“Conscientious Objector” Major Garrett Interviews Pres. Obama On Fox News
Well, it finally happened.
After all the back and forth between the White House and Fox News, Major Garrett (who described himself after the interview as a “conscientious objector” in the feud) sat down with Pres. Barack Obama earlier this week (as other networks did as well). Here’s how it went.
It started with a slight reference to the fact that Obama hadn’t been on Fox News in awhile:
Garrett: Mr. President, the Fox News Channel is very happy to see you. And behalf of the news channel let me wish you, Michelle, Sasha and Malia, a very happy and joyous 2009 holiday season.
Obama: That’s so nice. I appreciate it. To the Fox family, let me say the same.
The rest of the interview, however, stayed entirely away from the White House vs. Fox News feud. We’ll get to the interview, but Special Report anchor Bret Baier brought up the mood of the interview in his live Q&A with Garrett in between the two parts of the interview.
Baier: After all the focus by this White House on Fox News, what were the atmospherics behind the scenes?
Garrett: Very calm, very rational, very relaxed. Look, I wasn’t going to litigate whatever it was that was going on between Fox and the Whie House, whether it was a war or not. I was always a conscientious objector in that conflict.
It’s not surprising that the 10 minute interview, that was part of a five-interview round robin by Pres. Obama, was “calm” behind the scenes, since it was right down to business between interviewer and interviewee. The “conscientious objector” comment was telling though – Garrett has continued to stay above the fray in whatever feud/war/conflict is going on between both sides.
As for the interview, it was fairly newsy. Garrett pushed Obama to answer a yes or no question about the Stupak amendment, which Obama eventually admitted he wouldn’t sign the bill with the amendment as is (“not yet” was the eventual comment). Also, Garrett asked about the time it’s taken to close Guantanamo Bay, and if it had been harder than he thought it would be during the campaign. “As hard. As usual in Washington, things move slower than I anticipated,” said Obama.
A true sign of just how news-making the interview was is where it got picked up by other outlets – ABC News White House correspondent Jake Tapper wrote a blog post about Pres. Obama’s GM answer (Tapper also sat down with Obama in the same round of interviews) (Tapper interviewed Obama before the Asia trip).
Finally – Garrett got a straight answer on the big story of this week – Sarah Palin. Would he read “Going Rogue”? “You know, I probably will not, but I wish her well,” said Obama. “You know, it looks like she’s going to do very well without my readership.”
This is likely the first step toward Obama appearing on a Fox News opinion program. It went well, and the back-and-forth was usual between White House correspondent and President. Will Obama be on The Factor in early 2010? If he has something he really needs to sell, he’ll likely find his way to the cable news leader.
One problem CBS News radio White House correspondent Mark Knoller had with the interview was the promotion of it. On Twitter yesterday he wrote: “‘Bite Me Award’ of the day to the Fox News promo dept trumpeting its Obama intvu: “only we ask the tough questions.” Puh-leese.
>>>NEXT PAGE: Watch the full interview.
Pages: 1 2
8 comments
straitshooter says: Garrett chose the perfect way to break the ice, and he did so without ever addressing the issue. Obama’s smile at Garrett’s intro indicated that both men were professional and had no problem putting the Fox-White House brouhaha in the past.
I think Obama would do well to appear on the O’Reilly Factor when the health care bill comes to a boil in the Senate. O’Reilly has already gone on the record stating that some federal action is necessary to deal with health care in the U.S., and it’s hard to imagine where he could find better ratings, unless he decides to return to the “60 Minutes” well.
I also think Chuck Todd delivered a great line of questioning on the upcoming terror trials in New York. Specifically, he challenged the obvious contradiction that we were offering a fair trial, but that the verdict was a done deal. I think it is interesting that Todd never appears on Maddow or Olbermann’s show. I think, if he had a choice, he’d never be on MSNBC at all, and just stick to the network. He’s one of the most honest people they have.
Was America asleep at the switch during the 08 election for President or did George W. Bush screw up so badly that some of us voters were temporarily blinded in the fog and pulled the wrong lever for obama. obama has to be the worst first year President ever. I wasn’t around 100 years ago so it would be hard to compare him to other misfits that had been elected to office. But, everything he does seems to be the opposite of what past Presidents have done. I didn’t care much for Clinton personally and did not vote for him either time but in the end as I look back, Mr. Clinton did a B+ job. For me to admit this as a very hard right wing conservative filled with plenty of libertarian values I’m telling the truth as I see it. I never liked Hillary but even she would have been a better President this past first year than this crazy nut in office. Imagine taking cold blooded terrorists and given them the ability to go to court and fight charges of some of the most heinous crimes ever committed against Americans. Have we become so politically correct that terrorists now are getting Miranda rights and their day in court? obamasama is a knucklehead. He is right now fulfilling his dream to turn American into a third world nation, kind of like the one where he was born in, Kenya. Having said that I don’t care that he was born in Kenya and no he shouldn’t be removed from office at this point EVEN IF we had real documentation showing it. As far as I’m concerned we deserve him even if massive voting fraud took place because of SEIU or ACORN. I feel we as a nation have to punished for letting Bush get away with what he did. obama was elected promising to withdraw troops from Iraq yet they’re still their. Heck, I could go on and on but what’s the point. We got a lousier President than Bush was and a guy who has no right to sit in that oval office mostly because he’s too young, too inexperienced and too stupid to do what is best for Americans. And all this time I thought we couldn’t get worse than Bush or Jimmy “I’ll never lie to you” Carter. Buyer beware. In another year Republicans will take over Congress which at one time I thought that would be great but now Republicans don’t have any ideas or lists of how they would improve our country. Do you get my drift, both major parties are clueless while we Americans continue to suffer and watch jobs head overseas. Does anyone out their care anymore!
black leclere says: “Have we become so politically correct that terrorists now are getting Miranda rights and their day in court?”
