In a new post on the official White House blog, an administration official specifically names Fox News for lying about the administration’s push to bring the Olympics to Chicago.
“Last night Fox News continued its disregard for the facts,” the post begins, “in an attempt to smear the Administration’s efforts to win the Olympics for the United States.”
The author, White House online programs director Jesse Lee, goes on to point out several quotes from Glenn Beck, which it says are lies, and the truth behind them. (“Rhetoric: Beck said Vancouver lost $1 billion when it ‘had the Olympics.’ … Reality: Vancouver’s Olympics Will Not Take Place Until 2010.”)
“In the past, hosting the Olympics has been a source of pride and unity for the country, but once again Fox News’ Glenn Beck program has shown that nothing is worthy of respect if it can be used as part of a partisan attack to boost ratings,” Lee writes.
The post ends with a link to Politifact, “for even more Fox lies.”
The Obama administration has notably chilly relations with Fox. Earlier this month, the Fox network declined to run President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress (although Fox News did). White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs took a shot at the network in an appearance on Fox and Friends. About two weeks later, Obama snubbed Fox News Sunday when he made a Sunday show media blitz.
And it’s not surprising the White House is targeting Beck, who in July called the President a “racist” and said he “has a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture.”
