Bush "Lying" About Enron?; Rather Tied Cheney to Enron Shafting Staff; Couric Rebuked O'Connor on Bush v. Gore; Susteren's Whining 1) President Bush and his policies enjoy overwhelming support in network polls, but ABC and CBS on Monday evening stressed doubts about the administration's relationship with Enron. ABC's Terry Moran noted how "barely over half of Americans" think "the administration acted 'properly' in its dealings with Enron." CBS's John Roberts distorted a CBS poll, asserting it "finds 67 percent of Americans think the White House is hiding something, even lying about it." The percent who said "lying"? Nine. 2) Adopting... continue reading
Paranoia: Lindh Repressed Enron; Campaign Finance "Reform" Hopes; Hillary Still Victimized by the VRWC; Ombudsman Concedes Bias 1) Paranoia relayed by the New York Times: "Though no network news executive openly suggested that the Bush administration had timed the Lindh hearing to coincide with the start of the Enron hearings, several executives said they would not be surprised if Bush officials had planned it that way" -- just so CNN, FNC and MSNBC would downplay Enron. 2) Dan Rather pleaded Friday night: "Could or could not the Enron fiasco finally result in some kind of real campaign finance reform?" NBC's... continue reading
"Blacklist" of Lindh & Arabs?; So Much for CNN's Conservative Outreach; Somalian Victims; Thomas Rebuked; ABC News Banned C-SPAN 1) CNN's Keith Olbermann: "Are we in more danger from Americans who have fought with the Taliban...or from people who criticize attorneys for defending them?" Plus: "In the '50s we had a blacklist against many on the left....Are you worried that we might be entering that kind of period of time again in the case of Walker Lindh and...the detainees in Guantanamo Bay, even the ones in American jails of Arab descent?" 2) So much for CNN's outreach to conservatives. After... continue reading
"Hue and Cry" Over Detainees; U.S. the Real Threat to Human Rights; Chelsea for President!; Director Robert Altman: U.S. Flag "A Joke" -- Extra Edition 1) "There's been an international hue and cry and it continues over the condition of Afghan war detainees being held at the U.S. naval base in Cuba," CNN's Wolf Blitzer declared as Tom Brokaw and Peter Jennings raised how there are "questions" about their treatment. If only reporters had more access, two argued during the Pentagon briefing, there wouldn't be such misinformation. 2) Defense Secretary Rumsfeld was hit with questions which assumed that the U.S... continue reading
Connie Chung's Record of Liberal Advocacy at NBC, CBS and ABC. And Now CNN?; Chung & Newt's Mom; How Rather Backstabbed Chung -- Back to today's CyberAlert 1) By leaving ABC for CNN, Connie Chung will be bringing her liberalism to the fourth network in her hop-scotching career. Last year she called Jesse Jackson "the charismatic national symbol of human rights." In 1995 she distorted GOP plans to reduce the rate of growth as "deep cuts in Medicare." Twice she's used interviews to campaign for abortion, once scolding a pro-abortion GOP Governor for not trying hard enough. At NBC in... continue reading
Walker More Poet Than Terrorist; NYT Befuddled: More in Prison, Crime Down; Goldberg Fires Back; No Evidence of Media Bias 1) Last month when John Walker, the American Taliban, asked CNN contributor Robert Pelton if he were a Muslim, Pelton proclaimed: "I respect the cause and I respect the call." Now Pelton has told CBS News that Walker "struck" him as not a terrorist but "as a guy who should be going to poetry readings." 2) A contradiction to the New York Times: "Since the early 1970's, the number of state prisoners has increased 500 percent, growing each year in... continue reading
Moyers: Polluter-Bush Alliance; "Outrageous" Corporate Tax Dodge; Jennings Realizes Enron Bi-Partisan; "Excessive Hatred" of Clinton 1) PBS delivered the same old pontificating Bill Moyers in his new weekly Friday night hour. He provided a liberal lecture about how "America's richest and most polluting companies" are "sitting pretty" thanks to the Bush team they bought and paid for while the environment is suffering. Moyers found "a staunch conservative" he could use to advance his cause: Larry Klayman. 2) CBS on Friday night used Enron's non-payment of taxes as an excuse to push the liberal agenda of Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ),... continue reading
"Dishonor" Winners Announced; Quote of the Year Picked by Audience; David Limbaugh Reported Rush's Hearing at "80 Percent" 1) A rundown of the MRC's "Dishonor Awards: Roasting the Most Outrageously Biased Liberal Reporters of 2001," as presented on Thursday night before an audience of more than 800 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. 2) The names of the judges and how their votes were tabulated. 3) Quote of the Year, as determined by the audience: Dan Rather saying he considers Bill Clinton to be "an honest man" and that "I think you can be an honest person... continue reading
Dobbs: Enron Gave to Dems Too; Not Even a "Whiff" of Scandal; Clinton's Links to Tyson Downplayed; Suffering Al Qaeda Prisoners 1) After a CNN story highlighted Enron donations to Republicans, Moneyline anchor Lou Dobbs prodded the reporter: "We do have a sense that Enron not only contributing to Republicans but mightily, as well, to Democrats, wherever it served the political purpose of the company, isn't that correct?" 2) Add Newsweek's Howard Fineman to the short list of media figures who don't see a Bush administration scandal tied to Enron. "Not even a whiff of" a smoking gun, Fineman declared... continue reading
Bush Non-Favors a Scandal; "When Did They Know?" CBS Ignored Rubin, Had Time for Prince Harry's Pot; Calls for Campaign Finance "Reform" 1) Network reporters defined Bush administration non-favors for Enron as scandalous and contended cabinet secretaries should have warned the public. NBC anchor Lester Holt: "At issue, whether the President was informed about Enron's request for help and whether the White House knew something investors and employees didn't." Sam Donaldson pressed Treasury Secretary O'Neill: "When you knew...that this big company was in deep, deep trouble, didn't you feel an obligation to tell the public?" 2) From Thursday through Saturday... continue reading