lyrical label I throw my rhymes for No Limit like Jeff George throw for the Raiders” — NBC’s Luke Russert.

Ouch!

“Joe Scarborough will suck-up to a guest, then trash-talk them 24 hours later. Tells you all you need to know…#MSNBCfail” — The Daily Caller TV Reporter Jeff Poor.

Peter Ogburn and Eddie Scarry contributed to this report.

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In short, they think he went too far…

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Reminder: Fishbowl Summer Superlatives 2012

At noon today we will begin compiling the nominees. So screw your deadlines for a few minutes and come help us decide which Washington journalists ought to be nominated for Worst Temper, Best Writer, Biggest Self-Promoter, Sexiest, Most in Need of a Salad, Makeover, Reality Show and more. See the list here. 

The Observer

“It appears Poynter has learned to get extra page views like HuffPo by linking to Huffington Post as it does to others.” — Politico‘s Burgess Everett, who links to this story.

Being Prez has its perks

“Oh the advantages of being President … Romney pool report: ‘We are still rolling to the airport – got stuck in traffic.’” — FNC’s Ed Henry.

Politico‘s Ben White: ‘I’m very very stupid’

“Hold up hold up. there is MEN’s field hockey? Since when? I’m sorry but that’s really stupid.” — Politico‘s Ben White in regards to Olympic field hockey. Ultimately White admits questionable intelligence on the matter, saying, “Apparently I did not know it because I’m very very stupid.”  (After he completes his anger management series, White will soon offer a workshop to boost your self-esteem.)

Uh oh. Watch out!

“COLUMN COMING: Chick-fil-hate mail” — WaPo‘s Jonathan Capehart.

And now, an incoherent Kindergarten style tweet from Politico Senior Political Reporter Jonathan Martin: “Folo @davecatanese for all your MO SEN primary needs.”

Blind Q: Which female reporter publicly declared this week that one of her own editors was leaking things about her to FishbowlDC?

Deep Thoughts With FNC’s Brit Hume

“Time spent on VP pick scoop a waste. This is something we will all find out soon enough. Time better spent on facts we might NOT find out.” — FNC’s Brit Hume.

How to Make it About Me?

“Trying to decide if Obama’s praise of Sorkin makes the takedown of ep. 1 of the Newsroom that I waited too long to write timely again.” — WaPo‘s Ezra Klein. Oh Ezzy, we’ve missed you so much. Thank God for Moe Tkacik‘s feed for letting me see this tweet. I hope you will consider unblocking us sometime in the next five years.

Journo admits to rare case of ‘dumb fucks’

“I got a pretty bad case of the dumb fucks today – just struggling on another level.” — Mike Elk, labor journo for InTheseTimes.com.

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Lorraine Wallace

Now the Wallace couple are taking their capitalizing to the next level with a chicken book. On Sunday, June 24 she will emasculate him further as they appear at the Newseum to discuss her new book, Mr. Sunday’s Saturday Night Chicken. These are the bold chicken dishes she serves him the night before he wakes up and courageously heads into a World War II type battle otherwise known as Fox News Sunday. We were going to make a joke about Lorraine choking Chris’s chicken, but maybe that’s too much.

What a weird coincidence!

As it happens,  Lorraine has a little something in common with potential first lady Ann Romney and current first lady Michelle Obama. An announcement for the chicken book reading says she was a competitive horse jumper in the 80s while astonishingly starting her own vegetable, herb and flower garden. Who knew?

Get more specifics on the event here.

As we speak, Lorraine is working on her next book, Mr. Sunday’s Power Breakfast, a book about the pots of peach compote Lorraine forces down Chris’s throat before he leaves for the Fox News studio on Sunday mornings.

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Gingrich, Molinari and Paxon in happier times. The infant is Susan Ruby, the couple’s child.

