Fox News Complains About ABC's "Unprecedented Access," Ignores Their Own (VIDEO)

Next week, ABC News plans to air a news special entitled "Questions for the President: Prescription for America," which will afford President Barack Obama the opportunity to field questions on his plan for health care reform. This has given the good folks at Fox News a big old sad, because of ABC's "unprecedented access" and the very limited opportunity available for Griff Jenkins to dress up like the ghost of Thomas Paine, "ambush" the participants, and blame ACORN for rationing health care, like we were from Saskatoon or something. Karl Rove says that what ABC is doing has never been done before! Sean Hannity claims journalism is dead! Gnashing of teeth, rending of garments, vows to run counterprogramming, loud noises!

But, of course, this whole thing is ridiculous. Didn't Fox News enjoyed "unprecedented access" to the the White House during the presidency of George W. Bush? And wasn't that access so unprecedented that Bret Baier, of Fox News, stood in front of teevee cameras, declaring it to be unprecedented? And didn't Baier get to go mountain biking with President Bush and fly around on Air Force One and stuff? And didn't Fox also get "unprecedented access" to the Vice President as well? Jesus, wasn't it only weeks ago that NBC News had unprecedented access to the White House, where they all bought hamburgers and plugged Conan O'Brien's move to the Tonight Show? Yes, of course, all these things are true. But here's a mashup video from Daily Kos, that shows the total absurdity of these claims that ABC is getting "unprecedented access" to the White House.

[WATCH]

My God! Did you know that mash-up videos making fun of Fox for complaining about "unprecedented access" to the White House aren't even themselves unprecedented? It's true!

[WATCH]

Anyway, maybe now everyone can drop the whole issue of unprecedented territorial pissing and maybe do an analysis of health care reform policy on the merits, which would actually be without precedent!

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Comments

[pricespector]

ABC is going to do a 2 hour plug for his health care plan. That's what they are talking about. A sitting President is going to plug his policy using a mainstream media outlet for a 2 hour infomercial. That's what is unprecedented.

[HalowFan]

As George Bush used Fox News to plug his phony war with Iraq 24-7.

[xxxoptimus]

This black man don't know his place "how dare he".who give that " Boy" permission to use the white house for such entertainment.That is the hidden message fox is sending to it's viewers,and i really do think this propaganda machine needs to be censored out of the main stream.These news cast are very bigoted in their reporting and punditry and it's a shame that people all over the world watch this garbage.

[Obinna]

Hahahaha... this is one of the funniest things I've seen in a while.

You get the sense that when these people at Fox News are making some of these charges they feel as though no one would peer into readily available archives to expose their duplicity.

But assuming that there was nothing from the archives to expose their hypocrisy, what gives them the impression that there is something fundamentally wrong with the Whitehouse granting a media outfit temporary but unprecendented special access to the President? It shows a willingness, not too common in centers of executive power, to show some transparency and to clue the public in on what's actually happening. In many parts of the world, the press has no such access or freedom.

I think this simply goes to show that Fox News pundits have become very cynical of their own profession (journalism) if they assume without any evidence that ABC's special reports after such an access would not properly inform the public. This is a funny case of bellyaching by Fox.

[Shayrae]

Faux News...what's new here? A bunch of adults, uh, I mean dolts, whining and lying as usual. They need to get to the end of the line of irrelevant GOP and just march through the wilderness wringing their hands like we ordered them to in November '08? Their idiocy is, in a word, unprecedented.

[Argent]

Examples like this prove they are targeting slow, distracted people.

People who can't extrapolate or follow one thought to another.... people who don't know when they are being insulted.

[BARRY08]

FOX IS THE PITS .................

who would want to give them access except those who lie, cheat and offend ?

the opposite of what our new President is all about

stop whinnying , change your ways....be truthful, fair and truly balance

then , maybe ....just maybe

[BARRY08]

KARL ROWE u know you r lying and continue to say "unprecedented"

FOX that is why you do not get a foot in...

DAHHHHHHHHHHH

[mlaiuppa]

Too bad, so sad. What goes around comes around.

It will be 8 years out in the cold.

Faux noise actually starts *doing* real, honest to goodness news, maybe the White House will reconsider. Of course, they'll also need to develop some ethics and integrity. They might need 8 years or more to accomplish that.

Good luck with that, Fox.

[alby91]

hopefully more than 8 years...an infinite amount of years

[den1953]

I mean no offense to Tony Snow but wasn't he a reporter then later a anchor for Fox News? Wasn't the same Tony Snow GW Bush's press secretary and thus Fox should in all account shut the hell up?In my view Fox news could not and more likely never get that close to a President again!

[gs425]

"do an analysis of health care reform policy on the merits, which would actually be without precedent!"

That is hard to do when ABC is not airing ANY opposing viewpoints, even paid commercials during the pr0pagan da blitz this week.

[N8tracks]

You expect all networks but fox to do a fair job?

[ktdowner]

Personally i expect every network will do a better job than fox, The fox network has proven themselves to be trash journalism and incapable of fair reporting.

[pgwodehouse]

They might actually ask some meaningful questions, as real journalists are supposed to.

It is ABC's programming time, their editorial control, and their story. I trust them - based on their many years of being real journalists - to come out with a meaningful, considered discussion. Not all issues have to be debated talk-show-style, with people shouting at each-other for 30 seconds each!

[DesertRat09]

From the end of the article: "Anyway, maybe now everyone can drop the whole issue of unprecedented territorial pissing and maybe do an analysis of health care reform policy on the merits, which would actually be without precedent!"

If it is true, and I do not know that it is, that no opposing point of view will be addressed during the ABC coverage, how then can you have a thorough analysis? Does an analysis not require looking at a situation from multiple angles and find the merits and faults with each?

[pfc1369]

So you are in favor of a return to the Fairness Doctrine!

I thought the Right hated the idea. Oh, only when THEY have to present a balance, I see.

[jadeba]

Face facts, most of the msms does not offer opposing points of view - not really. Faux certainly marched in lockstep with the rethugs and still does. If you want to know what's happening, look to DemocracyNow! or BBC news. I doubt that ABC is any different from any other "legitimate" news network, anyway (except Faux, who are nothing more than an arm of the gop - oh wait, they're not "legitimate").

[N8tracks]

You expect all networks but fox to do a fair job?

[Reconsoldier19D]

Fixed news needs to be shut down for the sake of humanity.

[Montgriz]

No, how else would we know who is the craziest in our government and on our airwaves?

[dolphy]

They will probably won't have access for the next 20 years. SWEEEEEEEEEEEEET.

[buggey]

FIX SPONSERS: Holiday In Exp., Crest Whitestrips, toyota, gold bond, travelocity, Mur_ do ch comes from aus_ tra-lia, become U.S. citizen, owns Fix . Hate based tv and radio shows for G-o-p. Hit fix in the pockets. ENOUGH! I love and respect my President. Little man is un_ amer-ican. Trea_ son.

[Icantbelieveher]

Why in Go d's name would the President give Fox access if they are only going to criticize everything he
does? Why give them fuel?

Do they honestly think they would even be allowed unprecedented access like they had to Bush?

Really?