Fox News riding dirty, the only way they know how

The gang at Fox News are getting dirty in the battle with rival CNN who's ass they usually kick in ratings anyway. But now King Rupe's network is taking shots at CNN personalities starting with CNN it boy Anderson Cooper, calling him of all things "the Paris Hilton of Television News" without the night vision sex tape of course....well we think. This is what happens when the bosses go on vacation while their network is in quicksand. But CNN isn't taking any blows from Fox without throwing some back. The ad also claims CNN has shelled out "tens of millions of dollars in advertising" to put Cooper on the map, "and he still gets beaten every night by 'On the Record With Greta Van Susteren' - the No. 1 show at 10 p.m." But don't expect CNN to take the insulting swipe sitting down. "They are preparing their answer to the Fox ad and you can expect something next week . . . It's war," a CNN insider told Page Six. A CNN flack called Fox's ad an "act of desperation because Greta's audience has been eroding and 'Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees' is getting closer. This is a sign they are starting to panic." The rep also denied CNN had spent tens of millions to hype Cooper, but wouldn't say what it has doled out. 'PARIS' TEASE FLUMMOXES CNN [NYP]