(CNN) – Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes isn't holding back when it comes to his opinion of President Obama, saying in a recent interview that he espouses a version of "socialism…too far left" even for some European countries.
"The president has not been very successful," Ailes told Howard Kurtz, the Washington Bureau Chief for the Daily Beast and a CNN contributor. "He just got kicked from Mumbai to South Korea, and he came home and attacked Republicans for it. He had to be told by the French and the Germans that his socialism was too far left for them to deal with."
The comments constituted part of Ailes' argument that Fox News is a fair and balanced news network that criticizes the president not because he is a Democrat but because the network merely reflects the fact that Obama "just has a different belief system than most Americans."
Meanwhile, Ailes added that it has always been his network's policy to "be more direct" in challenging commander-in-chiefs, no matter their party affiliation.
He also suggested the rest of the news media is only now beginning to report accurately on the president.
"He's had 3,000 press secretaries since he got into office," Ailes also said. (For the record, Robert Gibbs has been Obama's only press secretary so far.) "He's making it harder for the press to make him look good. When the press falls in love, they fall in love hard. They're like teenagers in love. It's like the old Frankie Lymon song, 'Why Do Fools Fall in Love?'"
Ailes also came to former President George W. Bush's defense, saying Obama has relentlessly attacked the "poor guy."
"This poor guy, sitting down on his ranch clearing brush, gained a lot of respect for keeping his mouth shut. I literally never heard an Obama speech that didn't blame Bush," he said.
From CNN Politics
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what a jerk. He must be off his mess.
and you are a liar and an idiot who knows good and well that obama is no socialist but who will say anything no matter how blatently false to advance your right wing company's poltical agenda. you are a disgrace to your profession.
A big problem with Bush's presidency was that he spent so much of it clearing brush in Crawford. Guess he was busy doing that when he missed the NSA warnings about 9/11. The only President to take off more vacation time than Bush was Reagan.
How can Ailes call Bush the "poor guy?" How about the "poor American citizens" who had their country destroyed during his reign? He needlessly invaded Iraq murdering about 4500 Americans, not to mention the numerous thousands of Iraqis. He, along with Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rove should be in Leavenworth for war crimes.
Bush inherited a surplus from Clinton and turned it into a huge deficit. He destroyed our economy because of the war, deregulation, overspending and tax cuts - primarily for the wealthy.
Ailes does not run a "fair and balanced" network by a long stretch. It is as far right-wing as possible.
"Meanwhile, Ailes added that it has always been his network's policy to "be more direct" in challenging commander-in-chiefs, no matter their party affiliation."
Was this man born when "W" was in power? If he is fair and balanced why didn't he challenge him when he matched the entire nation to Iraq!
What was that Mr. Ailes? I couldn't hear you for the jackbooted brown shirts goosestepping behind you. Oh wait, that was your "news staff". Sorry. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish between your crew and those with similar mindsets that dominated politics in the 30s and 40s Germany.
Fair, balanced, and accurate.
What else would one expect from Roger Ailes? He wants the world to think like he does and equates that to the general thinking of Americans. Left or right of what are we talking? Does he or his bummer employees even know a thing or two about what life is all about? Socialism is a term that can be concocted to mean whatever like he and his croonies at the network have done. I am not defending Obama but he has certainly tried to protect millions of people from being unemployed. Fair and balance what? Lies of all magnitude and dimensions are spewed from his network in the name of news. Roger Ailes does not even have the guts to say his rhetoric are made up due to his beliefs and not because of Obama does. Obama should never had supported any bailouts or stimulus and let millions be unemployed while killing the car companies, banks, insurance companies and in its wake the whole economy. He would have been a lot stronger politically had he done that. His stupidity is what has caused him the wrath of the likes of Ailes.
wow porky the pig runs fox news
i wondered where he went
Ailes is hardly impartial. His ignorance of what truly is "left" of center politically is astounding. He doesn't even know the history of the Socialist party in his own damn country, let alone the definition of Socialism... let alone who is the only Press Sec. Obama has ever had. What a joke.
No wonder Fox gets every fact wrong in its reporting, they have this guy running the show. He managed to be factually wrong on everything he just said. It would be funny if the guy didn't run the most powerful and influential media group in the country!
The King of the Crazies attacks Obama with made-up facts...and this is news? What ELSE would he have possibly said?
Just sad.
"This poor guy, sitting down on his ranch clearing brush, gained a lot of respect for keeping his mouth shut." Right. Someone please find me anyone poor associated with the FOX station. Go lose 100lbs and then come back and talk to us.
No, really??? Roger Ales hates Obama?? Can't be true. His cable channel only disses Obama 24/7 – 365. This headline must be a mistake. This hateful S.O.B. gave the Repugnantcants $1,000,000 Dollars (or at least NewsCorp. did under Rupert Murdoch, another handsome fellow) so why are we not surprised.
Is this true?
Ailes is a D!ck. Who gives sh!it what he pretends to think? He lies like every other Conservitive "News" Pundit. When has Fox EVER Confronted ANY Republican, let alone their President. Fock off Fux News!!!
He's right about the love thing. Faux News is totally in love with that twit Palin!
This man is physically and mentally disgusting. When did Fox News ever report accurately about the Bush/Cheney fiasco of an administration. He's bascially just another fascist-inclined right-winger who also needs to learn what the word "facts" means.
He talks about challenging the commander in chief no matter the affliliation and then goes on to parade Bush's name like Bush was his lost love. Fairly unbalanced is more like it. Its guys like this that have no grasp of reality.
What an idiot.
Right, a Presidential candidate proposing 42.5% as the top tax rate is "socialist". Like Reagan-who proposed 50%.
Mind you, as a President, Obama hasn't even implemented that campaign idea. He's left that top rate at 35%.
So if the Fox News Prez claims a President is "socialist" for suggesting a top income tax rate of 42.5% only to leave it at 35%, when the great conservative icon Reagan set that rate at 50%, how can we conclude anything other than the Fox News Prez is an idiot?
Ailes is an idiot that I'm sure makes the Great Walter Cronkite turnover in his grave. He should continue not to speak.
Didn't Germany and France blow off Obama's attempt to get them to spend more in their countries? I believe the answer is yes! Interesting how socialist Europe is now moving away from socialism while we are pointed in the direction! What do they know that our leaders don't seem to grasp?
why does he look so much like rush?
What a shocking turn of events. Fox Pres makes up an easily verifiable "fact" about President Obama? Say it ain't so.
Is this a political ad? I thought the election was over? At least give us a few weeks with no smear ads!
No wonder their "reporters" feel no need to stick to facts and truth.