Alies a little touchy about Edwards dropping out of FNC debate

[babylonsister]

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/10159.html#more-10159


Alies a little touchy about Edwards dropping out of FNC debate


To update a post from a few weeks ago, Democratic presidential candidates and the Nevada state party continue to face questions about partnering with Fox News to host one of the season’s major Democratic presidential debates in Reno, scheduled for August 14. John Edwards was the first to announce that he would not participate in the event.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who had expressed support for the event, seems to be coming around. Reid stated plainly yesterday, “I don’t like Fox News,” and reiterated several times that the Nevada Democratic Party is independent — Reid is not involved with its decision making.

Fox News Channel chairman Roger Ailes spoke the Radio & TV News Director’s Foundation last night, and after a series of questionable conservative jokes, subtly addressed the subject of the Nevada controversy.

“We’re headed into covering a tough political season and all of us will be called upon to do our best and be fair. Recently pressure groups are forcing candidates to conclude that the best strategy for journalists is divide and conquer, to only appear on those networks and venues that give them favorable coverage.

“There’s a long tradition of news organizations, national and local, sometimes together, sponsoring presidential and other candidate debates. The organizations and the panelists have been the objects of a lot of advice and even pressure as to how these debates should be conducted and what questions should be asked. This pressure has been successfully resisted, but it’s being tried again this year with the added wrinkle that candidates are being asked to boycott debates because certain groups wants to approve the sponsoring organizations. This pressure must be resisted as it has been in the past. Any candidate for high office of either party who believes he can blacklist any news organization is making a terrible mistake about journalists. And any candidate of either party who cannot answer direct, simple, even tough questions from any journalist runs a real risk of losing the voters.

“The public knows if a journalist’s question is unfair. They also know if a candidate is impeding freedom of speech and free press. If you are afraid of journalists, how will you face the real dangers in the world?”

There’s a lot of inanity here, so let’s take a moment to unpack all of this.

more...

[xxqqqzme]

1. there maybe a' long tradition'

but fux noise ain't part of it.

[Glorfindel]

2. Good for Edwards!

Now the rest of them need to grow spines, also. Fox has nothing to do with news; it's a propaganda outlet, plain and simple. Democratic candidates should understand that we will look with EXTREME displeasure upon any one of them who appears on that network voluntarily.

[rusty charly]

3. "to only appear on those networks and venues that give them favorable coverage"

no one on the RIGHT would EVER do that!

[Colobo]

4. Fox News is not news

Just as a left-wing "news channel" would not be "fair and balanced", Fox News, being a mouthpiece for the right-wing in this country, is not "fair and balanced" either.

They should openly admit what they are; maybe they would be taken more seriously if they did.

[ripple]

5. Looks like a swipe at Obama, too

"The public knows if a journalist's question is unfair"

That's the biggest line of bullshit I've heard in a long time. So much for journalistic integrity, eh? Let them say what they want and the public will sort it out. We've all seen how well that works.

:mad:

[quinnox]

6. So sorry but Fox news is not a legitimate organization

And too bad (for Ailes) that Edwards (and hopefully Obama and Hillary will follow suit) is starting the process of exposing this very obvious fact. Fox news is about as legitimate in covering hard news as the old show "Hard Copy" was.

[zbdent]

7. Interesting quote: "If you are afraid of journalists, how will you face the real dangers in the

world?"

I guess that you have Karl Rove and your handlers be the buffer ... and threaten those who won't accept bribes ...

[KansDem]

8. Let's take this question in two parts...

"If you are afraid of journalists..." It's not "journalists," that worry potential POTUS candidates, it's the media whores who are paid to patronize them and show them in a bad light--no matter how good they might be--in order for the neo-con fascists to prevail. It's the lies that you and other corporate media outlets tell in order to keep the wealthy few in their positions of power.

"...How will you face the real dangers in the world?"--Do you, FOX, really know what the "real dangers in the world" are? One significant danger is an ill-informed populace, dumbed-down by media whores so that the crime families can continue to rule.

[Gato Moteado]

9. i wonder if ailes can name a single journalist on fox news

i sure can't

[Vincardog]

10. Note to Ailes take your FAUX NEWZ and balance on this

[robinlynne]

11. journalists? fox doesn't hve journalists. what a comedic concept.

[MGKrebs]

12. Classic: False assumption = incorrect conclusion

Fox is not a news organization, and those idiots they have reading the White House press releases or spewing their demented opinions are not journalists. Therefore, boycotting an event sponsored by them is not "being afraid of journalists". It's more like avoiding the National Enquier. Good job on the credibility thing, Roger.

[loudsue]

13. Roger Ailes is *bush's cousin.

He's a vampire when it comes to ANYTHING having to do with Dems, which, of course, make up AT LEAST one half of the United States' population.

Ailes's "news" organization speaks to the other half, and the other half alone. The Dems shouldn't give them the time of day. Fox isn't about America or the election. It's about getting blood from any Dem that gets caught their web.

:kick:

[David Zephyr]

14. If Obama is smart, he'll pull out of the faux debate now, too. Murdoch likes the Clintons.

Obama should pull out, too leaving Hillary there and empty podiums which spotlight Fox's bias.

[Dr Fate]

15. They can be "touchy" all they want. Eddie is right for marginalizing that trash.

Maybe being "touchy" about this or that is our problem- time to get some thick skin & some brass balls.

Go Eddie!