NewsHounds
We watch Fox so you don't have to!
  • Home
  • About
  • Archives
  • Forum
  • Blogroll
  • Donate
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
Home →

At End Of Interview, Dana Perino Tells George W. Bush She’s His ‘Biggest Fan’

Posted by Ellen -7859.80pc on May 04, 2013 · Flag

You didn’t need to watch any of Fox’s coverage of the opening of the George W. Bush presidential library last week to know that it would be slobbering and a blatant example of Fox News Republican Rehab. But I think Fox may have reached a new high (or low, depending on your point of view) in its GOP PR machine with its choice of former Bush press secretary - and current co-host of The Five - Dana Perino to host a tour of the library and a lengthy interview with Bush. The fact that Perino told Bush on the air that she’s his “biggest fan” pretty much said it all. Especially since she must have had some stiff competition among her FNC colleagues.

Don’t get me wrong, I actually like Perino. She’s the only one on The Five (and that includes “liberal” Bob Beckel) whose opinion I usually find interesting. She’s probably the only Fox News host whom I feel is genuine and thoughtful in her comments and doesn’t use her platform as an excuse to showboat with hate mongering. However, as a former employee of Bush 43 and as someone who has said that Bush is “in some ways like a second father to me, a very good friend,” she’s hardly an ideal choice for a news organization as the host of an interview with a controversial president like Bush, especially one that always boasts about being “fair and balanced.” I doubt anybody wondered if the words “Hurricane Katrina” or “Cindy Sheehan” would be uttered.

Still, I was dumbfounded at the final exchange in the special, which is caught in the clip below.

Perino asked Bush, “Who is your biggest fan?”

Bush laughed and said, “Mila,” referring to his newly-born granddaughter.

“No, it’s me.” Perino looked adoringly at him.

Bush put his arm around her. “My sweet press secretary.”

The clip below is from a preview on The Five of the hour-long special Perino hosted. So it was very telling that the producers wanted to highlight this particular bit of doting again. But wait, there's more.

After the preview, as Perino tossed back to Beckel in The Five's studio, she teared up.

“Can I ask you a question?” Beckel began. Think it was about WMD’s? Warnings about an Al Qaeda attack before 9/11 that the Bush administration discounted and ignored? No, “liberal” Beckel said, “As you well know, as much as a disagreement I had with President Bush, I’ve always admired what he did in Africa and I was glad to see that that was (in) that piece. …Do you think enough people recognize how many lives were saved in that continent as a result of that?” 

Fox News: where endless affection for Republicans is "balanced" by endless hatred of Democrats.

Follow @NewsHounds

Follow @NewsHoundEllen


Do you like this post?
Tweet

Showing 10 reactions



    Review the site rules
Kevin Koster commented 2013-05-05 17:29:10 -0400 · Flag
I actually don’t have a problem with Perino doing this interview or expressing her affection for Bush. She was a member of his staff and has never pretended to be an impartial commenter. Given that, I can see why she would do this. And it’s obvious why Fox News, in the midst of trying to rehab Bush’s image, would pick her to do the interview.

That said, I agree that if MSNBC had an Obama staffer interview him in 2020, say, Fox News would scream at the top of their lungs about it.
Anne-claire Souza commented 2013-05-05 10:48:40 -0400 · Flag
Poor Dana Perino nothing but a vacuum headed ass kisser.
Joseph West commented 2013-05-05 01:14:43 -0400 · Flag
I wonder, if NBC were to get Chelsea Clinton to do a similar interview with either her mother or father, what would FoxNoise’s reaction be to the (highly likely) “softball” questions regarding the policies they pursued in their roles as First Lady-then-Sec’y of State and as President? Somehow, I can’t see FoxNoise letting that go unchallenged.

Of course, when one of THEIR employees gives an on-air JeffGannon to the man who was that employee’s former boss, well, then, that’s 1000% different.
Aria Prescott commented 2013-05-04 17:35:57 -0400 · Flag
*She’s probably the only Fox News host whom I feel is genuine and thoughtful in her comments and doesn’t use her platform as an excuse to showboat with hate mongering. *

I used to feel that way about Shep Smith, before he lost the filter on what comes out of his mouth. He still has more political fairness than the rest of Fox, but he’d profess his love for cake if he saw one while shooting a segment.

As for putting more thought into her comments, and refraining from hate mongering… when I first started following Fox, she was like watching cutaway gags. She didn’t stay on subject, and half of it, you honestly weren’t sure if she said it on purpose. I’ll give her that she at least sounds like someone I’d believe was a WH Press Secretary now.
Mike Larkin commented 2013-05-04 17:19:59 -0400 · Flag
Spit or swallow?
mj - the same one commented 2013-05-04 16:35:53 -0400 · Flag
At End Of Interview, Dana Perino Tells George W. Bush She’s His ‘Biggest Fan’

Hell, Dana; you didn’t need to say so.

That much was evident when you claimed there were “no terrorist attacks on US soil under George W. Bush” . . .

.
Sandman2 commented 2013-05-04 15:11:37 -0400 · Flag
How did that oral sex interview get past the censors?
truman commented 2013-05-04 14:22:28 -0400 · Flag
If Dumbya’s library was a true reflection of his failed Presidency, it would be a cheap A-frame built with toilet paper and held together by chewing gum.

The 9/11 attack on US soil, a two-trillion dollar Muslim war waged over non-existent WMDs, the drowning of New Orleans and the Great Recession of 2008. Dumbya’s tarnished legacy will rival that of Warren Harding.

As fawning as Dana’s infomercial was, it is no worse than the BJ that Dumbya received routinely from KKKlannity, Van Suckup, Craputo and Shit Fumes.
Valerie Martin commented 2013-05-04 14:07:35 -0400 · Flag
O! yes! There are only rainbows and butterflies inside the bush bubble!!
Dana has also said we were NEVER attacked on Dubya’s watch!
Outside the bubble, Americans see the truth. Dubya was the worst President in recent history.
NewsHounds posted about At End Of Interview, Dana Perino Tells George W. Bush She’s His ‘Biggest Fan’ on NewsHounds' Facebook page 2013-05-04 14:01:04 -0400
As Fox News endlessly attacks Obama over Benghazi and Boston, it completely ignores Bush administration missteps over Iraq and those intel warnings about 9/11. Which mistakes cost more American blood and treasure?








or sign in with Facebook or email.
Follow @NewsHounds on Twitter
Subscribe with RSS


We’ve updated our Privacy Policy
Sign in with Facebook, Twitter or email.
Created with NationBuilder