Fox cuts away from polite town hall meeting on health care reform; CNN and MSNBC carry it all

Source: AP

NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News Channel cut away from President Barack Obama's town hall meeting on health care reform Tuesday as he faced a far more polite crowd than has attended many meetings hosted by members of Congress recently. CNN and MSNBC carried the session in full.

The loud public debates have been a tonic for cable news networks during normally quiet August. The audience for Fox's Bill O'Reilly last Thursday was a half-million more than on a typical evening this year, and he credited his network's willingness to listen to health care reform opponents for helping bring in viewers.

The cable networks all covered a much livelier forum held Tuesday morning by Sen. Arlen Specter in Lebanon, Pa. One woman, nearly shaking in anger, stood directly in front of Specter and said the reform bill "is about the systematic dismantling of our country."

CNN called it a "town hell."

...

Obama gave an opening statement at his town hall meeting in Portsmouth, N.H., then invited questions. Fox cut away after a couple of questions, which appeared to come from supporters of the president's plan.

"The president has a town hall and it looks like it could be a campaign stop," said Fox anchor Trace Gallagher.

Fox analyst Tucker Carlson said there was "no way" that the White House didn't screen questions, despite the administration's claim otherwise.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-ap-us-tv-health-debate,0,3231258.story

Never cut away from the "friendly" town hall meetings Bush staged for 8 years....not one damn time! Fair & Balanced MY ASSSS

why doesn't Congress and POTUS do something about the anti American propaganda from fox?

SOme people might actually become informed if they watched the townhall with Obama. He took questions and answered them thoughtfully and clearly. He gave concise information and debunked the smears.

Why would Fox allow that to happen?

But I guess the truth getting out is too risky.

"Fox analyst Tucker Carlson said there was "no way" that the White House didn't screen questions, despite the administration's claim otherwise."

FOX "News" pre-judged after a couple of questions because they didn't and don't want their viewers; exposed to contrary information of which FOX "News" has been spoon feeding them.

Knowledge and information is a powerful thing and FOX would prefer their viewers to depend only on FOX's interpretation of reality so that FOX can continue to make money converting your health care dollars in to commercial dollars paid to them by "health" insurance corporations and Big Pharma.

The FCC really should have a regulation that would make shows on the networks that claim to be news stations ... have to put up a banner that states that the show is ENTERTAINMENT/OPINION-ONLY.

Up in Canada FoxNews (O'Reity's show I believe) can not get licensed as a news program and they can't use the word NEWS in their title, as I am told.

:( Oh well, it's good for a laugh.

Cable, or are you living in a Canadian center near a large US market? I know they've tried to get in here, and your comment is the first time I've heard someone say they have.

I have never despised ANYTHING the way I despise Fux. If they tried to set up in my backyard they'd be hearing from me.

It's been around for over a couple years now.

We've got our share of wingnutters here too, Canada ain't as liberal as you may think. ;)

I live in Montreal.

Do we really expect anything different though? Anything that goes against Fox News is simply thrown out. How many times has O'Reilly threatened to kick a guest off the show for disagreeing with him?

Man these Fox "News" posts waste a lot of space on DU

Fox won a court case in 2003 that gave them the green light to label an opinion piece filled with known lies as "news".

When MSNBC has cut away from other TH Obama has had. And sometimes I have to go to Faux to get the full meeting. I'm sure it's because Obama was going to talk facts on health care that they choose not to show it.

per Keith O!!

:rofl:

where Joseph Goebbels would have felt right at home.

I haven't been a member long enough to ask them to find something else to put on there. I wish they would, though.