top
|
1. CBS and ABC Pounce on "Ethics Questions Dogging" Tom DeLay Prompted by front page Washington Post and New York Times stories about the funding of trips House Majority Leader Tom DeLay took and that his PAC has relatives on its payroll, CBS and ABC pounced Wednesday night on how, as CBS Evening News anchor Bob Schieffer put it, "ethics questions dogging House Republican leader Tom DeLay multiplied again today." Schieffer claimed "it is now just one thing after another with Tom DeLay." ABC anchor Elizabeth Vargas touted an "exclusive" from Brian Ross about whether DeLay "broke congressional rules when he took trips overseas" which "were financed by someone else." Ross zeroed in on a "lavish" 1997 trip to Saipan, a topic Ross covered in a 1999 20/20 story, so hardly fresh news. It would be easier to take Ross seriously if the night before he had not devoted a full story to condemning DeLay for awarding multiple doctors with the title of "Physician of the Year," little more than a silly fundraising gimmick. Unlike CBS and ABC, on Inside Politics CNN's Ed Henry relayed how Delay called the newspaper stories "just another seedy attempt by the liberal media to embarrass me." As for having relatives on a PAC's payroll, Major Garret noted on FNC that "several Democrats do it." 2. NBC/MSNBC Continue to Obsess Over the Supposed Snubbing of Carter NBC continued to obsess Wednesday night and Thursday morning, as NBC reporters and anchors had on Wednesday's Today, over the supposed snubbing of former President Jimmy Carter who is not part of the official U.S. delegation to the Pope's funeral. On Wednesday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams insisted from Rome that "the arrival here tonight of three U.S. Presidents has some asking why Jimmy Carter isn't a part of the official American delegation." On MSNBC's Countdown, fill-in host Alison Stewart declared: "Notably absent from the day's arrival of the U.S. delegation, former President Jimmy Carter." She fretted to Andrea Mitchell that "the Air Force One presidential club took off without the Nobel Peace Prize winner." On Thursday's Today, Matt Lauer raised the subject with Tim Russert who contended that "I'm not sure we'll ever know the true facts until the biographies come out." Two hours later on Today, Katie Couric pressed an Archbishop: "Were you surprised...that President Carter was not a part of the delegation given the fact that the Pope visited President Carter at the White House?" 3. NBC Relays View Pope "Affirmed Death" in Rejecting Use of Condoms Immediately after bemoaning the exclusion of Jimmy Carter from the official U.S. delegation to the Pope's funeral (see item #2 above), NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams declared that "it is very clear to many in the Church that the next Pope will have to work hard to gain back the support of many Catholics who were put off by the policies" of the late John Paul II. Reporter Bob Faw noted how "traditionalists" were pleased with the late Pope, but he focused on complaints from representatives of two liberal groups, Catholics for Free Choice and Catholics Speak Out. After one woman claimed that "I feel marginalized in this Church, marginalized by it, by the late Pope," and another woman insisted that "this Pope didn't care to learn from the likes of women," Faw relayed how "her left-of-center Catholic group also complains that John Paul, rather than affirming life, actually affirmed death when he refused to permit the use of condoms to fight the spread of AIDS." 4. Gibson: Would American Crowds Be So Polite? They Were for Reagan As he stood Wednesday amongst the orderly crowds in line in Rome to view the Pope's body, Good Morning America's Charlie Gibson marveled at the politeness of those in the lengthy line and then wondered "if American crowds would be so polite to one another?" Well, weren't they less than a year ago at the various memorials for the late President Ronald Reagan, from those who passed his casket in California at his library and later at the U.S. Capitol, as well as those who viewed his caisson on its way to the Capitol? CBS and ABC Pounce on "Ethics Questions Dogging" Tom DeLay Prompted by front page Washington Post and New York Times stories about the funding of trips House Majority Leader Tom DeLay took and that his PAC has relatives on its payroll, CBS and ABC pounced Wednesday night on how, as CBS Evening News anchor Bob Schieffer put it, "ethics questions dogging House Republican leader Tom DeLay multiplied again today." Schieffer claimed "it is now just one thing after another with Tom DeLay." ABC anchor Elizabeth Vargas touted an "exclusive" from Brian Ross about whether DeLay "broke congressional rules when he took trips overseas" which "were financed by someone else." Ross zeroed in on a "lavish" 1997 trip to Saipan, a topic Ross covered in a 1999 20/20 story, so hardly fresh news. It would be easier to take Ross seriously if the night before he had not devoted a full story to condemning DeLay for awarding multiple doctors with the title of "Physician of the Year," little more than a silly fundraising gimmick. Unlike CBS and ABC, on Inside Politics CNN's Ed Henry relayed how Delay called the newspaper stories "just another seedy attempt by the liberal media to embarrass me." As for having relatives on a PAC's payroll, Major Garret noted on FNC's Special Report with Brit Hume that "several Democrats do it," including California Senator Barbara Boxer and Congressman Howard Berman. Garrett also passed along how Delay's office pointed out that the payroll story was reported two years ago.
