FOX and Obama: An abuse of power

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It's amazing that anyone is still falling for the whole bait and switch that is the blame Bush tactic when a liberal has lost a debate. Newsflash, Bush isn't President Obama is!

Fox News is biased? Probably, but they have seven conservative pundits, not all Republicans by the way, and six liberals. That doesn't sound so unbalanced to me. CNN, how many conservative pundits do they have? One. MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC how many conservative pundits? Not a single conservative pundit. I think I understand how Fox News is unfair and unbalanced, if you are not verbatim towing the liberal party line you are clearly biased.

Here is a fact I like to toss out to those who would vilify Fox News for bias; the liberal Pew Charitable Trust determined that in the last Presidential election that Fox News was the most fair and balanced in it's reporting.

Obama promised a new era in transparency in Washington. Not only has President Obama failed to deliver on that promise he has yet to meet the transparency standards of the Bush administration.
- Don Diamant, Milton, NH

Roger Ailes runs Fox News. That's all one needs to know about how and why they are biased. If anyone cares to explain why I should not dismiss Fox News on Ailes alone I would love to hear it. I dismiss all the cable news but that's just me.

I find it to be a waste of time for the WH to do this but I suspect it's part of their agenda.

The Bush WH planted reporters in the press room and paid to have favorable stories written about their policies without disclosing those payments. Can the UL staff point to the editorial condemning the Bush WH and Armstrong Williams? Was that acceptable journalistic integrity?

Beyond all that is the simple reality that hardly anyone is watching these shows. Cable news is a tiny portion of the market.

How's this for perspective, the top rated cable news show is O'Reilly. 3 times as many people watch WWE wrestling. Almost 4 times as many people watch Sponge Bob.

Check out the facts for yourself, http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/10/27/cable-ratings-football-baseball-monk-white-collar-jeff-dunham-and-sons-of-anarchy-top-weekly-cable-chart/31697#more-31697.

Foxnews is less important to Americans than Sponge Bob so holding them up the bastion of truth is more than ridiculous. I'd be better off believing a wrestling script than a cable news show.
- John R, Keene

I had to laugh reading your criticism of how the Obama administration is "abusing its power" by attempting to control its message. "The administration aggressively demonizes critics...and bullies anyone viewed as a potential enemy".

Tell me, did you write this same editorial when Bush, Cheney and their cronies were using scare tactics to justify the (completely unjustifiable) invasion of Iraq? What about their inferences that anyone who opposed the war was somehow unpatriotic, was soft on terrorism (even though the invasion had NOTHING to do with it...), and (let's not forget the classic line), didn't support the troops? Did you publish an editorial labeling Bush's behavior "unbecoming of a President?"

Obama is simply labeling Fox News what everyone knows it is - a full-time Republican spin machine.
- Brian, Bedford

This is probably a first for the Fox-exclusive people on this site, but President Bush even forced people to sign "loyalty oaths" to attend his campaign events in 2004. That's right, we had a sitting President who wouldn't even allow people to hear him speak unless they signed a statement of support. Any criticism of Obama is laughable in that context.
- Dan, Manchester

Brian, Wakefield

Actually Brian we were well aware of that fact and we did cry foul however it was not the convention organizers that made this policy. The policy was put in place by the administration and was applied by the secret service and law enforcement at both conventions. The enforcement of this policy was unfortunately selective after the conventions. You will also note that under Obama that policy has been done away with. Under Obama you have more freedom than you ever had under Bush. Your own post proves my point, your own people under Bush were locked up and under Obama they are free to protest. We were here the whole time demanding that the policy be abolished but we didn’t hear a peep from your side on the subject. After the conventions Republicans were just fine with cages at Bush events. You should have been outraged that it was happening at any event anywhere in America.
- Jim, Raymond NH

Dan and Jim

Ahh for the selective memories. I hate to inform you both parties had "free speech zones" at their conventions. That's right your saviors the Dems caged the "nuts" like those evil Republicans. The difference was while MSNBC cried foul over the Republican conmventions they were silent on the Dems doing the exact same. But hey keep livin in your fantasy world.
- Brian, Wakefield

Dave in Sandwich wrote "Compare that with the Tea-Party protester with the sidearm at the town hall in Portsmouth, NH recently- the one who was not detained, moved, or even questioned"

Actually Dave, the townhall meeting that day had nothing to do with the tea parties, but you wouldn't know that from Marxist-Socialist Now Becoming Communist or the Communist NEws Network.

He was in fact asked to move away from the main area where citizens were protesting and payed advocates supported the healthcare bill.

MSNBC even censored part of the questions I asked obama at the same townhall meeting.

