CBS: Is John Ashcroft a "Racist?"; Ashcroft's Ideology At Odds with the Law; Democratic Payback for How GOP Treated Clinton Nominees? 1) "Do you think that John Ashcroft is a racist?" CBS's Bob Schieffer asked Senator Barbara Boxer in a story prompted by her opposition. Schieffer relayed, without any label, how "groups representing everything from civil rights to consumer advocates" are against Ashcroft and are upset by his Christmas card. 2) CBS News reporter John Roberts peppered Ari Fleischer with questions from the left over Ashcroft: "As somebody who is charged with executing the laws that are on the books,... continue reading
Stephanopoulos Tied to Chavez Hit?; Unlabeled Anti-Ashcroft Groups; "Long Live Hillary" Proclaimed ABC's Carole Simpson 1) CBS and NBC relayed the Bush team spin that Linda Chavez had to go because she had lied about "harboring an illegal immigrant." As for Chavez bringing along to her appearance some people she's helped, NBC's David Gregory denounced that as "an extraordinary display of defiance." 2) The lawyer for the neighbor who squealed on Chavez is former Clinton lawyer Neil W. Eggleston who, FNC's Brit Hume pointed out, is a "close friend of George Stephanopoulos...now a quote, 'correspondent,' unquote for ABC News." 3)... continue reading
Chomping on Chavez; Reagan Civil Rights Enforcement an "Oxymoron"; Ashcroft on the "Far Right" and a Divider; "Riveting" Regulation 1) ABC and NBC led Monday night with the Linda Chavez live-in friend controversy as all analogized her case to Zoe Baird's 1993 situation. ABC and NBC played an old clip of Chavez criticizing Baird while CBS highlighted how Chavez once said something supposedly inappropriate about obese people. 2) PBS's Washington Week in Review on Chavez: "Which nominee has suggested that sexual harassment cases threaten to make America a nation of cry babies?" Time's Michael Duffy: "She was a Reagan civil... continue reading
Chavez as "Extreme" as Ashcroft; Bush Didn't Win; Stop the "Huge" Tax Cut; Time for Campaign Finance Reform; Gumbel Admitted Cursing 1) CBS jumped Sunday night on ABC's story about an illegal alien and Linda Chavez. Phil Jones dubbed Chavez and Ashcroft as "darlings of the Republican right wing." ABC presented the legal case against Chavez. 2) Time's trio trounced Linda Chavez. Michael Duffy: "Her positions are just as extreme in some cases as Ashcroft's." Margaret Carlson: "She's totally against...working people." Jack White: She's "taken shrill right wing positions on everything." 3) Time's Jack White shouted "No they didn't" to... continue reading
Bush Not Vindicated By Rate Cut; Hillary the "Most Admired"; CBS's Hit on Ashcroft as Racist; Gumbel: Reagan "The Worst" ex-President 1) Two weeks ago the networks stressed how Gene Sperling blamed Bush for creating a recession through downbeat talk. But on Wednesday, after the Fed rate cut, ABC, CBS and NBC failed to call it vindication. CBS's John Roberts highlighted "the fundamental difference between Bush and Greenspan over how best to spur economic growth, from cutting interest rates or cutting taxes." 2) NBC's Andrea Mitchell gushed: "From the health care fiasco to the Monica humiliation to the campaign many... continue reading
Can Bush "Get Away With That?"; Norton an Evil "Protege" of James Watt; Newspaper Editorials & Columns on Best of NQ 1) Appalled by a Washington Post story on how George Bush has eschewed bi-partisanship by naming "thoroughbred conservatives" to his cabinet, CBS's Bob Schieffer demanded: "Do you think he's going to be able to get away with that?" ABC and NBC also raised the same story Sunday morning while ignoring how the New York Times realized Bush has largely "shunned" conservatives. 2) CBS and NBC pounced Friday night on Interior pick Gale Norton, giving environmentalists an unchallenged platform. CBS's... continue reading
The Last CyberAlert of the Millennium Clinton Outsmarted Racist GOP; MRC More a "Guard Dog" Than a "Watch Dog"; 3rd Runners-Up in the Awards for the Worst Reporting 1) ABC and CBS portrayed Clinton's recess appointment of a black judge as a virtuous act to overcome racist Republicans. CBS's John Roberts effused about how Clinton "moved to make the federal court system more reflective of the population," as "for five years Mr. Clinton has attempted to appoint a minority judge to the Fourth Circuit, but was blocked by the Republican-led Senate." 2) FNC's Fox News Watch discussed the MRC's nominations... continue reading
"Proud" of New Yorkers for Electing Hillary; A CBS News Christmas: Getting High; 2nd Runners-Up in the MRC's Annual Awards 1) Actress Uma Thurman told David Letterman she's "awfully proud" of Bill Clinton and thinks that if he'd been on the ballot he would have won. As for Hillary, she considers her "incredible" and proclaimed: "I'm so proud of New York for electing her." 2) Christmas days of yesteryear at CBS News: Andy Rooney and Harry Reasoner getting high on joints received as a gift. 3) Second runners-up in the MRC's "The Best Notable Quotables of 2000: The Thirteenth Annual... continue reading
"A Sop...To Buy Off the Wing Nuts"; "Dangerously Big Tax Cut"; Bush Won, So ABC's Salinger Leaves U.S.; Awards Issue Runners-Up 1) On Ashcroft, Newsweek's Evan Thomas whined and impugned: "Why can't they buy off the right wing with unimportant jobs? I mean, this is a sop...to buy off the wing nuts." ABC's Linda Douglass decided that while "Bush's rhetoric is very inclusive," the "fact is he's proposed no federal programs for minorities." 2) Evan Thomas and Al Hunt denounced Bush for warning of an economic downturn and suggesting a tax cut might be an antidote. Thomas claimed "we don't... continue reading
Ashcroft "Calms the Far Right"; Bush Hit From the Left by CBS, NBC & CNN Reporters; 13th Annual Awards for the Year's Worst Reporting 1) CBS and ABC Friday night highlighted vitriolic liberal opposition to Bush's pick of John Ashcroft for Attorney General while not running any soundbites in his favor. NBC's Brian Williams declared that he "calms the far right politically." Dan Rather asserted Ashcroft is "known for his tough anti-abortion stand" while Christie Todd Whitman "supports abortion rights." 2) Network reporters hit Bush from the left in his press conference. CBS's John Roberts asked about his "willingness to... continue reading