You said it, Chuck. Due Process? Clearly, we’ve lost our minds. (eyeroll)
Seriously – Kenya? Seriously??????
MikeLI631 says: In his heart of Hearts, Obama is a Fascist.
He has more in common with Mao Tse Tung, than George Washington, and will lead our Country to the Abyss of a dictatorship, than ANY other Progressive president.
black leclere says: @ MikeLI631- LOL
Name 3 demonstrable commonalities between Obama & Mao. Go.
TinaFromTampa says: black leclere says:
November 19, 2009 at 5:01 pm
@ MikeLI631- LOL
Name 3 demonstrable commonalities between Obama & Mao. Go.
OK… let me start the list.
1) Mao never granted an interview to Fox News.
You still want two more, or is that enough?
Sunnyr says: Maybe this is why Obama is making some of the most disastrous decisions for this country in the history of our Republic! He either just doesn’t give a damn or he has been reading his tanking poll numbers!
———————————————————————————————————————————————–
OBAMA SAYS IT: THERE’S A CHANCE HE WON’T RUN AGAIN IN 2012!
President Obama in China
In an interview with CNN in China, President Obama opened the possibility to not running for re-election in 2012 — something that no president has done since Lyndon Johnson.
Here’s what he said:
“You know, if – if I feel like I’ve made the very best decisions for the American people and three years from now I look at it and, you know, my poll numbers are in the tank and because we’ve gone through these wrenching changes, you know, politically, I’m in a tough spot, I’ll – I’ll feel all right about myself,” Obama told CNN’s Ed Henry.
“I said to myself very early on, even when I started running for office, I don’t want to be making decisions based on getting re-elected, because I think the challenges that America faces right now are so significant,” the president also said.
“Obviously, if I make those decisions and I think that I’m moving the country on the right direction economically, in terms of our security interests, our foreign policy, I’d like to think that those policies are continued because they’re not going to bear fruit just in four years.”
But in the next breath the president quickly sounded like someone who would relish taking his case to the American people in 2012, saying he’s tackling big issues like health care and Iran that he’s confident will bear fruit in the future.
How far-fetched is this. The quick answer: pretty.
But consider that Obama was the most reluctant presidential candidate in modern times and that he has a young family.
So, yea, there’s a slim possibility that he’s a no-go next time.
Oh, Obama said he doesn’t have time to read Sarah Palin’s new book.
black leclere says: “1) Mao never granted an interview to Fox News.
You still want two more, or is that enough?” – TinaFromTampa
Actually ,you still need 3. Obama did grant them an interview. That was kinda the subject of the entire post.
- » Fox News To Conduct "Extended, Exclusive" Interview With Pres. Obama
- » Glenn Beck Confirms That Your Rights Come From God
- » SNL's Toyota Prius Commercial Is Out Of Control
- » CNN's Ed Henry Won't Let Robert Gibbs Pass on 'Deem and Pass'
- » FAMU Sex Tape Link - Real Or Hoax?
Job hunting?
Use our proprietary jobs tool to access the largest pool of jobs aggregated from around the country.
Bret Baier Keeps Pres. Obama On Track In Combative Fox News Exclusive Interview
The first part of the much-anticipated Fox News exclusive interview between Bret Baier and Pres. Barack Obama took place at the top of Special Report, and although it couldn't be viewed as contentious, there was so much interrupting it caused Baier to acknowledge the tactic at the end of the interview. Here's a breakdown, and video:
Bret Baier Part II: Obama Opines On Iran, Israel And Tiger Woods
After serving over a year in office, Barack Obama finally sat down for an interview with Fox News today, when chatted in a for roughly 17 minutes in a pre-taped segment with Bret Baier. The sometimes combative tone of the interview stands in stark contrast to the "walk and talk" segment between Baier and Obama, likely recorded in advance of the actual sit-down taping. While walking in the halls of the White House, Obama addressed foreign policy issues like Israel and Iran, and even gave a rather forgiving opinion on Tiger Woods.
More TV headlines:
»Joe Biden At The Radio & Television Correspondent’s Dinner : Just As Entertaining As You’d Expect
»Chris Matthews: Avoiding An Up Or Down Vote In House Allows Democrats To “Pull A Fast One” »1
»Roger Ailes Pays Impromptu Visit To FNC D.C. Bureau »12
»Does CNN’s Objectivity Conflict With ‘Funny’ Tea Party Coverage? »12
»Santorum: Dems Worried Obama Will “Go To Indonesia And Bow To More Muslims” »6
-
Coming soon...
© 2010 Mediaite, LLC | About Us | Advertise | Newsletter | Privacy | User Agreement | Disclaimer | Power Grid FAQ | Contact | Archives
| Dan Abrams, Founder
| Hosting by Datagram
| 
RSS
