Fox News' Brit Hume claimed that former President Bush “was well-liked, I've been given to believe, by everyone in the military.” But, according to a December 2007 Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll, among those who are “in the military, reserves, or is a veteran,” just 44 percent of respondents approved “of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president,” while 50 percent disapproved.
Hume baselessly claimed Bush “was well-liked ... by everyone in the military”
Written by Morgan Weiland
Published
During Fox News' coverage of President Obama's January 20 inauguration, Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume baselessly claimed that former President Bush “was well-liked, I've been given to believe, by everyone in the military.” Moments later, Hume added: “The U.S. military liked him and supported him; they'll miss him, I think.” Hume cited no support for his assertion; contrary to his claim, according to a December 2007 Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll, among respondents who are “in the military, reserves, or is a veteran,” 44 percent approved “of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president,” while 50 percent disapproved.
An unscientific Military Times 2008 annual survey also undermines the claim that “everyone” in the military approved of Bush. In a December 29, 2008, MilitaryTimes.com article about the survey, staff writer Brendan McGarry reported that “Bush's job approval rating as president remained unchanged among respondents at 48 percent, down from a high of 71 percent in 2004.” As Media Matters for America has noted, according to a separate December 29, 2008, MilitaryTimes.com article, the poll was based on voluntary responses by subscribers to Army Times Publishing Co. newspapers rather than a random statistical sample of service members, and that therefore no margin of error can be calculated for the poll. According to the Military Times “poll key,” the data includes respondents who identified themselves as active-duty service members, reservists, members of the National Guard, and retired service members. The survey was conducted December 1-8, 2008.
From Fox News' coverage of the January 20 presidential inauguration:
HUME: This is an interesting send-off the Air Force is giving former President Bush now. He was well-liked, I've been given to believe, by everyone in the military, and particularly those who had to deal with him personally, because of his -- the courtesy with which he treats individuals and the consideration he shows them and so on. The U.S. military liked him and supported him; they'll miss him, I think.
JUAN WILLIAMS (Fox News contributor): Gee, he looks like he's choking up.
HUME: He may be. He's very -- he feels a real bond with them. You remember that event out at Fort Myer where he went and said goodbye to them.