John Edwards Denies Fox News Opportunity to Be Unfair

John Edwards made the bold move of pulling out of the proposed Sept. 23 CBC/FOX Debate.

The Edwards campaign makes following statement:

"We just called the CBC to let them know that we're looking forward to their January debate with CNN but we're not going to participate in the proposed debate with Fox. The CBC champions critical issues that matter enormously to the future of our country, and we look forward to discussing them throughout this campaign and at their debate in January. But we believe there's just no reason for Democrats to give Fox a platform to advance the right-wing agenda while pretending they're objective. If there was any uncertainty as to Fox's objectivity, it was put to rest when they attacked Democratic candidates, Democratic constituency groups, and the Nevada Democratic party when their last proposed debate was cancelled for lack of support."

In November 2003, I recall General Wesley Clark ripping Fox News' David Asman apart - taking Fox to task for their shoddy journalism. I recall feeling vindicated in some way, although I knew it wouldn't change Fox News a damned bit.

That's why I'm so glad that John Edwards is telling Fox News to take a hike on these debates. The only thing that his involvement would lead to, from what we already know about Fox News, is more of the same tilted treatment.

I recently heard comedian Bill Maher say that he thinks it would be a lot more courageous to see Democrats "taking on" Fox News (as Bill Clinton and Wesley Clark have done). The problem is, everything President Clinton and General Clark have said - and have said so well - has had absolutely no effect on the right-wing news organization's programming or propaganda-style. After being taken to task, they've lead viewers to believe President Clinton is "angry"...and that anyone who confronts them is a wacko.

I don't care to see a debate that takes away from the real issues at hand and becomes a sporting event for people whose blood gets pumped up by seeing a Democrat wasting his or her time jumping through the "fight Fox" hoops and having to call them on their obvious bias again and again. We have somuch creativity and vision to offer. If you're a candidate, why purposely stifle and darken your vision by allowing it to be ridiculed with an unbalanced set of questions? Why offer Fox News yet another opportunity to be unfair?

It's high time to start writing Fox News off as a fair news organization - and as a worthy or credible player.

They're NEVER going to be.