46. He founded his own company http://www.glennbeck.com/content/program/.
47. In a break from Fox tradition Glenn Beck hired Matthew Hiltzik, who had worked for Miramax. His firm, Hiltzik Strategies, represented such clients as Couric.
48. The day after “Fox Host Glenn Beck: Obama Is a Racist” (video), Huffington Post, Aug. 28, 2009.
49. Ailes told his executives Author interviews with a person familiar with the matter.
50. “Glenn Beck expressed” Chris Ariens, “FNC Responds to Glenn Beck Calling Pres. Obama a Racist,” Mediabistro, July 28, 2009.
51. The White House failed Glenn Beck, Fox News Channel (transcript), Aug. 24, 2009.
52. One day in the summer Author interview with former White House adviser Van Jones. Much of the following information comes from interviews with Jones.
53. Dan Pfeiffer Author interview with a senior Obama adviser.
54. Jones asked his chief of staff Author interview with Van Jones.
55. On September 1 Ibid.
56. A YouTube video Van Jones speech in Berkeley, video, Feb. 11, 2009, YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt66eWnjoTo, accessed Nov. 12, 2013.
57. Under pressure Glenn Thrush, “Van Jones: A**hole Remark ‘Inappropriate,’ ” “On Congress” (blog), Politico, Sept. 2, 2009, http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0909/Van_Jones_Ahole_remark_inappropriate.html.
58. The same week Martin Kady II, “Pence Calls on Van Jones to Resign,” “On Congress” (blog), Politico, Sept. 4, 2009, http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0909/Pence_calls_on_Van_Jones_to_resign.html.
59. On September 6 John M. Broder, “White House Official Resigns After Flood of G.O.P. Criticism,” New York Times, Sept. 7, 2009.
60. On the morning of September 10 Special Report with Bret Baier, Fox News Channel (transcript), Sept. 10, 2009.
61. Andrew Breitbart Author interview with Andrew Breitbart before his death in 2012.
62. Breitbart thought it was a bombshell Darryl Fears and Carol D. Leonnig, “The $1,300 Mission to Fell ACORN,” Washington Post, Sept. 18, 2009.
63. That summer Patrick Gavin, “Obama Slams Fox News,” Politico, June 16, 2009, http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0609/Obama_slams_Fox_News.html.
64. “We had anecdotal reports” Author interview with Anita Dunn, former communications director for President Barack Obama.
65. In meetings Author interview with a Fox producer.
66. What most alarmed Howard Kurtz, “Unamplified, Beck’s Voice Still Carries,” Washington Post, Sept. 14, 2009.
67. In an interview New York Times, “Talk to the Times” (Q&A with Jill Abramson), Sept. 7, 2009.
68. “The narrative” Author interview with Anita Dunn.
69. Dunn reached out Sherman, “The Elephant in the Green Room.”
70. After conferring with Obama Author interview with current and former administration officials.
71. In mid-September The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News Channel (transcript), Sept. 18, 2009. See also Jonathan Karl, “Obama, in Media Blitz, Snubs ‘Whining’ Fox,” ABCNews.com, Sept. 19, 2009, http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obamas-media-tour-include-fox-news/story?id=8621065.
72. In early October Reliable Sources, CNN (transcript), Oct. 11, 2009.
73. in late October Reliable Sources, CNN (transcript), Oct. 25, 2009.
74. The move backfired Steve Krakauer, “Tipping Point? White House Press Pool Stands Up for Fox News,” Mediaite, Oct. 23, 2009, http://www.mediaite.com/tv/tipping-point-white-house-press-pool-stands-up-for-fox-news/.
75. “He’s a fierce competitor” Joan Vennochi, “The Brains of the Bush Offensive; Strategist Roger Ailes Remade the Candidate,” Boston Globe, Oct. 26, 1988.
76. About a week before Dunn’s Sherman, “The Elephant in the Green Room.”
77. “He relished it” Author interview with a senior producer.
78. Another recalled Author interview with a senior producer.
79. One told news chief Author interview with a Fox executive.
80. “The D.C. bureau’s job” Author interview with a senior producer.
81. On Friday, October 23 Author interview with people familiar with the matter.
82. Clemente finally called Gibbs Author interview with a Fox executive.
83. In November David Bauder, “Fox’s Major Garrett Gets Obama Interview,” Associated Press, Nov. 17, 2009.
84. But Major Garrett had had enough Howard Kurtz, “Major Garrett Leaves Behind Obama-Fox War; White House Correspondent Moves from Fox TV to Print at National Journal,” Washington Post, Aug. 26, 2010.
85. “Roger’s thinking” Author interview with a senior executive.
86. “The way the business works” Author interview with a former Fox News executive.
87. In the months since Frankel, “CNN: A Fall from Glory, or a Much Better Story?”
88. The attacks were successful Esquire, “Rupert Murdoch Has Potential,” Oct. 1, 2008.
89. O’Reilly was regularly crowned Howard Kurtz, “Out and a Bout,” Washington Post, Aug. 7, 2009. See also Kurtz, “Feud Fuels Bill O’Reilly’s Blasts at GE,” Washington Post, May 19, 2008; Keith Olbermann, The Worst Person in the World: And 202 Strong Contenders (Hoboken: John Wiley, 2006).
90. Raising the stakes See Kurtz, “Feud Fuels Bill O’Reilly’s Blasts at GE,” for each of O’Reilly’s comments regarding Immelt, the incident with the GE logo, and O’Reilly’s comments regarding Zucker.
91. Ailes had warned Zucker At the time it was reported that Roger Ailes threatened to use the New York Post to go after Jeff Zucker, Ailes denied it.
92. Beth Comstock Author interviews with a person familiar with the matter. See also Kurtz, “Out and About.”
93. The whole deal got blowtorched Brian Stelter, “Voices from Above Silence a Cable TV Feud,” New York Times, July 31, 2009.
94. During his “Worst Persons” segment Keith Olbermann, “Worst Persons” (transcript), Countdown with Keith Olbermann, MSNBC, Aug. 3, 2009.
95. O’Reilly answered Bill O’Reilly, “Talking Points Memo” (transcript), The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, Aug. 5, 2009.
96. He set up an anonymous Author interview with a person familiar with the matter. Appearing on Fox News Watch the evening of April 26, 2008, Pinkerton mentioned a story he had read about on “a blog called the Cable Game,” which pointed out that Reverend Jeremiah Wright had an enormous stake in Obama losing, given how often he’d said that white people are terrible. Pinkerton did not respond to requests for comment.