Fox & Friends this morning featured a clip of Fox News chief Roger Ailes receiving the "Scout of the Year" award from the Westchester-Putnam County Boy Scouts, just north of NYC. As we can see, Gretchen Carlson, Brian Kilmeade, Alisyn Camerota, Clayton Morris, and Dave Briggs were all there.
But there was plenty of other Fox talent there. The emcee was Bill Hemmer, who Cable Game sources said did a great job, although he was overshadowed onstage by a young Boy Scout, who spoke briefly from the podium and possessed, according to one spy, "perfect comic timing." Indeed, the youngster was so good in his delivery that Kevin Magee, chief of the Fox Business News, called out, "Do you know anything about business news?"
And oh--did I mention that there was a mystery guest? None other than Rush Limbaugh, who flew all the way up from Florida, just for the occasion, to pay tribute to Scouting, to Ailes, and to America. Limbaugh reportedly looked positively thin, as well as nicely tanned.
Sources tell TCG that among the guests were Fox talent Neil Cavuto, Geraldo Rivera, Andrew Napolitano, Peter Doocy, John Scott, Ellen Ratner, Peter Johnson Jr., Eric Bolling, Jenna Lee, and Liz Claman.
In his speech, Ailes quoted St. Thomas More, saying, "You must never abandon the ship because you can't control the waves." That is, yes we are in stormy times, but that's the time for Americans to step up and be counted. To make a difference, by joining the military, helping the Boy Scouts, or otherwise serving the nation.
Ailes added, "Is suspects are presumed to be innocent, so is your country. America needs protection, too," reminding his audience that this the country that people want to get in to, not get out of. And so he reminded the journalist-heavy audience, "The press doesn't need to be a lapdog, and it doesn't need to be an attack dog. The press should be a watchdog." Exactly.
And he concluded with a larger point about America in the world: "There's a global struggle between good and evil...we must not play for a tie."
As a TCG source explained, "The event was pure Roger. It was all about God, Country, Scout's Honor and Duty. That's what he is all about."
This happens to be the 99th year of Scouting in America. So next year is the centennial. TCG wonders if the national Boy Scouts will see the wisdom of bringing in both Ailes and Limbaugh, but it's a cinch that next year's Westchester-Putnam event will be quite a sought-after ticket.
