Maybe none of them. I think the PBS Newshour tries very hard to be balanced. I also think Meet The Press does a good job of aggressively interviewing guests from varying political stripes. But no other programs or channels leap to mind as ones that can be counted on to present totally balanced news reporting.

But we weren't talking about anything other than Fox News, were we? I simply said that I didn't think that media outlet was fair and balanced. I still don't.

But that doesn't mean I don't watch the news on broadcast or cable TV. It's just that one has to be careful to seek out news reports from a couple of sources to create your own "fair and balanced" opinion.
On second thought, maybe you're right, Bucco. The POTUS does have some power to set the legislative agenda. Let's see what he's done...

• Implementing the initial financial stimulus bill passed at the end of the Bush administration. Personally, there area lot of the things done with the money that I'd have done differently, but the outcome has been pretty good. The U.S. economy is recovering at a faster rate than the rest of the world that was affected by the financial crisis. That's undeniable. I don't like the play selection, but we seem to be ahead in the score.

• The stimulus legislation passed early on Obama's watch. I'd have the same criticism times about two. Lots and lots of things I'd have done differently. But again, we seem to be winning the game. That was the objective, wasn't it?

• Auto bailout. The effect of this one still remains to be seen. The government gave egregiously too much to the UAW at the expense of legitimate secured lenders and that was offensive to me. GM may make it. I see no way that Chrysler exists in a few years. I'd have saved GM and let Chrysler disappear.

• Bank bailout. The country was teetering on a financial collapse that would have been deeper than the Great Depression. We'd have 25% unemployment now had nothing been done. There almost was no completely fair solution. He let some banks fail that I might have tried to save, and saved others that I might have permitted to die or at least breakup and downsize. But overall, the banks were saved and became fundamental to the economic recovery. Not bad.

• Healthcare reform. The POTUS got what he wanted--and what U.S. Presidents for the last 100 years have tried to get--universal healthcare for all Americans. Was the bill a Rube Goldberg concoction of terms to satisfy every politician, constituency and special interest group you can imagine? You betcha' Did it "bend the cost curve"? No way, not after all the stuff that Congress negotiated in and out, for themselves as well as their special interest buddies. But I blame the Congress a whole lot more than Obama. He got what he wanted and that was impressive--something we've been needing for a century.

• Fiscal management of the country. He's been a dismal failure. Not much more to be said. In that I think that this is the most important issue facing the country, his performance fiscally has been enough for me to vote for someone else in 2012.

• Financial regulatory reform. I hope he sticks to his guns and forces this bill thru quickly, before all the special interest groups get a chance to get changes made that would gut the new regulations. As a retired banker, I know what's required. I hope he streamrolls it thru.

• Foreign relations. Worlds better than his predecessor. Everyone doesn't have to agree with everything that's been accomplished or every decision made. But the U.S. is in a heckuva lot better position to achieve our strategic objectives now than we were a couple years ago. The improved relations with Russia will benefit us greatly with some of our other objectives (read that Iran). I think the effort to prevent Iran from having nuclear weapons is lost and those in authority know that. The best we can expect now is to contain them and try to keep them, as the tenth nuclear state, under control. And work to prevent a long list of other countries from trying to get nukes as well.

• Military affairs. He's turned out to be a lot better commander-in-chief than I expected. Personally, I think continuing our efforts in Afghanistan is like peeing down a rathole. It won't surprise me if our role there is substantially changed by the time the 2012 election is rolls around.

So, Bucco, maybe I spoke too fast. Maybe President Obama does have a greater influence on domestic affairs than I said. But maybe that's OK. On a lot of stuff, he's done a pretty good job. So if you and others want to keep whacking away at all the stuff that causes you to disrespect Barack Obama--or even hate him--have at it. You won't find me getting involved in his defense. There are other things I'll be thinking about.