Fox News' Major Garrett Defends Obama Against "Fox & Friends" In Leaked E-Mail

Fox News correspondent Major Garrett shot back in defense of Barack Obama against the network's morning show's effort to suggest that he has ignored Fox News throughout the campaign. In an internal email obtained by the Huffington Post, Garrett — who has been Fox News' correspondent following the Obama campaign — took issue with a planned "Fox & Friends" segment about whether Obama will try to control the media, using "KICKED REPORTERS OFF PLANE, IGNORE FNC, BIDEN FL AV INTVIEW" as "examples he's already done."

"May I point out Obama has done 5 interviews with me and one with Chris Wallace, one with Brit Hume and one with Bill O'Reilly," Garrett replied-all to a "Fox & Friends" producer's email. "That's 8 interviews. Would I like more? Yes. Would Chris Wallace? Yes. Would Brit and O'Reilly like more? Of course."

The e-mail, which went to a significant portion of Fox News staff, continued, comparing Obama's eight interviews with Fox News to the five Hillary Clinton gave the network.

"Just a note to add some real numbers and a grain of context," Garrett said. "Apologies if I left out any other big interview of Obama [or] Clinton on our network."

The planned guest, Media Research Center president Brent Bozell, did appear but the segment was retooled to discuss the media coverage of Obama's remarks on the coal industry.

Read the full e-mail below:

-----Original Message-----
From: Garrett, Major
Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 9:23 PM
To: [redacted]
Subject: Re: F & F Guests, November 3, 2008

In the context of the 6:15 am B Block "IGNORE FNC" segment, may I point out Obama has done 5 interviews with me and one with Chris Wallace, one with Brit Hume and one with Bill O'Reilly. That's 8 interviews. Would I like more? Yes. Would Chris Wallace? Yes. Would Brit and O'Reilly like more? Of course.

Story continues below

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But it's still 8 interviews with FNC in this campaign. By comparison, my count is the Hillary Clinton did 5 FNC interviews with FNC during the campaign: 3 with me, one with Chris Wallace and one with O'Reilly. This does not count morning round-robins done during the primaries as those tend not to have any selectivity to them.

Just a note to add some real numbers and a grain of context. Apologies if I left out any other big interview of Obama of Clinton on our network.

MG
Major Garrett
Fox News

----- Original Message -----
From: [redacted]
To: [redacted]
Sent: Sun Nov 02 19:59:31 2008
Subject: F & F Guests, November 3, 2008

FOX & FRIENDS GUESTS FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2008 - 1 DAY UNTIL THE
ELECTION!
*** 5AM START!!!! ***

5:00 (A-BLOCK) COLD OPEN // QUICK TEASE

// News HEADLINES // TALKING POINTS

----------------------
5:15 (B-BLOCK) - 2 STORIES ((ANCHOR))
&
JUAN WILLIAMS, POLITICAL ANALYST & FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR & JAMES T.
HARRIS, CONSERVATIVE RADIO TALK SHOW HOST ((BOTH GUESTS ON SET))
TOPIC: OBAMA'S NEW ATTACK ON THOSE WHO DON'T WANT HIGHER TAXES,
"SELFISHNESS"
----------------------
5:22 (C-BLOCK) - 2 STORIES ((ANCHOR))

& CARRYOVER W/ JUAN & JAMES - TOPIC 2 - THE ABILITY TO LOWER TAXES
WORKED FOR IRELAND, WHY WOULDN'T IT WORK FOR US? ((BOTH GUESTS ON SET))
(
----------------------
5:29 (D-BLOCK) - BUMP-IN - TBD

// News HEADLINES - INCLUDE WX // TALKING POINTS // SPORTS

PKG HOW WE GOT HERE: OBAMA ((PKG TRT: 3:22 OC: (music sting)))
----------------------
5:45 (E-BLOCK) - MINI NEWS ((ANCHOR))

&
PKG HOW WE GOT HERE: MCCAIN ((PKG 3:20: , OC: (music sting)))
----------------------
5:52 (F-BLOCK) - JOHN FUND - TOPIC - VOTING ISSUES - EARLY VOTING - IS
IT A GOOD THING? OR IS IT CREATING MORE PROBLEMS? ((NY STUDIO))
====================================================================
5:59 (A-BLOCK) COLD OPEN // QUICK TEASE

// News HEADLINES // TALKING POINTS

----------------------
6:15 (B-BLOCK) - 2 STORIES ((ANCHOR))

