FOX = GOP?

If anyone had any questions about whether FOX News is biased one only has to look at recent media reports about the relationships between the GOP and the FOX News network.

In one episode a FOX News anchor praises a questionable political hit job, while in the other two FOX news staff are rumored to be under consideration for White House Press Secretary.

In the first, in an article on FOX News anchor Brit Hume in the Washington Post, Howard Kurtz reports that former President Clinton spokesman Mike McCurry said that Hume would sit in the front row during press briefings doing crossword puzzles and that "If you tried to slip a little spin in, he'd suddenly erupt and say, 'Wait a minute!'

Wow, what a great reporter! Yet Kurtz also mentioned that Hume and Fox News were among the first to jump on the charges by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth about Sen. John Kerry's Vietnam record, with Hume pushing the controversy day after day.

As the lead panelist on "Fox News Sunday," Hume said in August 2004 that the book by the Swift Boat Veterans "is a remarkably well-done document. It is full of detail. It is full of specifics. The charges that are being made of Kerry, of irresponsible and indeed in some cases mendacious conduct in his service in Vietnam, are made by people who were there."

Remarkably well-done? For a GOP political piece of spin it may have been remarkably well done. As a journalist piece it was hardly well-done. Factcheck.org pointed out the multiple problems with the book and the veterans stories and even the Post has pointed out the problems, yet Kurtz failed to point out, or challenge, Hume on the problematic book. Maybe crossword puzzles are getting harder these days.

It's doubtful Hume's views surprise anyone, even though they go against the networks "fair and balanced" slogan. Reasonable people instead probably think Hume's on the GOP's payroll. He may not be but his coworker soon may be. FOX News reported that one of the people the White House has approached as a possible replacement for McClellan is FOX News Radio host Tony Snow and the Washington Post said Dan Senor, a Fox News contributor and former spokesman for the U.S. civilian authority in Iraq, is also among those being considered.

One wonders if Snow, a frequent guest host for Rush Limbaugh and GOP cheerleader, will have to take a pay cut to go on the "official" GOP payroll?