Hoyer needles Fox News Channel

By Ben Pershing
Add House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) to the list of top Democrats taking shots at Fox News Channel.

Hoyer may not have gone quite as far in his criticism as the White House, which has suggested FNC is not "a legitimate news organization." But he still managed to needle the network at a press conference Friday.

At a session with conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats on the group's desire to attach "pay as you go" budget rules to an increase in the federal debt ceiling, Hoyer made the case that implementing such rules would be an important step toward fiscal responsibility.

Chad Pergram, a producer for Fox, then began a question by saying: "Let me play devil's advocate for a minute here ..."

Hoyer interrupted Pergram, saying with a smirk, "Oh, Fox News is going to play devil's advocate!"

The assembled lawmakers and reporters laughed.

Pergram took the laughter in stride, then asked his question, which concerned "those who say you're talking out of both sides of your mouth," by vowing fiscal responsibility while moving to add close to $2 trillion to the debt.

Hoyer, despite his wisecrack, did answer Pergram's question, arguing that Democrats were simply ensuring the country could pay its debts while moving to reduce those debts in the future. "In my opinion, there is absolutely no contradiction," Hoyer said.