Media attention to president's 'kill list'

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President Obama is personal oversight of a terrorist kill list.

It made headlines this week so how did the muse media handled the release of this story.

Let's talk about it would Judith in the world or Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter and -- -- and power is a columnist for the Daily Beast both of them Fox News contributors.

This rather extraordinary series in the New York Times talks about the fact that the president himself.

Puts his stamp of approval on the names.

Of the people who get targeted for drone strikes -- First of all the existence of the list maybe not a surprise.

But the paper -- obviously had some.

Access to top administration officials to write this story and.

And not just that paper not just the New York Times John it was all so.

Newsweek magazine which had actually came out a day before the New York Times -- just a very similar story.

About the existence of the list in the president's assertive role.

In screening the names of deciding who gets to live -- who gets to die.

This was definitely.

Spoon fed.

Report to these reporters say that the White House wanted this story out -- wanna -- explain this program and it did so in the best possible light.

-- -- -- -- Yeah I don't know I don't think they wanted to explain the program as much as they wanted to cast the president in this very decisive.

Aggressive light which is what they did.

I've had this exact same information come out and of the Bush Administration right now people will be trying.

Would be actually having.

Calls to try George Bush for war crimes I mean there's no question you know with the reading this that the way that it was cast in such a positive light.

When the President Obama as a candidate probably would have condemned this happened but it.

-- -- well -- the irony here is so thick I mean this is the president who condemned it.

George Bush and his CIA for putting Khalid Sheikh Mohammed through waterboarding right we're talking about as far as I know Khalid Sheikh Mohamed is still a lot.

-- he's still alive and there were three people who are subjected to waterboarding that the Bush Administration has acknowledged.

-- dozens dozens of people some of whom -- Americans who have been killed.

By President Obama and only left to it and totally silent it's okay additional terrorism suspects you just can't go to war or anomaly that he's this he's expanded the definition of one militant is she really include.

A walk a wide -- people who were very likely or not guilty of anything.

So it's not just they -- bargaining unit people who.

May be chair terrorist through that they -- -- -- that also civilians are being killed so why is the left not out rioting in the streets over the and -- -- And on the on the foreign policy issues there are handful -- people Glenn Greenwald at salon has -- the lone voice in the forest.

Really being intellectually honest about this.

While you actually have a lot of liberals coming out not only not condemning.

But approving.

Of -- which is just beyond outrageous when you consider the types of attacks were made against George Bush which I think -- accurate.

But that now President Obama is using the same -- -- he was.

Can you know.

So this is this list is apparently discussed every Tuesday in the White House there are two dozen of the nation's top counterterrorism people there.

And at least two of them apparently verified all of the facts in these articles.

Too -- to the reporter so you've got.

I don't know I don't know who these people are but a couple of the top terror and counterterrorism.

People in the country are talking -- the press about.

Right Tom O'Donnell in his the president's national security advisor went on the record.

Quoted about the program and why it was essential why it was important.

And how what was protecting us and you look the president has a very tough record on counterterrorism it's a record he can be proud of there hasn't been a strike since 9/11 in the White House once amplify it absolutely and why not it is an election season but.

Let's not pretend that there wasn't to certain benefit to the White House in getting this information out now let's talk.

About another and campaign related issue campaign surrogates they play a big role in this presidential race.

Seems some of them lately have let their thoughts get in the way of the message.

We're talking about well Bill Clinton for instance went on national television and said hey I don't have a problem with me.

Don't call me Shirley murdered right and what's going -- the aisle that under un helpful thank -- well not so good to right.

-- didn't get them now that has.

Yeah you've also got Cory Booker the mayor of Newark who knew him was the first one who.

Really left.

The black and you -- -- lot of people but it won't -- -- that this thing is that all these people have in common is that they have a close relationship with Wall Street and and with that with that with the people who are in private equity and I think that they're probably just covering their their own.

Flank.

It.

The president and President Clinton I'm sure receives a lot of donations for his foundation from from these types of people also.

I it doesn't surprise me that he would come to their defense.

But I think that.

It it does definitely undermine.

That and the argument that the Obama administration is making so why aren't -- big screaming headlines you know mr.

President Obama you were wrong I don't know well I think there is there is a kind of -- position within the Democratic Party and even within the president's camp about whether or not these attacks on Bain Capital and on Wall Street are really very helpful whether or not they're going to.

A dry up sources of funding I mean there were many many people who were very I'm comfortable with this mode of attack they felt that it was going to undermine.

The reelection prospects and I don't think that that issue was really been settled as we've seen from the kind of weak performance of the surrogates they will not stick to the message -- ironic that on the very day the president was attacking Bain Capital he was having a big fund raiser with a bunch of his venture capitalists in New York City.

Yeah to pharaonic me he's already started say -- -- previously was that the Democrats were getting more money from Wall Street people and now because of what they've what Wall Street feels are the attacks against Wall Street by the administration and by the Democrats are already trying to -- the money back all right.

-- power is Judy Miller thank you both be sure to catch news watch tomorrow.

2:30 eastern time we cover the coverage of the big stories of the week right here on Fox News champ.

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Media attention to president's 'kill list'

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