Couric’s "Million Mom" Tribute; "Thank God" Democrats Blocking Conservative Judges; Newsweek’s Thomas Pleased by Smaller Tax Cut
1) Million Mom March founder Donna Dees-Thomases made a
"special contribution to motherhood and...to all of mankind,"
Katie Couric gushed in a pre-Mother’s Day tribute to three women who
demonstrated "how mothers can really be used as instruments of social
change."
2) Best Question of the Weekend: Fox News Sunday host Tony
Snow to Senator John Edwards, who voted against convicting Clinton for
lying, on why Democrats would be upset if Solicitor General nominee Ted
Olson lied in his hearing. "Why would a different standard apply to
Ted Olson than to Bill Clinton?"
3) "Thank God" for how the Democrats "have
finally gotten some spine" as they are fighting to block
conservatives from becoming federal judges, proclaimed Newsweek’s
Eleanor Clift.
4) Not cutting the top income tax rate as much as
President Bush proposed is "the right outcome," Newsweek
Assistant Managing Editor Evan Thomas declared.
5) The "George Bush budget," Dan Rather bemoaned
on Thursday night, does "not say" how it’s possible to cut
taxes while also launching new spending on education, defense and a
program Rather clearly wants, "drug coverage for seniors."
6) CBS’s The Early Show brought John McCain aboard to
publicize his appearance in public service ads for Americans for Gun
Safety. Bryant Gumbel prodded: "Could you see your position reaching
the point where you might support registration, where you might support
longer waiting periods?"
1
A
"special contribution to motherhood and...to all of mankind."
Katie Couric delivered a pre-Mother’s Day tribute to three mothers who
demonstrated "how mothers can really be used as instruments of social
change." At least two were liberal crusaders: Gun control advocate
Donna Dees-Thomases and Ms. Foundation’s Marie Wilson, who
"developed the take-your-daughters to work concept." I don’t
know how to classify the third who created, or shall we say inflicted on
us, Barney the Dinosaur.
To Thomases, who organized the exaggerated
"Million Mom March" last year, Couric gushed: "When that
day arrived and you saw that sea of faces in that crowd you must have said
to yourself I can’t believe it."
MRC analyst Paul Smith, on his last day before
moving on to a new job, caught this segment aired during the third hour of
Friday’s Today. Couric set up the panel of three guests:
"With Mother's Day coming up this Sunday we
wanted to salute the hard work, integrity and love moms show us every day
so this morning we invited three women who have made their own special
contribution to motherhood and, as I said earlier, to all of mankind in
fact. Donna Dees-Thomases founded the Million Mom March. Sheryl Leach is
the creator of Barney the Dinosaur and Marie Wilson developed the
take-your-daughters to work concept."
To all of "mankind?" Don’t
feminists consider that an exclusionary term?
Couric’s first question to Thomases, in the
form of admiration: "We wanted to talk to some mother who had made a
true difference in how mothers can really be used as instruments of social
change...Donna, you organized the Million Mom March and really was such a
grassroots movement of stroller moms right? Tell me how it came
about."
Couric followed up, referring to the
Mother’s Day march in 2000: "When that day arrived and you saw that
sea of faces in that crowd you must have said to yourself I can’t
believe it."
After Thomases rued how, "unfortunately,
we let a well financed, mean gun lobby dictate gun policy" and
recalled how "when I saw the sea of faces I knew there were people
who believed what I believed," Couric regretted how more had not been
achieved:
"If that's the case, you know, a lot of
people say well the NRA is as powerful as ever. Gun laws really haven't
changed all that much. We are still reporting on cases of school violence
on a, gee, practically monthly basis it seems or other situations
involving violence and guns. What do you think you truly got
accomplished?"
See the end of today’s last item for
Thomases’s answer.
2
Best
Question of the Weekend: Fox News Sunday host Tony Snow to North Carolina
Democratic Senator John Edwards, about how Democrats delayed the
confirmation vote on Ted Olson for Solicitor General after the Washington
Post reported he had more involvement than he had claimed in the American
Spectator’s "Arkansas Project." Snow inquired on the May 13
show:
"Senator Edwards, let me paint a worst case
scenario. Suppose Ted Olson wasn’t entirely forthcoming with the
committee. I know you’re not on the committee, but you’re a member of
the Senate, you voted against convicting President Clinton on charges of
lying to a court. Why would a different standard apply to Ted Olson than
to Bill Clinton?"
