Dems to Fox: No thanks!

[NickCole]

Good for them:

Democratic candidates not interested in debating on Fox.

WASHINGTON — Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will not participate in a Democratic debate co-hosted by Fox News Channel this fall, campaign aides indicated Monday.


The decision by the two Democratic presidential candidates follows an announcement last week by John Edwards, another White House contender, that he would forgo the Fox event.

The Sept. 23 debate, set for Detroit, is co-sponsored by the cable news network and by the Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute.

Without Obama, Clinton and Edwards, however, Fox and the CBC institute would be missing three of the marquee contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Obama and Clinton aides said they intended to participate in six debates sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee. The DNC's list did not include the Fox News-CBC Institute debate, a concession to liberal and black activists who say Fox has slighted blacks and is biased in favor of conservatives.

A spokesman for Obama, who is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, made it clear that Obama intended to participate in a debate co-sponsored by the CBC Institute and CNN.

"CNN seemed like a more appropriate host," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said.

The Clinton campaign announced its intentions Monday after Obama had let it be known he would not be attending the Fox debate.

"Were going to participate in the DNC-sanctioned debates only," Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said. He added that Clinton already had commitments to participate in an upcoming debate in South Carolina and one hosted by Tavis Smiley, the PBS late-night talk show host.

Democrats have been under pressure from liberal activists to avoid Fox-hosted debates. Last month, the Nevada Democratic Party canceled a debate that Fox was to co-sponsor in August.

The institute, a nonprofit group whose directors include members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and Fox News announced an agreement nearly two weeks ago to air Republican and Democratic presidential debates. But activists, including civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, immediately criticized the alliance and many called on Democrats to pull out.

But Candice Tolliver, a spokeswoman for the CBC Institute, said Monday: "The debates are still scheduled as announced,"

Calls by the Associated Press to Fox were not immediately returned.

 

[operafan]

Karma's a bitch.

I would wish that this is the beginning of the end for Fox news, but I'm sure that the world wouldn't be that lucky.

 

[OtterJoq]

With each new "journalist" tantrum by O'Reilly or Geraldo or whomever, FOX cements its status as a showcase for lunatics.

It ain't news...it's a freakin' sideshow. I applaud the Dems' decision.

 

[Sausy]

I think the Dems are making a typically petty and short sighted decision.....I don't like everything FOX does,but they have some really first rate journalists(Wendell Goler,Carl Cameron,Bret Baier for starters who are recognized as first rate)and hosts like Bill Hemmer,Shepherd Smith,and Brit Hume(A longtime marvelous White House correpondent for ABC before his move to FOX)

You guys on the left make me roll on the floor in hysterics!You castigate the president because he does not engage Syria and Iran(I happen to think the president is dead wrong on that myself).But Dems engaging FOX news..this debate co-sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus,certainly no puppet of the religious right last time I checked,but in childish ass kissing of the lefty party activists,what's a litle patronizing thick headedness among Dems?

Well,politics as usual wins out.....you get your message out any way you can politically if you're a rational pragmatic party bigshot on this,and to have the Democratic message play out on the purported enemy's turf should be a coup,and delightfully subversive! Now it just looks like our hyperpartisan pollution political atmosphere looks here to stay for awhile,and that benefits no one.To use a pun,"Bush " league move on the part of the Democrats,and unsurprisingly and dismayingly typical of the so-called progressive wing of the party.

 

[sixthson]

Well said, Sausageeater.

 

[Orlandude]

I think the Dems are making a typically petty and short sighted decision.....I don't like everything FOX does,but they have some really first rate journalists(Wendell Goler,Carl Cameron,Bret Baier for starters who are recognized as first rate)and hosts like Bill Hemmer,Shepherd Smith,and Brit Hume(A longtime marvelous White House correpondent for ABC before his move to FOX)

You guys on the left make me roll on the floor in hysterics!You castigate the president because he does not engage Syria and Iran(I happen to think the president is dead wrong on that myself).But Dems engaging FOX news..this debate co-sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus,certainly no puppet of the religious right last time I checked,but in childish ass kissing of the lefty party activists,what's a litle patronizing thick headedness among Dems?

Well,politics as usual wins out.....you get your message out any way you can politically if you're a rational pragmatic party bigshot on this,and to have the Democratic message play out on the purported enemy's turf should be a coup,and delightfully subversive! Now it just looks like our hyperpartisan pollution political atmosphere looks here to stay for awhile,and that benefits no one.To use a pun,"Bush " league move on the part of the Democrats,and unsurprisingly and dismayingly typical of the so-called progressive wing of the party.

Your characterizing most of the Fox staff as "journalists" is laughable. Goler is a REPORTER and always has been. A reporter is not necessarily a journalist and he is not. His "claim to fame" is "covering" the Clinton impeachment for Fox News. That's credibility? As for Baier, the weight of his experience has been covering hurricanes! Hello? Yes he covered 9/11 and the Timothy McVeigh ordeal (for FOX) but so did dozens of other REAL journalists who never worked for Fox. Shepard Smith is nothing more than a local TV news REPORTER hired out of Miami and is as rightwing biased now as he was then. By the way, you might want to read all their bios on your beloved Fox News website. Their facts, not mine.

The ONLY credible JOURNALISTS that Fox News employs are Britt Hume and Carl Cameron. Period. The rest are propaganda mouthpieces for the far right or, like Hannity and O'Reilly, clowns and jesters for the GOP. Face it, Fox News is nothing more more than GOP-TV and Bush-aholics, incapable of conducting a balanced debate. Based on their own recent poll, sheepishly reported by Britt Hume, the jb approval rating of Congress is now at 45%. It never went above 25% the last 2 years the republicans controlled Congress. America is finally waking up and that includes many current (and former) viewers of Fox News.

