The Fox News Channel has been drawing a steady stream of criticism for its decision to exclude Ron Paul from their planned January 6 debate in New Hampshire. Today, conservative strategist and author Richard Viguerie joined the protest against Fox:
"I am dismayed that the Fox News Channel apparently plans to bar Ron Paul from its January 6 presidential debate. I have not yet declared my support for any candidate, but I find this action inexcusable. "Roger Ailes, the president of Fox News, is a brilliant political operative and businessman. In his 2003 interview with Broadcasting & Cable magazine, he said, in regard to liberal bias in the mainstream news media:"Bias has to do with the elimination of points of view, not presenting a point of view."
Viguerie notes that Fox plans to include Fred Thompson in the proceedings, despite the fact that Paul has been outpolling Thompson, and, as reported earlier, even bedeviling the McCain campaign with his "spoiler" status. Back in November, George Will predicted that Paul would post a double-digit finish in New Hampshire.
However, Viguerie's beef with Fox is not restricted to their treatment of Ron Paul. Toward the end of his statement, he notes "disturbing" trends at Fox, and lobs this critique: "Fox News itself apparently wants to limit the GOP discussion to variations on a Neocon theme of perpetual war for perpetual big government."