Nightline Awards Democrats 'Straight A's' for 'Perfect' Third Night

“Professor George Stephanopoulos,” on Wednesday's Nightline, awarded the Democrats “straight A's” for the third day of their convention, with an A for “Filling in the Blanks,” an A for “Heartstrings,” an A for “Red Meat” and an A for “Body Language.” The former Bill Clinton campaign operative and White House aide glowed over “a night of perfect political choreography” from his former boss and…
Brent Baker

Chgo Sun-Times Columnist Quits, Says Newspaper is 'Dying' and 'Can't C

Jay Mariotti, a firebrand sports columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, announced he is quitting the print biz loudly proclaiming that newspapers are "dying" and that he didn't want to go down with the ship of the struggling industry. Naturally, the management of the Sun-Times is not amused. Mariotti told Chicago's CBS 2 news that newspapers are in serious trouble and he wanted out before he was…
Warner Todd Huston

Williams Channels Fret Kerry Waited to Answer 'Swiftboating

Hailing 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry's Wednesday night address to the Democratic convention “the toughest speech” by “perhaps the most forceful speaker so far,” one in which Kerry denounced the “Swiftboating” of Barack Obama, NBC anchor Brian Williams channeled the liberal view, which he described merely as that of “people watching tonight,” that Kerry lost in 2004 because he didn't take on…
Brent Baker

Ohio Radio: Dem. Party Chairman Says Americans are Selfish and Against

Chris Redfern, the Democratic Party Chairman of Ohio, apparently thinks that Americans are so stingy and selfish that the only way charity work gets done is if government taxes the people to make it happen. In a recent radio interview, Redfern expressed the assumption that "unfortunately most Americans would not" help out the poor. Even worse, Redfern honestly believes that freebies and charity…
Warner Todd Huston

Matthews Bored By Possible Pawlenty VP Pick: 'There is No Splash

Chris Matthews liked the pick of longtime Senator Joe Biden for Barack Obama but the prospect of John McCain picking a veep, of similar voltage on the Republican side, like Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty or former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, caused Matthews to yawn: "not interesting."Of a potential Pawlenty pick, the "Hardball" host, during MSNBC's live coverage of the Democratic…
Geoffrey Dickens

CNN’s Gloria Borger Snarks About McCain’s Homes

During CNN’s Wednesday night coverage of the Democratic convention, the network’s senior political analyst Gloria Borger poked fun of John McCain’s non-answer on the number of houses he owns. When host Wolf Blitzer pointed out that Borger owns homes in Washington, DC and in Montana, she confirmed, "Yeah, that's it, and I write the checks, so I know." (video at right)One can surmise that Borger,…
Matthew Balan

Census Bureau: Income Inequality Unchanged During Bush

Just in time for Barack Obama's Greco-Roman Oration tomorrow night, two significant economic reports have gone or are about to go in a positive direction: Earlier Wednesday, the Census Bureau reported that durable goods orders increased 1.3% during July, repeating June's performance; shipments of durables were up 2.5%; and unfilled orders were at their highest level since 1992. There are…
Tom Blumer

About-Face: Media Outlets Turn on 'Cancer Vaccine' Maker

Nets, newspapers were also promoting Gardasil before the side effects were known.
Julia A. Seymour

CNN Punts on Pelosi’s Gaffe About Catholic Teaching on Abortion

CNN placed a total news blackout on Nancy Pelosi’s misrepresentation of Catholic teaching and history on abortion on Sunday’s Meet the Press and the subsequent reaction from several prominent Catholic bishops and from pro-life politicians. The news network did not mention the story at all between Sunday morning, when Pelosi made her remarks, and early Wednesday evening. This contrasts with major…
Matthew Balan

Alter Hints Carville Chilly to Obama for the Money

Jonathan Alter has had enough of James Carville not being a team player and boosting Sen. Barack Obama and he has a working theory that centers around a cynical, quasi-conspiratorial view of the Carville-Matalin marriage. From an August 27 Stumper blog post at the Newsweek Web site.John McCain is the least popular person at the Democratic convention. But if bad-mouthing by Obama forces is a way…
Ken Shepherd

'Let's Wrap Him Up': Olbermann Tries To Get Rid of Republican Murphy

Few Republicans have made it onto MSNBC air during the network's Dem convention coverage, but even that is apparently too much for Keith Olbermann.  As Chris Matthews was interviewing GOP consultant Mike Murphy in the interlude between Bill Clinton and Joe Biden tonight, Olbermann could be heard off-camera angrily demanding "let's wrap him up, alright?"It was Murphy's surmise that, in the privacy…
Mark Finkelstein

MSNBCer: 'The Situation At Our Channel Is About To Blow Up

On Wednesday, NewsBusters asked: Is the hatred [Keith] Olbermann has been spewing on virtually a nightly basis beginning to take its toll on his fellow on air personalities presaging a looming uncivil war at MSNBC?Hours later, Politico reported (emphasis added throughout): Amid a spate of awkward on-air conflicts among MNSBC anchors at this week’s Democratic convention, some staff members say…
Noel Sheppard

CBS Declares McCain's Anti-Obama Ad 'a Stretch

CBS reporter Dean Reynolds on Wednesday night described the attacks on the other candidate by Barack Obama and John McCain, but only felt McCain's required a correction. After conveying how Obama is painting McCain as “out of touch and asleep at the switch are two...Obama favorites,” Reynolds cited a new McCain “ad attacking what it said was Obama's position on Iran.” Viewers saw a clip of the ad…
Brent Baker

Matthews Furious—Did Olbermann Lift His Lines

Another chapter in the ongoing Matthews-Olbermann feud?  Yesterday, a catfight broke out between the two when Olbermann suggested Matthews had stolen an idea from two female pundits, and later made a hand gesture mocking Matthews gabbing [YouTube here, h/t Undercover Black Man].  Were the warring duo at it again this evening?You be the judge.  Click on the image to the right to view the video..…
Mark Finkelstein