It’s become abundantly clear to me now that progressives really despise Fox News, as in they couldn’t be happier than if it bit the dust. They don’t look at it as a resource to learn about what conservatives are doing, or an opportunity to keep track of their opposition. And some of them have no desire to engage in civilized debate over the merits of leaving Fox News with its status as a news organization.
Of course the same could have been said by the conservatives about CNN during the last administration, but that’s neither here nor there.
What is most disturbing is the rabid nature of the latest round of attacks – some aimed at me, but most seem to be aimed at Jake Tapper for bringing this up in the first place. First, I don’t care about what people say to me – I already have a fair collection of “love notes” from people who were far worse, and decided it was a good idea to make threats against my life in the past. What bothers me is the level of intolerance that I am seeing from the people who have been screaming foul against Fox News for precisely that offense. The hypocrisy threat level is orange, inching toward red!
Yesterday via Twitter I was informed by Markos Moulitsas that the administration declaring that Fox News is not a legitimate news organization does nothing to that organization’s ability to exercise its rights under the First Amendment. He is right, but only because the amendment addresses the actions of Congress alone. No matter how much anyone wants to deny it, the White House denying the network access has repercussions far beyond the briefing room. I can see a future of fewer posts on DailyKos because without Fox News, they wouldn’t have as many people to call on their BS.
However, the contention of various people around the Web that this statement from the White House was appropriate on any level is absolutely wrong. As I keep saying, perhaps the message is accurate, but the messenger shouldn’t have said it. The White House is meant to be in the news, not control it – and denying Fox News like this is controlling that network’s ability to cover news. When members of the press report false information, other members of the press call them on it. The press is the watchdog of both the government and itself.
Quick on the heels of the White House statement on Fox News, I ended up with emails from MoveOn.org urging members to encourage actions that would ensure the demise of the network. Silencing opposition apparently has become acceptable to them?
Senator Lamar Alexander knows just a little bit about the dangers of government dabbling in this sort of behavior, and he isn’t off-base comparing this to Nixon’s enemies list. Even The Huffington Post thought Alexander’s comments merited a page on their site. If worrying about our supposedly free press becoming a progressive echo chamber – at least where television news networks are concerned – or the White House taking steps similar to those we saw during the Nixon Administration is politically incorrect now, then I have absolutely no hope of ever being accepted by the new left.
The wheel has turned folks. Those of you on the left who have been crying for years about being ignored by the beastly right-wing, and are now rejoicing in the possibility of shutting down a news network have become what you despised. If someone had told me four years ago that the GOP had any hope of becoming a righteous party again, in the midst of the dirty tricks being played by Bush, Rove, and Cheney, I would have laughed them out of the room. But right about now the left is offering the GOP a golden opportunity – time will tell if they take it. Amazing what a little time and power can do to even the best of people. Thank you for making it so much easier for me to state publicly with pride that I’m a Goldwater-conservative – it was depressing having to whisper it at times!
Everyone knows what Fox News is about – just like everyone knows what the tabloids we see every time we go through the check out lines in the grocery stores are selling. Just remember, you call them on their false statements and absurdities – you don’t silence them!
Tags: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, Media, Media Bias
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