Greta van Susteren Calls Fox Colleague Erick Erickson a 'Jerk' and a 'Creep'

Abby Ohlheiser

"Don’t expect me to police everything that is said by everybody," Fox News host Greta van Susteren writes in a recent blog post, "but I will from time to time speak up." Now is one of those times when van Susteren feels the need to single out someone for censure, and that someone is Erick Erickson, one of her colleagues at the conservative news empire. Erickson, in van Susteren's opinion, is "boorish" and a "jerk." Here's why: 

Erickson actually uses that nickname, "abortion barbie," a lot to refer to Wendy Davis. He's written an entire piece defending the name: "Abortion Barbie fits perfectly and I hope that moniker haunts her on the campaign trail," he wrote on Red State. "She is, after all, intent on building a national name for herself through abortion and pink shoes."

In August of last year, Amy Davidson noted that "the subject of abortion rights, and the way that women act as if their life and health depend on it, is a rich mine for humor." for Erickson. The "Abortion Barbie" line has been one of his favorite "jokes" since Wendy Davis filibustered Texas's restrictive new abortion laws. And Erickson is just one of many who gleefully let their sexist flags fly after some discrepancies about Davis's biography emerged. That, apparently, is how the conservative personality's tweets ended up catching van Susteren's eye. 

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Arguing that Erickson's jokes in particular undermines whatever point there is behind his opposition to her political views, van Susteren wrote:

There are the creeps who take cheap shots because they are too ignorant and small to engage in an important discussion.   The best they can do is make themselves look really bad.  I don’t care how much you disagree or agree with Texas’ Wendy Davis, you have to agree that this guy, Erick Erickson, is a real jerk and is really lousy at being a spokesperson for his views. 

Although van Susteren seemed to know little about Erickson beyond the fact that they have the same boss, she has criticized his remarks about women once before. When Erickson was on an all-male Fox News panel rambling about how terrible it is that women can earn a living, Greta wrote the following headline: "Have these men lost their minds? (and these are my colleagues??!! oh brother… maybe I need to have a little chat with them) (next thing they will have a segment to discuss eliminating women’s right to vote?)" 

It is highly doubtful, however, that Erickson cares about van Susteren's opinion here, even though her larger point (that his behavior actually hurts his cause) is a worthy one. To wit, here was the conservative personality's indirect response to his colleague's post later on Monday: 

RELATED: Louisiana Wants Women to Wait 30 Days Before Having an Abortion

This article was originally published at http://www.thewire.com/politics/2014/01/greta-van-susteren-calls-fox-colleague-erick-erickson-jerk-and-creep/357435/

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