The Obama administration’s strident assault on Fox News seems not only strange but unpresidential—and counterproductive. Politicians often have lashed out against the press, but seldom with such specificity and such public bile. The late William Safire, for instance, made his name and launched what would prove a lucrative career by writing words emitted by Spiro Agnew. As vociferously vivid as “nattering nabobs of negativism” may have been, however, Safire did not cite networks or anchors by name. He knew better. (Richard Nixon did not, as his enemies list suggests.)

A federal judge has sentenced a former Fox News Channel producer to 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography.

Whoopi Goldberg called him a “lying sack o’ dog mess” on national TV less than two weeks ago. Penn Jillette visited Beck’s Fox News show and questioned his feelings about gay people. Regular folks who watch his nightly TV show or listen to his syndicated radio program either consider him a hero or a raving lunatic. Could Glenn Beck be any more polarizing?

A recent episode of “Hannity’s America” on FOX News asked, “Atheist Agenda?“ Sean Hannity and his guest, Bernie Goldberg, discussed whether The New York Times was leading a media assault against believers, particularly against conservative Christians. Those familiar with the genre pretty much know how the conversation unfolded. The Times often seems hostile to religion. A recent review of God Is Back—a book about a worldwide upsurge in faith—conveyed an attitude of disdain. And, as the Hannity show said, a survey suggesting a rise in atheism received prominent play.

Yesterday Glenn Beck of FOX warned his legions that the United States is on the road to socialism, courtesy of Barack Obama’s call to limit compensation for executives of companies rescued by federal bailouts. Pay caps are preposterous, of course, and an affront to liberty. They also are made politically palatable by corporate irresponsibility. We oppose government-determined wages and salaries on principle, yet boardroom vulgarians have only themselves to blame for the citizenry’s revulsion toward the lifestyles of the rich and infamous. According to a liberal policy group, in the 1970s top executives made 35 times more than the average worker. By 2007, the spread had widened to 275 times average pay.