Obama's controversial comments

This is a rush transcript from "Fox News Watch," July 21,2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

Watch the latest video at FoxNews.com

RICK FOLBAUM, GUEST HOST (voice-over): On "Fox News Watch"--

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT OBAMA: If you have a business, you didn't build that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOLBAUM: -- our president's words kick up controversy, causing business owners and innovators to take issue with what he said. Did the media take issue, too, or did they ignore the issue?

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MITT ROMNEY, (R), FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's kind of amusing I'm releasing two years of records.

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FOLBAUM: The press keep pressing Mitt Romney to show what he made, pushing for the GOP contender to make his tax returns public. Is it time for the political press to refocus?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, ACCUSED OF SHOOTING UNARMED TEEN: I can't guess to what their motives are. I would just ask for an apology.

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FOLBAUM: Accused killer, George Zimmerman, goes public, giving Fox News the exclusive, and asking the rest of the press for an apology.

A political reporter for The New York Times reveals a dirty little secret about how they get quotes from politicians.

YouTube, famous for off-the-wall wacky videos, now becoming a trusted source for news.

And a trip back in time to the happiest place in earth.

(on camera): On the panel this week, writer and Fox News contributor, Judy Miller; syndicated columnist, Cal Thomas; Jim Pinkerton, contributing editor, Conservative American magazine; and Ellen Ratner, bureau chief of Talk Radio News Service.

I'm Rick Folbaum, in for Jon Scott. "Fox News Watch" is on right now.

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OBAMA: If you're successful, somebody along the line gave you some help.

(SHOUTING)

OBAMA: There was a great teacher somewhere in your life.

(SHOUTING)

OBAMA: Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system we have that allowed you to thrive. Someone invested roads and bridges. If you've got a business, you didn't build that.

(SHOUTING)

OBAMA: Somebody else made that happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOLBAUM: Mr. Obama's words getting attention of innovators and job makers and critics, of course. But no so much attention from the media, at least not right away.

Cal, why not?

CAL THOMAS, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: The Romney campaign had one of those call-ins where journalists are able to call in and listen to what they want to present. On this call, there were four small business people, including an African-American woman who said she was outraged at the president's suggestion that she needed the government's help in order to make her business successful. All four of those people expressed the same attitude.

The first question from the first journalist who able to ask was, when are going to release your tax returns. So they get on this line and they don't get off. It's like a dog grabbing your ankle. They won't let go.

FOLBAUM: We'll talk about the tax returns in just a moment.

But first, Ellen, Brent Bozell, who is with the conservative watchdog group, Media Research Center. He counted the number of hours it took for the network newscasts to actually mention and talk about the comments that the president made. NBC took 94 hours. And then, it took CBS and ABC another 24 hours to talk about this. Is that biased?

ELLEN RATNER, BUREAU CHIEF, TALK RADIO NEWS SERVICE: It's actually biased. I do believe America is made not just of individual innovations, but together, working together, the news did not look at that speech at all. Some of the conservatives did. More in the mainstream absolutely did not. Some of the liberals reacting to some of the conservatives on some of the blogs did. But mainstream media did ignore the story.

FOLBAUM: It seems like when Mitt Romney says something, like he did last summer during the primaries, that corporations are people, the media pounces on that right away. Here, there was such a lag time. Once they did start to talk about it, Judy, they don't talk about it too much.

JUDY MILLER, WRITER & FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I think what they did, Rick, is they took his remarks out of context and they just played the last part of the president's remarks, which is you didn't do this alone. Therefore, it led some people to conclude that Obama was a Socialist, which, of course, is ridiculous. And Mark Halpern pointed out the conflation of what he said, the editing of it to make it seem like he said something he hadn't said was what really caused this controversy.

I don't see what's extraordinary about it. Hillary Clinton said it takes a village. Most people understand --

(CROSSTALK)

RATNER: She got in a lot of trouble for that though.

MILLER: You know what, that is a Democratic position. It called attention to a basic philosophical divide between Republicans and Democrats in this election. I think it's fair.

JIM PINKERTON, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE MAGAZINE: And also called attention to whether Obama intended to or not, when he used the words American system -- it just kind a throw-away the way he said -- but actually the words "American system" date back to Henry Clay in 1815 when he was describing the system of industrial development for America. It is a genuine phrase you can look up, it's a school of thought. I'm not sure the president really thought about it in those terms when he was talking about, correctly, that infrastructure -- that the Internet, for example, was created by the government and then turned over to the private sector. That is kind of the model.

I think because the White House didn't see it in that historical context -- of course, critics didn't either as far as I can tell. And I wrote about this for the American Conservative. It went viral in the conservative and on the web and so on. And I think it was days before NBC News and the Obama administration realized they had a virus lit under them without them properly responding.

