When Fox News doesn't want to have anything to do with a GOP'er, that's trouble!

[AZBlue]

It has come to the attention of Fox News this morning that an ad for the McCain Campaign uses the voice of our Correspondent, Major Garrett. We demand that you immediately remove Mr. Garrett's voice from this ad. As Mr. Garrett is a non-partisan news correspondent covering the Obama campaign for Fox News, it is highly inappropriate, among other things, of your campaign to use him in your ad. Please confirm to me in writing that you have removed Mr. Garrett's voice from your ad.

http://www.politico.com/static/PPM106_080919_mccain_ad.html

My favorite part is: "...among other things..."

[nc4bo]

1. Whaaaaa? I didn't believe what I read until I read it. nt

[beac]

2. Like rats off a sinking ship! n/t

[SuperTrouper]

3. Oh Wow, Rove, Faux News, deserting the McTitanic. Even Ferraro is coming home

[AlinPA]

9. I doubt that Fox "News" will ever stop supporting republicans. nt

[Hugabear]

18. Many rethugs don't consider McCain to be a true "Republican"

Most of the rethugs I know can't stand the guy.

[Arugula Latte]

11. What? What's up with that nutjob Ferraro?

[SuperTrouper]

12. Ferraro refused to call Michelle Obama's "cute" comment sexist in Faux News

[baldguy]

4. A "non-partisan news correspondent" on Faux Snooze?

[SeattleVet]

5. 'non-partisan news correspondent'? Since when?

This is the guy that wrote (among other things;-)) "The 15 Biggest Lies in Politics" and "The Enduring Revolution: How the Contract with America Continues to Shape the Nation".

He also did a stint at the Washington Times.

Non-partisan my a$$!!!!

[blondeatlast]

6. Those wacky, witty Foxsters! "As Mr. Garrett is a non-partisan news correspondent covering the

Obama campaign for Fox News..."

I LOVE great satire!

Except that they seriously believe that...

[DefenseLawyer]

7. "among other things"

Translation "You didn't pay us"

[monmouth]

8. Told ya Rupert liked Barack, and so does Billy O..Hahaha...n/t

[ericgtr]

10. Did they just use both non-partisan and Fox News in the same sentence?

I'm sorry I must not be reading something right.

[AZBlue]

13. And no, this is not from the Onion!

While I'm not buying the non-partisan stuff, I'm certainly amused by Fox distancing itself from the also-ran McCain.

[blondeatlast]

14. It's satire! It just has to be; nothing else makes sense. nt

[shaniqua6392]

16. I thought I had better make an eye doctor appt. when I saw that!!

What a joke.

[Venceremos]

15. Killing two birds with one stone

This appears to be Fox News way of getting more attention to the ad. And by having their lawyers stamp their feet and insist that Major Garrett "is a non-partisan news correspondent" it lends credibility to Garrett's negative statements about Obama, and in effect, lends credibility to McCain's ad. Just because the people here at DU know Fox is right wing, that doesn't mean non-political types know it.

Plus I also think Fox wants some $$$ for the ad.

[kurt_cagle]

17. Fox News Ad

No - if they are that serious about supporting McCain, they would have contacted his lawyers in private and brought up the illicit use of their content rather than make a big splash like this.

Fox is now in a real bind. They see the handwriting on the wall, remember the snubbing they had at the DNC, and do not want to get shut out cold in the event that Obama actually wins (which they obviously see as likely). On the other hand, they also know that their core viewership is very definitely Red, and that if in fact they did change their coverage appreciably, they would lose audience to one of the other stations, which would just LOVE to have that audience at this point.

Good news about all this is that its becoming apparent even to the MSM that McCain's campaign is foundering and is a farce, and the political calculus and repositioning is already happening. It doesn't mean the press will get any less partisan once Obama is in office (if anything, it gives the press the means to actually look like they're "honest journalists" again, rather than syncophants) but they have to get access to the corridors of power first for that to happen.

Kurt Cagle
O'Reilly Media
http://www.oreilly.com