Obama To Fox News: Brother, can you spare some time?

You have to hand it to Fox's Bret Baier: he didn't roll over and play dead in the Presence of the President with tin cup in hand pleading I Have A Deem Dream.  Even MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Scarborough deemed Bret's Obama interview "fascinating" this a.m.

At one point Obama admonishes Bret: "You keep on interrupting" when Baier was holding Obama's feet to the fire over the legislative "process" Obama once deemed "ugly."



Baltimore Sun TV critic David Zurawik: "There wasn't much of anything groundbreaking or new that came out of Bret Baier's interview on Fox News Wednesday night with President Barack Obama. But I wouldn't have missed it.

As much credit as I give Obama for taking his healthcare message to Fox News and staying on point, I also praise Baier for being thoroughly prepared and hitting a very difficult tone of being appropriately aggressive without being hectoring or rude. It was a textbook encounter of how the press should engage the executive branch of government. Think of it as the antidote to NBC anchorman Brian Williams' bow to Obama in his prime-time White House special last year."

Anyone want to predict Bret's Wednesday ratings?

Watch part one.  Part two.

Anyone want to explain to me how Obama can claim Louisiana Dem Sen. Mary Landrieu's "Louisiana Purchase" (millions to LA to buy her health care vote) "affects Hawaii, which went through an earthquake."



Real Clear Politics Media Watch: It was clear he came into the interview loaded for Baier (I have no willpower to resist cheap wordplay), and fired away with one talking point after another. I thought he was overly scripted, but on top of his subject, and very interested in taking command.I saw a reporter who, by and large, kept his composure and then very appropriately did his best to steer the president away from ramblings that were best suited for a campaign trail. Frankly, I didn't think Baier was rude at all. He was doing his best to at least stay even with the most powerful person on earth. Did he talk over the president at times? Yes, but if he hadn't, the network would have had a right to bill the Democratic Party for the president's 20-minute advertisement for health-care reform.
When it was over, Baier even politely apologized for interrupting so often, saying, " I tried to get the most for our buck here."

Baier was nowhere near rude.  You want rude?  Watch MSNBC's stable of unstable ranters...