Earlier today the Miami Herald reported on an anti-Gingrich conference call set to transpire today between GOP Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, former Rep. Susan Molinari and former Sen. Jim Talent. They describe the relationship between GOP Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich and Romney backer Molinari as complex. The story by Marc Caputo reports that Molinari’s “hatred” for Gingrich dates back more than a decade. He brings up the longtime rumors of Molinari’s husband, former Rep. Bill Paxon, having an affair with FNC Brit Hume‘s son Sandy, who committed suicide in February 1998. At the time, he was a star reporter for The Hill. Hume had written that Paxon was believed to be a threat to Gingrich.

Gawker picked up where the Florida publication left off, questioning whether Gingrich had spilled the beans on the supposed affair — hence Paxon’s sudden disappearance from Congress and Hume’s death. An excerpt:

“The rumor, in brief, is as follows: In the summer of 1997, the Hill’s Sandy Hume—the then-28-year-old son of Fox News’ Brit Hume—broke a blockbuster story about four GOP congressman who plotted, and failed, to overthrow Newt Gingrich as Speaker. One of those men was Bill Paxon, a New York Republican who was married to fellow Congresswoman Susan Molinari. Another of the plotters, Majority Leader Dick Armey, scuttled the coup when he learned that Paxon, and not he, would replace Gingrich. Armey later disavowed the whole attempt and claimed not to have been involved.”

It’s the Washington mystery few dare to discuss in public.

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In today’s edition of Politico, not only did author Mike Allen devote the first three graphs of “Playbook” to his story on Baier, but the piece itself is two pages of graph after graph after graph of gushing evidence about just how terrific Baier is. It’s the sort of piece you hang on the refrigerator — for years.

Baier says the biggest thing he does in his work is …. he listens. This is deep listening, not your garden variety ignore your subject and move on. Is this supposed to be unusual for a reporter? Allen even had a GOP consultant study Baier’s TV tapes. He compares Bret to a Boy Scout with a “very sharp” knife. As analogies go, how great is that?

The bulk of the story reads like a publicist’s dream with quotes that sound like soundbites such as this one from Baier in which he remembers to include the obligatory mention of former Bureau Chief Brit Hume: “I always wanted to cover politics when the American people were interested in politics, and, as you know, that’s now,” Baier said. “And I always aspired to follow in my mentor, Brit Hume’s, footsteps, and I’ve done it, so I’m living what I wanted to do.”

We did learn one thing we didn’t know about Fox News. In page two of the bland, smoochified profile, it’s revealed that the network has a “Brain Room” — a room packed with briefing books — that Bret flees to before moderating debates.

Even if FNC PR hated Politico last week, surely they’re warming to them now.

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If you were Juan Williams wouldn’t you tread more carefully on Fox News Sunday considering they took him in after he was shitcanned by NPR for blasting Middle Eastern travelers on airplanes? Wouldn’t you tiptoe around Brit and Wallace and not interrupt, lash out or get all bratty?

Well, you’re not Williams. On Sunday he got snappy with host Chris Wallace after Wallace, the hall monitor, cut him off, insisting the panel had to move on to the unstoppable wisdom of Brit Hume. Williams: “The Republicans in this time of Occupy Wall Street are the protectors of the super rich.” Wallace: “I’m not sure if we should talk about Occupy Wall Street as a plus anymore,” Hall Monitor said, chuckling gravely. Juan objected. To which H.M. asked incredulously, “Really, with all the violence in the streets?” This is when Juan got agitated. “You are getting distracted. And you’re getting distracted by people who are crazy. …The fact is, when you ask most people, is Wall Street getting out of control? They say yes.” At which point Wallace interrupted Juan to scold him like a child. “Juan Juan, there’s a limit. We want to play fair here.” Juan’s angry inner child snapped, “You’re not playing fair, but go ahead.” [Insert weird, pregnant pause here followed by guffaws from other panel members.]

Wallace had the last word: “It’s called being a moderator.”

While it made for great TV, it also made us worry for Juan. Juan, you must keep your sh-t together because there are only so many times that Bill O’Reilly will swoop in and save you. We like your spunk. But interrupt Hall Monitor at your own peril.

