BY Richard Sisk
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Monday, October 12th 2009, 2:07 AM
WASHINGTON - It's war.
The Obama administration declared Fox News - and its owner, reporters and commentators - shills for the President's Republican opponents Sunday.
"Let's not pretend they're a news network," White House communications director Anita Dunn said on CNN's "Reliable Sources," firing the latest salvo in the long-simmering feud.
"Fox News often operates almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party," Dunn said.
"What I think is fair to say about Fox, and certainly the way we view it, is that it really is more a wing of the Republican Party," she added.
White House officials have made no secret that they were incensed the network's coverage of the presidential race, and the bad karma has carried over.
President Obama last month dissed Rupert Murdoch's network by giving Sunday interviews to every TV network and cable outlet except Fox.
Michael Clemente, a Fox senior vice president, hit back that Team Obama is confusing news coverage with the sometimes incendiary opinions of Fox stars Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity.
"So, with all due respect to anyone who still might be confused about the difference between news reporting and vibrant opinion," Clemente said, "my suggestion would be to talk about the stories and the facts rather than attack the messenger which, over time, has never worked."
Dunn made clear that the White House doesn't like anything about Fox - news or opinion. Dunn charged that Fox gloated over the U.S. losing the chance to host the 2012 Olympics and mocked the Nobel Peace Prize award to Obama.
Fox is owned by Murdoch's News Corp., which also owns the New York Post.
Read more: White House: Fox News 'a wing of the Republican Party'
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Monday, October 12th 2009, 2:07 AM
WASHINGTON - It's war.
The Obama administration declared Fox News - and its owner, reporters and commentators - shills for the President's Republican opponents Sunday.
"Let's not pretend they're a news network," White House communications director Anita Dunn said on CNN's "Reliable Sources," firing the latest salvo in the long-simmering feud.
"Fox News often operates almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party," Dunn said.
"What I think is fair to say about Fox, and certainly the way we view it, is that it really is more a wing of the Republican Party," she added.
White House officials have made no secret that they were incensed the network's coverage of the presidential race, and the bad karma has carried over.
President Obama last month dissed Rupert Murdoch's network by giving Sunday interviews to every TV network and cable outlet except Fox.
Michael Clemente, a Fox senior vice president, hit back that Team Obama is confusing news coverage with the sometimes incendiary opinions of Fox stars Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity.
"So, with all due respect to anyone who still might be confused about the difference between news reporting and vibrant opinion," Clemente said, "my suggestion would be to talk about the stories and the facts rather than attack the messenger which, over time, has never worked."
Dunn made clear that the White House doesn't like anything about Fox - news or opinion. Dunn charged that Fox gloated over the U.S. losing the chance to host the 2012 Olympics and mocked the Nobel Peace Prize award to Obama.
Fox is owned by Murdoch's News Corp., which also owns the New York Post.
Read more: White House: Fox News 'a wing of the Republican Party'
