Fox News Hypocrisy Over ABC’s Coverage Of President Obama

Fox News has spent most of this week crying about the coverage President Obama is getting from the media (I know, that’s not exactly breaking news). This is the same network that had practically a direct line to the White House (and tremendous access to President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney) … not too unlike the Batphone that allowed Batman and Commissioner Gordon to stay in direct contact.

Here is the summary of a Media Matters story:

SUMMARY: Fox News hosts and guests have criticized a scheduled ABC exclusive broadcast from the White House, but they failed to mention the extraordinary access Fox News had to President Bush and other officials, using those opportunities to lob softball questions and provide a platform for Bush administration talking points.

Media Matters has displayed some examples of the very positive treatment Bush and Cheney received from Fox News during their tenure.

Here is a sample that involves Bill O’Reilly:

• On the October 16, 17, and 18, 2006, editions of The O’Reilly Factor, host Bill O’Reilly airedportions of his October 16 interview with Bush, which consisted of such “tough questions” as whether Hillary Clinton is “soft on terrorism,” whether “the anti-Bush press” is responsible for popular opposition to the war, and whether Bush was aware that critics “are trying to destroy you.” O’Reilly also asked Bush, “[Y]ou work hard, right?” In his introduction to the October 16 interview segment, O’Reilly stated that “[b]ecause every presidential interview is finite,” he would concentrate on “what is happening now.” Absent from the interview, O’Reilly stated, would be any questions that “look back,” because, “What good does it do to rehash WMDs?” According to the on-screen text, “Looking back doesn’t do anybody any good.”

Here is a more general Fox News sample:

• On October 13, 2007, Fox News aired “Dick Cheney: No Retreat,” which was described as “an exclusive interview” with Cheney and teased as “a rare glimpse into the life of the vice president.”

Here is a sample involving Brett Baier:

• On February 2 and February 3, 2008, Fox News aired a documentary titled “George W. Bush: Fighting to the Finish,” after, as Fox itself described, “FOX News’ Bret Baier was granted unprecedented access by George W. Bush as the president begins the final year of his extraordinarily consequential tenure.”