Chuck Todd

'Exciting Time' for MSNBC: Chuck Todd, Kate Snow Named Weekday Hosts
By Randy Hall | September 17, 2015 | 8:13 PM EDT

As part of Phil Griffin's ongoing effort to boost the ratings of MSNBC, the cable channel's president announced on Thursday that Chuck Todd -- the 12th moderator of the Meet the Press Sunday morning series and political director for NBC News -- and Kate Snow -- a national correspondent for a number of the network's news programs  – are joining the weekday afternoon slate as part of the cable channel's attempt to move from liberal commentary to hard news.

In his memo, Griffin stated: “This is an exciting time. Thanks as always for all your hard work. We’re making great strides every day.”

Tom Brokaw: ‘Stunned’ by Clinton’s Answers on Her E-Mail Use
By Jeffrey Meyer | September 6, 2015 | 11:59 AM EDT

On Sunday’s Meet the Press, NBC’s Tom Brokaw strongly criticized Hillary Clinton’s performance during her interview with colleague Andrea Mitchell, specifically her answers to why she decided to use a private e-mail server while Secretary of State. Brokaw admitted that when Clinton said “I didn't think about the effect of e-mail, I was stunned. I mean, we were deep into the digital age at that point. She's Secretary of State.”  

Chuck Todd Admits Iran Deal Vote More ‘About Avoiding Defeat’ for Obama
By Jeffrey Meyer | September 6, 2015 | 8:42 AM EDT

Appearing on Sunday’s Today, Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd conceded that President Obama obtaining the 34 Senate votes to sustain a presidential veto on the Iran deal was not a victory but rather “about avoiding defeat. It’s surviving.” NBC’s Peter Alexander surprisingly framed the Iran vote not as a victory for the White House and actually wondered “is this a victory or is it more that he’s just avoiding defeat here?”

CBS Omits Hillary 'Stopping Short of Apologizing' for E-mail Scandal
By Matthew Balan | September 4, 2015 | 11:56 PM EDT

Friday's CBS Evening News stood out for not covering Hillary Clinton's interview with NBC's Andrew Mitchell. The newscast didn't even mention the former first lady during their 2016 election coverage. Instead, Scott Pelley played up how Donald Trump "seems to stumble a lot, but never seems to fall" – specifically, his confused answers on foreign policy during an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. Pelley also covered Vice President Joe Biden "agonizing publicly about whether he would run" for president.

MSNBC’s Mitchell, WashPost’s Gearan Tout Hillary’s ‘One-on-One’ Skills; Todd Laments Her ‘Diplomatic Speak’
By Curtis Houck | September 4, 2015 | 3:51 PM EDT

In the first few hours after Andrea Mitchell’s interview with Hillary Clinton, reactions poured in on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports and MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts that ranged from Rachel Maddow dismissing the growing e-mail scandal as “kinetic activity” to the Washington Post’s Anne Gearan fawning over her “one-on-one” skills to Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd excusing her non-answers as her versatility in “diplomatic speak.”

NBC Leads With Clinton Staffer Taking 5th on E-Mails; ABC, CBS Give Seconds
By Kyle Drennen | September 3, 2015 | 12:49 PM EDT

On Thursday, NBC’s Today led with breaking news that Hillary Clinton staffer Bryan Pagliano would invoke the Fifth Amendment and not testify to the House Benghazi Committee about setting up the former Secretary of State’s private e-mail server. Savannah Guthrie wondered: “Is there something to hide? And what does it mean for the Clinton campaign?” Today devoted 6 minutes, 20 seconds to Clinton’s e-mail scandal. By contrast, ABC and CBS could each only muster less than a minute of coverage to the story.

NBC and CBS Parse E-Mail Scandal: Hillary Not in ‘Legal Jeopardy’
By Kyle Drennen | September 1, 2015 | 12:52 PM EDT

With the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s e-mail scandal ongoing, on Tuesday, NBC’s Today and CBS This Morning assured viewers that the Democratic front-runner was in no “legal jeopardy.” On Today, co-host Savannah Guthrie asked Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd: “I mean, the central accusation, what people are worried about, is did she mishandle classified information?...is there a smoking gun on that issue?” Todd replied: “No, there's not.”

Chuck Todd Asks Leftist Salon Columnist About Racial ‘Education’ of ‘White America’
By Kyle Drennen | August 31, 2015 | 5:02 PM EDT

In an interview with left-wing Salon columnist D. Watkins for Sunday’s Meet the Press web-based feature Press Pass, moderator Chuck Todd lobbed one softball after another to the controversial commentator. Todd began: “...there is an education that's happening, I think, in white America. Black America knew what was going on between law enforcement and African-Americans. I think white America is getting a taste of it for the very first time....Is this a positive moment in America?”

Scarborough: Sharpton’s New Show a ‘Strong Lead In’ for Meet the Press
By Jeffrey Meyer | August 28, 2015 | 11:33 AM EDT

Al Sharpton’s weekday program PoliticsNation will move to Sunday mornings starting in September, and the folks on Morning Joe gushed at the new opportunities this would give the MSNBC host. Joe Scarborough called Sharpton’s move “happy news” and eagerly told Meet the Press’ Chuck Todd “It's a perfect tee up for chuck Todd...You have a strong lead in now. You’ve got a strong number three hitter for your cleanup fourth.”  

Chuck Todd Tees Up New Republic Editor to Push ‘Identity Politics’
By Kyle Drennen | August 25, 2015 | 12:33 PM EDT

In a fawning softball interview with New Republic editor Jamil Smith on NBC’s web-based Meet the Press feature Press Pass, moderator Chuck Todd urged the liberal journalist to justify racially divisive reporting: “So let me start with this idea of why we should, in the media, report on identity politics essentially. Why does it matter?”

'Fox News Sunday' Spotlights Planned Parenthood Scandal; Other Sunday Shows Ignore
By Matthew Balan | August 24, 2015 | 2:28 PM EDT

ABC, CBS, and CNN's Sunday morning news shows all ignored the ongoing controversy over Planned Parenthood's harvesting of aborted babies' organs, as exposed in a series of recent undercover videos by the Center for Medical Progress. George Stephanopoulos featured Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley on ABC's This Week, but failed to ask him a question about the scandal. NBC's Meet the Press did include a clip of Chuck Todd asking Republican Senator Joni Ernst about federal funding of the abortion giant. However, Todd didn't bring up the issue with California Governor Jerry Brown.

The Dean Pipedream: Hillary's Email and Server Scandal 'Manufactured' by a 'Bored' Press
By Tom Blumer | August 23, 2015 | 11:31 PM EDT

11-1/2 years ago, we had the "Dean Scream." After finishing a disappointing third in the Iowa caucuses, 2004 Democratic presidential candidate and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean attempted to further fire up his strangely giddy supporters by telling them about upcoming state primaries they would fight to win. After finishing his list, Dean told them: "And then we're going to Washington, DC to take back the White House!" — and shouted out the scream heard 'round the world which ended his electoral viability.

Sunday on Meet the Press, we saw the "Dean Pipedream." Asked by host Chuck Todd how well Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has handled the scandal over her use of a private server for personal and government emails while serving as Secretary of State, Dean blamed her situation "partly ... (on) a press that's bored."