"It has come to this": In two separate segments, MSNBC highlights Hillary Clinton's new hairdo

Summary: Two segments on MSNBC Live referenced Sen. Hillary Clinton's new hairdo, with one of the segments featuring a discussion "[l]ive from Capitol Hill" with MSNBC congressional correspondent Mike Viqueira, who said, "I'm not really crazy about standing here talking about a senator's hair, especially Senator Clinton's hair, but I'll just say this: When it comes to senatorial hair, she's way ahead of the game."

During the 10 a.m. ET hour of the July 16 broadcast of MSNBC Live, host Monica Novotny devoted a segment to discussing Sen. Hillary Clinton's "new look," specifically the "short[ness]" of Clinton's hair and the fact that Clinton "shifted her part from the left side to the right side." At the beginning of the segment, Novotny contrasted a video of Clinton's July 15 speech on the floor of the Senate with her official publicity photo in order to illustrate the difference, stating, "All right, if fashion -- as far as hairdos go -- isn't your forte, Clinton's hair is apparently shorter than it used to be, and she's shifted her part from the left side to the right side."

Clinton's July 15 speech:

Clinton's publicity photo:

Novotny asked MSNBC congressional correspondent Mike Viqueira, "So, it's Hillary's part that's shifted to the right? Not her political positions?" Viquiera replied: "Monica, all I can say is, I'm not really crazy about standing here talking about a senator's hair, especially Senator Clinton's hair, but I'll just say this: When it comes to senatorial hair, she's way ahead of the game. I mean, we've got some combovers around here that are engineering marvels, modern engineering marvels, I tell you. And look, I mean, you know the price of Grecian Formula these days -- I could use -- I could use a raise for that, and some Rogaine." Novotny later stated: "Look, I'm just going to say this: I mean, you remember there have been some other reports where people were focused on other things, so I say, better the coif than the cleavage. That's just me."

As Media Matters for America documented, on July 30, 2007, MSNBC devoted a total of 23 minutes and 42 seconds to segments discussing Clinton's (D-NY) "cleavage" between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET.

During MSNBC Live's noon ET hour, anchor Alex Witt also reported on Clinton's hair. During a news brief, Witt said: "Mrs. Clinton's hair is a bit shorter than it used to be, and she has shifted her part from the left side to the right side. However, keep in mind this is just Hillary's part that has shifted to the right, not her political position. We want to be real clear on that."

Prior to MSNBC's reports, The Washington Post's Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts highlighted Clinton's hair in their July 16 Reliable Source column. Under the heading "Hillary's Parting Line Moves a Smidge to the Right," they wrote: "Hillary Clinton returned to the Senate floor yesterday to give a big speech -- on a Medicare doctor payment bill -- and showed off a new hairdo. Since leaving the presidential race, she's gone shorter . . . and shifted her part from the left to the right. Just thought you'd want to know."

From the 10 a.m. ET hour of the July 16 edition of MSNBC Live:

NOVOTNY: And Hillary Clinton has a new look. Here's what she looked like when she showed up for a big speech in the Senate yesterday. And here's her official publicity photo from the campaign. All right, if fashion -- as far as hairdos go -- isn't your forte, Clinton's hair is apparently shorter than it used to be, and she's shifted her part from the left side to the right side. Live from Capitol Hill, MSNBC congressional correspondent Mike Viqueira --

VIQUEIRA: Monica, it has come to this.

NOVOTNY: I just had to -- it has.

VIQUEIRA: It has come to this.

NOVOTNY: Welcome to mid-July. So, it's Hillary's part that's shifted to the right? Not her political positions?

VIQUEIRA: Ahhhh, stretch.

NOVOTNY: Bu-dum-bum.

VIQUEIRA: Monica, all I can say is, I'm not really crazy about standing here talking about a senator's hair, especially Senator Clinton's hair, but I'll just say this: When it comes to senatorial hair, she's way ahead of the game. I mean, we've got some combovers around here that are engineering marvels, modern engineering marvels, I tell you. And look, I mean, you know the price of Grecian Formula these days -- I could use -- I could use a raise for that, and some Rogaine.

NOVOTNY: Are -- are we just leaving it at that?

VIQUEIRA: Yeah, that's it. That's all I got for you.

NOVOTNY: Look, I'm just going to say this: I mean, you remember there have been some other reports where people were focused on other things, so I say, better the coif than the cleavage. That's just me.

VIQUEIRA: You know what? The reporter that wrote about the cleavage is standing right here next to me. We were just talking about that.

NOVOTNY: There -- OK, well, I'm going -- I'm going to stick to the coif. All right, Mike, thank you.

VIQUEIRA: All right, bye.

From the noon ET hour of the July 16 edition of MSNBC Live:

WITT: Hillary Clinton had a new look when she showed up for a big speech in the Senate yesterday. Now, you might not notice it at first. It's kind of subtle, but she has changed her hair. In case fashion isn't your forte, here, take a look. On the left, that's from the campaign. On the right, there's the new style. Mrs. Clinton's hair is a bit shorter than it used to be, and she has shifted her part from the left side to the right side. However, keep in mind this is just Hillary's part that has shifted to the right, not her political position. We want to be real clear on that.

—M.B.B. & M.G.