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November 08, 2009
Obama and His White House WARN Democratic consultant After Appearing on FOX News
Democratic consultant says he got a warning from White House after appearing on Fox News Political consultants are a staple of cable television talk shows, analyzing current events based on their own experiences working on campaigns or in government. In urging Democratic consultants to spurn Fox, White House officials might be trying to isolate the network and make it appear more partisan. A boycott by Democratic strategists could also help drive the White House narrative that Fox is a fundamentally different creature than the other TV news networks. For their part, White House officials appear on Fox News -- but sporadically and with "eyes wide open," as one aide put it. David Plouffe, the president's campaign manager and author of a new campaign book, "The Audacity to Win," was scheduled to appear on Fox's "On the Record" with Greta Van Susteren Thursday night as he promotes his book. His appearance, preempted by the breaking news of the shootings at Ft. Hood, Texas, has been rescheduled for Monday. White House Communications Director Anita Dunn said Thursday night that she had checked with colleagues who "deal with TV issues" and they had not told people to avoid Fox. On the contrary, they had urged people to appear on the network, Dunn wrote in an e-mail. But Patrick Caddell, a Fox News contributor and a former pollster for President Carter, said he has spoken to Democratic consultants who have been told by the White House to avoid appearances on Fox. He declined to give their names.
'We better not see you on again,' the strategist says he was told by a White House official. Obama aides have taken an aggressive stance against the network and may be seeking to isolate it.
Reporting from Washington - At least one Democratic political strategist has gotten a blunt warning from the White House to never appear on Fox News Channel, an outlet that presidential aides have depicted as not so much a news-gathering operation as a political opponent bent on damaging the Obama administration.One Democratic strategist said that shortly after an appearance on Fox, he got a phone call from a White House official telling him not to be a guest on the show again. The call had an intimidating tone, he said.
The message was, " 'We better not see you on again,' " said the strategist, who spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to run afoul of the White House. An implicit suggestion, he said, was that "clients might stop using you if you continue."
Caddell said he had not gotten that message himself from the White House. "They know better than to tell me anything like that," he said.
Caddell added: "I have heard that they've done that to others in not-too-subtle ways. I find it appalling. When the White House gets in the business of suppressing dissent and comment, particularly from its own party, it hurts itself."
The White House has taken an aggressive stance toward Fox. When President Obama appeared on five separate talk shows one Sunday in September, he avoided Fox.
"It would be foolish for us to just treat it like it's CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS," said a White House aide. "That doesn't make any sense. That would be like saying we're going to do [interviews] with the newsmagazines and we're going to do Time, Newsweek and the [conservative] National Review."
The aide spoke on condition of anonymity in order to talk more openly about the White House's thinking.
Last month, Dunn told CNN that Fox was, in effect, an "arm" of the Republican Party. Dunn said in an appearance on the rival cable network: "Let's not pretend they're a news network the way CNN is."
As the dust-up played out, Fox's senior vice president of news, Michael Clemente, countered: "Surprisingly, the White House continues to declare war on a news organization instead of focusing on the critical issues that Americans are concerned about like jobs, healthcare and two wars."
Wild Thing's comment...........
Obama and the Democrats want total power, to enslave this nation to his will, and they will stop at nothing to do it.
The left elected Barrack Chavez.
Pat Caddel is a fair man. He is what a Democrat used to be. And according to the article, there is more than one.
Posted by Wild Thing at November 8, 2009 04:44 AM
Comments
I do believe that it is illegal and an impeachable offense. He can't tell Caddell to NOT appear on a certain news show or news channel. WTF is wrong with dumbo Obamanation?
Where is the switch that turns him off?
Posted by: Lynn at November 8, 2009 05:48 AM
Chicago thug politics. In a way they are harming their own agenda by not by not debating for it on the most watched news station.
Posted by: TomR at November 8, 2009 12:51 PM
That's Rahm Emanuel talking Lynn, I never labeled the son of a bitch as a subversive muslim, he's worse!!!
C'mon Pat, they pissed off Dick Morris and he survived their wrath, join us entirely and call it as you see it.
Posted by: Jack at November 8, 2009 01:31 PM
