White House Officials Continue Their Offensive with Fox News

Leading White House advisers took the offense today in their battle with Fox News by putting on a blitz on the morning news shows.

Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel told CNN's John King on "State of the Union" that Fox "is not a news organization so much as it has a perspective."

"It’s not so much a conflict with Fox News. I suppose the way to look at it and the way … the president looks at it, we look at it is: It’s not a news organization so much as it has a perspective. And that’s a different take. And more importantly, is not have the CNNs and the others in the world basically be led in following Fox, as if what they’re trying to do is a legitimate news organization …

"While it’s clear what the White House and what [White House communications director]Anita [Dunn] said, I mean the concentration of the White House isn’t about what Fox is doing. It’s a concentration about what does it take to make sure the economy’s moving, creating jobs, helping the economy grow, making sure that we responsibly withdraw from Iraq, making sure the decisions we make on Afghanistan: We ask the questions before we go ahead first into 20 - 40,000 more troops on the line, and America’s reputation, … it’s young men and women, and its resources — that’s what’s occupying the decisions and the time in the White House.”

White House senior adviser David Axelrod told George Stephanopoulos today on ABC's "This Week" that Fox News isn't a real news organization.

"Mr. [Rupert] Murdoch has a talent for making money, and I understand that their programming is geared toward making money. The only argument Anita was making is that they’re not really a news station if you watch even — it’s not just their commentators, but a lot of their news programming.

"It’s really not news — it’s pushing a point of view. And the bigger thing is that other news organizations like yours ought not to treat them that way, and we’re not going to treat them that way. We’re going to appear on their shows. We’re going to participate but understanding that they represent a point of view.”