1. Future CBS Anchor Applies Ideological Tag to Republican, Not Dem
Bob Schieffer, soon-to-assume the anchor chair of the CBS Evening News, as host of Face the Nation on Sunday applied an ideological label to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina while failing to apply one to Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton of New York. Graham and Clinton appeared together on the show, sitting side-by-side, from Baghdad. Schieffer introduced his guests as "Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton, conservative Republican Senator Lindsey Graham."

2. CBS Decides to Authenticate a Bush Story -- By Another Outlet
Now they find it important to establish authenticity -- in another media outlet's story about President Bush. At the end of a Sunday CBS Evening News story about the secretly recorded phone conversations by Doug Wead with President George W. Bush before he became President, which Wead gave to the New York Times and ABC News, CBS reporter Tony Guida, who played some audio clips, assured viewers that not only had the New York Times hired an audio expert, Tom Owen, to "authenticate the voice," but that CBS News talked to him too. Guida relayed how "Owen told CBS News" that "I was able to determine through a 12-step process that it was the voice of George Bush." But Owen, Guida noted, "also told us he did not examine the tapes with the references to marijuana."

3. CBS Paints Making People Pay Their Bills as Pay Off to Business
CBS anchor Dan Rather on Friday characterized class action lawsuit reform as "the first in a hoped-for series of big wins for big business," before Thalia Assuras warned that "what's good for big business" in a proposed bankruptcy reform bill "could be bad for individuals like Jane Brack, who almost three years ago was charging her mortgage payments on credit cards." Assuras fretted that if the bill passes, "many people who file for bankruptcy could be forced to pay back some of their debts rather than having them wiped out." Yes, such people would no longer be able to effectively be thieves. Assuras noted "that could save businesses and banks from eating millions of dollars in losses," before turning to her main source, the far-left, but unlabeled, Joan Claybrook, who "says the plan will hurt millions of Americans instead." Assuras concluded by lamenting how with "the President and the Republican majority" in sync, "businesses stand to improve their bottom line by billions of dollars."

Future CBS Anchor Applies Ideological
Tag to Republican, Not Dem

     Bob Schieffer, soon-to-assume the anchor chair of the CBS Evening News, as host of Face the Nation on Sunday applied an ideological label to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina while failing to apply one to Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton of New York. Graham and Clinton appeared together on the show, sitting side-by-side, from Baghdad. Schieffer introduced his guests as "Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton, conservative Republican Senator Lindsey Graham."

     Teasing the February 20 program, Schieffer avoided any ideological labeling: "Today on Face the Nation: Senators Clinton and Graham on Iraq and Social Security. There's been no halt to the violence two weeks after the Iraqi elections, and the major questions remain: How strong is this insurgency, and how long will U.S. troops be there? We'll hear from Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton of New York and Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. They have been in Baghdad."

     Following an update from CBS News reporter Kimberly Dozier in Baghdad, Schieffer introduced his two guests, who sat next to each other on some sort of lawn in Baghdad with trees in the background:
     "And we welcome to the broadcast from Baghdad what has become Capitol Hill's 'odd couple,' and I say that as a compliment: Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton, conservative Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who are doing something very unusual these days. They've joined together to try to get something done for our military veterans and also members of the Guard and the Reserve."

     # Bob Schieffer is scheduled to be a guest tonight (Monday) on CBS's Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

CBS Decides to Authenticate a Bush Story
-- By Another Outlet

     Now they find it important to establish authenticity -- in another media outlet's story about President Bush. At the end of a Sunday CBS Evening News story about the secretly recorded phone conversations by Doug Wead with President George W. Bush before he became President, which Wead gave to the New York Times and ABC News, CBS reporter Tony Guida, who played some audio clips, assured viewers that not only had the New York Times hired an audio expert, Tom Owen, to "authenticate the voice," but that CBS News talked to him too. Guida relayed how "Owen told CBS News" that "I was able to determine through a 12-step process that it was the voice of George Bush." But Owen, Guida noted, "also told us he did not examine the tapes with the references to marijuana."

     At the end of his February 20 CBS Evening News story on the tapes, Guida asserted: "The tapes were first reported by today's New York Times, which hired audio expert Tom Owen to authenticate the voice. Owen told CBS News [text on screen]: 'I was able to determine through a 12-step process that it was the voice of George Bush.' But he also told us he did not examine the tapes with the references to marijuana."

CBS Paints Making People Pay Their Bills
as Pay Off to Business

     CBS anchor Dan Rather on Friday characterized class action lawsuit reform as "the first in a hoped-for series of big wins for big business," before Thalia Assuras warned that "what's good for big business" in a proposed bankruptcy reform bill "could be bad for individuals like Jane Brack, who almost three years ago was charging her mortgage payments on credit cards." Assuras fretted that if the bill passes, "many people who file for bankruptcy could be forced to pay back some of their debts rather than having them wiped out." Yes, such people would no longer be able to effectively be thieves. Assuras noted "that could save businesses and banks from eating millions of dollars in losses," before turning to her main source, the far-left, but unlabeled, Joan Claybrook, who "says the plan will hurt millions of Americans instead." Assuras concluded by lamenting how with "the President and the Republican majority" in sync, "businesses stand to improve their bottom line by billions of dollars."

     Rather set up the February 18 CBS Evening News piece, as corrected against the closed-captioning by the MRC's Brad Wilmouth: "Wasting no time, President Bush today signed a law just passed by Congress to limit major damage awards to consumers in class action lawsuits. And CBS's Thalia Assuras reports it's just the beginning of the President's bigger agenda for business."
     George W. Bush at White House bill signing: "This bill helps fix the system."
     Thalia Assuras: "The President today held his first bill-signing ceremony of his second term, delivering what may be the first in a hoped-for series of big wins for big business."
     Bush: "We have a responsibility to confront frivolous litigation head on."
     Assuras: "Next up? Limiting damage awards in medical malpractice suits and revising bankruptcy laws to make it harder for people to avoid creditors. Bush's backers say that kind of overhaul will pay off."
     Michael Baroody, National Association of Manufacturers: "You can't say you're for a growing economy, higher living standards for American working men and women and their families, and then be against reforming a system that is a drag on our ability to grow this economy."
     Assuras, over video of her walking on a sidewalk beside Claybrook: "American business has been waiting years for this. Now, with an increased Republican majority, the numbers finally seem to be on their side."
     Assuras to Claybrook: "How good a political time is this for the business lobbyists and business?"
     Joan Claybrook, Public Citizen: "They view this as their best time ever."
     Assuras warned: "But what's good for big business could be bad for individuals like Jane Brack, who almost three years ago was charging her mortgage payments on credit cards. She lost her job, and, in the end, she had to sell her home and file for bankruptcy. She says she wouldn't have survived otherwise."
     Jane Brack: "It allowed me to start over, to start with a fresh slate."
     Assuras: "But if personal bankruptcy legislation passes -- one of the President's priorities -- many people who file for bankruptcy could be forced to pay back some of their debts rather than having them wiped out. That could save businesses and banks from eating millions of dollars in losses. [video of Assuras Claybrook leaning against a table, with "Public Citizen" logos on wall in background] But Claybrook says the plan will hurt millions of Americans instead. You're worried, bottom line."
     Claybrook: "I am worried, and I am passionate about this because the moderate and low income consumers are really being shafted."
     Assuras concluded: "The President and the Republican majority are on the same page on the proposed changes, so businesses stand to improve their bottom line by billions of dollars."

-- Brent Baker