Morning Shows Devote Almost an Hour to Hyping Sanford Story
June 26th, 2009 3:14 PM
The three network morning shows on Thursday devoted a staggering 18 segments to the revelation that South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford was having an affair with a woman from Argentina, adding up to over 54 minutes of coverage. NBC's Today show spent the most time on the subject, highlighting the infidelity with six segments and 25 minutes of air time. Co-host Matt Lauer even talked to disgraced…
Sam Donaldson: It's Hard to Forgive Bible-thumping GOPers for Their Se
June 25th, 2009 4:00 PM
ABC's Sam Donaldson appeared on Thursday's Good Morning America to talk about the developing Mark Sanford scandal and loudly assert that it's hard to forgive Bible-thumping Republicans for their sexual transgressions. He began by deriding, "The problem Republicans have, so many of them are sanctimonious." [audio available here] The longtime contributor continued his attack on members of the GOP…
After GOP-less ObamaCare Special, ABC's Sawyer Chides McConnell and St
June 25th, 2009 2:12 PM
Apparently feeling some heat about its decision to not allow any Republicans to participate in its primetime ObamaCare infomercial Wednesday evening, ABC decided at the last minute to invite Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and RNC Chairman Michael Steele on Thursday's "Good Morning America."Unfortunately, both McConnell and Steele, having been given less than 24 hours notice, were…
NBC, CBS, and ABC Highlight Sanford’s GOP Label; Downplayed Label Fo
June 25th, 2009 12:38 PM
In the wake of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford’s admission to having an affair, evening and morning newscasts on NBC, CBS, and ABC all immediately identified him as a Republican. In contrast, in March of last year, the networks rarely identified disgraced New York Governor Eliot Spitzer as a Democrat in the wake of his affair with a prostitute. In a 2008 study of evening and morning network…
Former Clinton Aide Stephanopoulos: Dems Have a Harder Time Surviving
June 25th, 2009 12:21 PM
Former Clinton operative George Stephanopoulos appeared on Thursday's Good Morning America to bizarrely assert that Democrats have a harder times surviving sex scandals than Republicans. While discussing South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, he breathlessly claimed, "We've never seen anything like this before" and never mentioned his former boss, Bill Clinton, who escaped impeachment conviction…
ABC ObamaCare Special Turns Into Presidential Filibuster
June 25th, 2009 8:05 AM
Call this a teachable moment, but even with ABC's best-laid plans to kickstart the debate about health care reform and not allow the "Prescription for America" special to become an "infomercial," as many have complained - the president spent more than twice as much time as his questioners vaguely answering or not answering the questions asked of him. But the network consistently presented the…
Chris Matthews Attacks: Joe and Mika 'Pussyfoot' Issue of Health Care
June 24th, 2009 4:43 PM
Chris Matthews got into a heated exchange with MSNBC's Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski on Wednesday, accusing them of "pussyfooting" the issue of health care and its cost. He also attacked conservatives in general, deriding, "You know, it seems to me that the right-wing will fight any war and say, 'Don't look at the cost,' because they want to fight the war."The Hardball host fretted, "And…
ABC's Diane Sawyer Tosses Tough Queries to Obama; No GOP Voices Featur
June 24th, 2009 11:45 AM
ABC's Diane Sawyer on Wednesday hit Barack Obama with some refreshingly tough questions about his plans for health care reform, quizzing the President on potential rationing, reduction of services and whether Americans would really be able to keep their current plan. However, the program also devoted 13 minutes and two segments to Obama, neither of which featured any Republican opposition. …
ABC Gushes Over Gardening Gusto of Michelle Obama; Hit Laura Bush on B
June 23rd, 2009 12:06 PM
ABC's Robin Roberts conducted two fawning interviews with Michelle Obama on Tuesday and repeatedly reminded viewers that the First Lady would be tending to the White House garden as soon as the segment was completed. Roberts breathlessly explained, "I caught up with Michelle Obama for an exclusive interview as she was heading outside to work in the White House garden..." In a second Good Morning…
ABC Continues Plugging Obama's Health Care Plan
June 22nd, 2009 1:43 PM
On the June 22 “Good Morning America,” ABC gave a preview of what it’s “Questions for the President: Prescription for America Health Care” special on June 24 will be like: unbalanced interviews and softball questions for the administration. ABC has promised that the heavily promoted special will feature “tough questions.” But GMA’s interviews with members of Obama’s health care team weren’t what…
Sawyer Defends ABC Health Care Special: 'It is Not an Infomercial
June 22nd, 2009 11:09 AM
It's a supposedly objective news outlet, yet ABC News is cozying up with the White House for a health care special to assist President Barack Obama in selling his plan. But according to ABC's "Good Morning America" co-host Diane Sawyer, there's nothing wrong with it. In fact, she's proud of ABC. Sawyer appeared on CNN's June 21 "Reliable Sources" by phone in an interview with host Howard Kurtz,…
ABC Highlights Archival Footage of Sotomayor Complaining About Discrim
June 18th, 2009 3:05 PM
Good Morning America on Thursday unearthed archival footage that featured Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor on the show in 1986 complaining about discrimination against women. The clips highlighted her fretting, "There are different styles. And because of those styles, I think that's what affects the ability of women to get ahead in the workplace." In the video, Sotomayor can be seen talking…
Champion’s New Climate Alarmism Toy
June 18th, 2009 11:42 AM
ABC News is giving away free advertising! Or Sam Champion is, anyway. On the June 18 edition of “Good Morning America” the weatherman-when-he’s-not-busy-saving-the-planet did his best to help DVD sales of Al Gore’s “Inconvenient Truth,” and then proceeded to rave about Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisor’s new “Carbon Counter.” DBCCA is a commercial concern, as is Al Gore. If other members of…