Krauthammer defends Fox News - quelle surprise

Can you believe it? Krauthammer, a Fox News regualar, preaching about Madisonian norms?!

We should acknowledge certain recent facts as we discuss Mr. Krauthammer's editorial. For instance, Mr. Krauthammer endorsed Barrack Obama for President in 2008. While this does not disqualify him from rigorous dissent, we must admit that this is the devil he chose.

President Obama has always shown a public disdain for the journalistic style attributable to Fox News' management. The organization uses a completely different code of ethics and style than any other major news organization in America. Born from the same part of the world whose philosophies gave us the theory of Evolution, Rupert Murdoch's philosophy for Fox news is married with the ideals of both conservatism and the Republican Party. Because we are dedicated to freedom of the press in the U.S., there is nothing about our system that excludes the right of Fox News to take this perspective.

There is equally nothing wrong with President Obama, a Chicago politician of extraordinary skill, making a political move against a political machine. Is there anyone reading this chat that believes Fox is NOT designed to appeal to conservatives and Republicans?

President Obama is making the point that Fox News has been stepping beyond the bounds of journalistic ethics for some time now. It is one thing to report the news, both as fact AND as opinion, as an independent outsider who is looking in. It is another thing entirely to report either news OR opinion as an insider looking out. When you do that, news and opinion, especially the two combined, becomes useful rhetoric for the political opposition.

Presidents have often if not always criticized elements of the Press. While President G. W. Bush criticized and shunned the press relentlessly, especially in his first term, he gave unprecedented access to Fox News.

President Obama, when he was candidate Obama, refused to participate in a debate that was hosted by Fox News. He later conceded and participated, but he had made his point: Fox News is run by insiders looking out. It's business philosophy is to trumpet well-coordinated Republican talking points and to highlight News stories that emphasize and/or re-iterate these issues. Obama thinks Fox News is a political tactic by Republicans, not an independent News station.

It's fair to point out that the Obama administration does go on Fox News. They do engage with them and do interviews, but they are much more selective and deliberate than they are with all other news organizations.

In other words, they treat Fox News like a political arm of the Republican Party, because the channel uses much of its programming to reinforce if not directly state Republican political objectives at the exclusion of any other. An interview with Fox News is like being interviewed by the Republican Party. It's not like an interview with independent journalists.

All they are doing now is letting us in on what their policy is toward Fox News and we are watching Fox News trying to make big news out of this. The more noise they make, the less people are likely to understand what Obama is trying to say. We're even watching other journalists rally to their support. But, this is just a political move.

Obama and his administration will continue to engage with Fox News. The never said they wouldn't. They've simply said how they view Fox's philosophy as having a major political component, which makes them treat Fox News differently. Sometimes, they will exclude Fox News from a round of interviews, like during the Health Care weekend. Why would you go on Fox News? Not one Republican supported it. The Republicans had lied openly about "death panels" and set up protests like 9/12, all of which could not have been done without Fox News. To allow an interview on Fox News at that time was to invite your political enemy to attack.

At other times, they may favor questions of less political organizations, especially when Fox News has already shown an open bias.

If the press, which was once composed of independent parties covering the government, is now to become insiders whose message is controlled by the political wings of the elected officials these people are supposed to be interrogating, then it must be perfectly fair thar the opposition party's elected officials treat that press differently than an independent press organization.

That just makes sense to me.

go f*ck your colleagues on live TV. That's the only reason I would flip to Faux News.

Krauthammer only endorsed Barrack Obama for President in 2008 to give himself an air of legitimacy. It's an old RW trick.

and make a 180 degree turn. . You'll be facing the correct direction.

him claiming only 33 antiquities were still missing in Iraq after the museum looting. The odd thing about this claim was this: the military, not a week earlier, had held a presser indicating thousands of ancient pieces were still missing after the looting. It was obvious then that Krauthammer was an unprincipled liar -- and everything I have seen since confirms that unfortunate conclusion

It's a good story that you share - thank you.

These talking heads don't understand how it ruins their own credibility to be so strongly associated with Fox News. In many cases, I think they prefer the relative security of 'home base' where they have some assurance that the tables will not turn on them. (Sorry to mix metaphors.)

Krauthammer actually endorsed John McCain on October 23, 2008, about 10 days before the election. However, he famously penned an OpEd on October 3, 2008 that basically conceded to contest to Obama as not only having run a far better campaign but even as being a reasonable candidate for a liberal. Krauthammer was not alone in his public separation from all things McCain - many conservatives at the time were doing the same if not fully endorsing Obama: i.e. George Will, Colin Powell. It would be difficult to argue that this highly critical statement of 'non-support' for McCain a full month before the election was less effective than the endorsement he gave 10 days before the event.

Nevertheless, I stand corrected. Thank you to tyngsalty at the SeattleTimes for the headsup.