 

[jkirk3000]

Oh thank goodness we won't have our viewing interrupted of Bill O'Reilly & Geraldo Rivera bitch slapping each other, or Sean Hannity whining about something!

 

[jackoroe]

Maybe they'll debate on MSNBC where there's no chance of anyone seeing them. Less risk that way!

 

[Andreus]

as if fox is taken seriously as a news source anymore

riiiiight

the candidates would do better to get a spot on sesame street

at least the puppets are yellow there, and not the journalists

 

[springboksfan]

Who cares....that top three will not be President in 2008.

Remember that....so I can rub it in your faces later....

Ah, but perhaps one of them will be in 2009.

 

[Andreus]

Nope...

IMHO...America is not ready for a woman...especially Hillary......an inexperienced African American......or a President who might be single shortly.Sad...but I think true.Sorry....back on topic.

spoken like a republican

it seems to me they are ready for ANYONE that ISNT a REPUBLICAN at this point

the war is going to stick to the pug party liek stink on shit

not good for winning elections

 

[Andreus]

why should dems debate on fox news channel aka the rnc channel? fnc is the ost bias network in tv history.

yupp

the republicans here have clearly shown that they are aware that the channel slants its news to their view and that is why they watch it

 

[chance1]

"I'm only gonna play on my field"

that's what they're saying

It's so transparent

And so immature and babyish

This is the same group that sends Nancy Pelosi to negotiate a shadow foreign policy - talking to Syria - that sponsors terrorism - "we should talk to everyone"

But they can't debate on Fox

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

You can't make this shit up

And the apologists/PR group aka "The 80" carry their water

LOFL


How about a new amendment - we're only going to count the votes of the democrats - cause the republicans are biased

 

[Centexfarmer]

"I'm only gonna play on my field"

that's what they're saying

It's so transparent

And so immature and babyish

This is the same group that sends Nancy Pelosi to negotiate a shadow foreign policy - talking to Syria - that sponsors terrorism - "we should talk to everyone"

But they can't debate on Fox

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

You can't make this shit up

And the apologists/PR group aka "The 80" carry their water

LOFL


How about a new amendment - we're only going to count the votes of the democrats - cause the republicans are biased

Yeah!

If they can't face Bill O'Reilly, how can we expect them to face Osama Bin Laden?

 

[Andreus]

looks liek fox and its supporters are crying to me

the dems seem rather happy with the choices being made

fox will lose money and market shares for this

either they get their act together or they will lose stock value as their advertising dollars decline

this is basic business and basic politics

its the job of the press to get the politicians to talk to them

no one OWES it to Fox to talk to it

its as if fox expects it can suspend the rules of engagement between pols and press that has existed for decades without repercussions

this isnt about information... the news will get out

this is about avoiding a channel with a bad product... that is VERY AMERICAN

 

[Soilwork]

I think the Dems are making a typically petty and short sighted decision.....I don't like everything FOX does,but they have some really first rate journalists(Wendell Goler,Carl Cameron,Bret Baier for starters who are recognized as first rate)and hosts like Bill Hemmer,Shepherd Smith,and Brit Hume(A longtime marvelous White House correpondent for ABC before his move to FOX)

Thanks

I needed a good laugh.

now my abs hurt.

Fox News isn't a legitimate News Channel.. It's funny that you think it is.

Hilarious, in fact. And here I thought you were smart.

 

[operafan]

at least the puppets are yellow there, and not the journalists

Damn, you're good! I wish I had thought of that.

 

[Sausy]

as if fox is taken seriously as a news source anymore

riiiiight

the candidates would do better to get a spot on sesame street

at least the puppets are yellow there, and not the journalists

Your opinion,and you are closed minded.I don't give a damn what the left here or anywhere thinks of FOX....apparently the white liberals of the blogosphere that foam at the mouth of anything contrary to their world view matter more than those traitors at the Congressional Black Caucus who was instrumental in co-sponsoring this debate with Fox.Insult,degrade,denigrate...not specifically you but ALL of you...put everyone you disagree with(Who aren't just wrong but all evil,it appears)down,don't respect differing views.Fox DOES have quality people who would be damned respected everywhere...it shows how petty and small minded the left is in its smug self-superiority,self-righteousness and arrogance.I could care less if my point of vbiew lacks support or respect here....I ain't backing down.If the Dems think Iran and Syria must be engaged,if the lines of communication being always kept open is so sacrosanct,damn apply it to yourselves and the supposed ideological enemy,Fox News!I said the left was short-sighted before...that was WAY too generous,you're politically blind and deaf and primed to shoot yourselves in the foot,and deserve it!

I'd rather be unpopular and know I keep an open mind,explore all possibilities...not worship any sacred cows,than follow anyone's party line.

 

[Andreus]

i dont seek a news source that supports my views, sausage

i base my views on what REAL news sources say

this is a difference that the JUbrepublicans are unwilling to even consider

and who is closed minded ?

 

[JayHawk]

The primaries are mostly partisan affairs. Catching the base will be easy once they rally behind one candidate. Entertaining all media outlets to reach all possible voters is the only way to get all swing votes. I hope they learn and when the primaries are over hit everywhere. Other than that they can trash each other anywhere they feel like it. If they feel smug about their chances then by 2008 the margin will be entirely too close and we will be in the Supreme court again deciding the future of the nation.