Fox News has sunk to a new low. On Wednesday, the network displayed photos that its editors had doctored of two New York Times employees--reporter Jacques Steinberg, and editor Steven Reddicliffe. Media Matters has graciously provided us with the before-and-after evidence showing that Fox purposefully yellowed Steinberg's teeth, widened his nose and chin, and photo-shopped his ears stick out further.



Reddicliffe also received the yellow-teeth treatment, as well as dark circles under his eyes, and an exaggeration of his receding hairline.



Why has Rupert Murdoch's flagship television network stooped to such tactics? The Times had the audacity to run a piece about Fox's recent poor ratings performance.

As reported on these pages, there were two separate dust-ups last Friday on Fox News' "Fox & Friends," one of which featured Chris Wallace laying some thick criticisms on his colleagues, video below. The New York Observer has since caught up to Wallace, who has some qualms:

"I didn't have any second thoughts about the substance because I still believe what I said was right," said Mr. Wallace. "But after the fact, you do think to yourself-on a professional level with colleagues I very much like and respect-should I have done that off camera?"

It's a concern that Brian Kilmeade brought up on camera, and one that we are keenly aware of here at The Political Machine. There is a fine line between gentlemanly disagreement and all-out slap-fight, particularly where politics are concerned. Here's the Wallace video one more time, and after the jump, Kilmeade's walk-off, and a little bit of analysis on how to prevent comity from turning to tragedy.

An unlikely battle erupted over the weekend on Fox News Channel's "Fox and Friends." The New York Times has the story today:

On Friday Chris Wallace, host of the weekend political talk show "Fox News Sunday," took the hosts of "Fox & Friends" to task for their conversations about Senator Barack Obama's comments about race. His complaint - which created both a tense moment and some must-see TV - was that his colleagues were taking those comments out of context.

There's more to the story than that, though. Check out the Wallace clip below, and after the jump, an even bigger train wreck from the same episode, some analysis, and yet another clip.

Update: Fox & Friends claims the walk-off was a joke.