Tuesday, Dec. 08, 2009

Obama vs. Fox News

A long-simmering tension between the Obama Administration and Fox News — a channel that, depending on whom you ask, is either a purveyor of partisan attacks or a source of much needed reportorial balance — came to a head in September after the President went on five morning talk shows on the same Sunday, but, pointedly, not Fox News. Chris Wallace, host of Fox News Sunday (and son of Mike Wallace), called the Administration "the biggest bunch of crybabies I have dealt with in my 30 years in Washington." White House communications director Anita Dunn labeled the comment "juvenile" and Fox News a "wing of the Republican Party." "We don't think we need to treat them as though they are a news organization," she said. The war of words drew in numerous other Fox News and White House personalities but eventually returned to a simmer when President Obama sat down for a Fox News interview during his November trip to China. "Mr. President, the Fox News channel is very happy to see you," said White House reporter Major Garrett. With a big smile, Obama replied, "Good to see you."