Obama's Fox News Interview Will Help Reach Conservative Democrats, White House Says

Obama's Fox News Interview Will Help Reach Conservative Democrats, White House Says

President Barack Obama will make an unusual appearance on Fox News in an effort to reach conservative Democrats who may be critical in getting health care reform passed, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said on Tuesday.

The interview, scheduled to air Wednesday night, caused some head-scratching when it was first reported earlier on Tuesday. The Obama administration has had a frosty relationship with the conservative news channel, going so far as to claim that the network was an arm of the Republican Party.

But desperate times apparently call for desperate measures. And in an effort to reach every voter and lawmaker who may be undecided on health care reform, the president will grace the television arm of the Murdoch empire

"Obviously they have a pretty big audience share and I think it is safe to say that a lot of members that are undecided are going ... watch and their constituents watch this news," Gibbs said. "So we are happy to continue the argument on why health care reform is important to pass this year on Fox."

Asked if he thought the president could persuade anyone simply by appearing on their TV screen, Gibbs replied: "It is certainly worth a shot."

There is an important caveat to the president's appearance. Instead of sitting down with one of the network's opinion shows, he will sit down with anchor Bret Baier for his 6 p.m. newscast "Special Report."

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