FOLBAUM: Let me get to the tax issue because a lot of people are clamoring. A lot of people in the media are after Mitt Romney. We want to see more of your taxes. We want to see more of your taxes. Is this a media driven story or is there really an appetite for this?

THOMAS: I think it's a media driven story but there is some appetite for it. The problem, as far as conservatives are concerned, is this, where was the effort on behalf of the media to get the college records of President Obama and so much else about his background that he has virtually hidden? Media latches on to the Democratic talking point. And Chris Cillizza, of The Washington Post said this is not an issue that's going to go away even if he releases them. Ann Romney said this week in an interview, if we release these other taxes, all the media are going to do and the Democrats is pound away on how rich we are. We already know that.

FOLBAUM: Ellen, you're jumping out of your seat.

RATNER: I am, because it doesn't matter about his college records. What matters is what happened the last four or five years with Romney. And I do think the media has taking that up. What concerns me in terms of a lack of media response is when Nancy Pelosi talked about this at her press conference on Thursday and said when I'm running for president, I'll release it, and this isn't as important. That was not picked up by mainstream media.

PINKERTON: If it didn't matter about Obama's college records, which are early 80s, then why did it matter so much to the mainstream media about Mitt Romney's high school escapade in the mid 60s?

RATNER: You know, it was mentioned as --

PINKERTON: It was more than mentioned. It was a huge story in The Washington Post, and the media were talking about it for weeks.

FOLBAUM: And, Judy, in fairness there, there's been an awful lot of conservatives as well who have come out and told Mitt Romney he should just release them.

MILLER: Absolutely. The National Review said Mitt Romney position was unsustainable. I find a lot of the outrage is on the part of conservatives who say, look, we know he's rich, but what worries us is the unwillingness for him to cooperate and release records. His father released 10 years. Is this the way he's going to govern as president? Conservatives have raised this issue as much as --

(CROSSTALK)

FOLBAUM: Quickly.

PINKERTON: The economy is what matters most. Robert Shiller, the famous economist, noted that there -- every time have you three months of declining consumer spending, you get a recession. That's bigger news than all this. And it might explain why CBS/The New York Times poll has Romney up by a point in its latest survey.

FOLBAUM: Coming up next on "News Watch,"George Zimmerman goes public.

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SEAN HANNITY, HOST OF "HANNITY": Do you feel the overwhelming majority of the media rushed to judgment?

ZIMMERMAN: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: George Zimmerman, accused of killing Trayvon Martin, gives his first interview to Fox News and wants an apology for the bias coverage of the case. Will he get one?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ART LINKLETTER, FORMER TV AND RADIO PERSONALITY & DISNEY INSIDER: Ronnie Reagan, come on in.

RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES & FORMER ACTOR: Yes, how about that son of yours? I've been buttering up to him all morning, hoping he'd say that about me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: And a look back at the start of something really big. All next, on "News Watch."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: George, there is the media, the special interests, and the narrative it seems they want to make about this case if that -- and you could read the articles, if you haven't already. It's a white guy that killed an unarmed black youth holding Skittles and an ice tea. What do you say to that?

ZIMMERMAN: Again, I appreciate you not rushing to judgment. I think people assumed I was white because of my last name. My father is Caucasian. My mother is Hispanic, but English was my second language, believe it or not. My grandmother and my mother raised me. My dad was in the Army. It wasn't home for a lot of my infancy. I consider myself, first of all, American, but a Hispanic-American. And I don't know -- I don't think it's fair that they rush to judgment to assume that.

HANNITY: Do you feel the overwhelming majority of the media rushed to judgment?

ZIMMERMAN: Yes.

HANNITY: With few exceptions?

ZIMMERMAN: Yes, sir.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOLBAUM: In his first interview, an exclusive to Fox News, accused killer, George Zimmerman, talking to Sean Hannity about the details of the day he shot Trayvon Martin in Florida and the media coverage of that shooting. And major props to Sean for getting the interview.

But were you surprised, Judy, that Zimmerman's lawyer allowed him to sit down with a television camera and answer those questions?

MILLER: You betcha. I think it's a dangerous thing to do. And Sean Hannity brought him out. That serious of questions about whether or not he regretted anything about that night, and the death of Trayvon Martin being part of God's plan. I think, in terms of public relations, never mind his legal exposure, this will not play well for Mr. Zimmerman.

FOLBAUM: Jim, this was a story that didn't really get a lot of attention at first, after the shooting took place. Then, a few weeks later, it went viral and, immediately, there was a real slant against George Zimmerman. People automatically coming down negatively. Has that changed at all in the last couple of months?

