thanks to my panel. we hope to see you right here next week. on fox news watch, a plan to eliminate al-qaeda bad guys as congress and the press out ranged, but why? a nominee gets a grilling from the senate. >> you are going to be a great supreme court justice. >> did the press learn anything? the presidents health care plan is making headlines. murder in the south shakes a florida town and presses plays a roll in the investigation. the media cheered when americans landed on the moon. are they still cheering today? >> on the panel this week, jane hall of the american university. bill salmon and managing editor of fox washington bureau, jim pinkerton, fox forum contractor

and judy miller. i'm john scott and fox news watch is on right now. >> i think that it's behooves the committee to take whatever actions they believe are necessary to get more information on that subject as to whether the intelligence community was directed by the vice president to create a program and intentionally withhold that information from congress. >> nancy pelosi talking about reports that the c.i.a. had developed an anti-terrorist proposal to train assassination teams to take out al-qaeda leaders. the plan initially had been hidden from members of congress it is alleged at the instruction of vice president cheney. they reported the plan on monday

after c.i.a. director leon paneta informed the congress that he had scrapped the plan. the plan had been on and off since 2001. leon paneta found out about it he cancels it but immediately it's in the press. is it any wonder there are people he wanted to keep it secret? >> that's true. but the timing is this. the republicans were about to rest recollect nancy pelosi accusing the c.i.a. of lying to her. they were going to use the opportunity of the intel authorization bill. to head that off, democrats jumped up and said, couple weeks ago paneta briefed us about secret program. think was from khairn any. so the focus now is talking about the evils of cheney. >> media manipulation? >> i think the media has

swallowed hook, line and sinker. >> think the media has not bought it. from the ufg ton post on the left to andrew mccarthy and national review everybody is raising questions about what is the big deal here. this was a plan, into the program. the president signed an executive order. it's been known since 2001. what is going on here? >> it was in the washington post on october 28th, 2001, six weeks after 9/11. most americans after 9/11 and frankly to this day would want to know that we're out there trying to kill bin laden and all the rest of them. i think was the real story here is that the democrats in the house led by the ultimate san francisco democrat nancy pelosi have a hatred for dick cheney and the new jersey community overall. this is mindless attempt to

throw bombs at them. they would love to put dick cheney in jail. they will settle for blowing up the american intelligence committee. >> let me try to disagree. i doubt it was that organized. i do think a lot of people,. a lot of people have been saying presidents have been have done this before. and we were trying to kill fidel by blowing up cigars. panetaf finds out about it, he briefed congress. i'm not sure i buy this scenario that it's all about nancy pelosi. cheney pushed the c.i.a. and its proven. >> paneta did not do anything devious. he heard about it. it was the democrats that leaked that to one, take attention away

from pelosi around also eric helder can move forward prosecution about bush era crimes. so the press write about these the tortured eric holder, on the other hand, president obama wants to look forward and not backward. so it's the opportunity to look both ways. we're going to have an investigation, mark my word. judy is shaking her head. let me read a quote about how leaks happen when it comes to national security. here is the line. our national security and intelligence world has been turned so upside-down depending on the ideology and motivation of the leaker and the paper that reports it one can actually win a pulitzer prize. is nothing sacred any more?

>> our sensitivity about national security is really reduced every day as the distance from 9/11 creos. you can see that more and more, we're having fights over national security because that memory of what it is to be, media thinkss it's fair game. they run the leaks. it's a new ballgame. we're in the post, post 9/11 era now. >> everybody has forgotten. it's a lot like what happened after vietnam when the committee was investigating the c.i.a. the difference then is the war was over. difference now is the war is going on. we are in the process of shutting down our intelligence operations while al-qaeda is still on the loose. >> one of these days, if there is another terrorist attack, we're going wake up to headlines what happened? why didn't we know about this coming? >> i see this in a ditched way. first after all, it hasn't

worked when we tried this. we've tried this. a lot of what was done or tried to be done in the name of national security actually is undermined our security. you can look at this and i don't agree that dick cheney should be getting a pass on this at all. >> all right. we're going to take a break. we have lots of extras available on our website including some of the spirited discussions that erupt during our commercial break. go to fox news.com/foxnewswatch. gecko vo: geico's the third-largest car insurance company in the nation. but, it's not like we're kicking back, now, havin' a cuppa tea. gecko vo: takes lots of sweat to become that big.

