MRC president Brent Bozell appeared on The Kelly File on Fox News Channel on Friday night to address how State Department deputy spokesman Marie Harf whacked Fox star Bill O’Reilly on Twitter.
After O’Reilly knocked chief State press aide Jen Psaki as out of her depth of Fox, Harf tweeted that Psaki "explains foreign policy w/ intelligence & class. Too bad we can't say the same about @oreilly factor."
Megyn Kelly showed Harf defending herself in the briefing room: “I think that when the anchor of a leading cable news show uses quite frankly sexist, personally offensive language that I actually don't think they would ever use about a man against a person that shares this podium with me, I think I have an obligation and I think it's important to step up and say that's not OK.”
Bozell started by conceding a press secretary’s job is one of the toughest:
BOZELL: Look, let's be honest. Being a press spokesman in a position like this is about the toughest job in Washington, D.C. Got to journalism is a way of life in this town. But that's why you choose the best talent you can find. Jay Carney was smooth, well-spoken, intelligent, also duplicities, and very dishonest. Then you see Josh Earnest come in as a White House spokesman. This guy is way out of his league. He shouldn't be in that position. He is not good. And so you turn over to the State Department with Jen Psaki. And every time I've watched her I shake my head in disbelief. I've watched that press conference. I watched James Wilson after (ph), he just asked the simplest question in the world, are we at war? She couldn't give him an answer on that. So, you think that's bad, now you see Marie Harf, I'm sorry, I'm going to say this because it's true, she is a bubble head. I've watched in embarrassment. This is the best they could come up with? She would flunk a freshman college debating contest.
KELLY: I don't think it's a bubble head thing. That implies that she's stupid. I don't think she's stupid. I've interviewed her. She's young. I think she's only 31 years old. Her last job was spokesperson for CIA. Do you give a lot of statements on the record for the CIA? No. She never had to do it before. So, she comes out at the State Department, now she's got a big job. But what she needs to remember in my view is you're not in the sorority, trying to defend your sister. Now, you're at the State Department. Jen Psaki took that criticism like a woman. She didn't come out and complain. The underling did.
BOZELL: That's the point, Megyn. You're a spokesman. You're not a combatant. The rule number one is you don't get into a fistfight. I'm being nice about that. So, she gets...
KELLY: Now, she's got Bill airing the segment over and over and over again Psaki not being able to answer the question. Don't do Jen any favors. Jen kept her mouth shut. She moved on. She's used to taking incoming. That's what happens. Marie, zip it. Let it pass.
BOZELL: She's got to -- at this point she's got to laugh at herself. At this point she's got to say I made a boo-boo and laugh at herself and rise above it.
KELLY: Agreed. And that's part of what we do when you're young and coming up the ranks. Brent, good to see you.
