Special Report's Hume, American Morning's Costello noted that Vaccarella "thank[ed]" Bush, didn't note his Republican affiliation

Summary: In reports on Hurricane Katrina survivor Rockey Vaccarella's August 23 appearance with President Bush, Fox News' Brit Hume and CNN's Carol Costello mentioned Vaccarella's praise for Bush's handling of the storm, but neither noted that Vaccarella once ran for local office as a Republican.

In reports on Hurricane Katrina survivor Rockey Vaccarella's August 23 appearance with President Bush, Fox News Washington managing editor Brit Hume and CNN anchor Carol Costello mentioned Vaccarella's praise for Bush's handling of the storm, but neither noted that Vaccarella once ran for local office as a Republican, as Media Matters for America has documented. On the August 23 edition of Fox News' Special Report, Hume reported that Vaccarella "got his wish" to "thank President Bush in person for the mobile home he received from the federal government when his house was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina," and that Vaccarella "thought the president ought to have a third term, a remark that the president even found to be a little much." On the August 24 edition of CNN's American Morning, Costello reported that Vaccarella "visited with the president yesterday to thank him for the government's help with the disaster, but he also reminded him that there's much more that needs to be done to rebuild after Katrina."

Costello did not refer to Vaccarella's Republican affiliation, even though CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux reported it during the previous day's edition of CNN's The Situation Room. As Media Matters noted, shortly before Malveaux's report, CNN host Kyra Phillips failed to identify Vaccarella's Republican ties while interviewing him on the August 23 edition of Live From... .

From the August 23 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume:

HUME: That Louisiana man we told you about last night, who hoped to thank President Bush in person for the mobile home he received from the federal government when his house was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, got his wish today. After meeting with Rockey Vaccarella in the Oval Office, the president promised the federal government will continue working to clear away any obstacles to rebuilding the Gulf Coast, substantial parts of which, of course, were destroyed when the storm struck a year ago and have not yet recovered. The man, by the way, said he thought the president ought to have a third term, a remark that the president even found to be a little much.

From the August 24 edition of CNN's American Morning:

COSTELLO: Opening bell. It just rang on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average opens at 11, 297. That's down nearly 42 points, so at least we'll have a better day today. And Rockey Vaccarella, the Katrina survivor, made it to the White House. You remember Rockey. He towed his FEMA trailer to Washington all the way from St. Bernard's Parish, just east of New Orleans. He visited with the president yesterday to thank him for the government's help with the disaster, but he also reminded him there's much more that needs to be done to rebuild after Katrina. But, hey, he got to talk to the man himself, Soledad.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN (host): Good for him. Good for him. Goal set and accomplished. All right, Carol, thanks.

—R.S.K.