& BRENT BOZELL- WILL OBAMA TRY TO CONTROL THE MEDIA? EXAMPLES HE'S
ALREADY DONE- KICKED REPORTERS OFF PLANE, IGNORE FNC, BIDEN FL AV
INTVIEW, ((DC BUREAU))
----------------------
6:22 (C-BLOCK) - POP UP POLITICS ((ANCHOR))

& CARRYOVER (MUST CARRY OVER BRENT BOZELL) ((DC BUREAU))
>> BDAY IN TEASE

----------------------
6:29 (D-BLOCK) - BUMP-IN - TBD

// News HEADLINES - INCLUDE WX // TALKING POINTS // SPORTS

6D - RICK BURGESS & BUBBA BUSSEY: RADIO HOSTS "RICK & BUBBA SHOW" LIVE
FROM THEIR STUDIO-- WHAT ARE THEY HEARING? - INCL OBAMA'S "SELFISHNESS"
SOT ((BIRMINGHAM))

----------------------
6:45 (E-BLOCK) - MINI NEWS ((ANCHOR))
&
DAVID FREDOSSO - TOPIC: THE CHICAGO MACHINE - POLITICS OBAMA IS USED TO
VS POLITICS OF WASHINGTON
((DC BUREAU))
----------------------
6:52 (F-BLOCK) - PETER JOHNSON JR - TOPIC - THE CANDIDATES ON HEALTH
CARE ((ON SET))

====================================================================
6:59 (A-BLOCK) COLD OPEN // QUICK TEASE

// News HEADLINES - INCLUDE WX // TALKING POINTS

----------------------
7:15 (B-BLOCK) - MITT ROMNEY - TOPIC - NEWS OF THE DAY ((TOLEDO))
POOL SCHEDULE
6:30 NBC pretape
6:40 ABC pretape
6:54 CNN live
7:05 CBS live
7:15 Fox live
7:35 MSNBC live

----------------------
7:22 (C-BLOCK) - GERALDINE FERRARO, FORMER DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESIDENTIAL
NOMINEE & & RICH LOWRY EDITOR, NATIONAL REVIEW TOPIC -

----------------------
7:29 (D-BLOCK) BUMP IN - TBD

// News HEADLINES - INCLUDE WX & SPORTS // TALKING POINTS

7D - SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL, (D-MO) NATIONAL CO-CHAIR, OBAMA CAMPAIGN
TOPIC - NEWS OF THE DAY ((KANSAS CITY, MO))

----------------------
7:45 (E-BLOCK) - THIS DAY IN HISTORY ((ANCHOR))

& STEPHEN MOORE, WSJ -SENIOR ECONOMIC WRITER - TOPIC: HOW IRELAND'S TAX
CUTS HELPED THEIR ECONOMY ((DC BUREAU))
----------------------
7:52 (F-BLOCK) - PETER JOHNSON JR - VOTER FRAUD - THINGS THAT CAN GO
WRONG DURING VOTING, OR ON ELEX DAY (BASED ON TIME MAG ARTICLE) ((ON
SET))

====================================================================
7:59 (A-BLOCK) // COLD OPEN // QUICK TEASE

// News HEADLINES - INCLUDE WX // TALKING POINTS
8A - KARL ROVE, FORMER CHIEF POLITICAL STRATEGIST TO PRESIDENT BUSH -
TOPIC PRE-ELECTION POLLS - IS THE RACE TIGHTENING? ((IN STUDIO))
----------------------

8:15 (B-BLOCK) - JOHN BOLTON, FORMER US AMBASSADOR TO THE UN - THE EARLY
TESTS FROM ABROAD ((DALLAS BUREAU))
----------------------
8:22 (C-BLOCK) - MINI NEWS

& - JOE THE PLUMBER - TOPIC -PLUNDERING THE PLUMBER'S RECORDS (HER
COLUMN FROM 10/31) - WASH POST ARTICLE TODAY "The Wurzelbacher Effect" -
ANOTHER MEDIA ATTACK ON JOE. ((ON SET))

----------------------
8:29 (D-BLOCK) - BUMP IN - TBD

// News HEADLINES - INCLUDE WX // TALKING POINTS // SPORTS
>> PULL SOT FROM JOE'S 8C INTV?
MICHELLE MALKIN - MICHELLEMALKIN.COM - TOPIC -PLUNDERING THE PLUMBER'S
RECORDS (HER COLUMN FROM 10/31) - WASH POST ARTICLE SUNDAY "THE
WURZELBACHER EFFECT" - ANOTHER MEDIA ATTACK ON JOE. ((DENVER BUREAU))

& ----------------------

8:45 (E-BLOCK) - LAWRENCE EAGLEBURGER - FMR SECY OF STATE UNDER GEORGE
H.W. BUSH, ALSO SERVED UNDER NIXON, REAGAN & CARTER ADMINISTRATIONS AND
IS A MCCAIN SUPPORTER ((CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA)) - WHICH CANDIDATE HAS
BETTER FOREIGN POLICY EXPERIENCE?

