The setup: Fox Anchor Gregg Jarret's talking at Democratic New Jersey Rep. Rob Andrews about constitutional powers and requirements for insurance. It slides into debating the Framers' intent. Andrews invokes Fox's "Fair and Balanced" line, and Jarret gets huffy.

Is Fox news developing a little bit of a persecution complex? Uh, yes. Glenn Beck's pointing a Louisville Slugger at the camera while the network feigns surprise that an administration's calling them out for being a complete mouthpiece of the right? They've carried the "Fair and Balanced" pseudo-euphemism for so long now it's starting to sound like they actually believe their own bullshit, which might be the place this Freudian pant-peeing's coming from. This all goes without mentioning (until now) Jane Hall's dishing on having left Fox News precisely because there was such a lack of debate, and Shep Smith's broadcasting like he just knows they're a bunch of clowns. Even O'Reilly can't play a straight face with viewers while Glenn Beck straight-up calls his fans what they are: zombies.

So, yeah: call a crack addict a crack addict and they'll probably get testy about how they're not a crack addict until they're out of crack or in rehab. But there's nothing like the fleeting, peaty taste of self-awareness, especially when it comes to cable news (see: The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, who still won't let themselves call what they make anything but "comedy"). Wonder how long it's gonna take for Fox News to drop the schtick and basically tell their viewers, yes: we're the Al Jezeera of the RNC, let's rock out with our cocks out. It'll probably never happen, but perchance to dream, right?