Cheney Not Compassionate; Gore Called "Conservative" in 1992; Lynne Cheney's "Stalinist Resolve" 1) ABC's Terry Moran relayed how Gore's team is trying to hurt Bush "by painting Cheney as an extremist." Dan Rather played along and called Cheney a "hardline conservative." Today's Matt Lauer saw a contradiction between Cheney's conservative views and being a "compassionate conservative." 2) Back in 1992 the networks not only avoided labeling Clinton's VP pick, Al Gore, as a liberal, they described him as "moderate" or even "conservative" despite his liberal voting record. CBS: "Both Clinton and Gore are centrist, some would say conservative." 3) CNN's... continue reading
Cheney Tagged "Hard Right"; Democratic Attacks Amplified; "Held Hostage" Over Abortion 1) ABC, CBS and NBC descriptions of Dick Cheney: One of the "most conservative members" of Congress, "very hardline conservative," "a bedrock conservative," a "rock-solid conservative" with a "very conservative record." 2) Tuesday night the networks passed along Democratic attacks on Cheney and listed conservative votes to back up the attacks. Dan Rather relayed how Democrats put Cheney "outside the American mainstream." ABC's only Cheney expert put him "on the far right" while Linda Douglass reported how Cheney grew rich at an oil company while "consumers were paying a... continue reading
Rather's Specious Powell Scoop; Cheney Praised & Tagged "Ultraconservative"; "Lick Bush" 1) Though Dan Rather's scoop, about how George W. Bush and his father were in "deep negotiations" with Colin Powell for VP, had been proven fallacious, Rather wasn't dissuaded. In an interview with Bush he pressed the candidate to concede he pursued Powell. 2) Tom Brokaw lamented how Tom Ridge, "a guy with a great record," was rejected "immediately [by] the Catholic Church and Jesse Helms." Claire Shipman passed along charges, from unnamed sources, that Bush used "inappropriate maneuvering" to pass his tax cut. 3) "Republicans and Democrats agree... continue reading
Cheney a "Reasonable" Conservative; "Political Mistake" Not to Pick McCain; "Smart" to Tap Ridge 1) Despite a "very conservative" record, Dick Cheney "appeared to be a moderate, reasonable person" because he dealt candidly with the press, Steve Roberts asserted. NBC's Andrea Mitchell tagged him "very conservative" with "a moderate face." CBS warned "his voting record might be too conservative to fit with Bush." 2) A phone number provided by NBC reporter Pete Williams, a former aide to Dick Cheney, enabled NBC's Lisa Myers to break the news that Cheney had changed his voter registration to Wyoming. 3) The McCain for... continue reading
Tax Cuts = Spending; Rich Helped Most?; Jennings Embarrassed by Boy Scouts 1) Exempting more income from taxation equals "Republican spending of the surplus." CBS's Bill Plante adopted the Clinton spin in a story on House approval of higher retirement plan donation limits. 2) Tuesday night Plante recited, without rebuttal, the Clinton analysis of how the marriage penalty tax break will "give the wealthiest one percent of taxpayers a tax cut 84 times as large as they give an average family." ABC and NBC relayed the same spin but, in fact, the richest Americans won't get their fair share. 3)... continue reading
NBC Knew of Slur Charge; ABC Pushed to "Integrate" Court; Jacoby Denounced; Ted's SUV 1) Monday night ABC didn't touch the allegation of an anti-Semitic ethnic slur 26 years ago by Hillary Clinton. CBS and NBC ran full stories. NBC avoided the specific words, CBS let viewers read them on screen. NBC revealed it knew last year about the charge. 2) ABC refused to label Ralph Nader as a liberal. Looking as Bush's VP options, CBS's Bill Whitaker applied incongruous labeling: "Ridge, for example, could bring a big state but the pro-choice Catholic could turn off the big anti-abortion bloc."... continue reading
Russert Hit Gore Contradiction; "Abysmal" on NAACP; Only CBS Touched Memo on Real Gas Hike Causes 1) Best Question of the Weekend: Tim Russert to Al Gore on Meet the Press and Oddest Question of the Weekend: Cokie Roberts to George W. Bush on This Week. Plus, Roberts spent nearly six minutes demanding that Bush concede mistakes in the death penalty. 2) An anti-Hillary direct mail letter displayed "sexism" and proved her opponents "don't like powerful women," Washington media veteran Steve Roberts asserted on CNN's Late Edition. 3) His "party's record's been abysmal," Washington Post reporter Michael Fletcher declared of... continue reading
Bradley & Gore: Forget the Past; NARAL Test; Bush Scolded as Racist Lout 1) Back on May 9 CBS and NBC reminded viewers of how Bush and McCain attacked each other in the primary season as Tom Brokaw asked McCain if he'd "endorsed somebody who's not qualified to be President?" But Thursday night the two networks stuck to the rosy image and refused to show how Bradley once denounced Gore. 2) The liberal litmus test on abortion: FNC's Brit Hume recounted NARAL's report card on potential VPs. Plus, FNC reported on a judge's quest to get the White House to... continue reading
Roth's Shift Left Heralded; DNA Proved Guilt But ABC AWOL; Jacoby Support & Double Standards 1) CBS heralded as the most important news of the day Senator William Roth's decision to back Medicare prescription coverage. Dan Rather trumpted: "Chances may be improving for some kind of federal plan to help seniors...." Bob Schieffer's one-sided piece ignored opponents. 2) DNA tests confirmed the man whose execution George Bush delayed really is guilty, but instead of reporting that news ABC's World News Tonight devoted a whole piece to the cause of another condemned Texas prisoner who claims DNA will vindicate him. 3)... continue reading
Gore's "Quick-Silver Intelligence"; Whitman's Racist Photo; Jennings Mocked Fear of Soviet Union 1) Al Gore jumping from issue to issue trying to find a winning one? CNN relayed the spin from his aides that he's really flaunting the "breadth" of his "quick-silver intelligence." 2) CBS devoted a whole story to the photo of NJ Governor Whitman frisking a black suspect during a ride-along. Jim Axelrod lectured: "No matter how many speeches George Bush makes at NAACP conventions...angry African-Americans in New Jersey say this is why they have problems with Republicans." 3) The Washington Post complained Bush refrained from "explicitly acknowledging... continue reading