----------------------
8:52 (F-BLOCK) - DAN GAINOR, BUSINESS & MEDIA INSTITUTE. TOPIC: AMERICA
2012: FACTS ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT PRESIDENT'S FIRST TERM WILL DO TO
ENERGY, HEALTH CARE AND YOUR WALLET VS WHAT THE MEDIA HAS TOLD YOU
((DC BUREAU))

----------------------
8:58 (G-BLOCK) - GOODBYE

**POST TAPE**
MOTHER OF ANCHORMAN ANNE PRESSLY ((ON SET))
========================================================================
====
REMOTES:

JIM ANGLE, UNSURE ABOUT STARTING TIME

STEVE BROWN FROM OHIO, STARTING AT 7AM

PETER BARNES ON THE ELECTION

Related:
New York Times Editorial Praises Shep Smith For Joe The Plumber Smackdown
Fox's Shepard Smith Forced To Offer Disclaimer After Joe The Plumber Interview
Mayhem At Fox News: Anchor Walks Off Set, Wallace Rails Network For "Obama-Bashing"

Comments

[longnow]

How much you want to bet there was no "leaked" email.
How much you want to bet there was a producer "leaking"
that email trying very hard to insure that Col. Major Garrett
isn't denied access in an Obama administration.

[nachtengel]

bingo.

this isn't even news, and shouldn't even reported. he doesn't deserve the oxygen.

why join fox in the first place if you have anything bipartisan to say. i'm sure he did it to "pay the mortgage".

[JustMyWords]

Give him a little break. You're a reporter, and you report politics - it's not like you could maybe work for FoodTV. Like everyone else, journalists have to go where the jobs are. Garrett has long been one of the token semi-rational people on Fox. Maybe now we can find out what he's really got to offer.

[ScreenName05]

So, who cares if he did any interviews with FOX? Only wackos watch FOX, you could just photo shop interviews for them, they don't know the difference, I mean that's what Bush does.

[squarebird]

Your post doesn't make sense. That FOX is very frequently the most watched news channel is a matter of public record. That doesn't make FOX the best channel, but it certainly proves that it isn't only "wackos" that watch it. One thing that I do respect FOX for is that it clearly labels its opinion shows as such. Most of the other networks are biased in their straight news segments, which I think we can all agree that FOX is not so much. FOX gets its rightwing reputation from its opinion shows such as O'Reilly, Hannity and Colmes and Fox and Friends - but its regular news broadcasts are generally outstanding .. much more in depth and featuring a greater range of news sources than every other channel except for the very in depth NewsHour on PBS.

[lindalp]

I have watched FOX at various times of day, Morning, midday, night...and all of it is slanted RIGHT, but evening shows are heavily extreme right wing fanatic. Just this morning, errr yesterday morning sorry, I was watching FOX (only to glimpse what the right wing is spewing for the day) and the morning hosts were acting like juveniles. Mr.Obama was voting and the Illinois ballot was paper and very long, have to mark in the choices in bubbles and then feed it to a machine. Mr.Obama was thoroughly going over it and also explaining it to his daughter along the way. Not like voting on electronic screens, plus there were a lot of special issues in that state on the ballot. OK, so the bottom line is the morning FOX people were acting like a bunch of kindergarteners with snide insulting remarks like "what's taking him so long". You should have seen it. Pathetic, unprofessional and extremely immature. But I don't expect anything less from FOX after the many other right wing junk I have seen on that channel.

Now that the election is over, I shall never again watch FOX news. That network is a disgrace.

[Tammie]

they are not the most watched anymore...haven't you heard O'Reilly crying about it

[ArmyCentrist]

Way to point out the facts Garrett! Obama ain't scared of Fox Noise, he'll come on anybody's show, he even called out Bouffant Boy Sean Hannity, and Obama's aide owned Hannity after the second debate! We libs kick a*s*s but we do it with class...

[Irockcollinwood]

Man this dude and Shepard are holding their ground over there....

[PitBull6]

And many more. There's a reason Fox has such a huge following, they actually make an effort to be both fair and balanced. There's a wide variety of voices to be heard on Fox

[lindalp]

I disagree, they just have a couple of token 'libs' but are by and far not fair and balanced.

