| Democrats Deal With Fox News |
There’s merit in that argument: No party can survive by talking only to people who agree with it. But Fox critics, led by the liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org, insisted the price for that access was too high and argued that it was self-destructive for Democrats to legitimize Fox in any way.
That argument struck a much more powerful chord than the Nevada Democrats expected, not only with the compulsive petition-signers online, but also with pillars of the Democratic political establishment. Many Democratic professionals believe that Fox will continue to provide an uncritical platform for almost any charge the right can dredge (Drudge?) up against the 2008 Democratic contenders.
Mark Mellman, the pollster for Kerry in 2004, passionately supported the decision to cancel the debate. “Everything Fox does is directed toward aiding and abetting the Republican Party, and it uses its newsgathering organization more or less as a cover for that,” he said.
A senior advisor to one of the 2008 Democratic contenders was equally emphatic. “I think the more they can be de-legitimized the better,” the advisor said. “They are in business to promote the Republican Party and to hurt the Democratic Party, and they have every right to do that, but to the extent that their pretense of objectivity can be challenged, it should be.”
On more than one occasion, I worked with Fox News producers and reporters. Once, in Herat, I saw one of the Foxholes approached by a couple of soldiers. One of the soldiers said he was glad they could finally talk to a “conservative” reporter. The reporter laughed and said, “Someone’s got to balance out the liberals.” But, later, I ran into that same reporter in Bagram. He wanted an interview with some soldiers and, when I grabbed one at random to ask if he wanted to talk to Fox News, the soldier–an Army captain–said he didn’t, because, as a Democrat, he wasn’t a fan of the network’s politics. The reporter, shaken up, said that was ridiculous. The network had no politics, but only told the truth. “Whatever,” said the captain and walked off. The reporter, after a few beats narrowed his eyes at the soldier’s back and quietly hissed, motherfucker.
And lest anyone doubt the objectivity of Fox reporters (or that they ever and always “support the troops”), I offer the following…
SUPPORT THE TROOPS! (Well, the registered Republican ones anyway, the rest can, in the words of the Vice-President, go fuck themselves).
Smithers, release the hooouunndss.
That clip with Boxer is hilarious. The Fock Snooze newsreader is so insistent on getting the GOP talking point in as the last word that she appears to have forgotten what the interview was about.
Not the proper thread for this but, Dugger, Bush lied.
Following the Plame outing Bush promised an internal investigation. We just learned today it never happened. L-I-E.
Ouch. Scandals keep beaking down into more scandals. It’s the tribble Administration.
Bush lies in the SOTU.
then they out a covert CIA officer
then a member of the administration obstructs justice
meanwhile Bush promises probe that never happens.
etc.
Bush & Co. fire US attorneys
then they lie about why
then we learn the fired USAs were pressured to start partisan investigations to influence elections
Bush Administration excuses and stories change daily
It is revealed Bush advisors and staff use outside email addresses to conduct whitehouse business probably to avoid presidential records act.
Etc.
It’s like a rotten onion, layers upon layers of corruption and deceit and vindictiveness.
Faux News can take a flying fuck at a rolling donut.
Fox News rules, dudettes!!
It drives libs crazy that they no longer have 100% domination of the news networks.
Waitaminnit, Rory, I thought the network was fair and balanced.
I wouldn’t mind a conservative news network if they could bother to be honest about…anything.
Rory uses 19 words to say nothing at all.
The efficiency is to be admired. It takes most Fox pundits at least ten times that many words to do the same.
Personally, as a Liberal, it drives me crazy that I don’t control 100% of the news. Thank you, Rory, for exposing me.