To show the challenges of appearing on the network, they watched an infamous clip of Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) on Martha MacCallum’s show that devolved into her exclaiming, “You’re very rude, sir!’”

Among other clips they watched was one showing a clearly unprepared Democratic TV talker who was caught flat-footed on questions about Obamacare. Leaders wanted to drive home the point that if Democratic lawmakers don’t fill the Fox News airwaves, know-nothing stooges will. Or worse yet, Cicilline said, the hosts will just characterize Democrats themselves.

He said that a segment leading into a recent appearance of his on the channel portrayed Democrats as wanting open borders and criminals running the streets. When the camera cut to him, he said he knows not a single Democrat who believes those things. Still, it is exactly experiences like that that have led to Democrats being told again and again not to appear on the channel.