Monroe Chat

I was shocked to read this (although had been listening to the scuttlebutt) It does seam to be such a blatant attempt to quieten the voice at FOX NEWS (albeit a failed attempt.) I sincerely question the thought process behind this maneuver, I used to believe that President Obama was surrounded by People who didn't always offer the most appropriate advise, frankly now I am convinced that is the case along with shaky belief that the President himself might have an agenda to fulfill, one which I do not think was promoted during the campaign trail
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Fox News reports:
The Obama administration on Thursday tried to make "pay czar" Kenneth Feinberg available for interviews to every member of the White House pool except Fox News. But the Washington bureau chiefs of the five TV networks decided that none of their reporters would interview Feinberg unless Fox News was included.

The Obama administration on Thursday failed in its attempt to manipulate other news networks into isolating and excluding Fox News, as Republicans on Capitol Hill stepped up their criticism of the hardball tactics employed by the White House.

The Treasury Department on Thursday tried to make "pay czar" Kenneth Feinberg available for interviews to every member of the White House pool except Fox News. The pool is the five-network rotation that for decades has shared the costs and duties of daily coverage of the presidency.

But the Washington bureau chiefs of the five TV networks consulted and decided that none of their reporters would interview Feinberg unless Fox News was included. The network pool informed Treasury that Fox News, as part of the rotation, could not be excluded from such interviews under the rules of the pool.

The administration relented, making Feinberg available for all five pool members and Bloomberg TV.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10 ... interview/

There will be a lot more like this as the administration moves along. It's far from over.

This President is surrounded by inexperience (and for the most part former radicals)and it has, and continues to show in so many ways. He has entered into an arena that could backfire so bad, with the subdued and favorable press that he has enjoyed, to completely cripple the remainder of his term. If he thinks this isn't fair, I only pray he gets just a small taste of what Bush, or for for that matter, a smidgeon of Clinton's press review. He is on the fast track to let a party (Republican) that was left for dead just months ago, reclaim the House within months and get some good Blue dogs thrown from office in the carnage that is building.

The press has been way too kind to him, and his Chicago style strong armed tactics could backfire in ways that can't even be seen at this time.( though I question how far they will take it since it looks just as bad on them for getting him elected)
The big winner will ultimatly be Fox News as their ratings continue to go up and the longer this goes on, the better for them and the less favorable to their competion as questions are asked about their coverage. You would think this administration would learn from history in so many ways, but really, am I surprised?