Fox News, Bret Baier Show Complete Lack Of Respect For President Obama

As many of you know, I have no use for Fox News. Frankly, I see Fox News (and virtually every on air personality that comprises the network) as little more than a communications arm of the Republican Party.

So, based on that, I was a bit surprised that President Obama would take time out of his schedule (with so many important issues on the table) and waste it talking to a representative of a channel that is doing essentially everything within its power to undermine his presidency. 24/7, Fox News personalities take turns taking shots at President Obama, attacking him, attacking his administration, and attacking any and all policies even remotely affiliated with him. So, as President Obama went on the air with Fox News anchor Bret Baier, I knew he was in enemy territory with a man who was predisposed to doing everything in his power to making the president look bad.

Ultimately, Baier miserably failed (in my opinion) to make the president look bad. Actually, Baier came across as a man who had an agenda (one to attack the president relentlessly and disrespectfully challenge him repeatedly). What made the failure of Baier almost a certainty was his ignorance to fall into the same trap that so many right wingers fall into: he underestimated the intelligence and toughness of the president. Several times now, President Obama has challenged the Republicans on their own turf and beaten them like a bowl of eggs. Still, in the back of his mind, I can imagine Baier believing that President Obama was not that spot and probably chanting “teleprompter, teleprompter, teleprompter” in his head (thinking he had the president’s number with no teleprompter … and that the president’s act was little more than smoke and mirrors).

Like so many others, Baier ended up looking foolish and (perhaps worst) came across as an angry, disrespectful and frustrated partisan.

This is from a Washington Post blog written by Jonathan Capehart:

Watching the entire interview made me miss the late moderator of “Meet The Press,” Tim Russert. He would have asked process questions. He would have pushed the president to answer questions he didn’t feel were being answered. But he would have done so in a manner that was firm, yet respectful. More importantly, he would have focused intensely on the substance of the health-care legislation to cut through the clutter, rhetoric and political posturing so that viewers at home would have as much information as possible before their representatives voted.

Baier was less interested in substance (if he was at all) and more interested in trying to portray the president as working some sort of unsavory backdoor deals to pass this health care legislation that conservatives and Fox News (one in the same) abhor.

Baier showed a stunning and complete lack of respect for President Obama and his presidency. I was shocked at the depth, breadth and boldness of his disrespect of President Obama.

Repeatedly, Baier cut off the president when he didn’t like his answers, and came out with right-wing talking point after right-wing talking point to try and paint President Obama as negatively as he possibly could. It’s fairly clear that Baier was in full partisan Fox News mode as he tried to talk over the president and interrupt as Barack Obama attempted to answer his questions. Much like a sports announcer for the flagship station, Baier was playing to his far-right audience by trying to rough up the president with clearly disrespectful intentions. To a large extent, Bret Baier was playing to his right-wing audience.

Here is a line from a column written by Boyce Watkins that caught my attention:

The right wing doesn’t hate Obama just because he’s black. They hate him because he’s an “uppity negro” who doesn’t agree with them. This story was predictable long before it ever took place.

I think Dr. Boyce is right on the money. Many conservatives see President Obama as overstepping his bounds and being out of his place in society.

Bret Baier’s actions, during this Fox News interview, were a sign of how a lot of conservatives feel about President Obama, and it is not just because of his politics.

He was speaking for millions of individuals on the far right who have no respect for this president and have nothing but contempt for his presidency.

Fox News Boycott:
http://foxnewsboycott.com/fox-news/bret-baier-interrupts-president-obama-16-times/

UPDATE: Watch the difference between how Baier practically gets on his knees sucks off President George W. Bush while practically spitting on President Obama. This is from Think Progress: http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/18/baier-bush-obama/

Playing Politics With Haiti Is Stupid … Even By Glenn Beck’s Standards

Take a peek at this comment I discovered on Think Progress from Fox News and radio talk show host Glenn Beck, a far-right talker.

Today on his radio show, Fox News host Glenn Beck jumped on the bandwagon:

BECK: I also believe this is dividing the nation…to where the nation sees him react so rapidly on Haiti and yet he couldn’t react rapidly on Afghanistan. He couldn’t react rapidly on Ft. Hood. He couldn’t react rapidly on our own airplanes with an underwear bomber…it doesn’t make sense. [...] Three different events and Haiti is the only one. I think personally that it deepens he divide to see him react this rapidly to Haiti.