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so did they do something wrong. >> i think senator coburn and senator sessions did a good job and senator cornyn did a good job. they realized as we all do the media did the best to confirm her months ago for this job. therefore that natural opportunities for drama that weren't there. for example, frank ritchie should have been the whistle-blower on the hearings as the firefighter. norman and jane rowe should have

been anita hill figure. they said no, she is a moderate leave it at that. >> washington post they were compiling how many blinks she gave during certain answers. it seemed like the coverage got a little vacuous at times. >> i love the washington post lead, she sought to reframe critics. judge was swayed by gender and ethnicity. please. she completely contradicted herself when she tried to explain her wise latina remark. instead of holding her feet to the fire, post, she sought to reframe the accusations of her critics. i think the republicans did a pretty good job to get their arguments in there. it was predicted you can't criticize a latina, people are more intelligent than that. instead -- remember when they had alito, they called him a

racist until his wife left the room. they stuck to the substance and it was a respectful legitimate debate. >> i think the republicans were under cut by gingrich and buchanan who said she was a racist. it was out of context. i don't think she really answered. "time magazine" had a wonderful legal affairs manager, how can she make these speeches and her record is judicial restraint. it is true that conservatives, judicial activism is described as liberal but i think they overplayed it by calling on her as a racist. >> so did the media do due diligence? >> i think they tried, 583 questions we still don't know about her judicial philosophy

because she just walked away from it. she said gee, i don't mean that. once she made the point she said it repeatedly, where do you go with it. the media didn't have any place to go. >> she said it five times. >> so after clarence thomas was crucified in the media, you don't get anything out of these nominees anymore? >> i think every nominee now keep it bland, don't answer questions, say this is something i might have to rule on so i can't go there. other thing these contradicted herself the circuit court is where you make policy. she was confronted with that, so she is directly contradicting herself. i think the press did an okay job doing it and tv stations kept a lot of hearings on. it was something to show all

that michael jackson stuff. >> i was going to say media coverage, it would have been people for american way they smeared michael ritchie. so who did you discuss this with whether itself white house was involved in trashing her opponents. >> it does seem the public show of praise, dianne feinstein, i think you're going to be a great supreme court justice, how does she know when she hasn't said anything in the hearings? >> to be fair, alito and roberts, we didn't get a sense of how they are going to rule. but this is a political process and people want to know where she stands on roe versus wade. i thought coburn asked a great question but neither did alito nor roberts.

>> internet regulation and kearmsz in the courtroom, perry mason, when it comes to the media, is she one who is likely to try to regulate media delivery? >> i don't think we got much of a sense where she is going to come out. issue why she was such a perfect witness. you can't pin her down. you can't hold her feet to the fire. you have to have some sympathy, they were in a terrible position. if you really sock it to her you're going to alienate people. >> she is also one of the most experienced in being nominated. patted buchanan she was an affirmative action higher. >> he has been on the federal bench for a long time. >> we would like your help. story ideas welcome here.

