More Hate Radio; Dole Fuels "Racial Divides" Four items today: A Time magazine reporter attributes the First Lady's problems not to any wrongdoing but to the fact that "Mrs. Clinton has changed the role of First Lady." Eleanor Clift charges that the evil "right-wing mafia" are fueling "hate radio." Newsweek's Joe Klein finds a bright spot in the public's lack of concern over controversies dogging the Clintons: It may lead to the end of such distracting scandal-mongering. NBC portrays Bob Dole's lack of appearance at the NAACP convention as "an insult to African-American voters" which "may reinforce...racial divides along party... continue reading
Taxes vs. Cuts; Carlson Hypocrisy; NBC's Victims Four items today: Some real bias in Katie Couric's interview with Bob Dole that got lost in the publicity over smoking. She sees tax cuts and budget balancing as contradictory. Time magazine's Margaret Carlson blasts her industry for publicizing the Gary Aldrich book, but a bit of hypocrisy comes through when you look at an article she wrote in 1985. NBC Nightly News discovers and cries over a new class of "victims" -- those who don't get paid for overtime. Asked to rate the media's bias from right to left on a scale... continue reading
Top Ten & Dan on Castro's Health Two bits of humor today: 1) David Letterman's Top Ten list from Friday night: "Top Ten Revelations In The New Tell-All Book About The White House." 2) Dan Rather asks Fidel Castro the question on everyone's mind -- about a certain organ. > 1) Downloaded from CompuServe's E-Drive, here's the June 28 Late Show with David Letterman Top Ten List, copyrighted I should note by Wide World Pants Inc. Top Ten Revelations In The New Tell-All Book About The White House: 10. Hillary recently signed up for MCI's "Dead Friends and Family" plan... continue reading
Hypocrisy on Aldrich; Media "Harder" on Clinton One Media Reality Check and two other quotes today. 1) A little media hypocrisy on the Gary Aldrich book Unlimited Access? On Monday night the MRC released a fax report, as part of our Media Reality Check 96 project, which documented that "while TV producers echo George Stephanopoulos in insisting that guests meet a threshold of credibility,' the networks have not been so high-minded when allegations were made against conservatives." 2) A Chicago Tribune reporter says that because reporters are of the same generation and share the same values as Clinton, they are... continue reading
Airline Scare; Nancy vs. Hillary Two items today: 1) The FAA shuts down ValuJet leading CBS to discover that "suddenly the skies are not so friendly" as airlines are cutting maintenance to "boost profits," an awful development for which the public is paying the price. 2) ABC News offered two very different treatments two First Ladies with embarrassing revelations. Hillary Clinton is "beleaguered, in pain, and seeking help" in a culture where "there is a political price to be paid for those in public life who seek help for their private problems." But in reporting on Nancy Reagan and astrology... continue reading
Familes First Free Ride One topic today: Families First vs. Contract with America. Below are transcripts of two stories: 1) The Sunday, June 23 NBC Nightly News story on the Democratic answer to the Contract with America. 2) A transcript of the story run on NBC Nightly News on September 27, 1994, the day the GOP unveiled their Contract with America. While NBC's story on the Democrats was hardly filled with praise, other than a mild criticism that it lacked specifics, it was absent explicit attacks on Democratic policies or premises. In 1994 NBC offered five specific condemnations, such as... continue reading
Talking to the Dead a Good Thing; Clift Blames "Hate Radio" Three items today: 1) ABC and CNN turn the Hillary revelations -- about her talking to dead people -- into a positive. Plus, four very illuminating quotes from the Bob Woodward book. 2) Eleanor Clift charges "hate radio" with improperly putting Hillary Clinton in the middle of the filegate "snafu." 3) A pro-life group meets, but two newspapers find very different reactions to Bob Dole. 1 Some interesting spin on the Bob Woodward book revelation that Hillary Clinton had a spiritual adviser help her talk to Eleanor Roosevelt and... continue reading
Poor Poorer But It's Not Clinton's Fault; GOP Despicable on Race Three items today: 1) A front page New York Times story focuses on growing income disparity under Clintonomics. CBS ignores it. NBC blames corporate America. But when The New York Times ran a story in 1992 on the rich getting richer thanks to Reagan, the networks were more interested. 2) Newsweek's Joe Klein asserts that "Republicans have been truly despicable on race" and really hope for "a tacit relapse into segregation." 3) CBS taps the Office of the First Lady for some PR help. 1 "Income Disparity Between Poorest... continue reading
Rather Concerned by "Tactics;" Clinton "Cleared"? Three items today: 1) Dan Rather wonders about the real motive behind "Republican special prosecutor" Kenneth Starr calling Bruce Lindsey an unindicted co-conspirator. Rather twice questions Starr's "tactics." 2) MediaWatch study finds Republicans tagged as "extreme" in 149 stories, Democrats labeled "extreme" in just seven . 3) New York Times reports that Senate hearings "cleared" the Clintons. 1 Here's how Dan Rather began Wednesday's CBS Evening News (June 19): "Good evening, the Republican special prosecutor in the Whitewater case is naming a trusted friend and senior adviser to President Clinton as a quote 'unindicted... continue reading
Clinton Slick?; Anti-Hillary Smear Attack? Three brief Filegate and Whitewater coverage updates. 1) NBC's Tim Russert says filegate could "capsize" Clinton administration, but Bryant Gumbel wonders how Bill Clinton can put behind him "the perception" that he "is a little slick." 2) On CBS This Morning the fill-in co-host acts as a Clinton campaign operative and dismisses the relevance of the Senate Whitewater report. Referring to it and upcoming travelgate hearings she wonders "Are we really wasting money and time when there's already an independent counsel?" 3) ABC's World News Tonight leads show with three stories on Clinton scandals, but... continue reading