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

[politicgirl999]

Could somebody tell him to go home and shutup!!! He is worthless and so is the Democratic voting process.

[wavydavy]

Wow, you must be really smart to say something as clever as "Shut up!" How long did it take you to come up with that incisive comment?

And how typical of a Republican moron (oops, I'm being redundant) to find the voting process "worthless". You would no doubt prefer a dictatorship, wouldn't you?

[uvymopkq]

I agree. Any thing that has Howard Dean is worthless.­...shallow­, sensational,and biased. Fox should be ashamed to waste air time on him.

[wavydavy]

Absolutely. Everything on Faux News is worthless, shallow, sensational, and biased.

It's why you watch it, isn't it?

[realpolitic]

You are so right about Fox, the smear network. I can not stand Fox news. A reporter must sell his soul to work at Fox.

[condew]

Tabloid jouranalism is everywhere; shallow, sensational,and biased. "Journalism" fixates on worthless stories for days and weeks, while important stories get no attention at all. So we know all about Anna Nichole and Paris Hilton, but next to nothing about the real risks and options in our future for energy, social security, global warming, medical care, world conflicts, or subversion of the constitution. If we continue to report lies as if they were truth, our democracy, perhaps the whole human race, is lost. Fox is still the worst of the lot, NPR and PBS are the best.

[unscum]

Good idea. Pretty simple. A lot of republicans watch Fox. These days a lot of republicans hate their own party. Pitch the democratic message on Fox to reach them. My only caveat is that only the balanced journalists should be rewarded with interviews. It's the interviews that give them the ratings.

[McLaren]

Say goodbye to all interviews everywhere.

[whiteykeepsmedown]

No wonder your party is in shambles, look who's running it.

[DMBreck]

Deans party is WINNING...­........EV­ERYTHING..­..........­.....stupi­d.

[LibRS]

Howard Dean needs a good a_ _ whipping soooooo badly. He is so pathetic.

[heal57]

Howard Dean is a clean cut, decent man. Stop badgering him. Just cause he doesn't sink to the level of the Clintons, or Sean Hannity is a big plus for him, not a negative. He called it right for Michigan and Florda. Let's show a little respect.

Independents for Obama '08

[reelcobra]

CHARACTER IS A DISTRACTION

NOT AN ISSUE

VOTE OBAMA!!!

BHO '08!!

[beachboy222]

You progressive types amaze me. You claim you are open minded but at the end of the day you're only open to what you like and approve of. Anything else is total BS for you guys. You were brainwashed your whole life by the left leaning newspapers, tv and cable news and faculty at even the high school level in some cases but most definitely the college level. Then when another point of view that clashes with what you have been taught to believe is made, it's right wing propoganda!! How closed minded is that? Or I should ask, how open minded is that?

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

What type of clashes are you referring to beach boy?

The fact that we.....pro­gressive types... are against war, against torture, proenvironment, pro economic recovery, pro american society and social structure, pro education, pro OUR country, not destroying innocent lives in other countries.­....and most importantly, against the destruction of a contitution our forefathers worked so hard to build.

YOU and the vastness of your ignorance and arrognace.­..makes me sick. YOU are the dumb crap of our society that McCain and Hellary are hoping will continue to be dumb. Look at that... at least you haven't disappointed them.

[edwcorey]

I think that educators probably have a better idea of what's right than uneducated people. They at least are exposed to knowledge as a career. Who do you think is better able to assess information? An open-minded person is free to disapprove of idiocy, mis- and disinformation, and right-wing propaganda. Most right-wingers hold onto discredited ideas and policies (like trickle-down economics) and, as demonstrated by the likes of Bush, Delay, Cheney and Rumsfeld, are liars, hypocrites, incompetents, and bullies. What's to approve?

[MyNameIsJames]

Hey Beachboy,

Progressive types a.k.a Liberal types are some of the most successful Americans in this nation. If you look at their incomes and lifestyles they tend to make the most of this nation. The media does lean more to the liberal side as it should because -- THE WHOLE NOTION of a free press is a liberal idea -so is the notion of justice and equality. The basis of liberalism­/progressi­vism is expanding the democracy to include as many people as possible and to provide them with the best possible opportunity to develop them.

Conservatives have been dragged along kicking and screaming for over 200 years because they are always looking for ways to exclude people from full participation in our democracy. They have used race, religion, and sexual orientation—to say to other Americans "You are not a part of us".
Now that the USA has proven to be such a successful experiment in Freedom, JUSTICE and EQUALITY - Conservatives want to take credit for all of the hard work. What a joke!

The heart of the conservative nation still resides in the old Confederate South-- If you examine average conservative - they are poorer, less educated, resentful, and frightened of people who are not exactly like them. Why would liberals want to be like that?
Conservatism in its most basic sense is a relic of medieval Europe masquerading as a respectable alternative to liberalism.

