Jon Stewart: Blame Fox News For Arizona’s Anti-Gay ‘Religious Freedom’ Paranoia

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Jon Stewart last night looked into what was behind the paranoia that created the environment allowing Arizona lawmakers to pass the so-called “religious freedom” bill known as SB-1062. Turns out, Fox News is to blame, says Stewart.

The “Daily Show” pundit ran clip after clip after clip of Fox News personalities, from Bill O’Reilly to Todd Starnes to Megyn Kelly to Steve Doocy, all crying about religious liberty being “under attack.”

No wonder the conservative Christians in the Grand Canyon State were freaking out — Fox News has repeatedly twisted facts and created bogey men — like religious liberty being “under attack” — to rile up their base.

Stewart, who recorded his show before Gov. Brewer’s evening veto, called it “a slam dunk veto,” and asked, “What governor in their right mind would sign this piece of shit?”

“I had not realized the extent to which the good pious peoples had been subjected to the tyranny of Arizona’s, of course, still-illegal gay wedding industry,” Stewart quipped.

And he attacked the state of Arizona for allowing the bill to have gotten so far. “You’ve made yourselves too homophobic and dickish for professional football,” Stewart said.

Daily Kos has the transcript:

None of the reasons that you guys have cited, the fact that while then maybe Muslims could use it against us, or, oh my God, people won’t want to do business with us, have nothing to do with morality. But with so many good reasons not to pass the bill, it makes you wonder how it got this far in the first place. Megyn Kelly has a theory.

MEGYN KELLY (2/25/2014): We hear a lot from folks on the religious right who say they feel religion is under attack. And you know, I look at this bill, and I wonder whether this is a reaction — an overreaction — to people who feel under attack.

Yeah, it’s a good point. Could be an overreaction. Where would people of faith, where would Arizonans have gotten the idea that religion is under attack in this country?

FOX NEWS PROMO: Is our nation losing its religious foundation?

SEAN HANNITY PROMO: Should you be punished for your faith?

FOX NEWS PROMO: Who’s to blame for our holy breakdown?

FOX NEWS PROMO: Christmas under attack!

FOX NEWS: It’s a War on Easter.

FOX NEWS ANCHOR (7/28/2013): It is a war on religion.

GRETCHEN CARLSON (12/24/2012): Call it faith under fire.

STEVE DOOCY (8/22/2012): America’s assault on religion.

LAURA INGRAHAM (3/28/2013): Religion under attack.

BILL O’REILLY PROMO: Judeo-Christian tradition is under attack.

TODD STARNES (5/27/2013): Religious liberty is under attack.

SEAN HANNITY (12/1/2010): I don’t understand the assault on Christianity.

RABBI ARYEH SPERO (2/1/2012): Catholics that are under assault.

MEGYN KELLY (5/6/2010): Day of unity and faith comes under fire.

(rubs chin and ponders) Why would religious people overreact to that constant barrage of apocalyptic paranoia and outrage? God only knows.

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