Axelrod and Ailes Meet, but Details Are Few

New York Times ^ | 10/7/2009 | Brian Stelter

[Mozilla]

Roger Ailes, the chairman of Fox News, met with the White House adviser David Axelrod last month.

And it is a testament to Fox’s influence that that the meeting is newsworthy at all. Politico broke the news Tuesday afternoon, prompting speculation about the nature of the conversation.

A Fox press representative confirmed that the two men met over a cup of coffee last month during Mr. Obama’s visit to the United Nations. The representative called it a “cordial conversation.” Details of the conversation have not dribbled out yet.

“I’ve known Roger for a long time,” Mr. Axelrod told Time magazine in an e-mail message. “We chatted from time to time during the campaign. I was going to be in N.Y., so we got together for a cup of coffee.”

The highly popular Fox News is a perplexing channel for the Obama administration, given its propensity for political commentary by conservatives like Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity. In June, Mr. Obama said, “I’ve got one television station that is entirely devoted to attacking my administration,” adding, “You’d be hard-pressed if you watched the entire day to find a positive story about me on that front.” The Fox host Bill O’Reilly and others assumed that he was speaking about Fox.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Anyone who has been watching FNC since yesterday afternoon knows what it was about. FOX is now the biggest advocate for the government option in Obamacare.

[GeronL]

How much was Ailes offered to sell out?

[Uncle Hal]

Ailes is an old grizzled veteran of these media and political wars. I would not expect him to be cowered with a flake like Axelrod.

[combat_boots]

How Sicilian.

Capice?

BTW Sicily is marvelous.

[cbkaty]

Facts please...I keep FNC and FBC all day.... I don’t see what you see....unless it was during a potty break...

[Da Coyote]

I can think of no faster way for Fox to sink to Olberman-level basement ratings than to start to ally itself with the Obamaloons.

[FlingWingFlyer]

This is when it started to appear. IMHO. Watch the video.

[Steely Tom]

“I’ve known Roger for a long time,” Mr. Axelrod told Time magazine in an e-mail message. “We chatted from time to time during the campaign..."

Of course back then I just had to live with Fox's unwillingness to toe the line we got the other networks to live within. Now, on the other hand, the situation has changed in a number of substantive ways.

[jacquej]

Just got to this thread, but am puzzled. I work at home, and have Fox on all day and into the evening. I don’t hear anyone there advocating the .gov option.

Frequently, there will be someone representing each side presenting the day’s “talking points” to whoever is hosting, but I figure that is just Fox’s effort to be “fair and balanced”.

Usually whoever they have on for the .gov side can’t put a coherent argument on the table, so the “advocation” isn’t very convincing to this old lady.

[FlingWingFlyer]

See my post at #9 above.

[radioone]

Shep??? I haven’t watched him since his CRAP coverage of Katrina.

[Mozilla]

Ah of course it has to come from the Liberal “We don’t f-ing torture” and The Birthers are crazy Shep.

[1951Boomer]

So has Axelgrease set up a little coffee klatch with Matt Drudge yet?

[stockpirate]

I noticed a change about a week ago on Fox News, this just confirms they sold out.

They are now advocating for the health care bill.

[danamco]

I was going to be in N.Y., so we got together for a cup of coffee.”

I am sure Roger Ailes "friendly" was told that the Glenn Beck's program is getting to warm, he has already be warned about mentioning the BC and other issues of the usurper's ineligibility!!!