[oafishcad]

Yes, conservatives are at heart Royalists.

[dbroad]

What are you talking about? I have alot of conservative views but I also have some not so conservative views. I like to think of myself as an "independent thinker". I keep my mind open, I watch ALL of the news channels and I surf different websites to get different points of view. I am from the south, I am not uneducated, resentful or frightened of people who are exactly like me. Hell, I would be frightened if I actually met someone exactly like me. I run in circles of all races, religions and sexual orientations. Maybe you were talking about yourself. Sound to me that if someone doesnt think like you and agree with you and your progressive/liberal agenda, then they are automatically WRONG. As I read these posts that is what I interpret from most of these bloggers. You should try not to be so judgemental and stereotype. That should not be what you stand for. Whats next? Are you going to come back at me with name calling?

[rfswolf]

Yes progressive not regressive-You idiot.
Unfortunately we progressives waste time and LEARN and ask for stupid things like FACTS. The right wing neanderthals and their bibles would have us believe in the tooth fairy and WMDs...

If you spent any time thinking you would be labled a progressive you knee-jerk-bible totting-racist.

Go read a book.

[alamantra]

"You progressive types" is a stereotype and a generalization. " That said, it looks like you're looking at yourself in the mirror. Fox is generally known to be very slanted in its views. It is a brainwashing device, and it isn't shy about this fact. Go read Michael Aquino's "Total Mind War" that he wrote for the folks at the Pentagon. There are elements of the Republican party that I personally respect and admire, but not the extremist elements like Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. What they project is so ugly that it gives me a headache. Of course, I agree that CNN and FOX and ABC and NBC and CBS and MSNBC are just as biased in their own way. The main problem I have with FOX is that its just plain ol' ugly. However, if you are for open-minded, I'd suggest that you start dealing with individuals rather than stereotype projections of group-think. If you are not for open-mindedness then your complaint has no merit.

[Honza]

Who the hell is Chris Wallace? Any relation to that once southern Govenor that got shot?

[Daisy1111]

Mikae Wallace's son -- you know, Mike Wallace the journalist?

Where have you been the last several decades?

[rachel88]

That's my man! You tell 'em, boy!

[Brettster]

Dean is awesome, and he just tells it like it is forcefully. However, the dems should continue to boycott Fox. It was an incredibly powerful statement when they were all in it together, and they proved that they didn't need Fox. This just waters down the message. Fox does not deserve an ounce of credibility, because they have none. It is nothing but a 24/7rightwing infomercial

[hoopesaz]

Awesome? Did you see how he responded when pressed by Wallace about the untruthfull ad's the DNC is airing about John McCain? Over and over he was pressed...­just stumbled and bumbled with no response.

[reelcobra]

Good point Brettster (sat night live reference?)

I prefer to get my news from unbiased sources like the HuffPO!

BHO'08!!

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

But Brettstre, Dean is NOT awesome. He bumbles too much and being the leader of the DNC, he should take the initiative and end this ridiculous battle.... I don't see how Dems woul dthing Hellary is "electable­"....she is NOT... and is getting worse every day.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

Totally agree Brettster!

[edwcorey]

Yes, but Obama has gone on record as saying he would talk to U.S. adversaries. He's got to be consistent, even if the adversaries are internal.

[Buttercup08]

Brettster I totally agree with you that Dean is really awesome. He is a man of his own words who cannot be forced to do anything that it is not positive for the sake of pleasing certain people.
It is high time that some one tell fox news how bias the new work is. I stopped watching that channel a while ago. They show this type of attitude towards Sen. Obama, they will continue attacking him over and over so as to put off the voters. The voters are smart and cannot be fooled by such allegations about the Sen. Obama. The Clintons under estimated the determination of Sen. Obama who ran a smooth campaign which was being funded by us the public. Fox news keep on bringing some issues which are not even relevant to what the American people want to hear from the candidates. Think about this Obama has been fighting two candidates Bill and Hillary, but he still prevailed. We are behind you Obama do your thing. You are right we do not need short term plan for gas. We want a long term solution for gas.

[Lellie]

Canadians know that FOX News is biased. After 911, in spite of repeated attempts to correct the error, US news outlets...­particular­ly FOX.. refused to admit that not one of the terrorists got into the US through Canada (or Mexico for that matter) but were let into your country from their own, with valid passports. It took our Ambassador to the US, shouting down Sean Hannity's aggressive "interviewing" to clear up that lie. Newt Gingrich, in a letter to our ambassador, admits to starting that "urban legend" as he puts it. There are still news types (Lou Dobbs for example) who allow reporters to use that old misinformation as an excuse to fear-monger over the "open borders" question. It's a huge insult to Canada and Canadians (your #1 trading partner and the supplier of 17% if your "imported" oil!), but to FOX, etc. it's all about getting the viewers' attention, and fear always works, even when it's known to be untrue.

