Fox News Host: Obama Invites ‘Hoodlum’ to ‘The Hizzouse’

Eric Bolling may be auditioning for Glenn Beck's old job as America's most popular race-baiter.

By Thoai Lu Jun 14, 2011

Fox News is at it again. On Saturday, Media Matters reported that Fox anchor Eric Bolling commented on President Obama hosting Ali Bongo, the Gabonese president: "Guess who’s coming to dinner? A dictator. Mr. Obama shares a laugh with one of Africa’s kleptocrats. It’s not the first time he’s had a hoodlum in the hizzouse."

This attack does not come as much of a surprise since Obama was recently criticized for inviting Common to the "Hizzouse" for the American poetry and prose event, among other accomplished poets.

Bolling said in his segment:

So what’s with all the hoods in the hizzy? A month after the White House hosted the rapper Common, who glorifies violence on cops, the president opened his doors to one of Africa’s most evil dictators. Here’s Ali Bongo, the Gabonese president, who’s been accused of human rights violations and plundering billions of his country’s dollars.

Granted, Bongo has had a troubling human rights record, but would Bolling use such problematic terminology had it been George W. Bush or Bill Clinton hosting the same guest?

A guest, Marc Lamont Hill, Columbia University professor spoke in Obama’s defense:

If you’re a U.S. president or any world leader you have to talk to good guys and bad guys, and also let’s not act if Obama is the first person, the first president in history to talk to bad guys… so let’s not turn this… into the sky is falling situation, and let’s assume that the President has the best intentions.

During the segment, "Human Events" editor Jason Mattera criticized Obama’s past associations with other world leaders, such as taking notes while the Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega was "blasting America at the America Summit," and signing a compact with Hugo Chavez about the territory off the coast of Argentina.

Color of Change has begun a petition to get Bolling fired. "Such obvious promotion of racial stereotypes is nothing new at Fox," the group wrote in an email to supporters, noting soon-to-be-departed Glenn Beck’s long history of outlandish comments. "Some observers believe Bolling’s over-the-top race-baiting last week was an audition for Beck’s spot."