By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

The White House Tuesday renewed its absurd, distracting attack on Fox News, with Robert Gibbs taking the lead this time.

President Barack Obama's press secretary singled out two Fox News shows as examples of unfair criticism.

You won't be surprised by their identities.

"You and I should watch sometime around 9 tonight or 5 this afternoon," Gibbs said. That points to the 5 p.m. slot hosted by Glenn Beck and the 9 p.m. program hosted by Sean Hannity.

Gibbs thus assured the nation that the Obama administration would waste more time attacking a single cable channel, while all kinds of important issues (heard of health care reform or climate change?) deserve more attention.

With his words on Tuesday, Gibbs picked up the cudgel from White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, senior adviser David Axelrod and Anita Dunn, the communications director. All had unveiled their own criticisms of Fox News in recent days.

It's simply ridiculous how much precious time Gibbs and others are wasting in their attacks on Fox News, thus assuring the cable channel of a ratings jump.