Then to make matters worse MSNBC called the protester in AZ a racist wing wing nut job. Ironically, they failed to show his head or mention the fact that he was black.

Show me where FOX has presented lies and I will critique them as harshly. Until then, if ignornace is bliss you must be one happy liberal.
- Michael Layon, Derry

Sandy Thornton,

Unlike Bush Obama is not curtailing anyone’s free speech Fox is free to publish their propaganda and say whatever they wish but the administration is not going to help them do it. Bush put people in cages and blocked out the NY Times along with MSNBC where was your outrage then? Oh yea you watch Fox so you didn’t know about that. If just pointing out that Fox isn’t news is un-American then what was what Bush did? Oh yea, he was a Republican the Constitution is just a piece of paper when a Republican is in charge. Come on Sandy don’t you see the hypocrisy here?

Let me ask you this, if a Liberal showed up outside a Bush event with a semi-automatic weapon strapped to his back where would he be right now? If a group of protesters showed up at a Bush event what happened to them? The answer to these questions is simple, the gun guy would have been taken into custody and the protesters would have been shuffled off to cages miles away. You have been given more freedom of speech under Obama than anyone was given under Bush.

Just because Obama doesn’t give legitimacy to a network that practices the art of propaganda does not mean he’s curtailing anyone’s free speech. Be thankful Obama respects your right to protest because under Bush the Tea Baggers would have been caged.

The differences here are that I would and have protected your right to protest while you and Fox have celebrated my rights being taken away. You can’t have one set of standards for Democrats and one for Republicans, it just doesn’t work that way. You’re crying foul a bit too late Sandy. Now if Obama tries to silence Fox by revoking FCC licenses then you would have a legitimate complaint and I’d join you but refusing to talk to a tabloid is well within his rights.
- Jim, Raymond NH

Gregg, Dover:

Other than nasty rhetoric, your point is?...............

The bigger point is that anyone in government office who uses his/her position to try and censor free speech- which is what Obama and his minions is attempting - is a blatant abuse of the Constitution of the United States of America.
- SAndy, Thornton

Apparently the UL uses its power and practices message control by not posting statements with inconvenient
truths about Fox.
- Frances, Nashville, TN

Thanks for the polite response Dave. I don't think Wikipedia is totally credible but that's irrelevant because I seem to recall what you are speaking about.

I don't think the free speech zones even come close to quarantining (my term) a news organization because of its take on the news. That is a first. Nixon was close with his enemy list for the NY Times, but back then the leftist media got all hot and bothered about it.

As far as the record number of press conferences only shows that Obama is still in campaign mode. He needs to govern, not show his face all over the TV trying to be popular. Bush governed, whether you liked his policies or not, he did not do what Obama is doing.

As for your comments Gerald, if FOX is lying why is ACORN firing people? If FOX is lying why did Van Jones resign? If FOX is lying why doesn't Obama fight the lies with the truth?

FOX is telling the truth, and Obama knows it, the Democrats know it and the far left know it....and we know it, the American people know when they hear a lie. It ain't pretty either!
- Melvin, Keene

SAndy(sic,) Thornton - It's not a matter of perspective, unless; "I think the sky is blue and you think it is orange," is a matter of perspective, too.

Your side has neither lifted one finger to fix the MESS you put this country in, nor accepted responsibility for an unpaid-for wrongheaded war.

Instead you live by throwing radio slime about "palling with terrorists," socialism, place of birth and every other UNTRUTH your media henchmen can invent. Matter of perspective my keister! You have the gall to criticize!
- Gregg, Dover

Ladies and gentlemen I present to you exhibit A Melvin from Keen.

Melvin is unaware that “Free Speech Zones” were set up nation wide wherever President Bush was speaking or campaigning including here in NH. Protesters were corralled into cages away from the event and public view while GW was in town. Melvin was unaware of these events because Fox News did not tell him.

Melvin is also unaware that Bush’s former press secretary confirmed last week that MSNBC and the NY Times were shut out of his administration because Fox News did not tell him.

Melvin does not understand that when a news station refers to the President on a daily basis as a Nazi, Stalinist, Marxist, Communist, and a racist to name a few the term race will pop up from time to time in conversation with those of opposing viewpoints.

This is what I meant when I said Fox News viewers are 60% more likely to be misinformed. I rest my case.
- Jim, Raymond NH

Jim,

If it wasn't for FOX we still wouldn't know about ACORN or Van Jones. FOX viewers are "60% more likely to be misinformed"? Really? Which Obamite gave you that statistic? As far right as FOX might be, every other major network is that far left.

LJC, your comment is slightly below childish.
- Amanda, Derry

The Union Leader could be a trinket of Fox Noise, the two are so adept at misconstruing any fact or element of history to mix up GOP koolaid for the addicts.

