Many of you have asked me why we don't have President Obama on Fox News Channel. Here is a partial transcript from an interview President Obama had on CNBC today explaining why and my response follows:
Subject: FW: Obama on CNBC
CNBC Interview with Obama (aired June 16 @ 4:43) - question about the favorable press he's been getting:
OBAMA: I've got one television station entirely devoted to attacking my administration
CNBC: I assume you're talking about FOX
OBAMA: That's a pretty big megaphone and you'd be hard-pressed if you watched the entire day to find a positive story about me on that front.
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My response:
As a preamble, the President has said, in essence, and on multiple occasions, that he knows the job of the media is to challenge those who hold office and that he respects journalists who challenge office holders. The President has said that challenging our government is am important part of our democracy.
The goal of the media should not be to do only positive stories - but rather to challenge and to get information. That does not mean that favorable stories should not be done but that paramount to the those stories should be the inquiry, the interviews seeking information (and yes, this can be done in a polite manner.) We have seen the extreme situations - what happens in other countries where the media is beholden to the government or is even owned by the government.
I have interviewed President Obama. I interviewed him when he was a US Senator not running for President and I KNOW he enjoyed the interview and thought I was fair. I enjoyed the interview and I wanted to hear what he had to say.
Now the President won't appear on Fox. I have been told that he does not like me or ON THE RECORD at 10pm or my network mainly because of our Reverend Wright coverage. I have two things to say about that: 1st, I bet I have as much if not more years working on the street with poor African Americans than the President does. I earned my stripes to ask him about Reverend Wright. Yes, the President has done much but guess what? So have I and I am just as committed to equality and opportunity (for all) which is why Reverend Wright was so appalling to me and I thought the President needed to explain his association with him. I don't think running for President gives you a pass and felt it a topic he should address.
In the end, President Obama, as you may recall, AGREED that Reverend Wright was disgraceful for his incendiary comments. The difference? I (and others) confronted immediately that Reverend Wright was disgraceful. We were not the ones who hid him. It took Reverend Wright taking personal swipes at the President at the National Press Club in April 2008 for President Obama to see what the rest of us saw. (You may remember that President Obama spoke in March about Rev Wright but even at that earlier point the Presdient did not disavow the man. He only did so after Rev Wright took the personal swipes at him in April. )
I still respect the President even though I wish he had come forward sooner about Reverend Wright and I do know he has a tough job. But my job is not to cheerlead him but to challenge him fairly and toughly....and with respect. (As an aside, I don't know of any guest who has ever walked off ON THE RECORD at 10pm saying I was disrepectful except one (and yes, that one was right - a woman who worked in a Texas jail - and I apologized and felt terrible.)
Finally I hope the President, will sometime agree to "bury the hatchet" and appear on ON THE RECORD at 10pm -- many other Democrats (currently in office and formerly in office) have appeared on OTR and continue to do so. They know we have a giant audience and they know they as nationally elected officials represent the people who watch Fox so they want to talk to them. They are neither afraid (and need not be) nor are they holding grudges.
Remember, the President is holding a grudge about our coverage for something that he ultimately agreed about -- Reverend Wright and his incendiary comments. The President did not like that we held his feet to the fire but I suspect he might respect us for it since he, himself, as talked about the media and its role in democracy.
I don't think the President is afraid of Fox - he is a very smart and tough man - but I do think he holds a grudge. I wish he would not hold grudges (although I confess to hold a few myself...) There is a huge Fox audience that he represents since he is the President of all Americans - he should not limit himself to only the news organizations that he thinks are friendly to him or cheerleaders for him. He should speak to the Fox audience, too. He is the President for ALL.