[Tammie]

you know that's a joke

[Rj5000]

Must see! Tears for Obama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En8vfhTNZfg

[hummingb]

And how many did they have with Gov Palin?

How many did other networks have had interviews with McCain/Palin?

Fox is trying to drive the wedge ALREDY!

[zuffaloo]

Just what will become of Feaux News over the next 2 months? Will it become the Rush Limbaugh network of "bitching about everything"? The Angry News Network? Or will it somehow try to transition into a station that has people bravely stating that not every Democrat is a terrorist? If so, how many of its audience will suffer cardiac arrest during this upheaval? It will be interesting to see...

[sepiasiren]

I'd like to know just who is releasing all these "independent polls" that Pro Fox news kool-aid drinkers are touting as proof that Faux News is unbiased ( interesting how the very same people who say you shouldn't trust polls toss them around whenever they have a point they wish to make).

Tell them to do a poll to see how often the word "Democrat" or "Liberal" is stated like a swear word.

My husband is a conservative an I am moderate with left leanings. One day we were at chick-fil-a and the TV sets there were on Fox news. At one point, one of the anchors -- Old guy--chubby face--white hair--anyhoo--at the end of the reports he chuckles derisively and says, "Those darned Democrats!".

THAT'S FAIR AND UNBIASED??­?????????? Puleeze!

I would take them seriously if they didn't smirk, sneer and demean guests or add little editorial comments to every news report.

I want the news--keep your stupid opinions to yourself and let me make up my own mind about the information provided.

And while they may offer the other side the opportunity to speak, they are always derisive and nasty to Liberals.

If Fox wants to be a conservative news base they should state it plainly. As for those so called independent polls--they need to go back and see if those Liberal viewpoints are consistently treated with respect--I doubt they will show an indication of that...

[Mangler]

I guess the fine people at Faux don't pay attention to O'Reilly anymore.

And Faux is not news. It's right-wing entertainment. No one who works for Faux can or should be called a "journalist". Hell, it can keep it's fascist ideology, but it would be less worthless if it relied on actual and factual reporting. There's no difference between Faux and totalitarian state-owned media.

[PitBull6]

Guess you'd have to watch to know. From what little you've said, you are clearly not FNC's audience.

[lindalp]

I watched FOX a little during the last election 2004 and got kind of turned off by the way they 'reported the news'. Stopped watching them because it was nauseating. Then for this election round, I would occassionally turn it on to see what they were saying, same thing. Then I found MSNBC and a man saying things that I would jump up and say "hey that is exactly what I have been thinking and feeling about the Bush administration!". Yay, I found a commenter with the balls to finally call this administration for what it has done. So now when I watch FOX (purely for curiosity to see what sleazy things they are saying today), I find myself leaning so far to the right that I have to switch it MSNBC just to get myself tilted back upright or back to the left. While not fautless, I found CNN to be more newsworthy and less leaning than the other two, but MSNBC is my main meal for support for my beliefs. Thank God they were there for this election to report the facts that were totally ignored by FOX.

[veganphoto]

good when things get this out of hand to see who actually has character

[Frustrated53]

At least someone said something in defense of Obama at Fox. Fox network thrives on finding fault, placing blame, and ridiculing their own guests(Hannity & Billo). There is no evidence of any sources contained in their rantings, on the evening shows, just hatred and ridicule if you don't agree. Dennis Miller fits right in. " I don't want to go off on a rant, but.." That network would be a good place to start a REAL news network.

[zackforester]

lol Everyone knows Fox is the most blatently right wring news station.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1exiyBYnJ00

[auteur]

While Fox is absolutely partisan, they were nice enough to give Neil Cavuto a job after all those Subway commercials.

[bioluminescence]

Yes, and they were equally nice enough to provide a channel that could be understood by people who believe the WWF is not fixed and who believe that "balanced" actually means equally shallow and angry.

[Masculesque]

Get rid of Alan Colmes opposite Hannity and hire Keith Olberman to defend against Hannity's absurd rantings. Should make for some interesting viewing. I wonder what Hannity's role will be after Obama wins today's election? Either Hannity/Olberman or pull Hannity and put him in a permanent position on Greg Gutfeld's "Red Eye" at 3am weekdays.

[seenitall]

can't jump on the congratulations bandwagon...this guy works for Faux and is well aware that it is an embarrassment from morning til night. If I see he leaves because he has some integrity, then I'll give him kudos.

[CitizenoftheRepublic]

Ditto!

[Minnehaha]

Amen to that!