NYT: In Taking On Fox, Democrats See Reward in the Risk

[kskiska]

THE Fox News Channel doesn’t officially turn 10 until this week, but the Democrats have already begun doing their best to spoil the celebrations.

The party crashing began last Sunday, when former President Bill Clinton transformed an interview with Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday” into a finger-pointing tirade against what he called a “conservative hit job.” Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, quickly released a statement applauding Mr. Clinton for standing up to what he described as a right-wing, bullying propaganda machine.

In separate appearances on Fox News over the next two days, Lanny J. Davis, a former special counsel to Mr. Clinton, and Barbara Boxer, the Democratic senator from California, mocked the news channel’s trademarked motto of being “fair and balanced.”

(snip)

The attacks represent a new twist on the Democrats’ complicated dance with the cable news channel. Though Fox News maintains that its reporting is down the middle, Democrats have long complained that the news channel operates like a public relations outpost of the Bush White House. But never before has that anger built into a mad-as-hell-and-not-going-to-take-it-any-more moment, and spilled over in such naked and sustained fashion onto Fox News itself.

“The Republicans are using Fox News to gin up their base, and now — for the first time — the Democrats are doing it, too,” said Steve McMahon, a Democratic strategist with McMahon, Squier & Associates who handled Mr. Dean’s presidential campaign.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/weekinreview/01manley.html?hp&ex=1159675200&en=ef226545aa105cb6&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[bluestateguy]

1. They better hope a Democrat is not in the White House in 2009

because there is no constitutional right to have a White House Press Pass. Fox might want to keep that in mind.

[DaveT]

2. As matter of fact,

there's no Constitutional right to broadcast propaganda as news on over-the-air television. Although FNC is a cable service, some of its crap goes out over the FOX owned and operated television stations.

The current FCC regulations allow just about any kind of bullshit to be broadcast, but the Disney Path to 9/11 outrage ought to make a new President and Congress correct that mistake.

A new version of The Fairness Doctrine is an absolute necessity for a return to civil discourse in American politics.

[DaveT]

3. Interesting headline.

There is no risk whatsoever in challenging Roger Ailes's operation. He is going to be hostile to the Democratic Party no matter what the dems say or do. We might as well fight.

[Jon8503]

4. I say go ahead & take them on; long run it will be a winner regardless

of the short time ratings. They say may not be the smartest strategy. I think Fox's right wing base knows the truth & let them get pissed off when we fire back the truth. Remember even if the idiots hear the truth enough, they might begin to believe it. I am tired of every time we fight back, may not be the smartest thing to do, etc I say we don't hold back this time around or in 2008, we have to stand up and give it everything we have and of course, do it in a intelligent manner and with the facts. Doing that, how can you go wrong, the truth shall live & set us all free from this hostile environment.

Smips from the New York Time Article of this post:

"Engaging Fox News in such an aggressive manner, however, may not be the smartest strategy. If there’s a base that needs energizing for these midterm elections, it belongs to the Republicans, and a Clinton-led attack may only revivify them. And so far, there is just one clear beneficiary: Fox News. The news channel has highlighted the contretemps on many of its programs, boosting the ratings in the process.

And Fox News executives have not seemed to mind furnishing screen time to Democrats so they can bash the network. (Roger Ailes, the chairman and chief executive of Fox News and Fox Television Stations, was unavailable to comment for this article.)

After all, the ratings don’t lie.

The first three days of the week saw primetime and daily increases of 20 percent and 13 percent, respectively, compared with the average over the previous four weeks. And “Fox News Sunday” got its best ratings in three years."


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/weekinreview/01manley.html?_r=1&hp&ex=1159675200&en=ef226545aa105cb6&ei=5094&partner=homepage&oref=slogin

[depakid]

5. Newscorp needs to be divested

of its holdings, period.

Hopefully, the next Dem in office won't be a sell out like Clinton- and we'll finally get some teeth back at the FCC.

[colonel odis]

6. mocking fox news is like mocking the holy scriptures, to a wingnut.

and seeing those awful democrats rub their face in it will drive them nuts.

:-)