The Fox News Channel broke into regular programming just before noon Wednesday with a special announcement. Bret Baier, political anchor for the network, told viewers that Fox was immediately suspending the contracts of Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. Both are paid Fox News contributors and by their own admission are considering running for the 2012 Republican nomination for president. Given the political activity of both men while serving as sages for a national news outlet, the suspensions make sense. Fox, for a change, got it just right (no pun intended).
Neither Gingrich, former speaker of the U.S. House from Georgia, nor Santorum, who once represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate, has declared their candidacy, but each has made it clear that he is considering a White House bid. Indeed, many political observers expect Gingrich to announce, perhaps as soon as today, that he plans to form an exploratory committee for the upcoming campaign.
No such announcement is likely to come from the Santorum camp soon. Still, he's hardly been coy about his presidential aspirations. A check of his recent travel schedule suggests he's keeping his options open. Santorum already has visited New Hampshire several times and has plans to return. He's traveled to South Carolina and Iowa - both early-delegate selection states - more than once. All are lovely places to visit, but there's little reason for Santorum to spend so much time in them now if he's not considering a 2012 presidential bid.
Fox, it seems, finally has responded positively to growing criticism about its policy of employing commentators who are active participants in the realm they cover. Those who cherish objectivity in the media might applaud Wednesday's announcement, but should point out, correctly, that the action is not inclusive enough.
Fox also employs Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee and John Bolton - three other possible GOP candidates for president. There was no mention of them Wednesday, though Baier indicated that his announcement "does not preclude other announcements that may be made in the future." One can only hope that is true.
Palin, GOP vice presidential candidate in 2008, Huckabee, a viable candidate in the 2008 primaries, and Bolton, the former U.N. ambassador, have not said publicly that they will run. All three, though, continue to travel the road historically taken by presidential hopefuls. Actions in this instance probably speak more loudly than words.
The suspensions of Gingrich and Santorum, Fox announced, are effective for 60 days. Then, Baier said, "their contracts will be terminated unless they notify Fox that they are not running for president." That's acceptable, but the policy would be more meaningful and more consistent with generally accepted standards of media objectivity if the action taken Wednesday applied to Palin, Huckabee and Bolton, as well.