Howard Dean On Fox News Sunday: Your Coverage Is "Shockingly Biased" (VIDEO)

During an appearance on Fox News Sunday this morning, Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean said that Fox's news coverage has at times been "shockingly biased, and I think that's wrong and I just say so right up front." Dean also said he agreed with the netroots campaign to boycott the Democratic debates on the network.

Host Chris Wallace tried to get Dean to bash MoveOn and Daily Kos, saying they were "using words about you guys showing up here as weak, idiotic, stupid. How do you respond to the left wing?" But Dean avoided taking the bait:

DEAN: We stayed off Fox for a long time because your news department is, in fact, biased. But, Chris, you haven't been. You've always been tough, but I always thought fair and I still think that's true. And we need to communicate with people who are going to vote in the Democratic Party. Hundreds of thousands of Republicans have turned their back on their own party to vote in the Democratic primaries in the last six months. We owe it to our -- to all the American people to reach out to those folks. This is not about Fox News. That's not why I'm here today. I'm out because I want to talk to your viewers directly about why this election is important and what we can offer the American people.

Watch it:

Dean also said on Fox that Republicans are using "hate and divisiveness" to win elections.

Dean argued that the use of Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) former pastor Jeremiah Wright in GOP ads in local races is "race baiting."

"When you start bringing up things that have nothing to do with the candidate and nothing to do with the issues, that's race baiting," Dean said on Fox News Sunday in response to a question whether the Wright issue and his ties to Obama hurt Democrats down ticket.

"There's a lot of difference between the Republicans and the Democrats on issues, but the biggest issue of all is we don't use this kind of stuff. We never have used this kind of stuff, and we're not going to start now," said the DNC chairman. "America is more important than the Republican Party, and that's the lesson that the voters are about to teach the Republicans."

Transcript:

WALLACE: The left wing of your party is in a snit over all these Democrats appearing on Fox. In fact, the head of MoveOn.org had this to say about Democrats on Fox. "It legitimizes a right wing network that is going to use that credibility to smear them in the general election." He and the head of the Daily Kos are using words about you guys showing up here as weak, idiotic, stupid. How do you respond to the left wing?

DEAN: What I'd say is this: we stayed off Fox for a long time because your news department is, in fact, biased. But, Chris, you haven't been. You've always been tough, but I always thought fair and I still think that's true. And we need to communicate with people who are going to vote in the Democratic Party. Hundreds of thousands of Republicans have turned their back on their own party to vote in the Democratic primaries in the last six months. We owe it to our -- to all the American people to reach out to those folks. This is not about Fox News. That's not why I'm here today. I'm out because I want to talk to your viewers directly about why this election is important and what we can offer the American people.

WALLACE: Let me ask you, and obviously it's always about the millions of people who watch these shows. Looking back, do you think it was a mistake for the Democratic Party to boycott Fox debates and all the other programs during the last year and thereby boycott getting your message out to the millions of people who watch?

DEAN: No, I think it was the right thing to do, because there are some things in the news department that have really been shockingly biased and I think that's wrong and I just say so right up front. It is important also for us -- we shouldn't punish the viewers of Fox by staying away. Now those viewers have had an opportunity to look at the debates on other channels, now they're going to have an opportunity viewing on this channel and I think that's fair.

Comments

[Jackpatzer]

09:35 AM on 05/08/2008

Not even Fox has all of the up-to-date dirt on Barack Obama that you can find at www.obama.cabanova.com.

[Smartey]

10:44 PM on 05/07/2008

Isn't Howard a homo?

[MrBushGoesToHell]

01:23 PM on 05/10/2008

No.
You're thinking George W. Bush and Jeff Gannon and Karl Rove, Larry Craig and Mark Foley. Oh, wait... Foley is a PEDOPHILE...

[legalclubs]

12:56 PM on 05/07/2008

"There's a lot of difference between the Republicans and the Democrats on issues, but the biggest issue of all is we don't use this kind of stuff (speaking about using Rev. Wright in politics). We never have used this kind of stuff, and we're not going to start now," said the DNC chairman. "

I'm sorry, Mr. Dean have you been watching the Hillary Clinton camp and specifically Hillary Clinton talk about Rev. Wright in attacks against Obama? Don't be a hypocrit as you come off as another sleeze ball politician.

[Alethea]

06:42 PM on 05/07/2008

You're right. And that's one of the reasons why she lost.

Dems are not tolerating this anymore.

[Truthmeter]

12:22 PM on 05/07/2008

Give me a break...the dems have had congress since 2006 and let the country go down the toilet...so don't tell me that a Democratic President is going to come in and save the day...it's congress that has all the power.