"A 3rd DeLay Trip Under Scrutiny," read the April 6 Washington Post front page story. The subhead: "1997 Russia Visit Reportedly Backed by Business Interests." For the lengthy story by reporters R. Jeffrey Smith and James V. Grimaldi, go to: www.washingtonpost.com
-- CBS Evening News, April 6. Bob Schieffer, from Washington, DC, reported, at one point over a montage of the newspaper stories: "Here on Capitol Hill, ethics questions dogging House Republican Leader Tom DeLay multiplied again today. Front-page stories in the New York Times and the Washington Post had new allegations of foreign trips paid for by lobbyists and also more than a half million dollars in salary paid to DeLay's wife and daughter by his political action and campaign committees. Gloria Borger is at the Capitol again tonight. Gloria, it is now just one thing after another with Tom DeLay. What's going to happen here?"
Ross went back eight years for a story: "Among the lavish overseas trips Congressman DeLay has accepted was one to the South Pacific to the island of Saipan. DeLay, his wife and daughter, and several aides all stayed free at this beachfront resort during the New Year's holiday in 1997. DeLay, who was the guest of honor at a New Year's Eve feast, did not declare this trip on congressional disclosure reports." The online version of the Ross story notes that he previously reported the sam Saipan story on 20/20. It doesn't offer a date, but I believe it aired in 1999. For the ABCNews.com version of the Ross story on Wednesday's World News Tonight: abcnews.go.com As noted above, it would be easier to take Ross seriously if the night before he had not devoted a piece to condemning what amounts to little more than a silly fundraising gimmick. On the April 5 World News Tonight, Ross held DeLay culpable: "The Republicans came up with the idea of 'Physician of the Year' five years ago under the direction of Republican leader Tom DeLay." Anchor Elizabeth Vargas had teased the story: "From the Republicans in Congress, hundreds of awards for 'Physician of the Year.' All it takes is a campaign contribution." The MRC's Brad Wilmouth noticed how she later plugged the story: "When we come back, hundreds of doctors, all of them named 'Congressional Physicians of the Year.' What a campaign contribution buys."
Vargas introduced the eventual story: "We have an ABC News investigation tonight about the extent to which politicians will go to raise money. Democrats and Republicans in Congress are already fundraising for the next election, which is some 18 months way. And ABC's Brian Ross found that hundreds of doctors have been targeted for contributions with the promise of what appears to be a prestigious award."
NBC/MSNBC Continue to Obsess Over the Supposed Snubbing of Carter NBC continued to obsess Wednesday night and Thursday morning, as NBC reporters and anchors had on Wednesday's Today, over the supposed snubbing of former President Jimmy Carter who is not part of the official U.S. delegation to the Pope's funeral. On Wednesday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams insisted from Rome that "the arrival here tonight of three U.S. Presidents has some asking why Jimmy Carter isn't a part of the official American delegation." On MSNBC's Countdown, fill-in host Alison Stewart declared: "Notably absent from the day's arrival of the U.S. delegation, former President Jimmy Carter." She fretted to Andrea Mitchell that "the Air Force One presidential club took off without the Nobel Peace Prize winner." On Thursday's Today, Matt Lauer raised the subject with Tim Russert who contended that "I'm not sure we'll ever know the true facts until the biographies come out." Two hours later on Today, Katie Couric pressed an Archbishop: "Were you surprised...that President Carter was not a part of the delegation given the fact that the Pope visited President Carter at the White House?"