The reality is that to GOP hard right media like Limbaugh and Fox facts don't matter, and history didn't happen. From WMD (they still say Iraq had it,) to redefining English words like socialism, to Birther's invention out of whole cloth of a smear, to refusing to be accountable for Bush's malfeasance, to lying about how insurers rip us off, on and on there are facts, and there is propaganda (lies.)

All the very smart Obama administration has done is point out lies and refuse to live with them. Had Kerry had the brains to do this we'd not be in the deep mess since. Barak's political savvy is light years ahead of Kerry. He knows the GOP withers on the vine if it is simply held to ordinary standards of honesty. When you think Fox News and the GOP, think Lee Atwater, the King of Lying Slime.
- Gerald, Merrimack

Jim from Raymond - it's all a matter of perspective guy. If you're a liberal democrat who wants socialism and Obama worship and all the news that Obama wants you to know and nothing more - the liberal media is for you.

If you want the truth - then Fox is for everybody else. It's not pretty - but then, the truth never is.
- SAndy, Thornton

Melvin,

It probably wasn't reported much on Fox, but the 'free speech zones' that Dick was referring to were areas that the secret service allowed people to gather on occasions when Bush was speaking in public. As Wikipedia summarizes:

"Free speech zones were set up by the Secret Service, who scouted locations where the U.S. president was scheduled to speak, or pass through. Officials targeted those who carried anti-Bush signs and escorted them to the free speech zones prior to and during the event. Reporters were often barred by local officials from displaying these protesters on camera or speaking to them within the zone."

Compare that with the Tea-Party protester with the sidearm at the town hall in Portsmouth, NH recently- the one who was not detained, moved, or even questioned.

I know your all mad about Obama calling out Fox for what it is- but comparing the general openness of this administration with the previous one is just ludicrous. Obama has given over 3 times as many press conferences as Bush had at this time in his first term. Weren't you all complaining just a few weeks ago that Obama was on television too much? Well, which is it?
- Dave, Sandwich

LJC, i think you have it wrong. I think Fox is beating on Obama. As for bringing race into it, that's typical for the left.

Dick, what the heck are you talking about? Free speech zones? Even if they did exist, Bush never went after any news organizations. Get over your BD.
- Melvin, Keene

What a joke, people who get their information from Fox are 60% more likely to be misinformed. Fox has been repeatedly proven to be a total Right Wing propaganda machine. We all know that, all President Obama did was point that fact out.

If you get your news from Fox you’d probably be better informed by getting your news from Sponge Bob Square Pants. If you want to have a talking head tell you exactly what you want to hear in a fact free environment then by all means watch Fox today and be proven wrong tomorrow.
- Jim, Raymond NH

Boo hoo. Big, bad, black Obama is beating up on poor, lil, defenseless, white Fox News. Boo hoo.
- LJC, Manchester

So, where was the good old Union Leader when Bush instituted "free speech zones" hundreds of yards away from King George, so that he couldn't see the press or the people laughing at him? Oh, I forgot, that was some sort of legitimate national security program. You folks are such hypocrites.
- Dick, Concord

I know what a thug. I can't believe he will not give preferential treatment to a network, whose anchor's call him a racist, or compare his volunteer movement to Mao's China. Maybe next he'll do something crazy like out a CIA member who's husband disagrees with him, Oh Wait... Or maybe he'll fire a whole bunch of US attorneys, oh wait... Or maybe he might even have high ranking cabinet officials lie to Congress, Oh wait...
- Dan, Manchester,NH

Funny how these pols never complained when it was Bush taking the flak. Hypocrites!
- Mae, Plaistow

barack obama is nothing more than a political thug and immature at that he attack,s anyone who disagree,s with him he is angry with fox new,s for breaking the acorn story van jones and william ayer,s , everyone else to him is a liar only obama speak,s the truth in his egotistical mind..
- kevin dumont, nashua

I wouldn't say abuse of power as it appears Fox is better off for the whole scuffle according to the ratings and the fact other media outlets have stepped up to the plate and have cried foul over it.. To me it is a bit foolish and worse yet a sign of the arrogance of certain members of the administration. certain dead fish types feel they are the ones who say what can and cannot be reported. That they alone have the power to determine what is newsworthy and what is not. Egotistical to think yours is the only right course yes but to me I wouldn't be too afraid until they start playing in Wilson's playbook and start brining out goon squads.
- Brian, Wakefield

It's not paranoia, it's called propaganda.

He said he's bring change. He did. It's called Chicago thug politics. I'm not so sure about that hope thing, except for, "I sure hope he's not going to get a second term."
- Melvin, Keene