PINKERTON: I think, first of all, you're quite right. When the news hit, as it were, after the shooting, but became a story, the media I think were 99:1, Zimmerman is guilty, he's obviously a white racist and probably a Tea Partier and so we should just convict him here now on CBS News. Since then, when the more details, frankly, about Trayvon Martin have come out, and the suggestion now that Zimmerman really was badly banged up in the incident, the media kind of cooled on this. I think -- I disagree with Judy. I think Zimmerman had no choice but to get his story out there. It is legally risky. However, he's already been convicted by the media and he's got to get unconvicted by a jury somehow.

FOLBAUM: That interview and the transcript from it, Ellen has already been admitted as evidence in the trial. Anything you say can and will be held -- used against you in a court of law. One of the things he said is that he has no regrets.

RATNER: Well, he also talked about God's plan. I have to say that both ABC News and Fox on the web site did a very balanced view of what he said and what the Martin family said. It was very balanced. I was impressed with both of those news organizations. Obviously, Fox is one of them. But for really doing a very balanced connection to that interview.

FOLBAUM: Zimmerman wants an apology, Cal, from a lot of people in the media who have already convicted him of murder, including Al Sharpton. He mentions the movie director, Spike Lee. Is he right to want an apology and is there any chance he gets one?

(LAUGHTER)

THOMAS: Well, to paraphrase the book and film, "Love Story," being in the media means never having to say you're sorry. No, he's not going to get an apology. But this is the new way of doing things. And Judy is right, it is very risky. In these high-profile cases, you go on to try to solidify your position in the minds of potential jurors and the public. He did this. And it's a dangerous thing. It's a high-wire act. We'll only know after the trial whether it was affective or not.

FOLBAUM: A lot of the legal experts I talked to, Jim, say the case against him is not real strong and there's a very good possibility George Zimmerman is going to be acquitted in that trial. What happens then? What kind of a media treatment should he expect if he's acquitted of murder?

PINKERTON: I think you'll see that the Al Sharpton -- if he is acquitted -- and I think he should be -- I think Al Dershowitz, of is a distinguished Democratic scholar, on this same subject, says the whole prosecution is ridiculous. The news about Zimmerman will be there and then there that will be the storm, the protest by Al Sharpton or someone will be there later, and that, of course, get enormous coverage. That will get more coverage. And I think Zimmerman is at risk for the rest of his life on this. I don't think the media are helping at all by continuing to act like he's guilty even if he gets acquitted.

FOLBAUM: If he is acquitted, Judy, are we looking at potential violence on the streets of Florida or in other major cities around the country, do you think, because of the way he's been portrayed by the media?

MILLER: Yes, I think there is a possibility. That is why I think people like Al Sharpton should be very careful about what they say. I mean we do have an assumption in this country legally that people are innocent until proven guilty. That didn't happen, as Jim says, in this case. The media, a lot did rush to judgment. And now we have to let the court play out. But I am worried about the aftermath of this trial, no matter what happens.

FOLBAUM: We'll have more "News Watch" straight ahead.

But first, if you see something you feel shows evidence of media bias, you can e-mail us at newswatch@FOXnews.com

Coming up next, politicians attempting to control their message in the media.

ANNOUNCER: A New York Times political reporter reveals a dirty little secret about how they get politician's quotes. Are you surprised?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: U.S. intelligence agencies noticed about a week ago that --

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ANNOUNCER: And is YouTube becoming a real source for reporting the news? Answers next, on "News Watch."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOLBAUM: On Monday, The New York Times publishing a story by their political reporter, Jeremy Peters. The story was about how politicians and their advisors are approving their quotes before they can be published. Mr. Peters writes, quote, "Approval is standard practice for the Obama campaign and it's used by many top strategists and almost all mid-level aides in Chicago and at the White House, almost anyone other than spokesmen who are paid to be quoted, and sometimes it applies to them. It is also commonplace throughout Washington and on the campaign trail." He goes on, "It was difficult to find a news outlet that had not agreed to quote approval, albeit reluctantly. Organizations like Bloomberg, The Washington Post, Vanity Fair, Reuters and The New York Times have all consented to interviews under such terms."

Judy, you used to work at The New York Times. Have you ever heard of a New York Times policy on giving an official a chance to edit their own quote?

MILLER: No. But what I have heard of is reading back a quote to someone to see if it's accurate.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

FOLBAUM: That's all together different.

MILLER: In this world, when that goes out and it's wrong, as we know, as we've discussed on this show so often, it ricochets around the world. If it's wrong, it's hard to walk back. So it's very hard to have a general rule applying to everybody and everything. I haven't heard of this. This is a new policy, at least after I left five years ago. I do think it raises questions. But I also think we need to ask what happens if the quote is wrong.