FNC posted Panel Plus, but not the regular old panel to their website. They did allow Juan onto Panel Plus and he was full of smiles, as was Wallace. So we think no residual bad feelings are looming.

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Let’s examine a common journalistic theme in Washington: What can access get you? In Bedard’s recent vanilla infused tome on the network, there is not one probing or challenging thought. Semi-retired Brit Hume looks back on Fox News’s hardscrabble story of being doubted to the explosive success is now. Is that supposed to be challenging? Bret Baier, Hume’s replacement, recalls tough times. Not trudging through the snow with frostbitten fingers tough. More like vanilla scented memories. Bedard writes, “But it was slow going. Baier says when he arrived in 1998, he’d have to explain to sources that, no, he didn’t work for the ‘Simpsons Fox,’ a reference to the entertainment channel.”

How about Hume’s thoughts on Fox News’ ongoing rep for being a media arm of the GOP? Hume says FNC covers an aspect of politics ignored by the liberal media — something we’ve never heard before. Any follow-ups? Nah. What about Hume’s reaction to FNC President Roger Ailes saying he hired former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin because she’s hot? Too risky. How about the assertion that the network has lost its sheen without Hume anchoring? Too much of a bother.

Access is grand, isn’t it?

We wrote Bedard to ask if Fox News placed restrictions or instructions on what questions he could ask Hume and Baier, as this is how the network typically operates. We also asked why he appeared to avoid asking challenging questions or follow-ups. He had no response.

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The predictability in the air was palpable on Wednesday afternoon when we published a story on the abrasive comments Current TV’s David Shuster made about Fox News anchors Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly and Chris Wallace over the weekend.  You may recall how Shuster took his stink with the FNCers to CNN’s airwaves on Sunday, telling Howie Kurtz that the trio had no business moderating a presidential debate due to their lack of campaign trail experience.

Communicating extensively with FBDC, Shuster reaffirmed his remarks and even took things a step further.  He charged that Fox has lost all “credibility/watchability” since Brit Hume‘s semi-retirement. He also explained that conversations with “friends” inside FNC prompted him to criticize the network on CNN.  After finishing with Shuster, FBDC contacted longtime Fox News Communications Director Irena Brigante for a response or comment on the matter. Included in the note was a graph of quotes from our earlier conversation with Shuster.

So we waited. No response. Deafening silence. Still, not surprising.  That is, after all, typical treatment for journalists who’ve been blackballed by Fox News PR.

“That’s how they operate. There’s a black list. So if they’re isolating you it means you pissed them off or were nice to someone at another network.,” said a TV insider who is familiar with Brigante’s operation.

“F–k her,” added another media insider with a key vantage point to know her history. “That’s her stock and trade to alienate people and never talk to certain media outlets. I’ve had this conversation with everyone in the media.”

But wait there’s more to FNC’s blacklist than the silent treatment.  Things generally play out like this: While most of the network’s press shop is busy miming hateful replies to your request, one of the spokeshags hits the phones to sell your scoop or share your inquiry with  one of their pet publications. Which is precisely what happened this week.

Sure enough, just after 2 p.m. on Wednesday the Washington Examiner‘s Nikki Schwab, who has taken the bait before, wrote FBDC explaining that she, too, was working on a Shuster/Fox News piece.  What a coincidence!  In the note, she posed a question about Shuster’s misspelling Baier’s first name. FBDC replied.

Schwab’s story published Wednesday. The piece contained zero new news and cited only Shuster’s comments to FBDC – coincidentally the very same quotes we’d sent to FNC PR when we originally sought comment from them. Schwab advanced the story with nothing more than a remark from an unnamed Fox News spokesperson regarding the quotes we’d emailed Brigante earlier in the day.

Coincidence? Unlikely.

We reached out to both Schwab and Editor Stephen Smith, posing virtually the same question to each of them: Does the Washington Examiner see anything ethically challenging about Fox News using their publication as a mouthpiece? So far, no response.

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