(h/t Balloon Juice)
We all know it's true: Fox News is the propaganda arm of the Republican Party. And now, with parent company NewsCorp's $1M donation to the Republican Governors Association, I'd argue that the Republican Party is the political arm of Fox News Channel.
And here is the absolutely perfect way for any self-respecting Democrat to deal with Fox News:
When Fox News affiliate reporter Steve Brown and his crew were noticed hanging out near the back of a Milwaukee Democrats monthly meeting, party chairman Sachin Chheda called them out and asked them to explain why they were there, considering News Corp's -- the parent company of Fox News -- highly publicized $1 million donation to the Republican Governors Association.
"Do you think it's understandable why Democrats across the country have this reaction when Fox News shows up, that they feel it's not a fair organization, it's a biased organization, and it doesn't give a fair shake to Democrats and Democratic viewpoints," Chheda asked.
Brown then explained that he wasn't responsible for the actions of the entire outlet, just as Chheda wasn't responsible for the actions of all Democrats in his organization, but in the end he made a surprising concession:
"I understand," Brown said of Democratic suspicion of Fox News. "I have been dealing with this in various different degrees for 12 years. I understand people are allowed to have whatever opinion they wish to have about my organization or any other one. If you don't want us here, we'll leave."
To his credit, Chheda said they could stay after Brown's somewhat chastened admission, but the damage to Brown & Co. had already been done.
As John Cole puts it, a reporter should think twice before trusting his professional credibility to Fox News. And Democrats should never hesitate to remind them of that.
