By Ron Marsh
“Great! . . . Fantastic! . . . Another example of a schizophrenic judiciary!” Or so I thought as I heard, and then read, the Fox News item:
Headline: Feds can't force Domino's founder to offer contraceptives, judge says
DETROIT – A judge on Thursday blocked the federal government from requiring the founder of Domino's Pizza to provide mandatory contraception coverage to his employees under the health care law.
“WOW! Alright! HUGE company! Important precedent! Now maybe there’s hope for Hobby Lobby and others!”
Then I read on…
U.S. District Judge Lawrence Zatkoff granted a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the contraception provision of the law against Tom Monaghan and Domino's Farms Corp., a management company located near Ann Arbor, Mich.
The company, which is not connected to Domino's Pizza, has 45 full-time and 44 part-time employees, according to its court filing. Monaghan sold his controlling stake in Domino's Pizza in 1998 to private equity company Bain Capital and sold his remaining Domino's stock in 2004, according to Domino's Pizza spokesman Chris Brandon.
What? “Not connected” to Domino’s Pizza? Fewer than 90 employees? Monaghan totally gone from Domino’s Pizza for nearly a decade? Now owns “Domino Farms,” a totally unaffiliated entity, the true beneficiary of the judge’s ruling? So why the hoopla? Why the deception?
And Fox News was not alone! Most other “news” sources pulled the same underhanded, attention-grabbing, less-than-honest (read “lying”!) dirty-trickery more appropriate to yellow journalism and check-out tabloids.
Or are all the “news” media yellow nowadays?
Well, not quite. I did find one source that reported the decision fairly:
Headline:Domino's Farms Does Not Have To Immediately Implement Mandatory Contraception Coverage, Federal Judge Rules
DETROIT -- A federal judge has ruled a property management company owned by the founder of Domino's Pizza doesn't have to immediately implement mandatory contraception coverage in the health care law.
And just where did I find the most honest, “fair and balanced” coverage? You’d probably never guess, so check it out for yourself:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/31/dominos-farms-contraception_n_2390414.html
On this past Wednesday’s (March 13) “Constitutionally Yours” program, “1.6 Billion Bullets,” I spent some time discussing credibility – how important it is, how easy it is to lose, and how difficult it is to re-establish. (Hear the program at http://www.ronmarsh.com/program-archive.html)
For even its most ardent adherents and apologists (among whom I am not!), Fox News surely has “a lot of ‘splainin’ to do” – and a lot of credibility to re-establish.
Meanwhile, take care about swallowing that “fair and balanced” pill. There may be serious – even fatal – side effects!
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