Friday, October 23, 2009

Obama Escalates Feud


I know Obama hates criticism, and goodness knows he isn't used to it, but hey, look at what George Bush put up with.

This latest stunt makes Obama look weak and afraid:

Just when you thought the White House couldn't possibly do anything to make their bizarre feud with the Fox News Channel an even larger spectacle - the administration manages to take it to another level...

...On the Oct. 22 broadcast of Fox News Channel's "Special Report," host Bret Baier revealed a White House pool announcement was offering Kenneth Feinberg, the "Special Master for Compensation," better known as the White House "pay czar" for interviews - all except for one network - Fox News.

Imagine for a moment that this was George Bush trying to exclude Helen Thomas. Can you even conceive such a thing? It's nuts.

But maybe the pool's reaction will be a wake-up call:
The press pool is comprised of the five major TV news organizations - CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox News. However, according to Baier, the other members declined to participate unless Fox News was included.

"When they put out that message, they specified that all members of the pool were welcome except Fox News," Baier said. "Well the other members of the TV pool said, ‘Well we're not going to do the interview unless Fox News is included."

I suppose thanks are in order. The other networks did the principled thing. Though I suspect a measure of self interest was involved: If you let the President kill a news network, how long before that power is used to dictate the conduct of all news networks? Soon, 'insufficient praise' would get you frozen out of press opportunities.

Keep it up, Mr Obama, you're looking soooo presidential.

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