PINKERTON: And what changed between Judy leaving The New York Times --

(LAUGHTER)

-- and say, 2007, and today, in 2000 -- oh, President Obama got elected. OK, it all comes together.

(LAUGHTER)

RATNER: I don't think that has anything --

THOMAS: Oh.

RATNER: I mean its being done by both sides. Let's be honest here. And what I think a lot of the news organizations point out is that AP will not allow that to happen. They may not get interviews because of it, but AP has been one of the news organizations that just says we don't play that game.

FOLBAUM: But that's the thing, Cal, is that Peters says he couldn't get an interview if he didn't agree to those terms.

THOMAS: Well, this is news manipulation. It has gone from the kinds of questions a guest demands not be asked, and we discussed this sometime ago with Hillary Clinton when she was first lady, going on "The Today Show," it turned out her people said, OK, she's going to come on but don't ask this, this, this, to know approving quotes. There is a way around this. Each side can run a reporter and so, you have the quotes, you know what it is, so the reporter is going to be accurate in what he or she does.

FOLBAUM: This is -- this is, by the way, a statement, don't believe everything you read in the paper.

(LAUGHTER)

PINKERTON: I don't think the Obama administration or the Obama White House owes any reporter anything in terms of an interview. That's just not the way -- however, if you needed proof there is some kind of a hootz (ph) going on, some kind of a footsy being played between the big major media outlets, with the exception of the AP and also The Washington Examiner, to name two, this is proof they're playing a game with each other.

FOLBAUM: Ellen, do you go to YouTube for your news? Because there is a survey out from the people at Pew who say YouTube has become one of the biggest big sources of news for people all over the world but is it a trusted source?

RATNER: I think it is -- I don't know if it's a trusted source. I'm not Pew. But I will tell you, people like unrefined and unfiltered news and YouTube does provide that and talk radio does in many respects in terms of a full interview. And --

MILLER: But, Ellen, come on. It's not the news.

RATNER: It's not the news but it is a picture of what's happening at the time.

PINKERTON: It's a great -- it's a great new source. Just the other day, I went to -- when Romney had his NAACP speech, I went and I counted myself the seconds of the boos. I wanted to hear what, see what is was. And that is a resource. That's not the whole story but its raw footage, as Ellen says. And interesting.

FOLBAUM: And it's going to be become more popular, Cal, do you think?

THOMAS: I don't think there's any question. I think as people distrust the media -- and another Pew survey just last week showed that the major networks are trusted less than ever. People want to get information that isn't filtered. Again, I think it's one of a balanced diet.

FOLBAUM: Thank you very much.

Coming up next on "News Watch," going back in time to the start of something big.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LINKLETTER: Ronnie Reagan, come on in.

REAGAN: Yes, how about that son of yours? I've been buttering up to him all morning, hoping he'd say that about me.

(LAUGHTER)

LINKLETTER: Isn't this a riot today?

REAGAN: Oh, it certainly is.

LINKLETTER: And, Ron, your first job is down here in the town square.

REAGAN: Well, right out here in front of the depot, yes, for the main street and the parade is on (ph).

LINKLETTER: We have lots to do. Get busy.

REAGAN: OK.

LINKLETTER: So long, Ron. Thanks for coming out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOLBAUM: July 17, 1955, Art Linkletter and then-actor, Ronald Reagan, playing anchor and reporter for live coverage of the opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Linkletter said that he picked Reagan to be with him that day because was a good talker, a good ad libber. The coverage and the event, groundbreaking on a number of fronts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LINKLETTER: Well, this job in the next hour and a half is going to be a delight. I feel like -- well, I feel like Santa Claus with a $17 million bundle of gift packages all wrapped in whimsy and sent your way over television with the help of 29 cameras, dozens of crews and miles and miles of cable.

Now, of course, this is not so much a show as it is a special event. The rehearsal went about the way you'd expect a rehearsal to go if you were covering three volcanoes erupting at the same time and you didn't expect any of them.

First, there's Adventureland. Yes, a visit by boat to remote and adventurous regions of the world. Then, of course, there is Tomorrowland. The time is 1986 there. The place is a city of the future, where a trip to the moon is an everyday thing. Then there is Frontierland. That's a visit to America's historic past, with Davy Crockett himself there. A legendary land made real. Fantasyland? Well, this is really the theme symbol of the whole Disneyland, and the thing nearest and dearest to Walt Disney's heart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOLBAUM: A giant commercial for Disneyland back in 1955.

A rap on "Fox News Watch."

Thanks to Judy Miller, Jim Pinkerton, Cal Thomas and Ellen Ratner.

I'm Rick Folbaum. Thanks for watching.

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