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Brit Hume: White House attempting to 'quarantine' Fox News

By: Charlie Spiering
Online Community Manager
10/20/09 5:26 PM EDT

Former Fox News Anchor Brit Hume is firing back at the White House for attacking the cable news channel.

White House aides made a point of airing their criticism of the network during the Sunday shows earlier this week. David Axlerod claimed that the news channel was "really not news," and Rahm Emanuel suggested that Fox is "not a news organization."

White House communications director Anita Dunn suggested on CNN that Fox News, is the "research arm of the Republican Party"

"It is a little hard to discern a strategy behind the White House campaign of criticism of Fox News unless it's simply this - an attempt to quarantine Fox and thereby discourage other media outlets from following up stories did originate here," Hume stated on "Special Report with Bret Baier."

Hume suggested that the White House's tactic of picking favorite news outlets was demeaning to journalists.

"So the president's aides appear on other news channels to say that Fox, unlike those outlets, is really not a news organization but an arm of the Republican Party." he said, "One wonders how our colleagues at CNN and elsewhere like being patted on the head and given the seal of approval by the White House"

I find it surprising that the Obama administration is attacking what is arguably the America's highest-rated news channel.

It certainly rallies Obama left-leaning supporters, however, perhaps giving them something to talk about something other than Obama's reluctance to press for the public option in the health care debate or distract them from an Obama aide's suggestion that bloggers "need to take off their pajamas and get dressed."

The Examiner's White House correspondent Julie Mason criticized the White House for their attacks and Helen Thomas has frowned upon the administration's actions as well.

ABC's Jake Tapper questioned Press Secretary Robert Gibbs about the attacks in today's White House press briefing.

Other reporters and journalists, however, have been slow to circle the wagons to defend a member of the fourth estate against the White House attacks.

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Reader Comments

All comments on this page are subject to our Terms of Use and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Examiner or its staff. Comment box is limited to 250 words.

drjohn

Oct 20, 2009

Obama capitulates to Ahmedinejad, capitulates to Putin and gets nothing in return.

But boy is he tough with Fox News.

COMMENTMAN

Oct 20, 2009

oBAMA gets beat up, and taken advantage of, around the world. Is rejected for a olympics in bankrupt Chicago, Is given an award that he is embarased to recieve. Then he attacks FOX NEWS !!!
Another move predetermined to be a loser for him. DUH ! DOUBLE DUH !!

jan

Oct 20, 2009

why are statements made. heard clearly, but refered to as "suggested". Charlie is quibling.

Guy Jones

Oct 20, 2009

The Obama Administration's obsession with Fox News is merely a manifestation its insecurity and frustration with the slow pace of enacting the President's extreme left agenda. The Administration is having a tough time selling its policies on the merits, so it lashes out like a petulant child whose toys have been taken away.

Dick Nixon

Oct 20, 2009

If it were up to the Obama Administration, Pravda would be the only newspaper the public would be able to read.

LindaOne

Oct 21, 2009

I'd be deliriously happy if Obama and his mindless drones boycotted Fox forever. When he comes on ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, I walk out or turn the Station.

ggordon

Oct 21, 2009

Actually Pravda should be labeled a "research arm of the Republican Party". Earlier in the year, they expressed "shock" at how quickly Obama was trying to move America toward socialism. They went on to give examples - and quantified it by pointing out that they knew what socialism looked like, and what dire effects it has on a society.
I guess they would be a pretty good judge of our "Socialist/Marxist in Chief".

ggordon

Oct 21, 2009

Hey Dick Nixon... have we met?? LOL

depaz

Oct 21, 2009

Well, it's about time SOMEBODY did the research. The White House sure as heck isn't doing it!!!

Rick

Oct 21, 2009

Fox joins a long list of companies and industries. If I were Fox this would be taken by me as a compliment.

