Reporting on swine flu, Fox omits GOP role in delaying HHS Sec. confirmation

[babylonsister]

Fox omits Republican role in Sebelius confirmation delay

Summary: Reporting that "President Obama went golfing and the Department of Health and Human Services is short a secretary, so other U.S. officials took the controls" dealing with the swine flu, FoxNews.com omitted Senate Republicans' role in delaying Kathleen Sebelius' nomination as HHS secretary.

In an April 26 article on the government response to the swine flu, FoxNews.com omitted the fact that Senate Republicans have delayed a vote on the nomination of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as secretary of Health and Human Services and misrepresented an exchange during an April 26 White House press briefing to suggest the administration may have held the briefing to distract from President Obama's golfing that day.

Fox News.com reported that "President Obama went golfing and the Department of Health and Human Services is short a secretary, so other U.S. officials took the controls Sunday as the Obama administration ramps up efforts to find and isolate U.S. cases of swine flu." Referring to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's recent announcement that the government was declaring a public health emergency regarding the swine flu, the FoxNews.com article further reported, "Ordinarily, such an announcement would have been made with the secretary of Health and Human services present. But Obama's nominee, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, is still awaiting confirmation from the U.S. Senate, which is expected to vote this week." The article added: " Gibbs said the effort to get a team in place to respond to the health scare has not been hindered by the lack of a secretary at HHS, a vacancy in the surgeon general's post or the acting roles for the heads of the Food and Drug Administration and CDC." But FoxNews.com did not note that Sebelius is "awaiting confirmation" because Republican senators objected to holding a vote on her nomination on April 23. Indeed, the Associated Press reported that day: "The head of the Republican Party called on President Barack Obama to withdraw Kathleen Sebelius' nomination as health secretary unless she answers more questions on abortion." A Senate vote is currently scheduled for April 28 with 60 votes needed for confirmation.

more...

http://mediamatters.org/items/200904270001?f=h_top

[librechik]

1. darn! If only Obama had nominated a good Republican like Newt

or maybe even Lieberman--

There's be no swine flu today, you betcha!

[madrchsod]

2. why do the republicans want to kill us?

[KamaAina]

3. Reporting on swine flu, Fox also omits GOP role in stripping flu pandemic funding from stimulus

courtesy of Sen. Susan Collins, hereinafter referred to as "Swine Flu Sue".

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5544773&mesg_id=5544773

[babylonsister]

4. "Swine Flu Sue" -- -- love it! nt

[3waygeek]

BBC America just repeated Fox's omission...

suggesting that Obama hasn't gotten around to appointing a HHS Secretary.

[3waygeek]

5. BBC America just repeated Fox's omission...

suggesting that Obama hasn't gotten around to appointing a HHS Secretary.