Slobbering Media Relics Offer Advice to Dear Leader

With Barack Obama mired in an intractable quagmire with his disastrous War on Fox News, concerned media types are rushing to his aid, offering solace and worldly wisdom built up over decades of fawning over Democrats. First today we have Clarence Page in the Chicago Tribune lamenting Obama's foolish decision to unilaterally attack Fox without thinking it through. Page comes to a conclusion that will no doubt be met with much scorn and ridicule by the hard left: Fox indeed is a real news organization.

But love Fox or hate it, it is a major news channel. Fox's credibility got a boost from two recent scoops that eventually caused other media to play catch-up: They hounded "green jobs" czar Van Jones into resigning, mainly because years earlier he signed a loony 9/11 "truther" petition, and they crusaded against the poor people's activist group ACORN, famously assisted by two young conservative freelance undercover reporters.

So the White House is pushing back. The administration's real goal: raise questions with other reporters so they'll double-check anything they hear on Fox before they run with it. Try to isolate and marginalize Fox's voice. Cut off Fox's influence before it blossoms into the rest of the mainstream media.

It's the sort of strategy that pops up when you're in campaign mode, a mode to which Obama's team is intimately familiar. But there also comes a time to ignore the yammering from the press box and pick up the olive branches of negotiations, compromise and reconciliation.

That was the big take-away in Sen. Lamar Alexander's thoughtful speech last week. The Tennessee Republican, who worked for President Richard Nixon, cautioned Obama against creating a Nixon-like "enemies list" of media, industry or congressional adversaries. That's a wise warning, even if the "list" in Obama's case appears to have only one name on it.

Page's advice? Hire someone like David Gergen, a make-believe Republicans who always manages to fit right in with Democrats and low-rated cable networks.

Now while Page mildly scolds Obama, over at CNN we get the tagteam of Helen Thomas and Craig Crawford putting together their 187 years of Washington experience and flushing it down the toilet with an embarrassing Veteran reporter's 5 lessons for Obama, something that reads like a love note from a heartbroken bobby-soxer.

A few choice cuts.

Harry Truman famously said that if you want a friend in Washington, "Get a dog."

Uh, Helen, you might have been asleep that month, but Obama did get a dog. It took months and months, but indeed, he did get one.

He doesn't have a new church yet, but I'm sure he's working on it.

You are not perfect, Mr. President. So don't pretend that you are and hide the bad stuff. If you are still smoking, say so directly, and openly share your struggle with the public.

He's not perfect? Heresy!

Yes, I can see where Obama mans up and admits he's still sucking down the Kools. But what will that do to the entire cottage industry devoted to telling us he's some sort of fitness freak?

There are many avenues for a president to get the message out -- through the news media, addresses to the nation and going on the stump. You will regret using those methods to avoid tough questions, distort the truth or try to spin away your problems. It might take a while, but the public will one day catch on.

Uh, Helen, have you had a look at his approval ratings lately? Trust me, sweetie, we've caught on.

The theme of your campaign was summed up by the title of one of your books, "The Audacity of Hope." You've given us hope, Mr. President. Now show us the audacity.

Isn't that nice, he's given her hope, but we're lacking the audacity! But can't we just live on the Hope?

Thomas and Crawford wrap it up with the vision thing, whatever it really is supposed to mean.

The port you seek, Mr. President, is your vision. Those who take this lightly do so at their peril.

But even the most inspirational vision is just talk if not combined with action.

Now is the time to fill in the blanks, Mr. President. The excitement and newness of your presidency has worn off. Turn your vision into reality. Show us that you can deliver results.

Remember now, these are allegedly objective reporters. They may as well be the local chapter leaders of the Obama Fan Club.