1. Gibson on Pelosi: 'Taking Care of the Children and the Country'
ABC anchor Charles Gibson opened Thursday's World News by trumpeting how, video of Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the House floor holding a baby while she talked to colleagues, demonstrated "the ultimate in multitasking: Taking care of the children and the country." Seconds earlier Gibson had hailed how "for the first time in the 218-year history of the Congress, a woman was voted by her colleagues to be Speaker of the House. Nancy Pelosi, Democrat from California, took the gavel." He then moved to tout what he described as "a picture perhaps even more symbolic, the new Speaker was on the floor for a time, holding her 6-year-old grandson, all the while giving directions on how events were to proceed. It seemed the ultimate in multitasking: Taking care of the children and the country." In fact, it was clearly a six-month old, not a six-year old.

2. Couric Celebrates Susan B. Anthony's Pride in Women in Congress
Katie Couric concluded Thursday's CBS Evening News on a triumphant note of 'women, hear us roar' as she insisted that "we can't let this historic day pass without mentioning Susan B. Anthony who fought so hard for the right of women to vote, but didn't live to see us get it." That right "didn't happen until 1920, 14 years after she died," Couric lamented before marveling: "Can you imagine there are still more than three million American women alive today who were born before women were allowed to vote?" Couric then touted how "now there are a record 90 women in this new Congress, including for the first time ever, the Speaker of the House." The CBS anchor proposed: "Wouldn't Susan B. Anthony be proud? Or maybe she'd ask, 'what took so long?'"

3. Today Show Flashback Reveals Double Standard on House Takeovers
NBC's Today show cast celebrated the return of the Democrats to power to the House as "historic," but when the Newt Gingrich-led Republicans took over the House in 1995 Today wasn't so laudatory. At the top of Thursday's Today, Meredith Vieira gushed: "Look, it's a very historic day on Capitol Hill. Nancy Pelosi the first woman to become Speaker of the House. I'm excited as a woman to see that happen." However a flashback to January 4 of 1995 shows Today didn't exactly greet the GOP so graciously. Bryant Gumbel to Rep. Dick Gephardt: "Mr. Gephardt, you called Gingrich and his ilk, your words, 'trickle-down terrorists who base their agenda on on division, exclusion, and fear.' Do you think middle class Americans are in need of protection from that group?"

4. Cafferty Scolds Democrats for Going Too Easy on Bush's 'Crimes'
Proving that he can be just as hard on Democrats as Republicans, CNN's Jack Cafferty savaged the Democratic Party -- for going too easy on George Bush. Appearing on Thursday's edition of The Situation Room, the veteran journalist slammed Dems in Congress for stating that they won't impeach the President, for refusing to cut funding for Iraq, and generally not standing up to Bush. According to Cafferty, this makes them "no better than the people committing these crimes." The CNN host began by lamenting the agenda of the incoming Democrats: "The Democrats are focused on raising the minimum wage. That's fine, I guess. They've already said they won't impeach President Bush. They've already said they won't cut funding for the war. And several Democrats are hedging on the issue of independent ethics oversight of Congress. Gee, we don't need that, do you?...If the Democratic Party refuses to confront this administration in a meaningful way on the issues that are threatening the very survival of our nation, then they're no better than the people committing these crimes."

Gibson on Pelosi: 'Taking Care of the
Children and the Country'

     ABC anchor Charles Gibson opened Thursday's World News by trumpeting how, video of Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the House floor holding a baby while she talked to colleagues, demonstrated "the ultimate in multitasking: Taking care of the children and the country." Seconds earlier Gibson had hailed how "for the first time in the 218-year history of the Congress, a woman was voted by her colleagues to be Speaker of the House. Nancy Pelosi, Democrat from California, took the gavel." He then moved to tout what he described as "a picture perhaps even more symbolic, the new Speaker was on the floor for a time, holding her 6-year-old grandson, all the while giving directions on how events were to proceed. It seemed the ultimate in multitasking: Taking care of the children and the country." In fact, it was clearly a six-month old, not a six-year old.

     [This item was posted, with video, Thursday night on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org. The video/audio will be added to the posted version of this CyberAlert. In the meantime, to watch the Real or Windows Media video, or MP3 audio, go to: newsbusters.org ]

     Transcript in full of how Gibson, with the U.S. Capitol in the background as he stood outdoors, opened the January 4 World News on ABC (matches video/audio clip):
     "Good evening from Capitol Hill. Well, it is a hallmark of this American democracy that power transfers peacefully. People expect it, as a matter of course. And it happened again here on Capitol Hill today as Democrats took control of both the House and the Senate. This time, however, it was different. Still peaceful, to be sure. But this time, for the first time in the 218-year history of the Congress, a woman was voted by her colleagues to be Speaker of the House. Nancy Pelosi, Democrat from California, took the gavel.
     "But in a picture perhaps even more symbolic, the new Speaker was on the floor for a time, holding her 6-year-old grandson, all the while giving directions on how events were to proceed. It seemed the ultimate in multitasking: Taking care of the children and the country. Here's our senior political correspondent, Jake Tapper."

Couric Celebrates Susan B. Anthony's
Pride in Women in Congress

     Katie Couric concluded Thursday's CBS Evening News on a triumphant note of 'women, hear us roar' as she insisted that "we can't let this historic day pass without mentioning Susan B. Anthony who fought so hard for the right of women to vote, but didn't live to see us get it." That right "didn't happen until 1920, 14 years after she died," Couric lamented before marveling: "Can you imagine there are still more than three million American women alive today who were born before women were allowed to vote?" Couric then touted how "now there are a record 90 women in this new Congress, including for the first time ever, the Speaker of the House." The CBS anchor proposed: "Wouldn't Susan B. Anthony be proud? Or maybe she'd ask, 'what took so long?'"