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i would like to thank the media that the sheriff has released. sheriff and i both believe that has been an integral part in the success that we have experienced today to date. i want to make sure that the community and the media know how much the sheriff and i appreciate that. >> did you hear that? a rare moment of praise from a

public official. in this case a florida state attorney talking about the murders of byrd and melanie billings. couple known for adopting children with special needs, shot to death in their luxury home. that is a pretty rare moment in journalism where they thank the media. did they deserve it here? >> it's the good ole days. yes, i think they helped and it was a good old-fashioned crime story, one which is the media played the normal role which it was dig up facts. in this case there is a still a lot we don't know. i think they did very well. i'm glad to hear a good word said about us. >> they got the story out there which helped result in an arrest. >> one journalism professor described the story as a crime reporter's dream. is it? >> i'm a little uncomfortable when i read the article.

parents of 17 children died. media has been covering it. it's horrifying story. i know it's kind of like saying michael jackson's is a report's dream. >> i think it's not a choice of words that reads very well. >> right. let's also note that the sheriff of the county, david morgan was calling the case a humdinger, it was odd that someone in charge of investigating the crime is basically touting the news value of the revelations, it almost makes you think he is looking for a book contract. >> and another story, democrats' plan for health care reform. take a listen to the pot wednesday. >> let me be clear -- if you like your doctor or health care provider, you can keep them. if you like your health care

plan, you can keep that, too. but here is what reform will mean for you, this is for home people that has health insurance. you will save money. if you lose your job or start a new business, you'll be able to find quality health insurance that you can afford. >> should we be writing these things down? >> absolutely. i think the press by and large supports this measure and is sympathetic. >> does the press know what this measure is? >> in fairness, in recent days, the press is coming around to the mounting evidence that this bill is in trouble. i think as much as the press would like to see it passed they can't resist a good story where democrats are fighting among themselves, deficit is qua druip

link so i think they are covering this in a good way. >> house ways and means passed a $544 billion plan to pay for it with taxes. does that deserve a little coverage? >> it does. it's gotten some. i think bill is right, i think washington post so that washington becomes all the more important took ceo study what it would cost. they put that on the front page of the news story about this, quote, devastating. >> president's poll numbers are starting to drop. one poll in ohio, pretty important state, had him at 49% approval rating. lowest in any state. is it because of health care? is it because of the tax issues generally? >> it's because he is far more

popular than his programs. that is why it's important press for him. if he manages to get this through on the strength of his personal charisma, it's going to be a big win for him. >> i think stimulus fatigue and billions fatigue. american people have a huge supported for health care reform. but the next wave is how much it's going to cost and goldman sachs had a big profit. i'm not sure it will work. >> one more break -- when we come back, to the moon. >> an historical moment, an american success and the press was along for the ride. has anything changed in 40 years? that next, on news watch.

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still gives me chills, thursday mark 40th anniversary of apollo 11 spacecraft. this monday, four decades since one small step for man. >> the eagle has landed. >> the nation and world watched as the united states won the space race beating the soviet union to the moon and the american press was right there along for the ride. some of the headlines from 40 years ago, compiled by the museum in washington and they brought it all into america's living room. >> armstrong is on the moon, kneel armstrong, 38-year-old american standing on the surface of the moon. >> 40 years later, has the press gone from champions of american achievement to sin ix?

those days, american first and journalists second? these days it seems awfully hard to get the media to back american achievements as universally as they did with apollo 11? >> i think walter cronkite was the key figure. he was very much interested. he wanted to go there even as an old man. we had vietnam, we had watergate. the government lied to me. journal ivts grow up thinking the government lied to us. >> i think that is right. everything has changed. we were talking about national security and a rather cavalier attitude. there was a moment after 9/11 and the press came together. once again the role of media is to question. if your mother loves you, check it out. sit good? >> so if the moon landing were

to take place today, how would it be covered? >> between jane and judy, they were landing on green cheese. >> no, that's not true. >> tom wolf explained how nasa had the presses as cheerleaders. i don't think it's changed much. press doesn't like liberating 50 million muslims overseas but they provide uncritical coverage of the nasa missions. it's got the "g" tone to the coverage and nobody talks about how much it cost or whether that money could be spent else where better. i think we're all in the tank for nasa. >> at least we're in the same for some things. that is something to think about as we put a wrap on news watch this week. i want to thank, jane hall, jim pinkerton and