President Barack Obama marks veteran reporter Helen Thomas’ (who says President Obama “lacks courage“)89th birthday.
Pete Souza / White House
One of the great weaknesses of the Bush administration was its incompetence in defending its own interests and countering media distortions. Contrast that with Team Obama’s aggressive new strategy.
The current administration has been extremely new media-savvy, taking full advantage of the internet, from YouTube to Flickr, to their own White House blog. Along with that savvy, comes awareness of the threat that FOX News and Glenn Beck, talk radio and Rush Limbaugh, pose to the administration’s ability to enjoy a smooth ride.
It would have been one thing had the Bush Administration gone after, say, the NYTimes for leaking information vital to national security interests. It would have been quite another had they expended their energies going after Michael Moore and Keith Olbermann, 60 Minutes, and CNN.
Apparently the Obama Administration has no such qualms about ridiculing dissent. And in fact, sees it as a critical front in their personal crusade to remake America.
Time White House correspondent Michael Scherer:
a new White House strategy has emerged: rather than just giving reporters ammunition to “fact-check” Obama’s many critics, the White House decided it would become a player, issuing biting attacks on those pundits, politicians and outlets that make what the White House believes to be misleading or simply false claims,
~~~ Obama, fresh from his vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, cheered on the effort, telling his aides he wanted to “call ’em out.”
The take-no-prisoners turn has come as a surprise to some in the press, considering the largely favorable coverage that candidate Obama received last fall and given the President’s vows to lower the rhetorical temperature in Washington and not pay attention to cable hyperbole. Instead, the White House blog now issues regular denunciations of the Administration’s critics, including a recent post that announced “Fox lies” and suggested that the cable network was unpatriotic for criticizing Obama’s 2016 Olympics effort.
~~~ The general in this war is Dunn, 51, a veteran campaign strategist who arrived at the White House in May. She has been a force in Democratic campaigns since the late 1980s and helmed Obama’s rapid-response operation during his run. At the White House, she has become a devoted consumer of conservative-media reports and a fierce critic of Fox News, leading the Administration’s effort to block officials, including Obama, from appearing on the network. “It’s opinion journalism masquerading as news,” Dunn says. “They are boosting their audience. But that doesn’t mean we are going to sit back.” Fox News’s head of news, Michael Clemente, counters that the White House criticism unfairly conflates the network’s reporters and its pundits, like Glenn Beck, whom he likens to “the op-ed page of a newspaper.”
A former fetus, the “wordsmith from nantucket” was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1968. Adopted at birth, wordsmith grew up a military brat. He achieved his B.A. in English from the University of California, Los Angeles (graduating in the top 97% of his class), where he also competed rings for the UCLA mens gymnastics team. The events of 9/11 woke him from his political slumber and malaise. Currently a personal trainer and gymnastics coach.
The wordsmith has never been to Nantucket.
This administration is and has been the most thin- skinned admin I have ever known or read about- they need to get over themselves and learn to play with the big boys.
After all, they have almost everyone else on their knees ready to do a Monica, just because FOX News would rather stand on its own, then kneel to be petted on the head like the others, shouldn’t make them have to change their panties, unless FOX has more viewers than all the other networks- well, DO THEY?
Personally, I wish FOX would get a little harsher- I think the administration deserves a hard time- they are trying to actively subvert the Constitution in at least four distinct amendment areas, and I think they are traitors, (as the Garofalo beast might say) straight up.
Perfect pic for this post, Word!
Why would a nobel peace prize prez fear Fox News?
I think the Bush Administration would have lost in a media fight no matter what they did. The fawning over Obama by every station but Fox says it all. For Bush news media would have been a lose, lose.
Did you know that Bush went to New Orleans 13 times after Katrina? He met with hundreds of people, spent full days and sometimes two days. No? Neither did I, so I ask why not? For the very reason every news outlet is falling all over themselves for Obama.
VAST LEFT WING – COMMUNIST – CONSPIRACY — nothing less!! —
Because the Nobel is as empty as the rhetoric he spews, Skye- he is the archetypical “last person chosen” for the team, the one who cannot truly excel on his own, and needs the helping hand- Obama is the one for whom the “trophy just for showing up” was made and given, as we can see.
It is perfect that the award was more for “expectations” than for actual deeds, for he has done nothing, He was on the job just eleven days.
I wrote a post, called “Where’s Mine?”, and I am serious- I have rehabilitated wild birds for ten years, so I can justifiably say I have done more than he has- so where’s mine?
I know life is not fair, but this is ridiculous- no, I do not really expect an award- the release of healthy wild birds is reward enough, but for him to get a Nobel?
It should be renamed the “Anyone But Bush ” Award.
I don’t know, but to me except for a few people on Fox News Channel , it seems to be moving more and more to the left. In another couple of years it will look just like CNN. I really liked Fox but now I only turn it on to watch Glenn Beck.
Totalitarian governments do not work well with dissenting press outlets. Bo was handed the press and media as propaganda bureaus. Thank Goodness for Fox, free radio, the inter-net and these little machines we buy at Wal Mart; or Bo and his Progressive Socialists would be stampeding over the top of us.
Why do I get the feeling the Obama admin is running scared? Could it be that Fox has them figured out and they are petrified of what will come to light? Good going Fox. Keep up the good work.
