Obama: Facts Minus Spin from Fox Would Be Good

In a follow-up to a live interview between President Barack Obama and Fox News host Bill O'Reilly that aired Sunday before the Super Bowl, Mr. Obama and O'Reilly spoke about the deficit, Afghanistan and Iran, among other things. The taped interview aired Monday during O'Reilly's show "The O'Reilly Factor."

Perhaps the most interesting part of the interview occurred when O'Reilly asked Mr. Obama to give his opinion of Fox News.

Mr. Obama said the most important thing O'Reilly and his colleagues could do was give viewers the facts. "Just the facts without the spin, I think, is something that would be good for everybody."

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He said he thought the opinion makers were where "a lot of the viewership gravitates."

"Do you think you are being treated fairly by Fox News now?" O'Reilly asked.

Mr. Obama answered, "I would say that the news guys I think try to do a good job." He added, "Fox News, I think, has a point of view. There's nothing wrong with that. There's a strong history in America of all news having some sort of point of view. And Fox News has a point of view and I think that's part of our democracy."

"Do you respect it?" asked O'Reilly.

"Absolutely," said Mr. Obama.

The meat of the interview, however, came from O'Reilly's questions about Mr. Obama's policies. For example, O'Reilly asked if Mr. Obama was confident that the United States would win in Afghanistan.

"I can say that we will defeat al Qaeda and that the Taliban will not be retaking Afghanistan," said Mr. Obama. He admitted that he can't say those things with 100 percent certainty.

When O'Reilly asked if Mr. Obama trusts Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, Mr. Obama said, "I trust that he cares about his country and cares about the relationship with the United States."

O'Reilly accused Mr. Obama of not speaking with urgency about the country's $14 trillion debt during the State of the Union. Mr. Obama seemed to take issue with that assessment.

"I think there was enormous urgency," he said. "We're proposing to cut $400 billion of spending over five years." He added, "We will get domestic spending to the lowest level as a share of [gross domestic product] since Eisenhower."

After O'Reilly implied there was some sleight of hand going on in Mr. Obama's numbers regarding the debt, Mr. Obama said, "The long term problem is entitlements." He said he's told the GOP he wants to work with them to solve the debt problem.

[swagner863]

Have you been living under a rock? Ever heard of MSNBC? Then there are their Liberal brothers and sisters... CBS, NBC, ABC, and baby sister CNN.

[love2ridend]

And MSNBC doesn't put a left spin on things? Spare me.

[formrusmcsgt]

Sure they do.

But spin and hate speak are not one in the same thing.

[Repubs=Lies]

Both put spin on the issues, we're ALL fortunate enough to hear it all and make OUR OWN decision. Hopefully most of you still read newspapers, or articles, or observe history before forming opinions. America's still free in spite of infighting.

[formrusmcsgt]

O'Reilly interrupted Obama 22 times in 15 minutes.

Says a lot, that does.

[shyann12]

I did mot hear OReilly accuse president Obama of anything. Katie Couric, of the original spin, tries for many Gotcha moments to make her own self look good. Bill OReilly knows what is going on and President Obama is an expert at organizing communities and was groomed for interviews since birth.We can all see and hear so most can decide whom they believe.Obama watches both Katie and Bill but he seems to be following Katie in announcing events that did not happen. Mubarrack has not resigned..

[34sender]

What? Most of your incoherent post is not even on the provable or unprovable level of ridiculous.

But, big what? Nobody announced that Mubarak had resigned, the reports only said it was assumed he would -- per various sources in Egypt.

I think you may need to get some REAL news.

[documemts]

Fox News without spin, you mean dead air?

[noloyalisti]

I can understand having disagreements with Obama, I have plenty (he is continuing the illegal and immoral wars and hired many, many of the corporate criminals who sank America as advisors).

But Fake News actually hates Obama because he is half black, educated and smart, and is not an extreme right wing loony tune (although he is pretty far right).

[noloyalisti]

Please explain that to me.

[noloyalisti]

Does anyone actually believe that the Republican Corporation Fox Propaganda Channel is anything but a front for American corporate terrorism? They seem to take the wrong side on every single issue from religion to war to corporate power, etc., etc., etc.

Maybe it is because they only hire firm father figure conservatives that have a wacked out world view.

[infantryman1968]

LOL!

Still doesent explain why our president is crying on TV because everyone is not on board with him.

Spare us.

[thinking-voter]

noloyalisti, you make some valid points. Reality is catching up to the father figure conservatives, just not nearly soon enough.

infantman, spare who? Do you suffer from multiple personalities or what? Also, you must have the new SoH confused for the POTUS. Boehner is the one with the neverending waterworks. Oh and crybaby Beck too. Man, those two be some serious weepers.

[miami_don]

By infantryman1968 February 10, 2011 9:31 AM EST

Obama: Facts Minus Spin from Fox Would Be Good

LOL!

aaaaaawwwwwwwwww is Fox picking on you? snif, choke,,snivel senivel.....

Spare us.

================

Dinky Dow Infantry, kinda of hoping for the "spare us" from FOX fans.

How do you feel about the question, is FOX News an entertainment channel or a news network?

Is it sensationalized news journalism? TV's "yellow journalism" channel? A news network that intentionally presents little or no legitimate well-researched news, and instead uses eye-catching headlines to increase market share?

http://www.lucasforums.com/archive/index.php/t-180853.html

"Simply put, their mantra is 'bad news sells/if it bleeds, it leads'...'I'd chalk it up to exploitation of peoples' morbid curiosity and (seemingly) increasingly shorter attention spans. Disasters are more likely to attract peoples' attention than someone's good deed (lest it be on an almost monumental scale) of the day" - Totenkopf, 07-28-2007, 1:59AM

Do not know Totenkopf but there is a lot of wisdom in the logic. Particularly the increasingly shorter attention spans: "aaaaaawwwwwwwwww is Fox picking on you? snif, choke,,snivel senivel"

Infantry??? You can do better than that, well, unless your taking power-hits down the barrel of that m97? Give some creditability to the logic FOX News is giving its viewers responsible journalism. (Put some meat on the table.)

[infantryman1968]

LOL!

Do you mean M79?

[desmndo]

Bill is a known sex offender. He was harassing a female colleague at Fox and they had to pay her alot of money to keep quiet. He is rude to his guests and is a sicko control freak. But the GOP unfortunately have been into this tactic on Fox and hate radio since their father Reagan who was also very hateful of many groups including black conservatives and native Americans and union members which Reagan was until the day he died. I don't see why any good American even listens to Fox or Rush or any of the other hate groups. It's only a matter of time until someone in an airport kick's bills ugly anti Muslim ass. Fox is a thing of the past. Wake up America. They want you down and dumb as they send even more jobs to Communist China but claim to be patriotic. And have you seen Newt and his wife Ditzy on the web. Wow.

[infantryman1968]

LOL!

So you think Fox was too hard on Obama. Interesting.

[kevjustice]

rupert pays beck, hannity, etc. millions to promote his right-wing views. they have their noses up rupert's as* so they can make big bucks.

[thinking-voter]

Agree with your assessment. However, Fox isn't working for funneling people into conservatism as he hoped. And now Rupert's favorite puppet got canceled on the Discovery channel.