Rahm Emanuel and FOX News

The Obama White House is still taking jabs at FOX News.

Yesterday, Rahm Emanuel was dissing FOX on CNN's State of the Union.

Transcript
JOHN KING: I've known you for 17 years, and we've been through a lot of campaigns together, you practice hardball politics with relish. I'm trying to get behind the curtain and understand why your White House has decided that it is in its interest to have this, boom, with our rival, FOX News, Anita Dunn, one of your staff, calls it the -- the communications director, the wing of the Republican Party. why?

RAHM EMANUEL: Well, no, it's not so much a conflict with FOX News. But unlike -- I suppose, the way to look at it and the way we -- the president looks at it and we look at it, is, it is not a news organization so much as it has a perspective. And that's a different take. And more importantly, does not have -- the CNNs and others in the world basically be led and following FOX, as if that -- what they're trying to do is a legitimate news organization in the sense of both sides and a sense of value (ph) opinion.

But let me say this. While it's clear what the White House and what Anita said, I mean, the concentration at the White House isn't about what FOX is doing. Its concentration is about, what does it take to make sure the economy is moving, creating jobs, helping the economy grow, making sure that we responsibly withdraw from Iraq, making sure what -- the decisions we make on Afghanistan, we ask the questions before we go ahead first into putting 40,000 more troops on the line and America's reputation, its most treasured resources, its young men and women, and its resources. That's what's occupying the decisions and the time in the White House.

I can understand Emanuel's interest in putting FOX on defense.

Rather than FOX spending time going about the business of questioning the administration and those in power, it's much better for the White House to have FOX focusing on the criticism and remarks about its legitimacy.

FOX shouldn't take the bait.

The news network shouldn't allow Emanuel and Anita Dunn and even Obama to control it.

FOX should set the agenda, not waste time being destracted by the White House's goofy sniping.

From the Washington Post:

After impugning the objectivity of Fox News and saying that they would begin to treat the network as "an opponent," White House officials said Sunday that they will allow administration officials to appear on the network.

Last week, White House communications director Anita Dunn said Fox News, which airs the shows of several conservative commentators, functions "almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party. . . . We don't need to pretend that this is the way that legitimate news organizations behave."

Her comments sparked a fresh battle between the White House and the network. In response to the criticism, Fox News executive Michael Clemente said in a statement that President Obama's aides had decided to "declare war on a news organization."

The back-and-forth played out on political talk shows Sunday, with others in the president's inner circle criticizing Fox, which is home to several staunch Obama critics -- including Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck, who has called the president a racist. Beck also has pushed against administration hires. Most notably, the commentator used his show to campaign for the ouster of Van Jones, a White House environmental adviser who had been criticized for past statements and associations. Jones was then forced to resign.

Without citing specific complaints against Fox, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said on CNN's "State of the Union" that the way "the president looks at it and we look at it is it is not a news organization so much as it has a perspective."

Karl Rove, a Fox News contributor who advised President George W. Bush, said Obama's aides have tried to "demonize" Fox and compared their approach to that of President Richard M. Nixon.

"This is a White House engaging in its own version of the media enemies list," Rove said on "Fox News Sunday." "It's unhelpful for the country and undignified for the president of the United States."

Obama eschewed "Fox News Sunday" when he appeared on five Sunday-morning news shows last month. Again this week, he sent aides to discuss the war in Afghanistan, the economy and the overhaul of the nation's health-care system on ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC. Fox was left out.

Still, senior Obama adviser David Axelrod said on ABC's "This Week" that administration officials are willing to appear on the network in the future.

Fox's Clemente said, "The door remains open, and we welcome a discussion about the facts behind the issues."

Karl Rove is right.

What the Obama White House is doing is Nixonian.

Which is worse?

The Obama administration avoiding a grilling on FOX News or appearing like it has an enemies list?

FOX is a legitimate news network. It's ridiculous for the White House to keep saying otherwise.