Here is one major difference between Haiti and the other two examples cited by Beck. In Fort Hood, the tragedy (13 people killed) happened and then it was contained. In the failed attempt at a terrorist attack on Christmas in Michigan (three people were burned … including the alleged attacker), it happened (or was attempted) and quickly was contained. In Haiti, however, the tragedy continues, people need medical attention, thousands have died or are dying, people need food, people need shelter, people need protection. The U.S. had to act quickly in Haiti for those reasons and in case of potential aftershocks in the wake of such a devastating earthquake.

It’s not a situation where a black president is simply trying to help in Haiti because they’re black, as one prominent right winger suggested.

Greg Gutfeld Needs To Make A Visit …

.. to the Wizard to see if he has a spare heart and brain stored in his Oz headquarters.

Gutfeld offered this moronic statement (the latest in a line of moronic statements):

So Obama was right: he truly is the citizen of the world, even as his own country is left wandering and confused. I suppose it’s easy, however, for Jabrail in Azerbaijan to swoon over Obam, when he’s not faced with cap and trade, nationalized health care, and those new mandatory curly light bulbs. But then again, in Azerbaijan, I guess you’re just happy to have any kind of light bulb. Even if it’s a candle shaped like a light bulb.

But I digress. The poll looked at “confidence ratings” and found that while Obama had the highest, and would “do the right thing regarding world affairs,” Vladimir Putin and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had the lowest. Now, these standings might mean something, if Obama actually had the balls to take advantage of them. I mean, what’s the use of being loved if you can’t actually scare the crap out of those who love you? It’s what confuses me most about our President. He chose initially to sit on the sidelines – as the people of Iran cried out for help – preferring to see which dude wins. A true leader, however, would know that it’s not the leaders who matter, but the people caught in the middle.

Which is why Obama’s recent response to the Honduran mess is even more bizarre. Immediately after the coup – Obama raced to condemn it. So our President develops a spine over an abducted politician in pajamas – but not about widespread bloodshed of innocent folks in Iran? Where the heck are his priorities, or his sense of proportion?

Let us forget the stupid and lying-ass right wing points mischaracterizing President’s response to the crisis in Iran.

When will these conservatives learn to stay out of the business of foreign countries who already hate us after eight years of the Texas cowboy and the Wyoming cowboy running roughshod over the world like J.R. Ewing running Ewing Oil on the old television show “Dallas” from back in the day?

Maybe Gutfeld wanted President Obama to heed the joking words of Sen. John McCain and “Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran.”

Perhaps Greg Gutfeld wants us to go over and try to whip North Korea, too.

It’s possible he wants to see just how many wars we can involve the U.S. in.

Gutfeld has been known to shoot off his mouth … even to the point of slamming our allies:

In the clip, Gutfeld says the Canadian military “wants to take a breather to do some yoga, paint landscapes, run on the beach in gorgeous white capri pants.”

“Isn’t this the perfect time to invade this ridiculous country? They have no army!” he asks the panel.

Right-wing nut Greg Gutfeld did apologize, but longer after inflicting significant damage. What a moron (even though it is Fox News).

Red Eye can give you blue balls.

Fox News At It Again

Fox News is still beating the grave of a dead horse (whining about voter registration fraud with regard to ACORN). They had a couple of right wingers on trying to portray President Obama and Attorney General Holder as essentially teaming up with the New Black Panther Party. This is a tailor-made Fox News story: (1) They can one again attack Barack Obama and (2) they can portray blacks as racist and scary. I do not support New Black Panther Party and I do not support any acts of voter intimidation or disenfranchisement. Those individuals who are engaged in voter intimidation and voter disenfranchisement need to be investigated (and if warranted) prosecuted. One of the guests on this late-morning segment attempted to smear President Obama by invoking the ghosts of Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I’ve watched this hack on some other shows attacking President Obama and calling on him to apologize (once again we’re in the apology culture … everyone is demanding an apology for one thing or another).