BiasAlerts

Clinton's Buddy Bryant Gumbel; CBS Pushed Bush Drug Question 1) In just two mornings Bryant Gumbel has already raised Bush drug charges, tossed softballs to Clinton, castigated a conservative actor for his views and bemoaned inaction on gun control. 2) No political news on the broadcast networks Monday night. On the CBS Evening News Dan Rather relayed ominous warnings about the dire consequences of global warming. 3) Last week the Washington Post cut off a quote about what happens in a partial-birth abortion and the week before, unlike ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC, FNC offered a rare, full description. Correction:... continue reading

Gumbel Denounces MRC Ad; Insists That on Political Views "I Hold Them in Check"; Debut Show Today to Feature Bill Clinton Interview Special GumbelAlert Edition: On Tim Russert's show on CNBC over the weekend Tim Russert held up the MRC's ad from last Wednesday's New York Post which offered examples of Bryant Gumbel's liberal advocacy over the years. Gumbel replied by asking Russert to denounce MRC Chairman L. Brent Bozell, though he didn't name him, and taking a shot the MRC by saying the view expressed in the ad should not be "taken seriously." He also claimed that he holds... continue reading

Zilch on ABC, CNN & NBC on Huang/Riady Revelations; Helms' Women Problem 1) Tom Brokaw called a one percent spending cut "sweeping" and griped that "in this booming economy companies have done little to expand health care coverage." CBS nullified good GDP news. 2) The Gore-Bradley appearance in the CNN/WMUR town meeting generated much more network evening show coverage than the GOP gathering. ABC used two Clinton-Gore aides to assess Bradley and one hit conservatives. NBC's Today again advocated Dole for VP. 3) John Huang tied Harold Ickes to illegal fundraising and asserted that James Riady told Clinton of his... continue reading

Budget Cut Realities; Lauer Urged Dole for VP; "Appeasement" of China 1) Little political news the last few nights. ABC, CBS and NBC jumped on the fat "epidemic." NBC claimed old women are the "soccer moms" of 2000. FNC discovered a contrite Webster Hubbell. 2) CNN relayed General Shelton's claim that the GOP's suggested 1.4 percent cut would be "devastating," but that would still leave more money for Defense than Clinton originally proposed. 3) Today's Matt Lauer recommended that Bush pick Elizabeth Dole as his VP: "How powerful a team do you think they'd be?" Another host suggested that Jerry... continue reading

Cutting "The Penny That Cures Cancer"; Bathtubs Kill More Than School Shooters 1) Sam Donaldson warned the House GOP's proposed 1.4 percent cut may mean the loss of "the penny that cures cancer." On the McLaughlin Group the Chicago Tribune's James Warren declared the defeat of campaign finance "reform" a victory for "corruption." 2) Contrasting headlines about NH debate: "At GOP Debate, a Unified Blast at Bush" versus "Clinton Foreign Policy Assailed." 3) It's not just Dan Rather. ABC and CNN anchors also refused to adopt the term "partial-birth abortion." 4) Again Sunday night a network anchor tied Christian Right... continue reading

"Partial-Birth" Avoidance; Another Car Bomber; Reno Warned of FALN 1) "A measure to ban a type of late-term abortions," Dan Rather remarked in refusing to accept the term "partial-birth." NBC's Robert Hager promoted dire global warming fears. 2) The author of a book fueling George W. Bush drug charges is a convicted felon who once arranged for a car bombing, the Dallas Morning News disclosed in a story picked up by Fox News Channel. 3) Janet Reno asserted that the FALN is "an ongoing threat" exacerbated by the release from prison of its members, but only FNC bothered to report... continue reading

Crusading for Campaign Finance "Reform"; Democrat Ray; Rivera on Starr 1) CBS and NBC exploited Elizabeth Dole's decision to quit as a chance to take up a liberal cause. Dan Rather: "The Dole dropout comes one day after Bush allies...killed the latest attempt at campaign finance reform." NBC's Tom Brokaw lamented how the money race hurt "Elizabeth Dole's dream of running for President." 2) ABC jumped on dangerous "microwave" cell phones and CBS's Dan Rather found a "related situation" to spying at the nuclear weapons labs: "alleged prejudice." 3) Robert Ray, who replaced Kenneth Starr, was a registered Democrat until... continue reading

Gore's Treaty Flip-Flop; Fishing With Wen Ho Lee; Spend or Hike Taxes 1) Another incarnation of the George W. Bush drug charge and Al Gore's flip-flop on the nuclear test ban treaty were uniquely picked up by the Fox News Channel on Tuesday night. 2) NBC found a man happy to pay more in Social Security taxes, only NBC's Pete Williams implicated the Clinton team in a diversion to a Chinese missile plant and CBS's Bob Schieffer used the language and spin of campaign finance "reform" advocates. 3) NBC's Andrea Mitchell went fishing with Wen Ho Lee days after CNN... continue reading

NBC: U.S. Nuclear "Overkill"; Sad for Clinton; GOP Doesn't Care About World 1) CBS's John Roberts portrayed Clinton as trying to rise above petty politics on the budget: "The President has appealed to Republicans to put aside politics for the sake of the American people. NBC wondered if the U.S. nuclear arsenal is "overkill." 2) Good Morning America's Democratic campaign consulting service. On Monday Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos strategized about how Hillary Clinton can win by running to the center. On Bill Clinton, Stephanopoulos sighed: "Oh, I think he's a little sad." 3) Washington Week in Review host Gwen... continue reading

Thwarted FBI Skipped; Wright's Fine Q Ignored by ABC & CBS; Clinton's 1991 Moral Concern 1) Just as predicted in CyberAlert, no reporter asked Clinton at Thursday's press conference about the charge by FBI agents that political appointees thwarted their probe of Chinese money. Instead, reporters worried about the CTBT loss. 2) CBS's Bill Plante asked Clinton about Judge Wright's fine, but the CBS Evening News ignored it as did ABC and CNN. ABC, CBS and NBC all gave twice the time to Clinton's attacks on the Senate as to Trent Lott's defense. 3) NBC Nightly News discovered "tough criticism"... continue reading