Bush's "Excessive" Vacation; CBS: Bush's "Disastrous Presidency"; Clinton Still "Fascinating" to Gibson; Rather Scolded by Cronkite 1) As Tom Brokaw enjoyed the seventh week of his vacation, and the day before President Bush would address the nation, Today devoted a segment to Bush's vacation. Newsweek's Howard Fineman agreed with Katie Couric it's "excessive" and warned that "people think" he "spends too much time" on "the concerns of rich people." 2) President Bush is "down on the ranch, thousands of miles from the devastating effects of his disastrous presidency," declared a British radio talk show host given air time by CBS... continue reading
"Dazzled" by "Candid" Clinton; Bush Vacationing 42% of Time; CNN Chief Exploring How to Attract Alienated Conservative Viewers 1) ABC and NBC led Monday night with Bill Clinton's book deal. "Last week he dazzled Harlem, today Park Avenue publisher Knopf," trumpeted ABC's Jackie Judd who relayed how the publisher promised "the book 'will be a thorough and candid telling of his life.'" And "dignified" too. NBC's Andrea Mitchell celebrated: "The self-declared 'comeback kid,' a hero to his new office neighbors in Harlem, now breaking a world record, signing the biggest non-fiction book deal in history..." 2) Meanwhile, the current President... continue reading
Norwood Like "Patty Hearst"; Dictator's Hit on Bush; Bush Approval Jump: "Statistically Insignificant"; Kondracke a "Conservative" 1) Time's Jack White claimed that George Bush had turned Charlie Norwood "into the Patty Hearst of the House of Representatives." A bitter White was upset that after being held "hostage" by Bush, Norwood got "a case of political Stockholm Syndrome" and went over to "the other side" on a Patients' Bill of Rights. 2) On CNN's Capital Gang Margaret Carlson of Time castigated CPSC chairmanship nominee Mary Sheila Gall: "She never saw a defective product, she only saw defective parents. She could find... continue reading
ABC Ignored Bush Approval Hike; ...But Did Note Support for Stem Cell Research; CBS: Bush an "Oil Man President"; Condit to CBS? 1) When an ABC News/Washington Post poll in early June showed President Bush's job approval level had fallen to 55 percent, it led both World News Tonight and Good Morning America. But this week, when the same survey discovered approval for Bush's job performance had risen to 59 percent, neither World News Tonight or Good Morning America uttered a syllable about it. 2) ABC did consider one of its poll findings newsworthy. Anchor Elizabeth Vargas announced "that 63... continue reading
Bush "Too Close to Big Oil"; Hudson Dredging Approved; France's 35 Hour Work Week Applauded; Maher: Blame Starr If Condit Killed Levy 1) ABC portrayed Bush's energy bill as a payoff to Big Oil donors. Both ABC and NBC relayed warnings from "moderates" who, in the words of ABC's Linda Douglass, "fear their party is increasingly perceived as anti-environment." NBC's Lisa Myers concluded "some moderate Republicans worry" that the plan could hurt Bush "by reinforcing concerns among women and independents that he's too close to Big Oil." 2) "While the Bush administration has been criticized for other environmental rulings, the... continue reading
"Negative" Assessment of Bush?; Geraldo Thrilled by Clinton's "Hero's Welcome"; Amusement Parks Need More Regulation 1) Today's Matt Lauer highlighted a poll that "has President Bush with his first negative numbers of his presidency," while Bill Clinton "made a big splash" in opening his Harlem office. David Gregory relayed that Zogby found 51 percent have a "negative" view of Bush's job performance, but FNC's Brit Hume noticed that the "negative" category included those who thought Bush has done a "fair" job. 2) Geraldo Rivera also highlighted the "negative" assessment of Bush by most in the Zogby poll. He contrasted that... continue reading
Clinton An "Honorary Homeboy"; Nets Focused On Celebration for Clinton's Office; Have v Have-Nots Computer Chasm; Olbermann Back 1) ABC and CBS allocated valuable air time to the celebration for Bill Clinton's office opening. Before a clip of "Stand by Me," ABC's Dan Harris asserted: "The reception for this oft embattled former President could be summed up in the ceremony's closing song." CBS's Byron Pitts credited Harlem's renaissance to "federal tax incentives supported by then-President Clinton." On Sunday, NBC's Pat Dawson cheered: "The Comeback Kid in a neighborhood staging its own comeback." 2) Monday's Good Morning America allowed former Clinton... continue reading
CBS's Hanssen-Reagan Link; Arsenic Rule Distorted; Bush "Doesn't Play Well with Others"; CBS Found Scandal in Ashcroft Not Condit 1) Leave it to CBS News to link spy Robert Hanssen to Ronald Reagan. CBS highlighted Hanssen's role in a 1980s effort to monitor U.S. citizens for ties to Moscow: "It was former President Ronald Reagan who beefed up the FBI initiative against Soviet subversion in the U.S." 2) Over video of a little girl drinking from an outdoor fountain, CBS's Diana Olick distorted Bush's arsenic in water decision: "This week the House voted against his plan to ease restrictions on... continue reading
Dems Not Chided for Breaking NAFTA; No Watermelon in Watermelon Roll-Ups!; CBS Hit Laura Bush from Left on Spending 1) The networks which chastised President Bush for not ensuring U.S. compliance with international treaties on Thursday night failed to rebuke Senate Democrats for fighting Bush's effort to adhere to NAFTA by fighting Democratic-led efforts to impose special rules on Mexican trucks. And while CBS and NBC last week were upset by the House's procedural maneuver which denied a vote on McCain's campaign finance, on Thursday night neither was disturbed by the vote cutting off McCain. 2) Another bombshell from NBC's... continue reading
Bush Chided for Vacating Treaties; CBS on Why CPSC Pick "Should be Recalled"; "Non-Partisan" Stephanopoulos & Fiancee; Rivera Cited MRC 1) ABC's Peter Jennings lamented how "the Bush administration has today refused to support yet another international agreement," prompting "a lot of people are asking what's going on here." ABC's Martha Raddatz assumed all the treaties are worthy. But as FNC's Brit Hume pointed out, the supposed international unity on Kyoto only occurred when the nations agreed to not enforce penalties for not meeting targets, a fact buried in newspaper accounts. 2) Dan Rather promised a look at "why opponents... continue reading