ABC Eagerly Defends Obama Over Murky Allegations; Investigated Bush Co

January 25th, 2007 3:49 PM
On Thursday’s "Good Morning America," ABC’s Jake Tapper continued the media’s campaign to defend Senator Barack Obama against charges that, as a young child living in Indonesia, he attended a madrassah, an Islamic school that teaches virulent anti-Americanism. Co-host Robin Roberts and Mr. Tapper alternatively referred to the charges as "smears," "dirty tricks" and "lies." According to a 1999 MRC…

Obama on GMA: 'I Majored in International Relations

January 24th, 2007 8:41 AM
Q. How do you know a presidential candidate has thin national-security credentials?A. When he has to cite his undergraduate major as evidence of his experience.Barack Obama made the morning show rounds today. The amiable Robin Roberts interviewed him on ABC's Good Morning America. Inevitably, talk turned to his presidential prospects.Roberts: "You're calling for a slight withdrawal of troops…

According to GMA Talking Head, Bush Will Deliver Speech ‘From the Gu

January 23rd, 2007 4:58 PM
Tuesday’s "Good Morning America" attempted to simultaneously trash George Bush while also building up the candidacy of Hillary Clinton, who, according to anchor Robin Roberts, is "electrifying" the presidential race. Meanwhile, the ABC program chose to allow political columnist Mary Ann Akers to assert President Bush will be delivering his 2007 State of the Union address "from the gutter." GMA…

Hillary: 'I Have No Opinion' on Obama's Qualifications But 'I Have In

January 23rd, 2007 9:56 AM
If Hillary isn't quite getting out the long knives, let's just say she's oiling the scabbard. As we noted earlier, on this morning's "Today" Clinton drew an invidious comparison between herself and John Edwards, referring to him as "on the sidelines" while she's in "the arena."And after some persistent questioning by Diane Sawyer on today's Good Morning America, Hillary took a little swipe at…

HBO Filmmaker Liked Ted Haggard; He Wasn’t The Usual ‘Holy Roller

January 22nd, 2007 4:03 PM
Documentary filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, daughter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has directed a new film that takes a look at the evangelical movement in America. Appearing on Monday’s "Good Morning America," she discussed the now disgraced Reverend Ted Haggard who served as a guide for her film crew’s tour of Red State America. Pelosi told host Diane Sawyer that most people think of evangelical…

Consumer Reports Retracts Study But Media Don't Apologize for Their Sl

January 19th, 2007 4:04 PM
On January 4, 2007, Consumer Reports released what the media considered a damning report that found that many infant car seats are unsafe at 38 mph side-impact crashes. In other words, small children were a car crash away from a grave injury or fatality.The next morning, ABC, NBC, and CBS's morning programs played up the report, featuring the story prominently. CBS's Hannah Storm even used a…

GMA’s Sawyer Gushes Over Pelosi’s Proclivity to Pick up Trash

January 19th, 2007 12:30 PM
As already noted on NewsBusters, "Good Morning America" anchor Diane Sawyer conducted a fawning interview with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on such issues as Iraq. However, the ABC journalist also opened and closed the segment by obsessing over how Pelosi picked up lint from the floor of the Capitol Rotunda. For many people, this would be a minor detail. Sawyer, however, saw it as a historic event…

The NewsBusters Weekly Recap: January 13 to

January 19th, 2007 12:27 PM

What Diane Didn't Say: No, Nancy, It's Not 'the President's War' — I

January 19th, 2007 9:18 AM

GMA Touts Hillary-Obama Battle as ‘Hot Factor’ vs. ‘Fluid Poetry

January 18th, 2007 3:21 PM
On Thursday’s "Good Morning America," reporter Claire Shipman effusively previewed the looming presidential battle between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. How, Shipman wondered, would Obama’s "fluid poetry" stand up against Mrs. Clinton’s "hot factor?" The tone of the January 18 piece seemed to indicate that, although members of the media may think both candidates are terrific, Obama…

GMA’s Sawyer Speaks to 16 Female Senators: No War if Women Ran The W

January 17th, 2007 12:46 PM
On Wednesday, "Good Morning America" anchor Diane Sawyer spoke with all 16 female members of the Senate. The January 17 interview, broken up into two segments, ranged from silly questions, such as whether more women leaders could result in less war, to queries about whether America is too prejudiced to accept a female president. One question that did go unasked is whether Senator Barbara Boxer,…

ABC Reporter Spins Libby Trial as Blow to Bush, Skips Over Important F

January 16th, 2007 4:27 PM
On Tuesday, jury selection began in the trial of Lewis Libby. And "Good Morning America" reporter Claire Shipman couldn’t resist spinning this occasion into an attack against President Bush. Libby, the former Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, is charged with perjury and obstruction of justice. He does not, however, face prosecution for publically outing Wilson's wife, CIA agent…

The NewsBusters Weekly Recap: January 6 to

January 12th, 2007 9:50 AM
Last week saw the dawning of the new Democratic majority and members of the media seemed to be charmed by the event. ABC reporter Cokie Roberts described a photo-op of new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi holding her grandchild as "fun" and "completely natural." CBS’s Bob Schieffer interviewed Pelosi and pressed her to raise taxes. And "60 Minutes" commentator Andy Rooney became nostalgic for Democrats…

GMA Highlights Boxer's Jab at Condi's Personal Life

January 12th, 2007 8:22 AM
As NewsBuster Warner Todd Huston has noted, Sen. Barbara Boxer took an unseemly jab at Condi Rice yesterday. Of all the members of the Senate, the one you might expect to be least likely to call attention to a woman's single, childless status for purposes of scoring political points would be Boxer. And yet it was the oh-so-broadminded senator from the Bay Area who did just that when Condi Rice…