The three networks on Wednesday hyped the "historic agreement" between the Obama administration and Iran, seeing it as "legacy-defining" for the President. Yet, ABC, NBC and CBS also woke up to harsh Republican criticism. On Good Morning America, Amy Robach trumpeted, "There were celebrations on the streets of Tehran. People there welcoming the historic agreement." Martha Raddatz announced that John Kerry had scored a "historic deal." She added, "But it is clear his work is not over, despite the excitement about the agreement here in Tehran." Over on NBC's Today, Peter Alexander saw "a legacy-defining deal for President Obama."
Iran
By NB Staff | July 15, 2015 | 11:48 AM EDT
Media Research Center President Brent Bozell appeared on Fox Business, Wednesday, to slam the networks for their fawning reaction to Barack Obama's deal with Iran. After noting that journalists fell for optimistic talk about Bill Clinton's negotiations with North Korea, Bozell derided, "...The same reporters in the media are taking the Obama line and they're cheering." Speaking of the deal itself, the MRC President told Stuart Varney: "It is going to be historic and it is historically bad news for this country." Bozell pointed out that there has been some criticism of Obama's plan, suggesting this is "a statement of recognition that this deal is going to come under some tremendous scrutiny on Capitol Hill."
By Kyle Drennen | July 15, 2015 | 11:38 AM EDT
Citing Obama administration talking points word for word on Wednesday’s Today, co-hosts Willie Geist and Savannah Guthrie grilled Republican Senator and presidential candidate Lindsey Graham on GOP opposition to the Iran nuclear deal. Geist, filling in for Matt Lauer, began: “Secretary Kerry...said yesterday opponents of this deal have proposed no viable alternative....What makes you think that a President Lindsey Graham would have any more luck than President Obama with Iran?”
By Connor Williams | July 15, 2015 | 11:31 AM EDT
Following the announcement of a deal reached with Iran to lift economic sanctions in exchange for ostensible restrictions on their nuclear program, MSNBC’s primetime hosts slobbered over the “historic” nature of the agreement. All In host Chris Hayes, on Tuesday night, labeled the deal “one of the most historic days in the Obama presidency and a potentially transformative moment for American foreign policy.” Rachel Maddow claimed the deal could represent “the major foreign policy achievement, not only of this presidency, but of this American generation.”
By Jeffrey Meyer | July 15, 2015 | 10:53 AM EDT
On Wednesday, the “Big Three” (ABC, CBS, and NBC) networks continued to cheer the “historic” Iranian nuclear agreement during their Wednesday morning broadcasts, but ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today ignored the four Americans who continue to be held in Iranian prisons.
By Mark Finkelstein | July 15, 2015 | 9:16 AM EDT
Zbigniew Brzezinki is the man who infamously advised President Obama to shoot down Israeli warplanes should they attempt to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities. So when David Ignatius asked him on today's Morning Joe what he thought of Bibi Netanyahu's condemnation of the Iran deal, Zbigniew knew he was being teed up to unload on the Israeli PM.
By Zbigniew's vituperative standards, his response was in fact relatively measured. Still, the utter disdain with which he regards Netanyahu was evident, calling him "not a very serious person" who can entertain Congress but is not good for Israel.
By Curtis Houck | July 14, 2015 | 11:38 PM EDT
On Tuesday night, the “big three” of ABC, CBS, and NBC continued heaping praise on the “historic” nuclear arms deal between the United States, its allies, and Iran with the negotiators being labeled “jubilant” as President Obama “chart[s] a new course” with Secretary of State John Kerry creating “a moment of history.” CBS's Scott Pelley wrapped up three reports and a brief on the deal by gushing over a picture from July 11 of Kerry “writing his closing argument to the Iranians” that he deemed “a moment of history”:
By Tim Graham | July 14, 2015 | 7:53 PM EDT
The ink isn’t dry on any Iran deal, and the Congress hasn’t seen the terms, but USA Today is already off to the spit-and-polish stand for Obama. The headline was “First take: Obama's winning streak continues with Iran deal.”
Reporter Ray Locker gushed:
"Derided as a lame duck after his Democratic Party suffered losses in last November's midterm elections, President Obama has carved out a series of accomplishments that show he remains consequential despite the fervent desires of his adversaries."
By Matthew Balan | July 14, 2015 | 4:46 PM EDT
CNN's Chris Cuomo tried to shame Rick Santorum on Tuesday's New Day over his opposition to same-sex marriage. Cuomo indicated that Santorum wasn't in line with Pope Francis on LGBT issues: "Your Pope says tolerance is the message of Catholicism, when asked about gay marriage and LGBT existence within humanity. He says, 'Who am I to judge?' That doesn't work for you. You say you want an amendment that keeps marriage between a man and a woman. Why aren't you more like your pope?"
By Scott Whitlock | July 14, 2015 | 4:12 PM EDT
If you're a liberal president and you've lost the women of The View, that's a bad sign. Co-hosts Rosie Perez, Nicolle Wallace and Michelle Collins alternatively mocked and questioned Barack Obama's deal with Iran over a nuclear program. Regarding inspections of nuclear sites, Perez derided, "...They say that we have 24/7 access to Iran and inspections. But they have to tip them off first. Okay? Tipping them off is like 'oh, the police are coming, hide the drugs!'" Wallace dismissed Obama's deal: "Now, if you have been to summer camp, the only way to keep the boys out of the girls bunk bed is if there is random inspections of the bunk."
By Jeffrey Meyer | July 14, 2015 | 3:10 PM EDT
On Tuesday, CBS This Morning sounded like members of the Obama administration during an interview with Carly Fiorina as its hosts repeatedly defended the newly agreed upon Iranian nuclear deal from criticsm. Throughout the discussion with the Republican presidential candidate, co-hosts Charlie Rose, Gayle King and fill-in host Jeff Glor offered up White House talking points in support of the Iranian deal without once expressing any skepticism surrounding the controversial deal.
By Kyle Drennen | July 14, 2015 | 2:50 PM EDT
During live breaking news coverage of President Obama announcing a nuclear arms agreement with Iran Tuesday morning, all three broadcast networks labeled the deal “historic” and cheered the development as a “major victory” for the commander in chief, who made the deal a “top diplomatic priority.”