[Megaflow]

05:56 PM on 05/07/2008

Oh - you mean the congress that has a 1-vote majority in the Senate so the Repubs (and Lieberman) can block everything they try? You mean the congress that does not have enough votes in the House to override a veto because the Republican minority votes lock-step with the Bush agenda whenever push comes to shove? You mean that congress?

Nice try, but your "truth meter" seems to be broken.

[GRobSecular]

09:34 PM on 05/07/2008

Hah! Well put. When people make blanket, bald assertions as 'truthmeter' has done here, they usually don't hold water.

[carefulcautious]

10:49 PM on 05/06/2008

Time for the government to step in and shut down Fox News. Any "news" organization so wrong on so many issues ought to be closed up. The First Amendment only applies to speakers of truth.

[TheWordman]

05:22 AM on 05/07/2008

You're comment is neither careful or cautious.

[carefulcautious]

08:37 AM on 05/07/2008

You must be a neo-CON sympathizer, cheering for Fox News like you do. It's time to shut down Fox News and all reTHUG liars. Free speech is for truth tellers, not liars.

[maca]

11:58 AM on 05/07/2008

What needs to be done is a reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine, applied to cable as well as broadcast, which would put legal weight on them to straighten up their act or be shut down. But the right wingers in power fight tooth and nail against the FD, claiming it "restricts free speech". What it really does is place reasonable restrictions on the use of the public airwaves for political propaganda.
It says a news program cannot knowingly tell falsehoods (goodbye, Fox News) and cannot give airtime to a political candidate without devoting an equal amount of time to their opponent (goodbye, Fox News). It's no coincidence that the administration of Ronald Reagan, the demigod at whose feet republicans still worship, shut down the FD. It's high time it was brought back, but the unbridled power of corporate America (thanks for that too, Ronnie) makes it highly unlikely.

[DallasMike]

03:24 PM on 05/07/2008

Who said life was fair?

Just about every talk show or news show is liberaly biased they have 4 or 5 Libs and 1 Conservative and they gang up on him. (good -bye MSNBC) (good -bye CNBC) (good bye The View)
But you don't hear them Winning about the fairness doctrine
Quit being a cry baby

[carefulcautious]

12:47 AM on 05/09/2008

maca--I agree with you. What we need is someone in the impartial government determining what is true and what is false in the news. This bureau could help us clear out the liars at Fox News and SHUT THEM DOWN. Too many people abuse free speech by speaking out against the effort to aleviate human suffering, which is at the heart of progressivism. They're the ones who have no right to free specch.

Obama/Edwards 08! See, su puma! Yes, I did!

[utopiandrive]

08:43 PM on 05/06/2008

Dean is right about Fox's bias but he's wrong about Chris Wallace. Wallace is as much of a pawn for propaganda as anyone on that network. If you want proof, check out his interview with Bill Clinton on YouTube and compare it to his interviews with, say, G.W. Bush or Rumsfeld. Of course, it's hard to live up to the fringe lunacy of Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity but Wallace seems to strive for the same thing. I actually agree with the folks who said Obama and Hillary Clinton's recent appearances were a bad idea for anyone who's not a right wing loony. The best way to delegitimize a news network when you're an important person is to ignore them; that sends a much stronger message.

[soulfulnotes]

10:14 PM on 05/06/2008

We know that, and I think that Dean knows that. He's just working him for the interview.

[Vorticose]

10:21 PM on 05/06/2008

Yep your right utopian Clinton and Obama should stay on the network that is ranked 30th (MSNBC) instead of the network that is ranked sixth (FOX NEWS),great point kool-aid, great point

[utopiandrive]

02:39 AM on 05/07/2008

It doesn't matter how highly Fox is ranked; it's practically a PR network for the Republican party. It's a propaganda organization masquerading as a news network. Democrats are better off not legitimizing a group that exists primarily to sandbag their party and their ideology on a persistent basis.

[maryrat]

07:58 PM on 05/06/2008

We are truly blessed in the democrtic party to have two leaders who are not afraid to speak the truth!
Dean and Obama.

[distortitmore]

09:53 PM on 05/06/2008

You referring to Howard Dean, the Dem leader who ensured that Florida and Michigan (Hillary states) voters were not counted? All due to his grudge with the Clinton's?

[Raymondf]

11:44 AM on 05/07/2008

They will be counted you can count on that. announcement June 1st. 2008 after dems big pow wow.

[maca]

12:08 PM on 05/07/2008

Due to party rules which were agreed upon (by Hillary herself, even) before those states made the decision to hold primaries early and therefore lose the seating of their delegates.

