Rupe Needles Hillary Camp

In a conference call with analysts and reporters today, Rupert Murdoch couldn't resist trumpeting Fox News by citing the words of the Hillary Clinton campaign.

"It couldn't be doing better," Murdoch said of the news network. "Even Mr. (Howard) Wolfson, Mrs. Clinton's manager (sic), has said that our fair and balanced position has made us definitely No. 1. And they only watch Fox News."

Murdoch has contributed to Clinton's campaign but more recently gave to John McCain.

There's been considerable dismay among progressive groups as Clinton and Barack Obama have appeared on Fox News in recent weeks, despite efforts to boycott the "fair and balanced" network.

Obama appeared on "Fox News Sunday" and Clinton was on "The O'Reilly Factor." But what was particularly irksome to critics came on the night of the Pennsylvania primary, when Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe praised Fox News for being the first to call the state for Hillary. He told the channel's Major Garrett, "Fair and balanced Fox. You beat them all."

News Corp. COO Peter Chernin --- who is a Clinton bundler --- didn't talk Hillary but did defend the Fox News performance as CNN trumpets improved numbers. He cited numbers showing that Fox news is No. 4 in prime time cable viewership and CNN is No. 13 --- despite some clever advertising by CNN."

"We expect that dominance to continue through the election," he said.

---Dade Hayes from New York.