     [This item was posted Thursday night on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]

     Couric's final item on the January 4 CBS Evening News followed a glowing profile of Carol Shea-Porter, a Democrat who unexpectedly won a House seat from New Hampshire:
     "And we can't let this historic day pass without mentioning Susan B. Anthony who fought so hard for the right of women to vote, but didn't live to see us get it. That didn't happen until 1920, 14 years after she died. Can you imagine there are still more than three million American women alive today who were born before women were allowed to vote? Now there are a record 90 women in this new Congress, including for the first time ever, the Speaker of the House. Wouldn't Susan B. Anthony be proud? Or maybe she'd ask, 'what took so long?' That's the CBS Evening News. I'm Katie Couric, thanks so much for watching. Good night."

Today Show Flashback Reveals Double Standard
on House Takeovers

     NBC's Today show cast celebrated the return of the Democrats to power to the House as "historic," but when the Newt Gingrich-led Republicans took over the House in 1995 Today wasn't so laudatory. At the top of Thursday's Today, Meredith Vieira gushed: "Look, it's a very historic day on Capitol Hill. Nancy Pelosi the first woman to become Speaker of the House. I'm excited as a woman to see that happen." Then Vieira's colleague, Natalie Morales, repeated the "historic" refrain during the 8am news update: "It's a history making day on Capitol Hill. Democrats take control of both chambers of Congress for the first time in 12 years and they're set to elect a woman, Nancy Pelosi, as Speaker for the first time ever."

     [This item, by Geoffrey Dickens, was posted Thursday afternoon on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]

     However a flashback to January 4 of 1995 shows Today didn't exactly greet the GOP so graciously. The MRC's Rich Noyes went into the MRC archives to find the following quotes from that day's show, the day Republicans led by Newt Gingrich took control of the House:

     # Bryant Gumbel to Newt Gingrich: "You are sounding very moderate this morning. You and I both know that a lot of Democrats and, frankly, some moderate Republicans are suggesting that ultimately your tongue will cost you."

     # Katie Couric to Bob Dole: "Is someone, anyone, going to have to muzzle the new Speaker a bit?...But should Newt Gingrich watch himself?"

     # Gumbel to Rep. Dick Gephardt: "Mr. Gephardt, you called Gingrich and his ilk, your words, 'trickle-down terrorists who base their agenda on on division, exclusion, and fear.' Do you think middle class Americans are in need of protection from that group?"

     # Couric to Tim Russert: "By June or July, though Tim, this 100 day edict will be long gone. Is this smart to put the 100 day deadline on the House of Representatives. Are they trying to have expediency at the risk of well thought-out legislation?"

Cafferty Scolds Democrats for Going Too
Easy on Bush's 'Crimes'

     Proving that he can be just as hard on Democrats as Republicans, CNN's Jack Cafferty savaged the Democratic Party -- for going too easy on George Bush. Appearing on Thursday's edition of The Situation Room, the veteran journalist slammed Dems in Congress for stating that they won't impeach the President, for refusing to cut funding for Iraq, and generally not standing up to Bush. According to Cafferty, this makes them "no better than the people committing these crimes." The CNN host began by lamenting the agenda of the incoming Democrats: "The Democrats are focused on raising the minimum wage. That's fine, I guess. They've already said they won't impeach President Bush. They've already said they won't cut funding for the war. And several Democrats are hedging on the issue of independent ethics oversight of Congress. Gee, we don't need that, do you?...If the Democratic Party refuses to confront this administration in a meaningful way on the issues that are threatening the very survival of our nation, then they're no better than the people committing these crimes."

     [This item, by Scott Whitlock, was posted Thursday afternoon on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]

     Cafferty's complete "Cafferty File" commentary, which aired at 4:13pm EST on January 4:
     "Well, another day, another outrage. President Bush is now claiming that he can open our mail without a warrant. We'll have more on that in the next hour. Next week, he's expected to announce an escalation of the war in Iraq. Tens of thousands of additional U.S. troops being sent into harms way. The administration says it needs another $170 billion this fiscal year to continue to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the Democrats are focused on raising the minimum wage. That's fine, I guess. They've already said they won't impeach President Bush. They've already said they won't cut funding for the war. And several Democrats are hedging on the issue of independent ethics oversight of Congress. Gee, we don't need that, do you? Senator Barack Obama suggests, in an op-ed piece in the Washington Post today, and he's absolutely right, that if you don't have someone to enforce ethics reform, enforce it, nothing is going to change. The voters want something meaningful done. It's one thing to talk the talk leading up to the elections, but now that they've won, it's time for the Democrats to walk the walk. And there's some early signs they might be coming down with leg cramps.
     "This country's being ripped apart by an ill advised war that's failing and an executive branch that's run amuck. If the Democratic Party refuses to confront this administration in a meaningful way on the issues that are threatening the very survival of our nation, then they're no better than the people committing these crimes. So here's the question: 'How much faith do you have that the Democrats can stop the war and rein in President Bush?' E-mail your thoughts to Caffertyfile@cnn.com or go to Cnn.com/Caffertyfile. Wolf?"

-- Brent Baker

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