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

[Buddhabman]

I have no beefs with Majo, Shep and one of the other field report guys. They do their job pretty straight up 90% of the time. At some point those guys have to realize they are going to be frozen out if they keep persuing Republican talking points hack journalism.

[Liberoservative]

Okay, my opinion of Garrett has just gone up enormously­.....

I never watch Faux News so I don't know if they went ahead and ran with it....

Who is the programming director of these morning shows anyway? That email definately showed how BIASED they are....

[terkid]

Glad at least one of those guys separated from that lie-happy pack of FOXes.

Mr. Garrett, you are a man among.... well, you know.

[MichaelMcKLA]

I call Fox News the "Ministry of Prop.agand­a." LOL Fitting...­. I wouldn't blame anyone in the coming Obama administration for completely boy.cottin­g FN.

[MIvoter1231]

I stopped watching Fixed News years ago. Anyone remember that O'Reilly promised the American people that he would apologize to everyone very publicly if he was wrong about WMDs in Iraq and that the Bush administration had lied? Needless to say, he never did. I paid attention to them during the beginnings of the Iraq war, saw how they were tauting what a "success" this would be and O'Reilly was the cheerleader. I have never watched Fixed News since and never will again. They've only gone lower than they were then.

[tiger313]

How long before he has an "accident".

[BigBagel]

Who knows.

[Intelligentia]

Leaked? Sure, right! They suspect the inevitable will happen. So, they want to make sure that at least one of them will have access to Obama's White house. What they are forgetting is that Obama is not like them. He forgives and he will the the President for all Americans, regardless of the level of intellectual degradation.

[SilentShout]

Oh good catch. I always like to look two steps behind and ahead of any political move, but I missed this one.

[neurologymatters]

Mr. Garrett, Thank you for doing the right thing.

[old lady]

Heard a rumor that King Rupert was tiring of right wing slant and Ailes... making this old man sharp enough to know who's buttering his bread and buying his product. If its true Garrett may have just coincidentally bought himself the alpha dog slot on Fox Gnus .

It'll take an act of congress or a few trips to King Rupert's woodshet to get O'Biley to change direction and turn noble on us.

[newddle]

Thank you, Mr. Garrett.

[watchingthings]

Just a curiosity, I wonder what Bill O's job at fix news will be during President Obama's Presidency?

[sociocanuck]

One, maybe two, occasionally level-headed individual(s) in a whole clusterf*** of "Lying Heads" does not really make me that much more inclined to give Fox News any benefit of any doubt whatsoever.

[jnratliff]

I agree DKLabRat the only reason they are trying to look fair is they want access!
I say let em eat cake!

[HillbillyBob]

Cake? Rat poison would be more appropriate and effective.

[jsgaetano]

After that B.S. O'Reilly called an interview, I hope Fox never gets another politician on their show again.

Let 'em wither on the vine. Good riddance to bad rightwing propaganda.

[BJD44]

Wow.....I wonder what FOX News is gonna be doing after tomorrow, huh? As an Independent voter, I have had more and more difficulty watching any shows on this network, as I really can't actually believe what I'm watching most times. Spewing so much crap that it has gotten to the point of absolutely ridiculous! I mean.....j­ust how stupid do they think I am, huh? Geez......

[DFL]

AFTER TOMORROW FOX NEWS WILL BE KNOWN AS THE "ANTI-AMERICAN" NETWORK.

[luckyrico1]

Every now and then Fox will say something that is factual. But then again, even stopped a clock is right twice a day.

Fox News is a republican propaganda machine. Occasionally even republicans will speak truth. I will never watch Fox for NEWS: I will stomach it every now and again for a glimpse into what the republican double-speak is spinning.