Surprise! Fareed Zakaria Thinks Obama's Middle East Speech 'Fair' and 'Balanced'

Fareed Zakaria said Sunday the speech President Obama gave last week about conditions in the Middle East was "fair" and "balanced."

As the host of CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" might have advised the current White House resident on its contents, this came as no surprise (video follows with transcript and commentary):

FAREED ZAKARIA: The president's speech was remarkably comprehensive. It described the events that we now call the Arab spring, explained their causes and consequences. He placed the United States squarely behind the democratic wave everywhere, though he didn't specifically mention one country -- Saudi Arabia, the place where America's interests and values most obviously clash.

I don't blame him. Street protests in Saudi Arabia might warm our hearts, but they could easily lead to $250 a barrel oil and a global recession. That's a tough one.

Obama outlined specific policies to help the Arab revolutions get consolidated. All good stuff. And he also talked about the need for a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, two states based on 1967 borders, with land swaps that both parties agreed to, and the Palestinian partner that renounced terror -- a blow at Hamas.

In other words, it was a comprehensive, fair, balanced speech.

Readers are reminded that earlier this month, it was revealed Zakaria has met with Obama to advise him on foreign policy matters.

Makes you wonder if the CNN host had any input to this "fair, balanced" speech which is precisely why NewsBusters publisher Brent Bozell asked for Zakaria to "recuse himself immediately from covering foreign policy that affects the United States"

Any report he gives concerning such matters now has a bias taint that includes a potential conflict of interest thereby negating the possibility of any perceived impartiality.

Apparently Zakaria and the self-described "Most trusted name in news" don't see it that way.

How unfortunate.