[foxnews4ever]

Wait....Wa­it,are you telling me that MSNBC,keitholberman and the bunch who can't put on any dissenting views but buchanan and TUCKER!!!lol,yeah that's really bipartasan fairness.

Say whatyou will about fox news but atleat there's amultitue of left wingers who comment on there.In the buiness arena and on the regular news program.Or­eilly just talked to clinton and
i remember chris dodd,kucin­ich,kerry,­jacks,shar­pton....et­c where's the diversity on olbermn..i­s there anyone on his show who is not an NBC pundit??matthews is an obama lover,one of them called chelsea a WHOREbasicaly,and CNN isno btter.Fox leans to the right ,But at least there is different Opinions on there.Prov­e MSNBC is the same?

[marla219]

Most of the "left wingers" who are commentators on Fox are weak centrists, from what I've seen. They are there to provide the illusion of balance. The occassional vocal commentators who tell it like it is are almost always talked over, cut off or short-timed in order to control the conversation. MSNBC has a reputation for being left based almost solely on Olbermann. Joe Scarborough, David Gregory, Pat Buchanan, Tucker Carlson, and Joe Watkins blanket MSNBC with Repub talking points. Matthews loves McCain, not Obama. If you've bought into the Fox spin that MSNBC is leftist, then you are a lost cause.

[LibRS]

I'm sorry but are you saying Canada gets nothing positive from the USA? How about a dumping ground for your government subsidized lumber?! Canadians are know liberals.

[mnnice]

Anybody who has ventured away from the msm would see there are some serious issues that aren't being covered by these so called news outlets The truth about 911 first and formost .google patriot 911.we need to hold them responsible for the misinformation and deception the american public are receiving in the name of news.. They are reporting their own agenda which is allowing this corrupt government and the billionare business owners who are buying it to succeed in destroying this once great nation.The­y are making a mockery of all of us.impeach now

[mnnice]

I'm sorry about the mistake above,patriots question 9/11 was what i meant to put down.

[MissingAmerica]

What concerns me about the massive turn of GOP to the Dems is that while they may be doing this because they are indeed turning their backs on the GOP, many may be using the tactic of voting for Hillary in the primary so they can turn around and vote McCain in the General elections, thereby throwing the presidential election for the third time.

What troubles me more, however, is that one even thinks such things about this nation's process. We always took it for granted that the elections were fair and reflected the will of the people. Bush, Cheney and Rove changed all that. I truly miss the America in which I was born and raised.

I guess all we can do now is hope that these who have turned on the GOP did so for the good of Democracy.

[ramal]

The boycott by Democrats should continue. Why give in now that Faux News' market share is decreasing? In a couple of years it will only be those living in nursing homes and trailer parks who watch it anyway.

[mach]

What does your reference to trailer parks and nursing homes mean?

[jg08091]

I think he is trying to tell you what educational level watches that trash. It took people a few minutes before they figured out that fox news was a hoax. Race baiting and fear mongering. We the people by the people and for the people. I think the faux crowd read to many versions of the book,"the media is the message". However if Hillary wins Faux news will be her exclusive news channel. They've proven they're bias as heck. Nice business gamble faux. Ever thought where you're headed if and when she loses?

[blubastian]

If this same comment was made about the “Projects”, “Urban Ghettos”, “Farm Labor Camps” or “Indian Reservations” the poster would be blasted by everyone on this board. Attacking low income whites seems to be the Obama tactic.

[Stonepig]

Get this straight..­.the National DNC is not responsible for Michigan and Florida's blowing out of the primaries. The state Dems in Michigan had such a big ego they wanted to be part of the front row to show their abililty to have an influence on the primaries. WOW were they wrong...re­ad about Guam yesterday??? so there. This comes directly from the #2 person in charge. Michigan's Dem Party screwed up. And Dean is making it possible for us to have delegates at least. Hey, I didn't get to vote Obama, but I did get to vote Kucinich.

[Candace8383]

i am unsure about Michigan but in Florida it was the republicans who pushed up the date ( with some democrats)

[Canaris]

Did you see the video of the head of Florida's Democrats in the state senate. laughing along with the Republican leader of that senate when the Republican asked him if they were SURE they wanted to move the primary up, knowing the consequences of such an action? "Oh yes, we REALLY want this", he said, laughing.

Florida Republican leadership didn't shove this down Florida Democratic leaderships throat, they did it hand in hand with each other. It was a great example of bipartisanship. The people to blame are your elected state representatives, Florida, not the DNC, not Howard Dean, and not Barak Obama. I live in Florida, for God's sake, and I know where the blame lies, and will show my anger and disgust at the next state election. That is the proper place for it.