[Truthmeter]

12:30 PM on 05/07/2008

You've got to be kidding me...they speak the party line we're just pawns in their struggle for power and wealth...it's how they make their living.

[Cil]

07:18 PM on 05/06/2008

I hope that I am misreading what Howard Dean said. Yes hundreds of thousands of Rep. have switched to vote Dem. but they are voting for Sen. Clinton because they think she will be easier for Sen. McCain to beat come November! How in the name of heavens are voters supposed to read this??? I can just imagine the spin that they are going to put on this!!!!!!!

[hinnis]

07:42 PM on 05/06/2008

KARL ROVE AND REPUBLICANS HELPING OBAMA WIN THE NOMINATION

http://tinyurl.com/2anrtw

[Raymondf]

11:30 AM on 05/07/2008

The republicans want Obama, because they know he can't beat McCain, but Hillary can.

[fair1234]

06:42 PM on 05/06/2008

EVERYBODY THAT HAS A COMPLAINT FOR NBC MSNBC, CHRIS MATTHEWS SHOW, DAN ABRAMS SHAMEFUL WRIGHT STORY PLEAS CALL [phone]. ASK TO BE SENT TO THE VIEWER LINE FOR HARDBALL, RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE..... ANY NBC VIEWER COMMENT LINE AND LEAVE YOUR MESSAGE. I AM SO SICK ABOUT HEARING ABOUT REV WRIGHT THAT I AM READY TO LEAD A MARCH TO THE WHITE HOUSE. THIS IS SHAMEFUL NEWS REPORTING AND OBAMA HAS ALREADY CUT TIES TO THIS MAN SO WHY ALL OF THE STORIES? FORWARD THAT PHONE NUMBER TO EVERY WEB BLOGG AND EMAIL AND MAKE SURE YOU CALL AND LET THEM KNOW REV WRIGHT STORIES ARE RACE BAITING AND WE WANT IT TO STOP. THEY ARE TRYING TO PLAY ON THE FEARS OF WHITE PEOPLE BUT AMERICA MUST LET THEM KNOW WE WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!!!

[hinnis]

06:48 PM on 05/06/2008

OBAMA’S RACIST RELIGION: BLACK LIBERATION THEOLOGY: Learn about the so-called “religion” that Obama has been soaking up for the last 20 years. The Internet is a great source for researching this topic...

+++++++++

From Obama's Church Website:

"The vision statement of Trinity United Church of Christ is based upon the systematized liberation theology that started in 1969 with the publication of Dr. James Cone’s book, Black Power and Black Theology."

http://www.tucc.org/talking_points.htm

James Cone defines the theology as thus:

"Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community ... Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love."

Liberation Theology on Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_theology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_theology

[jdreyfuss]

03:52 PM on 05/07/2008

Makes perfect sense to me.. after all Christianity was used to enslave and then to oppress black folks for centuries. Even the Reaganite defenders of apartheid kept referring to Nelson Mandela's ANC as communist and the Afrikaaners as Christians..in their strong support of South Africa's racist regime.
Black Liberation Theology is a reaction; it came into being at a time when white America had its foot on the neck of black America. It searches for a God who will side with African-Americans against their oppressors and it rejects the idea that slavery, segregation and poverty are all approved by God. That is the god that Cone rejects. You should read the whole book in stead of quoting Wright-like loops..

[DallasMike]

03:41 PM on 05/07/2008

THE REASON FOR ALL THE WRIGHT STUFF IS BECAUSE OBAMA WENT TO HIS CHURCH FOR 20 YEARS.
IF THIS WERE MCCAIN YOU WOULD BE BITCHING THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH COVERAGE

[hinnis]

06:30 PM on 05/06/2008

Mr. Dean:

I heartily approve of the manner in which you are handling this nomination process. You are right to deny the rights of millions of voters in Florida and Michigan their right to vote in this process. After all, Bush won in 2000 by disenfranchising voters in Florida, and no one was any worse for it. The more I understand your party's leadership, the more I think we have in common. I am especially please with the Obama camp. They are definitely, my kind of people.

Signed,

Karl Rove

[gluvox12]

11:30 PM on 05/06/2008

Mr. Hinnis,

Don't you think this type of ironic sarcasm would go right over the heads of Hillary's white working class base? Maybe dumb it down a bit with some poop jokes and a "git er done." Just my suggestion.

Yee Har,

Jeff Foxworthy

[Raymondf]

11:39 AM on 05/07/2008

Believe me when I say Karl Rove wants Obama to win, because he can't beat McCain.

