A 'Major' Conflict For Fox's New WH Face? (Barf Alert)

FishbowlDC ^ | Wednesday, July 27, 2005 | Garrett M. Graff

[kristinn]

Fox News has promoted Greg Kelly to be its new White House correspondent. Kelly, by the way, is the son of the NYPD commissioner.

And, unlike his colleague Major Garrett, Kelly is an actual major in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. This, to us, raises an interesting question: Can someone in the military objectively cover his Commander-in-Chief?

In addition to his three years at Fox News, Kelly is a veteran reporter and airman. During nine years as a fighter pilot in the Marines, Kelly racked up 158 aircraft carrier landings and even flew over missions over Iraq enforcing the "No Fly Zone." He currently holds the rank of Major in the Marine Corp Reserves.

And while that military experience certainly came in handy during the Iraq War--Kelly was embedded with the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade and was the first report to broadcast pictures of Baghdad's fall--it seems a rather glaring conflict on the White House beat.

How objectively can he do his job when the White House will be constantly making decisions that could bear on whether Kelly is called up for active duty and sent to war? Then there's that little question of since the President is Kelly's supreme commander, will Kelly have to salute the President in certain situations?

Will Kelly offer an on-air disclosure when he covers military matters? Should he? Has Fox discussed this potential conflict with him?

For the historians out there, has an active reservist ever covered the presidency before for a major outlet?

> An emailer adds, how will Kelly handle the next time Bush meets with the reporter's own father? Will he have to say, "Today President Bush met with Mayor Bloomberg and my dad"?

> Another White House scribe chimes in: "Par for the course from Fox. What do you expect? No presumption of objectivity there. At least the conflict of interest is obvious in this case."

[kristinn]

Child of privilege Garrett Graff achieved notoriety by being the first blogger to get a press pass to cover the White House. Master Garrett, by the way, was a staffer for the Howard Dean campaign yet he sees no conflict in his current position.

But let a patriotic American cover the Bush White House and young Master Garrett looks down his patrician nose at him.

[discostu]

The only problem I see is that as a reservist he might be called away when there's something big to cover at the WH, but Fox can handle that.

[eyespysomething]

Greg Kelly is a good reporter, I was susceptible of him at first, since he seemed to have been hired for the war coverage in Iraq, but he's more than proved himself, IMO.

Compared to other reporters on other channels (and Fox) he's fine to cover the White House.

I guess they're mad because he may not badger the McClellan to death about Rove.

[mewzilla]

Click here for a pic of Mr. Graff.

It explains a lot.

[MikefromOhio]

when he is NOT called up, nor activated, or on his duty weekends, he is a CITIZEN, not a soldier....

[Brilliant]

This, to us, raises an interesting question: Can someone in the military objectively cover his Commander-in-Chief?

Since when is the media objective?

[pabianice]

This, to us, raises an interesting question: Can someone like Graff, who is a Liberal synchophant and Kerry suck-up, objectively cover President Bush?

[eyespysomething]

Will he have to say, "Today President Bush met with Mayor Bloomberg and my dad"?

What a bunch of cry babies! No moron, he'll probably say "Today President Bush met with Mayor Bloomberg and NYPD Commssioner Ray Kelly."

Gads they just hate the military. Do they have a problem with Matt Cooper and his wife? Question his objectivity?

[horse_doc]

I think that a better question is, "given their obvious hatred of the United States, can anyone who has a degree from the Columbia School of Journalism be trusted to write a story about America?."

[Mr. Keys]

Yep, liberal anti-American pond scum can objectively make up things, er I mean do their jobs fairly.

[RightOnline]

Oh good grief. Look at all the card-carrying Liberal a**holes that covered the White House under yet another card-carrying Liberal a**hole, Bill Clinton. Guess there was no conflict of interest there, eh????

[writmeister]

Maybe Greg Kelly can get some tips from Andrea Mitchell (Mrs. Greenspan) or Laura Jakes Jordan (AP reporter and wife of ACT leader Jim Jordan).

[mewzilla]

No doubt people like Mike Wallace and Peter Jennings are Graff's idea of ideal journos.

Mike Wallace, Peter Jennings Admit They Would Help Enemy Kill US Soldiers to "Get Story"

[gubamyster]

What happened to Major Garrett? Did he go to another network? I seem to remember seeing him very recently on Fox.

[Brilliant]

The logic of this opinion sort of dovetails with the philosophy of the DNC that soldiers should not be allowed to vote.

[cwb]

Yeah...I wonder if this idiot knows what Matthews, Russert and Steponallofus (and a host of others) did before they started covering politics...objectively:)

[threeleftsmakearight]

The Left is loaded with people in the media who are married to this Democrat operative, or that Marxist preofessor.
Christianne Amanpour/Jamie Rubin being but one example.

[johnb838]

Ooooo-yeah, Seargeant Major. He was a stud during the war. Ridin' into B-didy on a Bradley, swappin' lies with the boots and fighting off the ambushes. He said he was the most scared he'd ever been in his life when they went to take their first recon in force into Baghdad. He almost stayed behind. But he decided to go, and within like 10 minutes there was a big rocket attack on where they had been which killed four people, including one journalist. Yes, he had quite a war. Probably should have gotten a CIB. He never talked about how much fighting he did but, when the enemy is coming at you in waves, I imagine most people pick up a weapon and begin firing.

[GaltMeister]

Yea, and I remember the daily ass-kissing Helen Thomas gave to Slick, and nobody complained about the old liberal war-horse covering a dim-bulb administration.