Yesterday the White House attempted to maneuver the other news networks into leaving FOX News out of the pool of reporters that share the cost and duties of daily coverate of the presidency. The pool is a five-network rotation of reporters that cover Obama's every move. See FOX News.
However, the administration was going to make "pay czar" Kenneth Feinberg available for an interview to every other member of the White House pool except for FOX News.
But the Washington bureau chiefs of the five TV networks consulted and decided that none of their reporters would interview Feinberg unless Fox News was included.
The administration relented, making Feinberg available for all five pool members and Bloomberg TV.
Media analysts cheered the decision to boycott the interview unless FOX News was included. "I'm really cheered by the other members saying "No, if Fox can't be part of it, we won't be part of it,'" said Baltimore Sun TV critic David Zurawik, who called the move to limit Feinberg's availability "outrageous."
"What it's really about to me is the Executive Branch of the government trying to tell the press how it should behave. I mean, this democracy -- we know this -- only works with a free and unfettered press to provide information," Zurawik said.
Fox News legal analyst Peter Johnson Jr. pointed out that the administration was potentially in violation of the Constitution with its attempt to restrict access to the "eyes and ears" of the country.
"What was averted was a very serious Constitutional violation by the White House," he said. "There cannot be selective and arbitrary access to the White House based on some subjective determination."
Meanwhile, President Obama says that he's not "losing a lot of sleep" over the whole controversy. Good thing, because we wouldn't want him to be troubled by restricting access to the press or attempting to control the media. See the NY Daily News.
Congressman Mike Pence had a few words to say about conservative commentators in radio and television and the White House antagonism toward their views. You may watch the video below to hear what he said.
