First They Came for Fox News…
You don’t have to love Fox News to see how dangerous it is when the President of the United States gives his staff and advisers a green light to single out and denigrate by name a specific news organization. As we surely all know by now, this is what the White House has been doing to Fox.
The Sunday morning talk shows just brought us White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod opining to George Stephanopoulos, on ABC’s “This Week,” that Fox is “Really – not news — it’s pushing a point of view.” Axelrod advised that ABC and other non-Fox outlets take his cue and expunge Fox from the brethren of news services: “And the bigger thing is that other news organizations like yours ought not to treat them that way, and we’re not going to treat them that way.” Meanwhile, on CNN’s “State of the Union,” White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel was hammering home the same message, that Fox “is not a news organization so much as it has a perspective,” and urging “More importantly is not have [sic] the CNNs and the others in the world basically be led in following Fox, as if what they’re trying to do is a legitimate news organization… .”
This would be a very good moment for all those other news organizations — CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, the newspapers and the news web sites – to offer President Obama the perspective that it is utterly inappropriate for White House personnel to be opining publicly on the overall fitness of specific news outlets. The president has sworn to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” That includes protecting free speech, not dispatching White House staff and advisers to hold forth publicly as media critics denouncing news outlets they don’t like.
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Male, retired and the rest is of little interest to anyone. The site keeps me busy and if it helps others to stay abreast of daily events then my time is well spent.
Paul Says:
“pushing another of view”?
Hasn’t the White House been listening to MSNBC’s Dillon Ratagon regarding bank bail outs and public option health care?
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 8:32 am
FredR Says:
What White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod, really meant to say on ABC’s “This Week,” that Fox is “Really – not news — it’s not pushing our point of view.”
That’s the bottom line, and, in this age of instant communication, I hope that it sticks to Axelrod and the whole Obama administration. Inappropriate doesn’t begin to describe it.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 8:51 am
MaryT Says:
Those other networks in the tank for O better remember, he will not be President for life, no matter how hard he tries. What will the next President do and say re the networks.
He might not even have congress and the senate on his side come Nov 2010.
Pay attention to the themes of many tv series in the next few weeks. They have been ordered to work in Os themes into their programs. Wonder how many of the stars will volunteer their time to do these shows, I bet not one of them.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 8:55 am
fernstalbert Says:
The MSM will be the last to know that they have been manipulated. For White House staffers to go on the Sunday talk shows, to lecture and harangue journalists and commentators who hold opposing views to the Obama administration, is bold beyond belief. Apparently the NYT will be laying off at least 100 people in the newsroom of the NYT. There is a God! Fox is still hiring - John Stossel of ABC is now on Fox Business. Cheers.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 9:45 am
rob misek Says:
The MSM is liberal biased because irresponsible behaviour sells to a largely ignorant public. Fox represents the extreme right. There is currently no truly conservative MSM.
There was an entertaining skit on the Colbert Report the other day where he ridiculed CNN for repeatedly presenting two extremist viewpoints and then stopping the debate early with the statement “We’ll need to leave it there”.
Only when people begin to value and demand the truth, will the MSM recognize a financial opportunity and stop promoting only extremist opinions and become the journalists they claim to be.
In the meantime, enjoy your train wrecks and balloon boys while importants issues are “left there”.
P.S. If Obama had initially been honest about the economic affect of the public option it would be over with by now. Instead it is merely another slow moving train wreck for the MSM to deliberately dissect and sell to the ignorant public.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Soccermom Says:
And MSNBC hasn’t been pushing their own point of view? Wow!
Notice the not-so-subtle warnings to the other media outlets: don’t follow what Fox News is doing or you will be on the hit-list, too!
You’d think CNN etc. would be a tad embarrassed that they are seen as patsies for the administration. Do they like being told what to do? Are they enjoying their little pats on the head for being good boys? We’ll see if they get their journalistic gonads back.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 10:46 am
UV Says:
The American right is becoming very paranoid these days. Sad, cause it use to be such a great political party.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Soccermom Says:
UV, much of the American right are angry with the Republicans, too. Beck criticized Bush, too. It’s also no secret that a lot of Republican politicians don’t like Beck either.
It is a re-emergence of the conservative movement, and standing up for the constitution. It is not a dem vs. repub thing. It conservative vs. virulent progressivism.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Soccermom Says:
And there are plenty of progressives in the Republican party, too. McCain being one of many.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 11:25 am
Mitch Says:
Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean that people aren’t out to get you.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Philanthropist Says:
Rational adults are the only opposition to President Obama and the ‘Progressives’ and Fox News is the only media outlet targeting that demographic.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 11:44 am
Soccermom Says:
And just because the guy who’s doing the investigating is a little pudgy and acts a little nuts sometimes doesn’t mean the stuff he’s finding isn’t true! Every day he begs BEGS for people to prove him wrong. He doesn’t want to believe what he’s finding!
