There was a time when I bought into the Fox News claim of “Fair and Balanced.” That time has come to an end, with their decision to cut the coverage of President Obama’s “Open Discussion Across the Aisle.” Apparently, Fox didn’t like to see Obama getting the best of the discussion, so they cut it short and went on to their “fair and balanced” analysis. Personally, I’ve had enough of their tactics.

This isn’t about who is right or allegiance to a political party (I am registered as an Independent, and I practice as such.) It is about allowing an open forum and protecting the public’s freedom to hear all sides of an issue. Media Matters put up this article about the issue and included this remark from Amy Terkel:

President Obama held a candid, face-to-face conversation with House Republicans today at their annual retreat in Baltimore. After Obama gave his remarks, he had to answer tough questions from Republican lawmakers about health care, the budget, taxes, and other issues. Although the riveting exchange lasted over an hour, both CNN and MSNBC aired the entire event.

However, at 1:11 p.m. ET – when there was still 20 minutes left to go – Fox News decided to cut away and begin its commentary. Anchor Trace Gallagher’s immediate reaction was that Obama was being too “combative” and “lecturing” – like he was at his State of the Union address. [Think Progress, 1/29/10]