Only a dyed-in-the-wool leftist would think to label CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post and the three major networks, as the mainstream media. Only liberals who are so delusional as to regard their politics as middle of the road could be that mistaken. Normal people are aware of the fact that these news outlets are not only not mainstream, but are clear out of the water and perched on the far left bank. However, those of the liberal persuasion have repeated that lie so often and for so long, I’m afraid they’ve actually come to take it as gospel.

Another lie they have attempted to foist off on us is that Fox News acts as the propaganda arm of the Republican party. In spite of the fact that Bill O’Reilly has taken the president out behind the woodshed on any number of occasions -- taking him to task for his border policy, for expanding the size of the federal government, for increasing the national deficit, and for the port deal with the UAE, to name just a few -- the left would have you believe that O’Reilly is Goebbels to Bush’s Hitler.

The fact is, it’s radio and TV shows moderated by the sorry likes of Al Franken and Chris Matthews that regularly take cheap shots at conservatives, and do so with absolute impunity. They rarely, if ever, give the other side the opportunity to rebut their sophomoric drivel.

O’Reilly may be an acquired taste, but he not only makes it a regular practice to invite the opposition on his show to argue the issues, but invariably ends the debate by giving his guest the last word, closing with his signature line, “We’ll let the folks at home decide.”

Further proof that Fox plays it on the square is the show that follows on the heels of O’Reilly’s. I refer to Hannity and Colmes. While it’s certainly true that Hannity is a devout Republican partisan, Colmes is equally devoted to the Democrats. In fact, if Howard Dean ever develops terminal laryngitis from all that infernal screaming, Colmes could easily step in and take over as head of the DNC.

I am not, it should be understood, a cheerleader for Fox’s entire line-up. I find Shepard Smith’s voice annoying even if I’m in the next room. And I, personally, would relegate Greta Van Susteren and her murders au jour to mid-afternoon, where she could duke it out with the likes of Judge Judy and Jerry Springer.

But, facts are facts, and the fact is, Fox makes every attempt to live up to its motto of Fair and Balanced. Compared to Fox, the so-called mainstream media is what I’d call Faux News.