President Obama showed great restraint in his reaction to South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst during his joint address to Congress last month.

Everyone tried to get the president to answer whether racism was behind Wilson's "you lie" shout, but displaying his usual excellent political instincts, Obama stayed above the fray as anyone holding the most powerful elected position in the world should do.

Too bad Obama couldn't stay that course.

It is Obama's masterful sense of politics that has me utterly baffled as to why he would have one of his White House directors take on FOX talk show host Glenn Beck for being unfair to the administration.

White House Online Programs Director Jesse Lee released a Web posting Thursday on the official White House blog accusing FOX hosts of misrepresenting Obama's agenda.

That news blast from the White House ranks up there with the world being round and two plus two equaling four.

Anyone with half a brain knows that FOX has a right-leaning agenda. So when a popular Democratic president is elected, the network is going to be critical, and maybe even unfair, in its coverage of his policies.

I think Obama risks looking a little thin skinned in his battle with the FOX News empire. Every time he criticizes Beck, he accomplishes one thing: He gives Beck far more notoriety.

Maybe President Obama, tired of the constant harping from the FOX folks, was just letting off some steam. If that was the case, fine. Now it's time to forget about fighting with FOX, though, because anyone who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave will have enemies. It comes with the job.