The April 6 CyberAlert recounted: NBC's Today treated the lack of inclusion of former President Jimmy Carter, in the official U.S. delegation to Friday's funeral for the later Pope John Paul II, as an inexcusable snub by the Bush White House and the biggest news of Wednesday morning. Katie Couric insisted at the top of the show that with President Bush going to Rome with the First Lady and Condoleezza Rice, as well as his father and Bill Clinton, "the question some people are asking is where's President Carter in all this? Are the Bushes and the Carters the modern day version of the Hatfields and the McCoys? Andrea Mitchell soon fretted: "You have to wonder why the White House couldn't have asked the Vatican to permit one more person in the Basilica? Particularly a Nobel Laureate who actually worked on Third World issues with John Paul II. And it seems as though this snub may have had something to do with Carter's strong criticism of the President at last summer's Democratic convention." Matt Lauer wanted to know "why doesn't Secretary of State Rice step aside and say, 'you take my spot, you know, former President Carter?'" See: www.mediaresearch.org -- MSNBC's Countdown, April 6. Alison Stewart teased: "The faithful descend upon Saint Peter's. Crowds crying and choreographed security. President Bush is there; Jimmy Carter is not. Was the ex-President snubbed by the White House?" Stewart set up the subsequent segment: "Notably absent from the day's arrival of the U.S. delegation, former President Jimmy Carter. President Bush and the First Lady and former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton comprised four of the five in the official U.S. delegation. The fifth, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. But President Carter, who is the only U.S. President to have welcomed the pontiff to the White House, wanted to be there. Quote, 'After issuing a public statement of condolences last week, President Carter expressed to the White House a desire to attend the Pope's funeral,' Carter Center spokesperson Jon Moore said in a statement released today. But the former President, quote, 'was quite willing to withdraw his request when he was subsequently informed that the official delegation would be limited to just five people and there were others who were eager to attend,' end quote. So the Air Force One presidential club took off without the Nobel Peace Prize winner. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said simply, quote, 'We did reach out to him. It was his decision to make. We would have been happy for him to be part of the delegation,' end quote. But is this a big presidential diss? Joining me now, NBC's chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell."
Stewart to Mitchell: "There seems to be a bit of conflicting accounts about exactly what transpired between the White House and former President Jimmy Carter. So did the White House snub Mr. Carter or did he say, 'Hey, I'll take a pass.'"
Lauer: "Alright I don't want to take a lot of time on this. Can we put to rest this whole Carter controversy? The Carter Center released a statement saying that quote, ‘There has been no dissension between President Carter and the White House concerning the Pope's funeral.' Is that the end of story?"
Nonetheless, two hours later, at a it past 9am EDT, Katie Couric in Rome posed this question to Archbishop John Foley:
NBC Relays View Pope "Affirmed Death" in Rejecting Use of Condoms Immediately after bemoaning the exclusion of Jimmy Carter from the official U.S. delegation to the Pope's funeral (see item #2 above), NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams declared that "it is very clear to many in the Church that the next Pope will have to work hard to gain back the support of many Catholics who were put off by the policies" of the late John Paul II. Reporter Bob Faw noted how "traditionalists" were pleased with the late Pope, but he focused on complaints from representatives of two liberal groups, Catholics for Free Choice and Catholics Speak Out. After one woman claimed that "I feel marginalized in this Church, marginalized by it, by the late Pope," and another woman insisted that "this Pope didn't care to learn from the likes of women," Faw relayed how "her left-of-center Catholic group also complains that John Paul, rather than affirming life, actually affirmed death when he refused to permit the use of condoms to fight the spread of AIDS."
Brian Williams set up the April 6 NBC Nightly News story: "It is very clear to many in the Church that the next Pope will have to work hard to gain back the support of many Catholics who were put off by the policies of the very Pope that so many have come here to mourn. That story tonight from NBC's Bob Faw."
Gibson: Would American Crowds Be So Polite? They Were for Reagan As he stood Wednesday amongst the orderly crowds in line in Rome to view the Pope's body, Good Morning America's Charlie Gibson marveled at the politeness of those in the lengthy line and then wondered "if American crowds would be so polite to one another?" Well, weren't they less than a year ago at the various memorials for the late President Ronald Reagan, from those who passed his casket in California at his library and later at the U.S. Capitol, as well as those who viewed his caisson on its way to the Capitol? Just past 8:30am EDT on Wednesday, as he stood next to a line of people in Rome, Gibson observed and wondered: "So polite, as I say, and well taken care of. Over here you can see the huge supply of water, bottles being passed out to the crowd as they come through. They leave in an orderly fashion to use the bathroom and then are allowed back in. You wonder if American crowds would be so polite to one another?" As the MRC's Jessica Barnes reminded me, U.S. crowds were quite polite and orderly for the Reagan events, including the caisson procession which we both attended.
-- Brent Baker
Home | News Division
| Bozell Columns | CyberAlerts |
|