Gore Asked About Russia Deal; Ad Linking Bush to Murder Ignored; West Wing's Conservative Decided White House Full of "Patriots" -- Back to today's CyberAlert 1) Thirteen days after the news broke, on today's Good Morning America Charles Gibson asked Al Gore about a "secret agreement" that "you signed with Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin ...which gave Russia a pass" on selling arms to Iran. 2) Media Reality Check: "Is It Civil To Suggest Bush Is a Killer? Media's Willie Horton Ad Bashers Sit in Stony Silence While NAACP Ad Is Denounced by Bob Kerrey." Only FNC has shown the... continue reading
"Texas Miracle" Just a "Mirage"?; West Wing Star Called Bush "Full of S**t" and Jesus Disappointed in Bush 1) ABC, CBS and NBC all jumped on a study disputing Bush's record on education. "A new report from the RAND Corporation, a non-partisan think tank, argues the so-called 'Texas miracle' in education is in fact overstated," declared NBC's David Gregory. Dan Rather asserted: "A new study out today questioned whether it's in fact a miracle or a mirage." 2) CBS dedicated a whole story to the battling Bush and Gore spending visions. John Roberts: "Under merciless attack as an old-line Democrat... continue reading
Bush Too Partisan; Nader's Threat to Gore; Afraid of Being Abandoned by Clinton; Exhibit of Dan Rather Odds & Ends -- Extra Edition 1) The Gore campaign's worry about the impact of Ralph Nader generated ABC, CBS and NBC stories Monday night. ABC and NBC led Monday by stressing the closeness of the race. ABC's Dean Reynolds rebuked Bush: "For all the talk about crossing partisan lines, Democrats on Capitol Hill are hardly likely to appreciate Bush's attack today on the issue of Social Security." 2) Arnold Schwarzenegger upbraided Matt Lauer on Today for saying the race is even. He... continue reading
Bush's Threat to "Abortion Rights"; Risky SS Plan; Anti-Bush Educational Achievement Study Touted -- Back to today's CyberAlert 1) Jesse Jackson claimed conservatives opposed ending slavery, but all Today's Matt Lauer cared about was abortion: "Would abortion rights be overturned...if George Bush gets the chance to appoint two, three or four justices?" 2) Diane Sawyer this morning saw Bush's Social Security plan as riskier than Gore's, demanding assurances of former Senator Alan Simpson: "Is it a risk-free idea, or is there an element of the casino in it?" 3) Media Reality Check: This morning "ABC & NBC Ignored July RAND... continue reading
Pro-Gore Audience Parodied by SNL; ABC's NRA vs. NAACP Disparity; Katie Couric's Sister Starring in Liberal TV Ad 1) Saturday Night Live parodied the pro-Gore agenda of debate questioners: "I'm wondering about Governor Bush's risky tax scheme to steal the trillion dollar surplus from Social Security...waste it on a tax cut for the rich, and take us back to those awful times when his father...caused AIDS and homelessness." 2) Sunday night ABC and CBS relayed fresh poll numbers which have Bush slightly ahead while ABC, catching up with CBS, dedicated a whole piece to Bush's supposed indifference to a confession... continue reading
"Enormous Waste" to Not Use Clinton; "Top Ten" Bias?; Rosie's Rosy Embrace of Gore; Bush's Commercial Break Activity 1) ABC and CBS Friday night acknowledged Clinton's liability to Gore, but ABC's Terry Moran highlighted how "some Democrats feel Clinton, a superb campaigner, could help Gore." CBS's John Roberts warned: "For some Democratic strategists, it's an enormous waste of talent that could jeopardize Gore's chances." 2) Bias in picking which Letterman "Top Ten" items to showcase? ABC's Diane Sawyer was upset by Bush's "Give Oval Office one heck of a scrubbing." ABC's GMA and CBS's The Early Show both showcased the... continue reading
Subverting "Compassionate Image"; "Nonpartisan" Democrats"; Letterman Leaned on Bush from the Left 1) ABC didn't scold Gore for claiming Bush would end prosperity, but Dean Reynolds reprimanded Bush for saying Gore is a big spending liberal who does not deserve credit for prosperity: "This kind of language may conflict with Bush's compassionate image" and "undermine...calls for an end to partisan bickering." 2) New York Times on Rock the Vote: "Nonpartisan," "nonprofit" but "with close ties to Democrats." 3) David Letterman failed the Oprah test for treating Gore and Bush equally. After carrying on a jovial conversation with Al Gore five... continue reading
ABC: Gore's Spin on Bush's SS Plan; Lehrer's Judgment; "Factually Inaccurate" Hillary Skipped; The West Wing Demonized Dr. Laura 1) ABC's World News Tonight advanced Gore's agenda by devoting a whole story to demanding: "How will Bush pay for the trillion dollars Gore says will be removed" from the Social Security fund?Peter Jennings actually asked: "What happens when people ask him about paying for this transition phase?" 2) Of the broadcast networks Wednesday night, only NBC aired a fact-checking story on Tuesday's debate. Lisa Myers decided "most independent experts say...both candidates have over promised." There were actually many claims by... continue reading
Russert Took on Gore; Lauer Scolded Matthews; Sheen Wants to Be "Pain in the Ass" to Bush; ABC's In-Kind Contribution to Gore -- Back to today's CyberAlert 1) Tough questions for Gore from NBC's Tim Russert, but softballs from Good Morning America. ABC's Terry Moran to Gore: "You've spent a quarter century in public service and have worked on a lot of these issues, obviously have mastered a lot of the details of them. When you look across the stage, are you frustrated at all?" 2) NBC's Matt Lauer scolded a fellow journalist for saying critical things about the Democratic... continue reading
Rather: 3 Bush Errors, None by Gore; Dominated by Questions From the Left; Brokaw Wanted More Liberal Topics; Gushed Over Gus -- Extra Edition 1) ABC's Dean Reynolds declared Bush had been "uneasy" and "he sure did not seem relaxed." Dan Rather lamented how Bush and Gore "confined their quote 'answers' mostly to rehearsed, repetitive, canned, focus group tested and market research soundbites." 2) Dan Rather listed three errors made by Bush, but was unable to name any by Gore. FNC noted Gore was "patently false" in saying drug companies spend more on ads than research. "Inaccurate," ABC's George Stephanopoulos... continue reading