Bozell: ABC's Stephanopolous Must Recuse Himself From Any Reporting Involving The Obama Administration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2009

CONTACT: COLLEEN O’BOYLE or TIM SCHEIDERER AT 703.683.5004

Bozell: ABC's Stephanopoulos Must Recuse Himself From Any Reporting Involving The Obama Administration
This Week host owes an explanation for his daily strategy phone calls with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Tuesday’s Politico broke the news that ABC News's Chief Washington Correspondent and the host of ABC's Sunday morning news show This Week George Stephanopoulos has daily phone discussions with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel during which he helps formulate and shape the thoughts of and messaging for Emmanuel and the Barack Obama Administration. And that he has had these conversations with Emanuel throughout his tenure at ABC.

CNN liberal pundits Paul Begala and James Carville also participate in the daily round robin telephonic strategy sessions. In the article, Begala said he often can’t remember the originator of any particular insight, and is quoted as saying “We talk so much — was this my idea that James changed, or was this George’s observation that Rahm tweaked?”

Stephanopoulos first joined ABC News as an analyst in 1997. He was serving as a fill-in anchor by 2001 and became host of This Week in September of 2002. When named to what would seem to be an unrealistic post for him in June of that year, Stephanopoulos asserted “If I were biased, I don’t believe I would have gotten the job.”

Emanuel was elected a Democratic Congressman from Illinois in November 2002. As head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee he helped the Party retake control of the House in 2006.

And Emanuel accomplished all of it with the daily assistance of ABC News’s Stephanopoulos. And he continues to receive Stephanopoulos’ help in his new role as President Obama’s Chief of Staff.

Brent Bozell:

“What’s worse than the liberal media’s sycophantic coverage of President Barack Obama? ABC’s George Stephanopoulos actively helping design and deliver the Administration’s strategy and message - which he is then charged with reporting.

“Will Stephanopoulos be critical of the White House’s plans when he spends every morning helping to craft them? Not likely. He must from this point forward recuse himself from any reporting involving the Obama Administration.

“For Stephanopoulos, the line between journalist and liberal strategist would be completely obliterated were it not for the fact that it apparently never existed at all. He didn’t fail in his attempt at transformation from liberal operative to journalist – he never made the effort.”

To schedule an interview with MRC President Brent Bozell or another MRC spokesperson, please contact Tim Scheiderer (x. 126) or Colleen O’Boyle (x. 122) at (703) 683-5004.