[Grizzlies]

04:13 PM on 05/06/2008

Senator Obama has often suggested that "words matter." Apparently, 'words matter" more than action and votes as given in Michigan and Florida. According to "The New York Times" (April 30, 2007) Rev. Wright said to Obama "you might have to publicly distance yourself from me." Obama answered,"Yeah, that might have to happen." Last week Obama stated,"I did not vet my pastor." Nor, did he vet a series of questionable relatioships that indicate his character is in question. In his book,"DREAMS OF MY FATHER" Obama wrote,"I learned to slip back and forth between my black and white worlds...ONE OF THOSE TRICKS I HAD LEARNED: People were satisfied so long as you were courteous and smiled." In short, this is a calculating politician who is politically expedient when he needs to be playing the race card by repudiating the race card.

[ThatSharkeyGeezer]

04:55 PM on 05/06/2008

Please, save your inane, petty tirade for the HRC blogs where it will be appreciated.

You can recycle this phrase simply by changing the gender: "this is a calculating politician who is politically expedient when (s)he needs to be playing the race card".

[Keith52]

06:34 PM on 05/06/2008

Ohhhhh wow you found it! The vast "Black Conspiracy" Wooooowwww. Keep digging Grizzlies. Maybe you'll come up with more insignificant anecdotes in Obama's deeeeep daaaarrrk history. You are one amazing Sherlock Holmes.... Pretty soon you'll find the lost ark in Obama's preacher's cousin's grandfather's neighbor's stepfather's basement. And then....THEN... we will see the TRUTH about Barack Obama! He IS THE ANTI CHRIST!!!!! (Oh, yeah. That's sarcasm.)

[hinnis]

06:39 PM on 05/06/2008

FINALLY, I AGREE WITH SOMETHING REV. WRIGHT SAID: “Politicians say what they say and do what they do based on electability, based on sound bites, based on polls,” Wright told the Press Club. “Preachers say what they say because they’re pastors. . . . I do what pastors do. [Obama] does what politicians do.” A few days earlier, in an interview with PBS’s Bill Moyers, Wright said Obama, in his Philadelphia speech attempting to calm the controversy created by Wright’s sermons, had said “what he has to say as a politician.”

[hinnis]

06:43 PM on 05/06/2008

I think saying that Obama is the anti-Christ is taking things a bit too far. Let's be fair; there are, unfortunately, millions of racists in the country. Being a racist, doesn't mean that one is the anti-Christ.

[reelcobra]

01:01 PM on 05/06/2008

As a huge Obama guy...

I say we follow Dean to North Carolina, and then through Indiana, and then over to Oregon and then back to Florida, and then to Michigan....

AUURRGHHHH!!!

BHO '08!!

[Independent007]

06:54 PM on 05/06/2008

HA HA,
BUYAAAAAAAA

[proudliberal4truth]

12:55 PM on 05/06/2008

"Hundreds of thousands of Republicans have turned their back on their own party to vote in the Democratic primaries in the last six months."
Kind of makes you wonder how many of them are actually trying to influence the choice of democratic nominee doesn't it? I'd like to see a good breakdown of how many of those "turncoat" republicans voted for Hillary. They are scared to DEATH of facing Obama in the General Election

[SharonB]

05:00 PM on 05/06/2008

I would love to know that number, too.
I'll bet it is far more than she is willing to recognize.

[DallasMike]

03:51 PM on 05/07/2008

OPERATION CHAOS BABY!!!! AUURRGHHHH!!!!!!

[urbanscorpio88]

12:45 PM on 05/06/2008

Chris Wallace, where is your flag pin, sir? How incredibly unpatriotic of you..........

[realpolitic]

03:15 PM on 05/06/2008

Yes, and I wonder what kind of rhetoric Wallace's pastor is spouting at his church. It must be Jesus favors the rich and is a Republican.

[mollyjackson]

09:47 AM on 05/06/2008

Poor Howard. He was able to take an election that was a slam-dunk for the Dems and make it a win - win for the Repbulicans.

[wavydavy]

12:56 PM on 05/06/2008

A. The Republicans will not win anything in November, including races for dog catcher.

B. How is Howard Dean responsible for the way the campaign has played out?

[Raymondf]

11:56 AM on 05/07/2008

Because he is the Chairman of the DNC and he could have pressured the Supers to make up their minds a month ago. He secretly wants Hillary to win, because (I hate to say this) but he no's Obama can't beat McCain.

[fitconnection]

06:30 PM on 05/06/2008

Umm... yeah, that must be why Dems have been consistently winning in Republican stronghold congressional districts this election season.

You nutty neocons and the retards you elected got your way and America has seen that your policies are stupid and ruinous. America needs a return to intelligent governance and leadership this time around.