Reporters Shocked by Anti-Kerry Band-Aids -- 08/31/2004 - Media Research Center

For Immediate Release: Katie Wright (703) 683-5004 - Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Republican Convention, Day 1: CNN's Aaron Brown Scolds GOP Speakers' Focus on National Security

Reporters Shocked by
Anti-Kerry Band-Aids

To document the heights (or depths) of liberal media bias during the week of the Republican convention in New York City, the Media Research Center staff is preparing twice-daily CyberAlerts. The following items are a sampling of the latest findings of notable convention media coverage, with full details available at www.mrc.org:

• Aghast Over Band-Aids. CNN was upset to learn that some delegates were wearing Band-Aids emblazoned with little purple hearts. Reporter Candy Crowley confronted one woman: "This is a man [John Kerry] who went and served his country. Do you feel as though you're making fun of him." On the limited distribution ABC News Now network, Peter Jennings asked Newt Gingrich: "Did you squirm a little when you saw the guy wearing the purple heart?" Gingrich: "No, I think it's funny."

• Wishing for a More Liberal Agenda? After the speeches by John McCain and Rudy Giuliani, CNN anchor Aaron Brown seemed put off by their focus on national security. He told Washington Post reporter Terry Neal: "I don't think the Republican Party can go an entire week without mentioning the economy, without mentioning health care, without mentioning the range of social issues. But they managed to get through the entire night tonight without talking about any of them."

• Soldiers Love Hillary? On MSNBC last night, Hardball host Chris Matthews and NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell, speculating about the 2008 campaign, began talking about Hillary Clinton's foreign policy credentials. "I've got to tell you, the rank-and-file military are really happy with her," Mitchell asserted.

Worst of the Night: Where's Falluja? • Where's Fallujah? Time's Joe Klein faulted the GOP for not getting into "nuance" or "detail" in the speeches last night. "You never heard the word Fallujah mentioned," he unrealistically argued. Following Bill Clinton's opening night speech five weeks ago, however, Klein did not wonder why the ex-President failed to mention impeachment or other weaknesses of his tenure.

• More Taxes, Please. In his interview with President Bush on Monday's Today, NBC's Matt Lauer told Bush he wanted the President to at least consider raising taxes in a second term. "If the deficit doesn't come down, if you can't pay it down by half by 2008, will you raise taxes?" Lauer lobbied.

• Vice President Darth Vader. ABC's Claire Shipman told Dick Cheney that he's been referred to as "evil genius, Darth Vader, architect of war, Mr. Doom and Gloom." She asked, "does that bug you?"

• Journalists Against Bush. Former 60 Minutes correspondent Meredith Vieira regaled her colleagues on ABC's The View with how she participated in the anti-Bush marches in New York City this weekend. And on MSNBC last night, Newsweek's Jon Meacham told Chris Matthews that Republicans think "all of us and the New York Times are against them." Matthews admitted: "They're right about the New York Times, and they may be right about all of us." Full details, plus more at www.mrc.org.

- Tim Graham, Brent Baker, and Rich Noyes