Network Morning Shows Laud the Comedy of 'Lively,' SNL-worthy Kagan
June 30th, 2010 11:57 AM
All three morning shows on Wednesday made sure to tout the "lively" sense of humor of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, this as ABC continued to ignore the hearings. Over two days, Good Morning America has devoted a scant 67 seconds to Barack Obama's nominee. After a news brief featuring Kagan cracking jokes at her hearings, former Democratic operative George Stephanopoulos gushed, "...If this…
Jim Cramer Admits the Obvious: Obama's Policies Not Working
June 30th, 2010 11:42 AM
CNBC's Jim Cramer appeared on Wednesday's Today show and pretty much admitted the obvious to Meredith Vieira, that all of Barack Obama's policies geared to help hiring are "not working." On to talk about the Dow dropping on Tuesday, Cramer pointed out "there's too much fear" about what the Obama administration will do about taxes, which led to Today co-anchor Vieira to question "Do you believe…
Morning Shows Spare a Scant Two and a Half Minutes for 'Landmark' Gun
June 29th, 2010 12:16 PM
Despite referring to it as "landmark" and "huge," the network morning shows on Tuesday mostly ignored Monday's Supreme Court ruling, which declared the Second Amendment a fundamental right that cannot be violated by state governments. Good Morning America, The Early Show and Today devoted just two minutes and 34 seconds to discussing the important decision. ABC's GMA offered 21 seconds with a…
NBC and ABC Barely Touch Kagan Hearings, CBS Promotes Her As 'Very Agi
June 29th, 2010 12:01 PM
While ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's Today spent little time on the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan on Tuesday, the CBS Early Show featured a report from legal correspondent Jan Crawford, who cheered Kagan finally being able respond to Republican "attacks" in a "very agile" way. Good Morning America devoted only a single news brief early in the 7AM ET hour to the…
Kagan Hearings, Day 1: Evening Newscasts Downplay; NBC Offers Just
June 29th, 2010 11:18 AM
All three network evening newscasts on Monday downplayed the start of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan’s confirmation hearings, with NBC Nightly News squeezing in just 24 seconds for Kagan at the tail end of a story about the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor the 2nd Amendment. For their part, CBS and ABC offered full stories outlining Kagan’s first day before the Judiciary committee after…
Matt Lauer Lectures: 'Our Appetite for Oil' Caused Spill
June 29th, 2010 11:12 AM
NBC's Matt Lauer, on Tuesday's Today show, blamed America's "appetite for oil" as the reason for the spill in the Gulf and asked former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw if the country will finally "take away the proper message" from the mess? For his part Brokaw responded that he hoped "young people who are coming of age" and entering public service and the corporate world will view the spill…
Five Out of Five Lib Journalists Agree: Obama's Big Government Push He
June 28th, 2010 3:54 PM
On the syndicated Chris Matthews show over the weekend, Chris Matthews praised Barack Obama for earning another "big feather" in his cap for getting his Wall Street reform bill passed and then went on to ask his panel if all of the other overbearing, big government laws signed in his term would lead to victory for the Democratic Party in the fall. Just before closing his show Matthews posed the…
Gossip Cop: Rosie O'Donnell Gets New Show, NBC Wants 'Implosion' Out C
June 28th, 2010 2:48 PM
The rumor mill concerning Rosie O'Donnell landing a new daytime show heated up Monday when Gossip Cop reported the comedienne is in talks with NBC.Apparently, the stumbling block is that the broadcasting company wants an out clause in case Rosie implodes like she did on ABC's "The View" three years ago.As NewsBusters reported on May 23, 2007, O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck got into quite a…
Networks Defend 'Consensus Builder' Kagan; Downplay Military Recruiter
June 28th, 2010 12:38 PM
The Monday morning shows on CBS, ABC, and NBC all worked to portray President Obama's Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan as a moderate and open-minded legal scholar, downplaying her liberal views. All three network programs also minimized her controversial decision to ban military recruiters on campus while Dean of Harvard Law School.On CBS's Early Show, legal correspondent Jan Crawford touted…
VIDEO: Media Routinely Used 'Conservative' Label on Bush Nominees to S
June 28th, 2010 11:13 AM
When President Bush nominated John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court in 2005, the media did not hesitate to describe both men as "very conservative," but when President Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor in 2009 and Elena Kagan this year many in the press couldn't seem to identify any liberal ideology. The Media Research Center has produced a video compilation of examples to further…
Networks Lauding 'Brilliant' Obama on Petraeus Move Are Skipping Over
June 26th, 2010 10:23 PM
While the television networks were doing an Obama Superiority Dance, proclaiming the president's firing Gen. Stanley McChrystal and replacing him with Gen. David Petraeus was "brilliant," something was missing in the coverage. That was a sense that if Petraeus is universally honored as the savior of Iraq, why do the networks all forget it was Obama and Biden who suggested Petraeus and his surge…
NBC's Todd Defends Obama 'Twitters' Gaffe: 'Written Incorrectly in His
June 25th, 2010 3:16 PM
On NBC's Today on Friday, White House correspondent Chuck Todd preemptively dismissed any criticism of President Obama referring to "Twitters" during a joint press conference with Russian President Dimitri Medvedev on Thursday: "It turns out he didn't misstate it. It was written incorrectly in his prepared remarks."During Todd's report, a clip was played of Obama noting how in a visit to…
NBC: Obama's 'Commander-in-Chief' Moment with McChrystal a Hidden Bles
June 24th, 2010 3:25 PM
On Wednesday's Today show, NBC's Chuck Todd touted President Obama's "swiftness" in dealing with the controversy surrounding General Stanley McChrystal comments in Rolling Stone magazine as a "commander-in-chief moment," and hinted that it was a blessing in disguise, given the executive's tanking approval ratings.Todd led the 7 am Eastern hour with his report on the President appointing General…
Morning Shows Skip Sexual Assault Charge Against Al Gore
June 24th, 2010 11:34 AM
All three morning shows on Thursday ignored allegations of "unwanted sexual contact" by Al Gore against a woman in 2006. This is despite the fact that the claim was reported by the AP, the New York Times and the Washington Post. CBS's Early Show, NBC's Today and ABC's Good Morning America failed to mention the charges made by an Oregon massage therapist that Gore tried to have sex with her. Yet,…