During her interview with President and Mrs. Obama on Friday's 20/20 , ABC's Barbara Walters made a point of contrasting GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich's history of marital problems with the successful marriage of the First Family. Walters introduced the topic as she observed: I'm looking at you. You're holding hands. That's very sweet. How many years married? Walters noted that the Obama marriage "has always been a political asset," but, when noting that other politicians have had problems in that arena, she only mentioned Republican candidate Gingrich. Walters: The Obamas' marriage has always been a political asset. Not so... continue reading
As NBC co-anchor Amy Robach teased Saturday's Today show, she described the House Republican passage of the Senate version of a temporary payroll tax cut extension as President Obama scoring "a win for some 160 million workers." But, after that initial suggestion than an Obama victory was synonymous with a victory for American workers, rather than the triumph of one option over another, the language in subsequent reports on the subject more reasonably referred to the development as a "political win for the President." During the opening teaser, Robach declared: Presidential push: President Obama scores a win for some 160... continue reading
Appearing as a panel member on Friday's Inside Washington on PBS, Politico 's Evan Thomas - formerly of Newsweek - took a jab at Senate Republican Leader Mitch Mcconnell, suggesting that he is normally not a "good guy," during a discussion of the Kentucky Republican's role in reaching a deal with Democrats to extend the payroll tax cut by two months. After panel member Margaret Carlson of Bloomberg News asserted that it was difficult to see the point of why House Republicans were trying to hold out for a longer-term payroll tax cut extension, host Gordon Peterson turned to Evan... continue reading
On Friday's CBS Evening News , as correspondent Sharyl Attkisson filed a report to inform viewers that the House of Representatives had approved the Senate plan for a two-month payroll tax cut extension, Attkisson included a clip of Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid directing a "lecture" at and blaming House Republican freshmen for the delay, as she recounted his hope that they had "learned a lesson." While the report included two soundbites from Democrats that allowed them to put forth some of their message - in the form of one clip each from Reid and President Obama - the CBS... continue reading
As the broadcast network morning newscasts on Friday all reported on House Republicans backing down on a temporary extension of the payroll tax cut without extracting additional concessions from Democrats, the CBS team on The Early Show saw humor in the House Republican move as substitute co-anchor Jim Axelrod quipped that "the word of the day in Washington will be 'cave,'" evoking laughter. As substitute hosts Rebecca Jarvis and Jim Axelrod began the show, they brought aboard correspondent Sharyl Attkisson, and Axelrod posed: The deal will head off the tax increase that would have been implemented next month for 160... continue reading
Barbara Walters, who famously asked Katherine Hepburn what type of tree she was, may have outdone herself in a slobbering interview with Michelle and Barack Obama. In previews of Friday's 20/20 segment, Walters asked the President, " If you were a superhero and you could have one super power, what would it be?" [MP3 audio here .] To the First Lady, the journalist posed a question about reincarnation: "If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would you want it to be?" This appeared to be too much for Mrs. Obama, she interrupted,... continue reading
When Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) blamed not only President Obama but also members of his own party for the payroll tax standoff, CNN's Ali Velshi interjected that perhaps the senator was being too hard on the President. McCain had insisted earlier that previous presidents would have done more to get a deal through a divided Congress. "Is it really fair to put as much heat as you're putting on the President on this one?" Velshi complained to McCain. "I mean, a lot of eyes are pointing to House Republican leadership right now as being intransigent." "I think that that is... continue reading
In Thursday's interview with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Early Show co-host Chris Wragge asked if Republicans in Congress are basically helping President Obama get re-elected with their ongoing opposition to the Senate's two-month payroll tax cut extension plan. "Are you essentially handing President Obama his re-election bid here by handling this the way the Republicans have handled this?" Wragge asked guest Senator McCain. The senator has been a noted critic of House Republicans in their refusal to vote for the Senate plan. Wragge also teed up the senator when he asked him "How do you think this is going to... continue reading
The day before the one-year anniversary of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, both ABC's World News and the NBC Nightly News on Wednesday took the time to celebrate the first time that a same-sex couple won the U.S. Navy's lottery that allows their welcome home kiss to be featured as the first photographed kiss. ABC substitute anchor George Stephanopoulos read a short item on the subject: And we saw this remarkable image today that puts a new twist on an old Navy tradition. For the first time, two women sailors shared the traditional first kiss that marks a... continue reading
Nightline co-anchor Terry Moran on Tuesday huffed that Rick Perry's "controversial" ad, combined with a presidential campaign that could be seen as "denigrat[ing]" "non-Christians" and "gay veterans," might spell doom for the Republican candidate. [MP3 audio here .] The program's other anchor, Cynthia McFadden, teased the segment by proclaiming, "Plus, God and country. Who would Jesus vote for? Rick Perry's on the campaign trail casting himself as the populist Christian candidate." Moran interrogated Perry about a recent campaign spot lamenting the open service of gays in the military and religious hostility. A baffled Moran quizzed, "Who in this country is... continue reading