As NewsBusters previously reported, MSNBC contributor Michael Smerconish on Thursday, while substitute hosting for Chris Matthews on "Hardball," actually floated the absurd conspiracy theory that Rupert Murdoch had staged the pie throwing event during his hearing before Parliament Tuesday in order to distract from his testimony.

On Saturday's "Fox News Watch," Jim Pinkerton referenced this piece (video follows with transcript and commentary):

RICK FOLBAUM, HOST: Jim, there are a lot of people out there who would have loved to have seen some type of gotcha moment. Did that happen, and how was it covered?

JIM PINKERTON: A gotcha moment defined as something dramatic and vile on television, and I guess the pie guy with the foam was…

RICH LOWRY, NATIONAL REVIEW: Yeah, the Wendi punch.

PINKERTON: I was getting to that.

FOLBAUM: Punch out the pie.

PINKERTON: As Noel Sheppard of NewsBusters pointed out, it was somebody, some nitwit at MSNBC thought obligated to say, “It must have been a conspiracy theory. The Murdochs must be behind the pie thrower heaping sympathy for them,” which just shows what passes for journalism these days.

Indeed it does.

Thanks for the plug, Jim.