Madalyn
I don’t believe that “Fox” has them figured out, but Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck do. O’Reilly is really naieve about Obama and what he is out to do to change our country. Obama and team want to hush up anyone who disagrees with them, and that is very chilling.
O’Reilly has all his fingers out checking wind — his “fair and balanced” schtict is just sitting on the fence — you know — a MUGWUMP — a bird sitting on a fence with HIS mug hanging over one side and his WUMP hanging over the other.
Proof positive that libs are shameless–a female who looks like THIS actually leaves her house.
I watch Glenn Beck. After O’Reilly used the 70,000 figure for the Sept. Tea Party in DC for the 3rd or 4th time I quit watching, and frankly don’t think I’ll go back.
Oh poor FOX news being “ridiculed.” Waaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh. The victim complex on you rightwing loonjobs is truly over the top. FOX is rightwing propoganda, and only a f@$@#$king asshat thinks otherwise. They “ridicule” on a daily basis, and you dont seem to have a problem wit that. Conservatives: the Whiny Ass Titty Babies of the United States. Scared of your own shadows and love whining like spoiled children.
OLDPUPPYMAX- don’t blame Helen Thomas, she used to date James Madison. She’s actually looking quite well for compost, don’t you think?
Palooza – You have it wrong. Fox News is the only one with the guts to report the news, not what BHO requires them to report. We all know BHO is clueless and has no idea what is going on. Why do you think his teleprompter up and died? It was OVERUSED!!! It was so bogged down with spin and lies it couldn’t take it any more. Besides, what have you got that is contrary to what you heard on Fox? I watch Fox because they don’t kiss up and make empty promises like your elected official. I say “yours” because he is not looking out for me. He is only looking out for himself and all the crooked criminals who bought this election for him. After all, all 57 states voted him in, just ask him. He also thinks he will be president for 10 years. Just ask him. He is a loser. Get real, get a life, and get on board the train to reality.
Madalyn
I think that pic must be about Obama offering Helen cupcakes before sending her off to the Soylent Green Factory.
*
Ahhh, Palooza- You are irredeemable- you are the reason duels were outlawed- it would be too easy to hurt an invertebrate life form like you- just pour on some salt and watch you curl up.
I find it curious that most of the people who condemn FOX have never seen it- they just accept what the mouth breathers on their side say about it.
It would stand to reason that you really should find out for yourself, or you stand to appear truly ignorant.
Is that Major Garrett from Fox News behind Helen Thomas? I’m surprised Obama and/or Gibbs allowed him in the room. He usually gives Ole Gibbsy the shakes.
madalyn
I think you’re right, Madalyn….that sure looks like the top of Major Garrett’s head behind Thomas…..
(snorfle)
If this was a real war between Fox News and the Obama Administration, you would be hearing reports about the September 8th and October 5th “Obama KBC and Eligibility Hearings’ in Santa Ana, California.
Unfortunately, the only one covering this story happens to be a ‘birther’ as well as a ‘truther’. (Both derogatory terms meant to ridicule facts and conspiracy theories alike.) An unfortunate coincidence, since one of these beliefs is clearly on the lunatic fringe.
Fox News has been touting their respect for the U.S. Constitution and that is what is really making Obama, his ‘true believers’ and ‘fellow travelers’ nervous. Imagine this:
What if Fox News reported that a Citizen Grand Jury has found Obama guilty of TREASON!? (First time for a sitting President of the United States)
What if they reported that Major Cook had his case against Obama’s eligibility to issue orders as Commander in Chief dismissed by order of this administration?
What if they reported that Obama’s Kenyan Birth Certificate has been entered into evidence, complete with an affidavit from the man that obtained it in Mombassa?
What if they reported that Judge David O. Carter has officially ordered a date certain for a jury trial on Obama’s eligibility as a Natural Born Citizen?
What if they reported that Nancy Pelosi illegally submitted forty-nine (49) signed and notarized versions of Obama’s Certification of Nomination and only one (1) proper one to the State of Hawaii?
What if they reported that Obama’s very first ‘Presidential Executive Order’ was to seal up all of his records? (Including birth certificate, college and health records.)
What if they reported on his various secret agreements with Islamic radical regimes around the world? (Starting with his cousin Odinga and the Muslims of Kenya and Somalia; as well as Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to name a few.)
Yes, I think a war with Fox News would look quite different.
Instead, Fox News ha gone way out of their way to be respectful to the Office of the President, to play it ‘fair and balanced’ by presenting both sides of every issue – and they have chosen, right or wrong – to ignore the Constitutional and Birth Certificate stories.
The Obama administration, by contrast has chosen to embrace deception, manipulation and outright lies. (With CNN, MSNBC, and the rest of the main-stream media acting as cheer leaders and looking the other way.)
Maybe if Fox News had more respect for their viewers than they have for the unworthy and questionable ‘occupier’ of the White House, they would report everything. Maybe they need to remember that respect is not an automatic right and must be earned, even by the President of the United States. What ever happened to “we report, you decide”?
And perhaps, as the ONLY network who has the balls to actually question anything this administration does, FOX feels that they have to get ALL their facts right before they present them to the American people. If they are wrong, they will lose all credibility, what with the rest of the forces aligned against them.