N.Y. Times Columnist: Fox News Is Bush's Al Jazeera

NewsMax ^ | 10/16/03 | Limbacher

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Premier New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman attacked the Fox News Channel on Thursday, comparing the top-rated cable news network to the pro-terrorist Al Jazeera broadcasting company.

Using a recent speech by Vice President Dick Cheney to argue that the Bush administration is too narrow-minded in its handling of postwar Iraq, Friedman complained, "Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein issue messages from their caves through Al Jazeera, and Mr. Cheney issues messages from his bunker through Fox."

"Out of fairness, my newspaper feels obligated [to cover the Cheney speech]," the top Times columnist wrote. "But I wish we would have said to the V.P.: If you're going to give a major speech on Iraq to an audience that's limited to your own supporters and not allow any questions, that's not news."

Friedman's suggestion that Fox News is the White House's Al Jazeera network is particularly odd, since Fox broke the story that nearly cost President Bush the 2000 election - the notorious 1976 DUI episode.

Fox's owner, NewsCorp Chairman Rupert Murdoch, supported Al Gore in the 2000 election and contributed $50,000 to the Gore campaign.

Friedman's slap at Fox's credibility comes despite that fact that earlier this year, his paper admitted to publishing stories by a journalist known to have repeatedly fabricated previous reports for the Times.

[Spruce]

The NY Times is Krinton's Pravda.

[finnman69]

Tom should talk about his own NY People's Daily Worker.

[Puppage]

Thomas Friedman

Thomas Friedman is AMERICAN PRAVDA

[Peach]

Thomas Friedman is trying to make excuses for the inexcusable reporting the NYT has done.

[theDentist]

The dullard's never heard of the Clinton News Network.

[Always Right]

Well Fox News is to Bush as the New York Times is to Al-Qaeda.

[Labyrinthos]

The NY Times is Krinton's Pravda.

And Friedman is his bath house buddy.

[austingirl]

The liberal media is having a snit-fit that more than one view is being presented at Fox News - they can't get over it that things have changed and that there is now an outlet for the more conservative point of view - too bad.

Fox presents plenty of the liberal viewpoint as well.

[Old Sarge]

My thoughts exactly - except the REAL object of The Times' servile adoration is:

[Lost Highway]

Fox News is to Bush as the New York Times is to Al-Qaeda

All right now I'm having SAT flashbacks.

[sarasota]

Freidman has, from time to time, put his toe in the water of the W camp. I'm sure that displeased his bosses and he has since gone back to bashing. Disgruntled and becoming bitter. Has he been seeing Madeline Albright?

[been_lurking]

Fox News Is Bush's Al Jazeera

So, given that the NY Times considers Al Jazeera to be a balanced and honest news source, I guess the NY Times just paid Fox News a compliment. :)

[SolutionsOnly]

Attacks on Fox are directly proportional to Fox's growing popularity. This Friedman rant is a good sign.

[End Times Sentinel]

He's obviously deeply embarrassed by his own paper's pitiful record of slanted reporting, fabricating stories, and ignoring inconvenient facts to advance a dangerously far left agenda.

I liked some of the reporting he did when he was in Iraq, but now that he's back stateside, his old surroundings of communist sympathizers and America haters has begun to re-infect his thinking.

Cheney doesn't go on Fox to address only his supporters, more people who identify themselves as "liberals" watch Fox than CNN.  He goes on Fox because he doesn't want to reward a lying attack dog like CNN/NBC/CBS/ABC/MSNBC.

Owl_Eagle

" WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
DIVERSITY IS STRENGTH"

[I still care]

I wondered how they would spin never covering Bush's speeches.

CNN always tries to predigest them for you - offering little sound bites and spending more time commenting on them than you hear the president speaking. The funny thing is, after hearing the whole thing on FOX, usually one can see the CNN tidbit has nothing much to do with the speech...

[Arrowhead1952]

........columnist Thomas Friedman attacked the Fox News Channel on Thursday, comparing the top-rated cable news network to the pro-terrorist Al Jazeera broadcasting company.

Maybe Bush hit a nerve the other day talking about how the mainstream media is not telling the truth.

Guess the truth hurts......

[tiamat]

Sarge,

You ought to have a care with that! Tia

[tioga]

--why the audacity of the nyslimes.....those delusional moose hugging idiots who wouldn't print the truth to save their souls, who can take them seriously?

[jigsaw]

So, given that the NY Times considers Al Jazeera to be a balanced and honest news source, I guess the NY Times just paid Fox News a compliment. :)

LOL! Bravo!