1. ABC's Jennings Repeatedly Raises How Blacks Didn't Like Reagan A day of cheap political swipes at inappropriate times. As the late President Reagan's hearse arrived at the tarmac at Point Mugu Naval Air Station, ABC's Peter Jennings brought up how "we haven't seen many African-American faces up at the presidential library or this morning." George Stephanopoulos agreed and raised how the gay and lesbian community is "quite upset with President Reagan." Over on CBS, Dan Rather implicitly recalled the long-discredited "October Surprise" theory. Later in the day, as casket-bearers carried Reagan's body up the Capitol steps while a military... continue reading
1. Rather: Bush "Now Has What He Once Said He Didn't Need," the UN Dan Rather delivered a smart-ass take on the Bush administration's success in getting a unanimous vote of the United Nations Security Council on a resolution setting guidelines for the turnover of power in Iraq and the holding of elections. Rather opened Tuesday's CBS Evening News: "More than 14 months into the U.S.-led campaign in Iraq, President Bush now has what he once said he didn't need: Full support from the United Nations Security Council." 2. CNN Worries If Those at Reagan Viewing "Look Like America?" Reagan... continue reading
1. 9/11 Reagan's Fault? CBS Suggests Tie to "Iran/Contra Debacle" 9/11: Reagan's fault? CBS was first out of the blocks Monday night with a story on "blemishes" in Ronald Reagan's record as President, but instead of an even-handed review of Iran/Contra, Dan Rather and Bill Plante painted it in the most ominous light, implying that it somehow led to "the rise of Islamic fundamentalism." Rather asked: "Is or is not America still paying a price for what's called the Iran/Contra debacle?" Plante answered in the affirmative: "An arms control agreement with the Soviet Union refurbished President Reagan's image, but U.S... continue reading
1. CBS News Turns Huge Bush Lead Amongst Veterans Into a Negative CBS News on Friday released another finding from its poll taken May 20-23 and though it found a huge lead for President Bush over John Kerry amongst veterans, 54 to 40 percent, a group Kerry is courting by touting his combat veteran status, CBS managed to turn the poll into a negative for Bush, not Kerry. "While a new CBS News poll finds [Bush] still enjoys their overwhelming support," reporter John Roberts in Normandy stressed how "55 percent now say the Iraq war wasn't worth the cost and... continue reading
1. Some Journalists Don't Refrain from Liberal Shots at Reagan Virtually all of the broadcast and cable network coverage, in the hours after the late Saturday afternoon EDT announcement of President Ronald Reagan's passing, forwarded praise and admiration. There were, however, several exceptions where journalists incorporated liberal, anti-conservative spin to denounce Reagan's policies. CNN on-screen text: "BY-PRODUCT OF 'REAGANOMICS': HUGE BUDGET DEFICITS." ABC's Sam Donaldson blamed the big deficit on Reagan for "stubbornly" refusing to raise taxes; CBS's Jerry Bowen highlighted "the nagging perception" that in their post-White House years "the Reagans were cashing in on their Washington years;" MSNBC.com's... continue reading
1. Tenet Painted as "Scapegoat," Those With Jennings Applaud Exit Did he "jump" or was he "pushed" was the question which animated network coverage of CIA Director George Tenet's resignation as reporters tried to insert an anti-Bush twist, with some, such as the Washington Post's Sally Quinn on Nightline, characterizing Tenet as a "scapegoat" for Bush administration failures. CBS's Wyatt Andrews contended that "George Tenet can insist forever that he's leaving to rejoin his family, but official Washington sees a man under fire, a man who, pushed or not, is taking one for the team." ABC's Peter Jennings told viewers... continue reading
1. Brokaw Features Movie Trailer Promoting Moore's Bush-Bashing Tom Brokaw devoted over a minute of Wednesday's NBC Nightly News to promoting Michael Moore's left-wing, Bush-bashing movie, even running a portion of the movie trailer, the kind of promotional advertising normally reserved for paid spots, movie theater "coming attractions" and movie previews on entertainment shows. NBC Nightly News, in fact, gave Moore's screed more than three times more air time Wednesday night than did Paramount's syndicated Entertainment Tonight (18 seconds) and four times more time than did NBC's own syndicated entertainment news show, Access Hollywood (14 seconds). Brokaw at least characterized... continue reading
1. Bush Will "F------ Whack This S---" for Enron, "Crude, But True" CBS on Tuesday night resurrected the Enron scandal and made sure to tie it to President Bush. Playing some audio tapes of conversations amongst low-level Enron sales staffers, CBS News reporter Vince Gonzales maintained that back in 2000 "they were sure President Bush would fight any limits on sky-high energy prices." Gonzales also claimed that some inarticulate vulgarity by an unidentified Enron staffer, about how Bush will "f------ whack this s---, man. He won't f------ play this price-cap bull----," was "crude, but true." 2. CBS MarketWatch Rips Media... continue reading
1. Mike Wallace Doubts Bush's "Validity," Says Iraq Not "Good War" CBS News veteran Mike Wallace, at a Smithsonian Institution "National World War II Reunion" event on Friday shown later by C-SPAN, denounced the war in Iraq. "This is not, in my estimation, a good war," Wallace declared. "I don't know how we got into a position where our present Commander-in-Chief and the people around him," the 60 Minutes correspondent lamented, "had the guts to take our kids and send them on what seems to be -- it sure is not a noble enterprise." Citing President George W. Bush's lack... continue reading
1. Dan Rather Trumpets 14-Point Lead of Kerry-McCain "Dream Team" Dan Rather on Thursday night trumpeted the polling success of a Kerry-McCain "Democratic dream team" ticket over Bush-Cheney. Over a graphic of a mock red, white and blue campaign button showing the faces of John Kerry and John McCain, with a question mark in between, Rather touted how "belief appears to be growing that the Democratic dream team -- and President Bush's nightmare -- would be Kerry and Republican Senator John McCain. Look at this: The latest CBS News poll indicates Kerry with an eight-point lead [49 to 41 percent]... continue reading