The following USA companies and industries were and some are presently being demonized: Halliburton, Energy Companies including ExxonMobile, Doctors, Drug companies, Wal-Mart, Health insurer's, Talk Radio, Loggers, Farmers, Fast Food, Auto Manfu, Banks, Wall Street, Stock Brokers, High earners, Business exec's., etc etc etc.

Democrats hate the USA and everything it stands for.

Sectionhand

Oct 21, 2009

That's right , Rick ... And yet you'll find that many Democrats in congress are heavily invested in the corporations on your list . They're a pack of lying S.O.B.s !

LindaNone

Oct 21, 2009

"I'd be deliriously happy if Obama and his mindless drones boycotted Fox forever. When he comes on ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, I walk out or turn the Station."

Tell us more, fascist.

SailorMike

Oct 21, 2009

Barack Obama is a disgrace. He is the single most thinskinned, inexperienced, naive, ignorant, clueless, vapid, gutless, fraudulent, racist, shallow, foolish, vacuous, misguided, incompetent, unprofessional, un-Presidential & un-and-anti-American President ever...historians will look back in utter puzzlement at the sheer number of sheeple who voted stupidly, to use one of Obama's favorite words, for the Boy Blunder, yet CONTINUED to applaud the fraud.
Amazing. Truly amazing.

tucanofulano

Oct 21, 2009

Obama's suffocating flow of words like a boa constrictor covering his prey with saliva before devouring it just isn't going to be enough this time. The Aussie "Saltie" has bite.

Yeti

Oct 21, 2009

Obama is right and fox and the ruplican nut jobs are wrong as usual. Don't let your blood pressure rise too high and have your heads explode from hearing the truth. I know it must be hard to actually hear truth since fox news and the examiner are your masters

Eye in the Sky

Oct 21, 2009

President Obama knew all of this before he ran for hip position. He knew who his opposition would be and he knew the risk of attempting to sustain this fallen nation. At the end of his Presidency, he will most likely exit that way. This is a no win situation. Whether it was him or McCain, the incoming President had his hands cut off b/f he ever sat in the seat. It's just that Obama is of a different persuation that he is catching extra heat. Proof? Can you imagine if he took the world that some nation had weapons of mass destruction and then we found out that, that was a lie while spending TRILLIONS of dollars on two wars with no resolve and leaving the office off into the sunset??? Are you kidding me??? C'mon people. Be true to yourselves b/c you're looking like total losers to the world. You really wonder why we didn't get the Olympics. Hmmm...

Eye in the Sky [Resubmitted]

Oct 21, 2009

President Obama knew all of this before he ran for his position. He knew who his opposition would be and he knew the risk of attempting to sustain this fallen nation. At the end of his Presidency, he will most likely exit that way. This is a no win situation. Whether it was him or McCain, the incoming President had his hands cut off b/f he ever sat in the seat. It's just that Obama is of a different persuation that he is catching extra heat. Proof? Can you imagine if he told the world that some nation had weapons of mass destruction and then we found out that it was a lie while spending TRILLIONS of dollars on two wars with no resolve and leaving the office off into the sunset??? Are you kidding me??? C'mon people. Be true to yourselves b/c you're looking like total losers to the world. You really wonder why we didn't get the Olympics. Hmmm...

Atomic

Oct 21, 2009

I don't generally watch Fox News, but the instant publicity generated by the White House's criticism has piqued my interest. Fox News is different from the other networks as it appears to be more open and forthright.

By The Way (btw)

Oct 21, 2009

I watched Fox News all throughout last years Presidential Race, basically for their objectivity, I found the other news outlets were too in love with Obama,(CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS.) All of those fore mentioned news outlets did not ask Obama the hard questions that I needed to know. So I changed my party affiliation to (I), and voted for the first time in my life differently. I love Fox News, and Oh by the way...I'm African-American.

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Brit Hume: White House attempting to 'quarantine' Fox News

By: Charlie Spiering
Online Community Manager
10/20/09 5:26 PM EDT