Edwards sidestepped the question and replied
that Olson’s answer must be evaluated "against the truth" so
"we know what was inaccurate."
3
"Thank
God" for how the Democrats are fighting to block conservatives from
becoming federal judges, proclaimed Newsweek’s Eleanor Clift on the
McLaughlin Group: "The Democrats, thank God, have finally gotten some
spine and they’re going to fight" against the Republican effort
"to pack the courts with their ideological favorites and accomplish
on the courts what they can’t do legislatively."
Her appreciation for the liberal Democratic
strategy came after Pat Buchanan urged President Bush to fight for
conservative nominees:
"For eight tears the Republicans used the
blue slip procedure to torpedo Clinton nominations. Senator Spence Abraham
used his prerogative to block a Clinton nominee from Michigan for four
years. That’s why there are a hundred vacancies on the federal bench.
Now the Republicans say ‘oh let’s do away with this and let’s just
let everybody come through’ -- because the Republicans to want to do,
they want to pack the courts with their ideological favorites and
accomplish on the courts what they can’t do legislatively -- the culture
war that Pat is talking about. And the Democrats, thank God, have finally
gotten some spine and they’re going to fight this."
Anyone publicly thanking God for helping them
do anything conservative would be condemned by Clift for mixing politics
and religion.
4
Not
cutting the top income tax rate as much as President Bush proposed is
"the right outcome," Newsweek Assistant Managing Editor Evan
Thomas declared on Inside Washington over the weekend. Commenting on the
Senate Finance Committee deal, between Republican Chairman Chuck Grassley
and ranking Democrat Max Baucus, to lower the top rate of 39.6 percent
only to 36 percent instead of 33 percent, Thomas approved:
"They’re going to do the right thing.
They’re not going to give such a break to rich people. They’re not
going to lower the top rates by as much as Bush would want and that’s
the right outcome."
5
The
"George Bush budget," Dan Rather bemoaned on Thursday night,
does "not say" how it’s possible to cut taxes while also
launching new spending o education, defense and a program Rather clearly
wants, "drug coverage for seniors."
On the May 10 CBS Evening News, Rather
announced: "As expected the U.S. Senate today gave final approval to
a George Bush budget that specifies $1.3 trillion in tax cuts over about
11 years. It does not say how it's possible to do that while also spending
more for education, defense and other things including drug coverage for
seniors."
6
The
networks will use any excuse to give their favorite Republican, Senator
John McCain, a forum. The latest example: Last Wednesday CBS’s Early
Show brought him aboard to publicize his appearance in public service ads
from Americans for Gun Safety set to run in movie theaters before movies
begin.
MRC analyst Brian Boyd took down Bryant
Gumbel’s gentle questioning which ended in Gumbel prodding the Arizona
Senator to move further left: "Could you see your position reaching
the point where you might support registration, where you might support
longer waiting periods?"
Gumbel introduced the May 9 segment:
"Starting next week Arizona Senator John McCain will appear on movie
screens nationwide. He's the star of a new public service announcement
urging people to be more responsible with guns."
Gumbel’s questions:
-- "John McCain's on Capitol Hill. Senator,
good morning... How did you get involved in this thing?"
-- "Why try to reach people through the
movies, I mean, why use this vehicle?"
-- "No offense but you're not exactly
Britney Spears to the younger set. (both laugh) You're much more
recognizable to adults. Does that necessarily mean that this is aimed more
at adults than kids?"
-- "It is a serious issue and yet the
debate over gun control, would you allow, has changed considerably on
Capitol Hill?"
-- "What about your views, Senator, have
your views evolved?"
-- After McCain replied, "I believe we
should close the gun show loophole. I don't believe in handgun
registration, but I do believe that we can do a lot more. And if we don't,
I'm afraid of the consequences," Gumbel nudged: "And if we don't
and if PSA's like yours don't have the desired effect could you see your
position reaching the point where you might support registration, where
you might support longer waiting periods?"
McCain answered: "I don't think so. But I
clearly would be open to any suggestions or ideas. It would have to be
proven to me that those are effective, Bryant."
Coming full circle in today’s CyberAlert,
referring back to item #1, Million Mom March founder Donna Dees-Thomases
told Katie Couric that her effort had accomplished something: It had
convinced McCain to back a bill to close "the gun show
loophole."