1. Schieffer: Repubs Anti-McCain Because He Challenges Authority Asked by Katie Couric Tuesday night why having Republicans dominate the Michigan GOP primary, as opposed to independents and Democrats, is bad for John McCain, CBS's Bob Schieffer didn't cite any of McCain's views -- such as on immigration, tax cuts and freedom of speech -- where he's out of sync with most Republicans. Instead of realizing how McCain is too liberal for many conservatives who are the majority in the GOP, Schieffer contended Republicans just don't like him because he's "willing to challenge the authority," insisting: "John McCain has always been... continue reading
1. Olbermann Charges Joints Chiefs Faked 'Gulf of Tonkin' with Iran On Monday's Countdown show, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann used his regular "Worst Person in the World" segment to accuse the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Michael Mullen, of trying to "fake" a "Gulf of Tonkin" incident with Iran over the recent U.S. Navy confrontation with Iranian navy speed boats in the Strait of Hormuz. Referring to reports that, out of five Iranian boats, only one unarmed boat approached the U.S. Navy ships, and that the threatening message received could have come from a "well-known marine heckler" of the... continue reading
1. Obama So Enthralled Reporters They 'Needed to Go Through Detox' Discussing NBC News reporter Lee Cowan's admission that "it's almost hard to remain objective" in covering Barack Obama, on Sunday's Reliable Sources on CNN former CBS and PBS reporter Terence Smith agreed Obama is "absolutely" benefitting from "sympathetic" coverage and ex-Washington Post political editor John Harris revealed Post reporters "needed to go through detox" after coming back to the newsroom enthralled with the liberal Democratic presidential candidate. Recalling his days at the Post before helping to launch The Politico a year ago, Harris told ex-Post colleague and Reliable Sources... continue reading
1. Williams Calls Claim of Pro-Obama Bias 'Ridiculous,' But... Barely 24 hours after Brian Williams devoted a Monday NBC Nightly News story to a glowing look at Barack Obama in which Williams showed Obama the Newsweek with the Democratic candidate on the cover and wondered, "How does this feel, of all the honors that have come your way....Who does it make you think of? Is there a loved one?", Williams took to his blog to call "ridiculous" the suggestion, fueled by an NBC News reporter's admission "it's almost hard to remain objective" in covering Obama, that NBC has any "bias."... continue reading
1. Couric Urges 'Humanized' Clinton to 'Reveal More of Yourself' Telling Hillary Clinton "some observers believe" that when she got "emotional" -- as "your voice cracked and your eyes welled up" -- that "humanized you and made you much more attractive to women voters," CBS's Katie Couric on Wednesday night cooed: "Will you be willing now to reveal more of yourself and be less reserved?" As if the "emotional" moment Monday in New Hampshire exposed the real, sensitive Hillary Clinton while the "reserved" Hillary persona of the last 15-plus years doesn't match reality. For the interview aired on the CBS... continue reading
1. MSNBC Blames Voters for Bad NH Polls, If Archie Bunker Called... During MSNBC's live New Hampshire primary night coverage, former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw warned that poll results getting ahead of the voters could turn the public against the media, but then blamed the inaccurate polling on how "people probably are not as honest with pollsters." Chris Matthews, who urged an "inquest" on the polls which all had Barack Obama well ahead of Hillary Clinton in the Granite state when Clinton actually won, saw "an ethnic factor here." Matthews extrapolated on his theory involving "Archie Bunker," the bigoted... continue reading
1. Williams Slobbers Over Obama; Couric Counters McCain on Surge In interviews aired Monday night, NBC's Brian Williams slobbered over Barack Obama while CBS's Katie Couric told John McCain the surge in Iraq has not been a success and pressed Mitt Romney to apologize for his negative ads. Riding on a bus in New Hampshire the day before the Granite state's primary, Williams showed Obama the Newsweek with the Democratic candidate on the cover and wondered: "How does this feel, of all the honors that have come your way, all the publicity? Who does it make you think of? Is... continue reading
1. ABC Not Like CNN: Charles Gibson Provides Balanced Debate Agenda ABC News and Charles Gibson are no CNN and Anderson Cooper when it comes to skewing the agenda of presidential debates. In the back-to-back Republican followed by Democratic debates from New Hampshire aired between 7 and 11 PM EST Saturday night on ABC, moderator Gibson challenged the presumptions of both sets of candidates with a key talking point being pushed by the other party: He hit Republicans on the lack of national health care and Democrats on the success of the surge in Iraq. 2. Only Couric Notes Hsu... continue reading
1. CNN: Dem Voters 'Pretty Moderate,' Repubs 'Very Conservative' Though Iowa Democrats gave the most support to two far-left candidates -- Barack Obama followed by John Edwards -- while those attending GOP caucuses picked Mike Huckabee, a candidate with a lot of liberal views, CNN's Bill Schneider insisted Democratic caucus attendees "are pretty moderate" while "Republicans are very conservative." Ignoring the tendency of many liberals to shun calling themselves "liberal," Schneider based his contention on how the media's entrance poll found only 16 percent of Democrats who showed up to caucus described themselves "very liberal," but that "almost half" of... continue reading
1. NBC Highlights 'Life-Long Republican' Caucusing for Obama, But... On Wednesday's NBC Nightly News, Andrea Mitchell showcased "a lifelong Republican, who twice voted for George Bush, now canvassing for Obama" as a "precinct captain" in Iowa. In an interview two months ago, however, Monica Green listed Ronald Reagan as the last Republican President with whom she "identified" and, asked whether she'd vote for Reagan if he were running against Barack Obama today, she equivocated as she implied Reagan was too anti-communist: "You mean if he was running against Obama today? Oh my goodness. That's a good question...His views on communism... continue reading