1. GMA "Pores Over" Roberts Memos on "Comparable Worth" and Abortion ABC's Charles Gibson breathlessly announced on Tuesday's Good Morning America that "our Jessica Yellin at the White House has been poring over" memos Supreme Court nominee John Roberts wrote when he worked in the Reagan White House "and has uncovered some new details about Roberts thinking." Yellin pleased Gibson by informing him that "we found some surprises." Using the skewed language of the left to frame the issue, she asserted that he had "urged the White House to oppose an effort by some in the women's movement to equalize... continue reading
1. MSNBC's Chris Matthews Recommends that Sheehan Run for Congress Cindy Sheehan earned live interview segments at the start of Monday's 7pm EDT Hardball on MSNBC, where she appeared from Texas with her sister, Deedee Miller, and then just past 7:30pm EDT Sheehan showed up live on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 with anti-war activist Pat Vogel. After Sheehan went on at length about how the U.S. is "building bases the size of Sacramento, California in Iraq. They plan on never leaving" and "I see Iraq as the base for spreading imperialism. And if we don't stop them now, our babies... continue reading
1. Sheehan "Single-Handedly Bringing Iraq Debate to Bush's Doorstep" NBC Nightly News on Sunday devoted its "In Depth" segment to Bush-hater Cindy Sheehan's impact, as anchor David Gregory touted how she "has become both a magnet and a source of controversy in the President's hometown, single-handedly bringing the Iraq debate to Mr. Bush's doorstep." Reporter Kelly O'Donnell began with how "she's tiny Crawford's biggest draw. This woman said she drove 900 miles from Denver, compelled by Cindy's story." Earlier, filling in for Tim Russert on Meet the Press, Andrea Mitchell blamed Bush's communications team for what the news media has... continue reading
1. NBC Showcases Sheehan, MSNBC Touts Her as Symbol of "Dissent" Cindy Sheehan got a full segment Thursday evening on the NBC Nightly News as anchor Brian Williams framed her protest in the context of how "so far, 1,846 Americans have died in Iraq, nearly 14,000 have been wounded. And it doesn't help that a woman who lost a son in Iraq vows to wait outside the President's ranch until the Commander-in-Chief agrees to speak with her." Reporter Kelly O'Donnell described Sheehan as "a media magnet," as if journalists have no ability to control that, but O'Donnell did at least... continue reading
1. Schieffer on Sheehan: "I Wonder Why" Bush "Doesn't Meet with Her?" The CBS Evening News on Wednesday devoted a second segment to promoting the vigil of Bush-hater Cindy Sheehan. Bill Plante noted the obvious as he provided more publicity: "She's gotten a lot of media attention by camping out on the road that leads to the President's ranch." He pointed out that she "understands that it's very difficult for the White House to dismiss anyone in her position" and touted how "she also knows she's not alone. One recent poll shows that one out of three people now say... continue reading
1. NBC Notes Lack of Economic Confidence; Blames "Record" Gas Price NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams on Tuesday night wondered, "with many of the numbers and many economists saying the economy is in good shape in this country, the question is: Why isn't President Bush benefitting from that?" Reporter Kelly O'Donnell inadvertently provided part of the answer when she suggested the lack of public confidence in the economy is "fueled most notably by record gas prices, an issue the White House concedes overshadows other economic successes." But while gas prices are rising, they are far short a "record" high... continue reading
1. Networks Trumpet Cause of Bush-Hater Sheehan's Anti-War Vigil The broadcast networks and CNN on Monday morning trumpeted the vigil outside of President Bush's Texas ranch by a virulent Bush-hater, but didn't really fully convey her hatred. NBC's Katie Couric showcased her at the top of Today: "And a mother's vigil. Her son died in Iraq. Now this woman is camping outside the Bushes' Texas ranch and demanding a meeting with the President today, Monday, August 8th, 2005." On CBS's Early Show, news reader Julie Chen snidely played off of Bush's vacation: "President Bush may be on vacation in Crawford,... continue reading
1. Roberts' Work for Gay Rights Portrayed as Illustrating "Nuance" The revelation that Supreme Court nominee John Roberts once pitched in pro bono on a gay rights case, animated NBC and CBS on Friday night. NBC Nightly News anchor Campbell Brown positively framed that as evidence of his "nuanced" views, that he had grown beyond conservative views: "Some advice he gave to gay rights advocates has some wondering if his thinking on important issues is more nuanced than was first thought." Pete Williams at least labeled activists on both sides: "While conservatives held off on attacking him, liberal and gay... continue reading
1. Nets Exploit Marine Deaths to Prove Ohioans Turning Against War The deaths in Iraq of several Marine reservists from one Ohio unit led CBS and NBC to exploit the tragedies as they cited anecdotes from one or two people, and a four-month-old poll, to prove that in Ohio, in the words of CBS's Byron Pitts, "there is growing anger over what this war has cost in lives." Pitts posed the question: "Is the war in Iraq still worth it? That's the question" the parents of a killed Marine "now ask." Pitts concluded that "people here clearly still support the... continue reading
1. Loss in "Referendum" on Bush Ignored, "Surprisingly Tight" Race "If elected, Paul Hackett would become the first lawmaker to have served in the Iraq war," ABC anchor Terry Moran trumpeted on Sunday's World News Tonight. But on Wednesday night, after the Democratic Marine reservist lost to Republican Jean Schmidt for the Southwestern Ohio U.S. House seat, World News Tonight didn't utter a word about Hackett's loss. CBS Evening News anchor Russ Mitchell had hyped how the contest "is shaping up as a referendum on Mr. Bush's Iraq policy," yet when, apparently, that referendum went the wrong way, CBS fell... continue reading