Price Caps Will Increase Supply?; Sympathy for Casey Martin's Cause; News Weeklies Used Jeffords to Push Bush to Center 1) Dan Rather came at California's energy problems from the point of view of Governor Gray Davis, stressing George Bush's "refusal to consider any price controls." 2) The Washington Bureau Chief of Fortune magazine argued Tuesday night on FNC that price caps on California electricity prices "might help the blackouts through this summer," contending caps would somehow lead to the availability of more electricity. 3) The networks aired balanced stories on the Supreme Court's decision to force the PGA to change... continue reading
"Moderates" Opposed Tax Cut; Conservatives the "Abusers" of Moderates; Jeffords Switch Praised; Brokaw's Conservation Advocacy 1) CBS's Eric Engberg maintained that "moderate" Democrats opposed the "massive tax cut," before he highlighted comments from Charles Rangel and Chris Dodd. 2) NPR's Nina Totenberg claimed Republicans have an "abusive relationship" with moderates as "the enables" and conservatives as "the abusers." Time's Margaret Carlson praised Jeffords as "a man of principle" who spoke for her as "he gave word to what some of us have not been able to." 3) Two Washington Post reporters praised Jim Jeffords for dumping the GOP. E.J Dionne... continue reading
Jeffords: "Principle Over Party"; Vermonters "Socially Conscious"; Brokaw Saw No Betrayal; NY Times "Middle of the Road" to Rather 1) Republican Party too conservative. ABC and CBS conveyed Jim Jeffords' warning that Bush must listen to "moderates" or he'll be a one-termer. CBS relayed the recommendation of one operative to reach out to "others who feel Jim Jeffords's pain." NBC's Lisa Myers put the burden on Bush: "This new reality will test the President's promise to be uniter and not a divider." 2) The networks assumed Jeffords had only noble intentions as they focused on approval by Vermonters. Bob Schieffer:... continue reading
Jeffords Mislabeled "Moderate"; In Wake of Jeffords Defection Bush Should Move Left; Fault of Conservatives for Moving GOP Too Right 1) Jeffords Defection Theme #1: Bush should move left to the center. CBS's John Roberts relayed how a Democratic pollster hoped, "he may be forced to govern from the middle." NBC's Campbell Brown pushed Bush to the left: "The President's options? Political analysts say bi-partisan compromise." 2) Jeffords Defection Theme #2: Label him a "moderate," or a "maverick," but never what he really is, a liberal. Looking at ideological ratings, Jeffords' record makes him 24 points less conservative and 25... continue reading
Cheney Event = Gore's Temple; Nets Equated GOP Fundraising with Clinton's; Andrea Mitchell Had Night on the Town with Tipper & Al 1) ABC, CBS and NBC equated the GOP Presidential Gala and a reception at Dick Cheney's house with Clinton-Gore fundraising. Peter Jennings: "You shouldn't be surprised if the Republicans in this next report remind you of the Democrats they so recently criticized." CBS's John Roberts: "Critics complain that President Bush is selling the White House the same way President Clinton did." NBC's Campbell Brown went so far as to make a comparison with Gore's Buddhist temple event: "Political... continue reading
"Big" Tax Cut Yields Little Cut; Reagan-Hater to Take NY Times Top Spot; Rather: I'm a Martyr for Truth; Lamb's Contrarian Question 1) After months of describing Bush's tax cut as "big," "enormous" or "massive," on Monday night both CBS and NBC informed viewers they shouldn't expect to get much relief anytime soon. CBS's Dan Rather, however, still cited Bush's "big tax cut." But NBC's Lisa Myers pointed how "that really big tax cut you've been promised may be a long time coming." 2) ABC's Good Morning America brought Janet Reno aboard to discuss her possible gubernatorial run in Florida... continue reading
Liberal Hit on Olson Advanced; "Drastically" Reduced Government?; "F" for Bush's Energy Plan; Should be "More" Solar and Wind Power 1) Howler of the Weekend. Margaret Carlson on CNN's Capital Gang ludicrously claimed that because of the tax cut "government is going to end as we know it....Government will be drastically reduced." 2) ABC gave George Stephanopoulos his own segment to make the case that Ted Olson should be disqualified because he's employed "the kind of legalistic parsing" which Olson had "criticized Clinton administration officials for" during the Lewinsky and Whitewater scandals. Stephanopoulos insisted to Ken Starr: "Isn't this record... continue reading
Plan from "Two Former Oil Men"; Stephanopoulos and Then for the Democratic View...; More Bogus Rather Claims; Rather: "Woo-Woo!" 1) CBS and NBC relayed how Democrats claim the Bush energy plan does not do enough to solve the short term problem of higher gas prices. But in concluding with forecasts of lower prices this summer neither noted how that undermines the Democratic attack. Instead they used the prediction to make sure viewers understood any such eventuality would have nothing to do with Bush. 2) ABC's Terry Moran surmised the Bush White House is "playing defense against the impression that this... continue reading
Dan Rather on Bill Clinton: "I think he's an honest man." Just one breaking bias item :::: Dan Rather on Bill Clinton: "I think he's an honest man....I think at core he's an honest person....I think you can be an honest person and lie about any number of things." Tonight, in a taped interview aired on the Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly pressed CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather about former President Bill Clinton's honesty. Here's the exchange: O'Reilly: "I want to ask you flat out, do you think President Clinton's an honest man?" Rather: "Yes,... continue reading
Bush Team Too Influenced by Big Oil; Liberal Charged Price Fixing, ABC Jumped; Washington Post Upset By Ashcroft's Prayer Meetings 1) The CBS Evening News led Monday night with how its poll found, in the words of John Roberts, that "62 percent say the oil industry has too much influence with the Bush administration." Roberts then listed which top officials once worked in the energy industry, "ties that 56 percent of Americans think will result in favorable treatment of the oil and gas industries." 2) Henry Waxman as ABC's assignment editor. World News Tonight devoted a whole story Monday night... continue reading