A Peaceful, Easy Feeling

One of Ann Althouse’s commenters quips, “He gets the Nobel Peace Prize one week, the next week he’s declaring war on Fox News and gay bloggers.”

The former have begun to fire back at Anita “Ron Ziegler” Dunn. First up, in video form, here’s Brit Hume:

So I’m hearing an awful lot about how the White House communications director hates Fox, really, really hates Fox. Anita Dunn saying, and I think I got this quote right, “Let’s not pretend they’re a news network.” She just said that on CNN after saying the same to Time magazine. Lately, it’s been her schtick, her game.

So, Ms. Dunn, let’s continue playing it, shall we? Let’s pretend you’re serious. Let’s pretend you’re not a tad, oh I don’t know, thin-skinned. Let’s pretend you get your facts straight on whether we thoroughly reported Republican Nevada Senator John Ensign’s affair which we did, or only trash Democrats and not Republicans, which we do not. Let’s pretend you are open to criticism. Let’s pretend you see alternative points of view on healthcare. Let’s pretend when someone opposes your view, they might have a point and when you simply refuse to accept it, you’re the one who may not have a clue. Let’s pretend you have a memory and recall Fox programs like this one disparaging last year’s financial rescues and whether they were pouring good money after bad. Let’s pretend you know history and recall that a Republican was in the White House back then, and a Republican treasury secretary refused to come on this very show back then. Let’s pretend you are aware that on Fox Business shows, in particular, this isn’t about this president or the last president. This is about your money, our money, all of our money. Let’s pretend you are interested in that and not dismissing that.

Let’s pretend you work for the President of the United States and not some left-wing blog in the United States. Let’s pretend you are as big as the historic place you work and not as petty as the less than historic words you spout. And let’s pretend you care about all of our independent viewers and aren’t being just careless about those viewers’ cares. So let’s pretend you’re focused on the issues that matter and not the petty squabbles that do not, just as we should pretend you’re not overwrought and snapping. Maybe you’re just overworked and snippy.

(Newsbusters has video of Cavuto’s rebuttal.)

To borrow from the rhetoric of master strategist Virgil “The Turk” Sollozzo, Roger L. Simon believes that the don is slipping:

For a guy who just won the Nobel Peace Prize, Barack Obama is sure suddenly playing rough with his enemies.

First he goes after his left flank, sending out minions to accuse liberal bloggers who criticized his administration on gay issues of being pajama-clad children or something; now he’s going after the right-wing devil-incarnate — Fox News – all in less than two days.

Wow, things must be pretty insecure Chez Obama. Wouldn’t it have been easier to fire Axelrod or Emanuel (pick one)? This strategy, seemingly ripped from the Clinton-Morris-triangulation playbook, actually appears weak in this instance. And if I were Roger Ailes, I’d be laughing up my sleeve. As Brit Hume just said on the network, Fox News may be the most powerful of the cable news outlets, but it has nowhere near the power of the presidency. Having the executive branch go after it, just puts Fox on the same plane as the president.

But that’s Media 101. Why did these supposedly smart guys not know that? Or am I missing something? Perhaps, I am, but I doubt it. Obama looks to be ‘runnin’ scared,’ as they used to say in the Village Voice. His healthcare program – or is it Max Baucus’ – is taking body blows. It could crash and burn or diminish to so little not even the slavish MSM will be able to find anything good to say about it. And then what’s left? Cap-and-trade? Given the way global warming currents have been cooling, I wouldn’t place any heavy bets on that – or any bets at all.

So I can see why the Obama people are slashing around, firing frantically in all directions. But at times like this especially, they should realize it’s necessary “to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” I’m surprised those guys from Chicago, of all places, didn’t read The Godfather more closely.

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning president is certainly comfortable with its rhetoric; does he view the book as a how-to guide?

Update: Related thoughts from Ronald Radosh.