The fight for the Republican nomination is no longer just candidate versus candidate. It’s candidate versus Fox News.
Newt Gingrich became the latest Republican candidate to lash out at the cable news network, accusing it on Wednesday of dooming his flagging campaign by slanting its political coverage to Mitt Romney‘s benefit.
Mr. Gingrich quickly found that Fox News’s tenacity is a match for his own. The network shot back on Thursday, calling the former House speaker bitter.
The sniping started when Mr. Gingrich, a former Fox News commentator, told a gathering of Tea Party supporters in Delaware that Fox News had distorted its coverage of him. And he accused Rupert Murdoch, chairman of the network’s parent company, News Corporation, of pulling the strings behind the scenes. His comments were reported on Thursday morning by Real Clear Politics, which gained access to the Delaware event.
“I assume it’s because Murdoch at some point said, ‘I want Romney,’ and so ‘fair and balanced’ became ‘Romney,’ ” Gingrich was quoted as saying. “And there’s no question that Fox had a lot to do with stopping my campaign because such a high percentage of our base watches Fox.”
He went on to add: “In our experience, Callista and I both believe CNN is less biased than Fox this year. We are more likely to get neutral coverage out of CNN than we are of Fox, and we’re more likely to get distortion out of Fox. That’s just a fact.”
I never thought I would agree with Newt Gingrich, but he is right on this one. I have never known a news station to distort, twist and lie like Faux News. Fox and Friends is probably the worst. Kelly’s news isn’t much better. I don’t mind conservative news. I mind lies and spin. I am going to have to start checking out CNN more. It’s biggest problem is it just is dull. Faux News has good graphics and better lies. Maybe that’s the sell off. You have to go boring to get unbiased news.
I think NBC’s got Fox beat, with the distortion of the Zimmerman audio to help incite race war.
Anyway, get over it, Newt. The writing’s been on the wall for him for some time.
That’s very clever what you do with with the Fox/faux news! You changed a couple of letters around to totally change the meaning, yet leave the word looking close to the original! You’re a sly one!
Slow,
Moon has been doing this for “eons”. This was the best comment you could regale us with? Hmmm, I expect better sarcasm out of you.
I always thought the name Fox News was in reference to the relative attractiveness of the on-air “talent.”. More than enough reason to watch Fox News compared to the other networks.
@Kelly, are you referring to the T & A show they make sure is out there to give you chaps the news?
Ah, our readership did not disappoint.
When Newt decries bias, it must be there.
@Emma
At least NBC had the decency to fire someone over misrepresenting the facts. Faux News gives a bonus, don’t they? It appears that they are at least rewarded in some way for the best spin.
Newt Gingrich would adore Fox News had the network whispered sweet nothings in his ear. Newt just refuses to recognize what most of the American public have long known – he’s a legend in his own mind and hardly anyone else’s.
He used to be on the payroll. But that’s ok with me if he wanted to expose them for what they are.
And you have to admit, it is just as clever the five-thousandth time as it was the first!
Newt’s still running?
I thought he was selling Amway to prop up Newt, Inc.