I’m sure many independents who voted for O are wondering why he has so many far-left nutbags surrounding him. Daily the list gets bigger and the stuff dug up gets weirder.
Critics should remember that Fox News gets about 50% of its viewership from Dems and Independents. It’s not all conservatives watching. And their viewership is growing by leaps and bounds.
I think that frightens the crap out of the administration. If it was just “rednecks and tea partiers” watching they wouldn’t give a damn. You can see they are worried by the way they are reacting – what Rahm Emanuel and Axelrod said the other day.
and judging by Glenn Beck’s last couple of shows, he’s having a field day with it. Good for him.
FYI, I listen to an a.m. station out of Bellingham, WA. (KGMI). Their morning show co-host Patti Brooks was lucky to get an interview with him when he went back to WA to speak at Safeco field. He gave her a hug and she could feel that he was wearing a bullet-proof vest under his dress-shirt.
So there is every reason for Glenn to not do this stuff. Obviously he’s getting threats. Why on earth would he make anything up? For the fun of getting death threats? I think not.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
beentheredonethat Says:
Fox represents the extreme right.
A statement based on pure ignorance.
Re#8. Exactly right. Those who have actually been paying attention have heard Beck and others on Fox slamming both Dems and the GOP big time. Both sides lumped into the same pile of crap that American politics has turned into and which is responsible for the current mess in that country.
It is a re-emergence of the conservative movement, and standing up for the constitution. It is not a dem vs. repub thing. It conservative vs. virulent progressivism.
Watch for Sarah Palin lead the re-emergence and don’t think those in both parties aren’t aware of that distinct possibility and are literally scared sh**tless that it might come to pass. If it does both sides of the house know the gig is up for them. Like Beck says, throw the bums out, all of them.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
MaryT Says:
Check out Drudge, -paper, excuses wearing thin. There is a poll there asking about O,s job approval, 95% say they do not approve. Over 8000 had voted a while ago.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Glen Says:
Pure Alinsky, isolate and ridicule.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
hynd Says:
Does not anyone remember history, the Nazi’s started with targeting a group and grew from there.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Fay Says:
I wonder how many canadians are watching Fox . I suspect alot more than are watching Leader of the Rosedale Gang Tom Clark. Go Fox News ,I love you and please open up a channel in Canada!!!!
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Joe Says:
I believe it is Beck who says it is no longer a Left vs Right conflict. It is now a Right vs Wrong conflict. He has stated what I also believe that, “Many on the Right are as corrupt and corrupting as the many on the Left”.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Soccermom Says:
Right vs. Wrong. I like that. And it’s so true. We have those issues in Canada, too.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
rob misek Says:
It most definitely is a right vs wrong issue. Every conflict throughout history always has been.
The far left believe that right and wrong are arbitrary concepts.
The far right believe that they are defined by their religious texts.
Both are wrong as I will now demonstrate.
Logically if right and wrong could be changed arbitrarily, they could have contradictory definitions, and therefore be meaningless. Right and wrong must be absolute to have any meaning at all. As absolute they are defined by the truth.
Logically if we define the truth by our beliefs alone, without demonstration, the truth could also have contradictory definitions and also become meaningless. We can believe in God with faith but we cannot claim that our belief is the truth.
The truth is the only thing we will all ever share.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Joe Says:
rob misek yer jokin’ right? If not that is one load of codswallop you just dumped all over this posting. Right and Wrong are just figaments of our over active imagination?? How long do you think you would be alive if it were not wrong to kill you and over whatever you have?
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
rob misek Says:
Joe,
Relax and read the whole post a couple of times before you respond.
You clearly misunderstood.
I’ve had many online arguments with liberals who don’t believe in right and wrong.
In my previous post, I attempted to demonstrate the fault in that logic, therefore wrong, just like you have in your own unique way.
I think we’re on the same page.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Stephen Michaud Parksville BC Says:
I’ll back this up with the Email I sent you Jack;
This is new to me too, a Web site that gives us the TV News and commentary and it’s FREE on the net;
All the big players on Fox, worth the watch in IMO!
Gugest posting on your WEB PAGE?
Stephen: Parksville BC ww 2 vet;
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Joe Says:
Let it be said rob misek that I don’t believe what you said is true but to engage in that debate is well beyond the scope of this post.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Stephen Michaud Parksville BC Says:
Sorry forgot the LINK MY BAD!
http://wssus.mobitv.com/wm8-320
Again…Stephen;
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
fernstalbert Says:
Watched a number of interviews with WH spin courtiers yesterday, and noted that not only do they want to control Fox and the news items they report – but also vet who can appear on the network’s shows. Karl Rove and Dick Morris seem to be a favourite target. The WH apologists are spinning like crazy. So my question is this, if they are unable to limit the opinions of these and others, what’s next?
Posted on October 21st, 2009 at 8:31 am