Feud not mentioned in Obama's Fox interview

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-11-19 10:36

NEW YORK: Fox News Channel correspondent Major Garrett called himself a "conscientious objector" in his network's fight with the White House after a brief interview with President Barack Obama Wednesday during which the topic never came up.

Obama talked about the economy, health care, South Korean trade, former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and, in the interview's most newsworthy moment, said that Israel's effort to build settlements in an area claimed by Palestinians complicates efforts to start peace talks.

It was the president's first interview with Rupert Murdoch-owned Fox since the summer. In the meantime, the network and administration were in a well-publicized fight after the White House's then-communications director, Anita Dunn, called Fox "a wing of the Republican Party."

While on his Asian trip on Wednesday, Obama also gave interviews to CNN, NBC and CBS.

Garrett, Fox's senior White House correspondent, described the backstage atmosphere as "very calm, very rational, very relaxed.

"Look, I wasn't going to litigate whatever it was that was going on between Fox and the White House," Garrett said. "Whether it was a war or not, I was always a conscientious objector in the conflict."

He said it was his goal to cover as many topics as possible in the 10 minutes set aside for the talk. He asked Obama what criticism has made him a better leader (the president talked about differing views in his deliberations over Afghanistan war policies), and whether he planned to read Palin's new book.

"I probably will not," he said. "But I wish her well."

White House spokesman Joshua Earnest said the administration had no comment about Garrett and Obama's talk.

Fox aired the interview in its entirety during Bret Baier's newscast, then Baier moderated a panel with three Fox contributors discussing it.