Democratic responses largely absent from network news coverage of Bush speeches on national security
SUMMARY: A Media Matters for America review of 12 reports on network evening news broadcasts covering President Bush's speeches and statements on Iraq, terrorism, and national security policy in the week preceding September 11 showed that the reports included responses from just five Democratic officials.
A Media Matters for America review* of network evening news broadcasts from September 4 through September 8 showed that 12 separate reports covering President Bush's speeches and statements on Iraq, terrorism, and national security policy, during that week, included responses by a total of five Democratic officials. None of the three reports that aired on the CBS Evening News included a Democratic statement, while ABC's World News included Democrats in only two of its five stories, and Democrats were quoted in only three out of five reports on NBC's Nightly News. In addition to excerpting Bush's speeches, some of the reports also quoted other Republicans and White House officials defending the Bush administration's foreign policies. In addition to the 12 reports, CBS and ABC also aired exclusive interviews with Bush during their broadcasts, neither of which included any Democratic response.
ABC's World News with Charles Gibson
- The September 8 broadcast featured a report on the Senate Intelligence Committee report released that day, confirming that there was no relationship between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda before the Iraq war. ABC quoted Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) saying: "Today's report is a devastating indictment of the Bush administration's unrelenting, misleading, and deceptive attempts to convince the American people that Saddam Hussein was linked with Al Qaeda."
- The September 7 broadcast featured anchor Charles Gibson's interview with Bush. No Democrats were quoted.
- The September 6 broadcast featured a report on Bush's announcement from that day that 14 terror detainees had been transferred from secret CIA prisons to the U.S. detention facility at Guantánamo Bay. No Democrats were quoted.
- The September 6 broadcast also featured a report on the Senate Democrats' call for a vote of no confidence in Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. The report featured quotes from Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Jim DeMint (R-SC).
- The September 5 broadcast featured a report on the peace deal between the Pakistani government and terrorist groups in northern Pakistan -- the region where Osama bin Laden is rumored to be hiding. ABC quoted Bush saying: "We're not gonna back down in the face of these killers. We'll fight this war. And we'll win this war together." No Democrats were quoted.
- The September 5 broadcast also featured a report on Bush's speech from that day on the fight against terrorism. No Democrats were quoted.
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric
- The September 7 broadcast featured a report on Bush's speech from that day, at the end of which CBS News White House correspondent Jim Axelrod noted: "The Democrats are out with a name for the president's series of speeches. They're calling it 'the fear and smear tour.' " No Democrats were directly quoted.
- The September 6 broadcast featured a report on Bush's announcement of the terror detainee transfer -- no Democrats were quoted.
- The September 6 broadcast also featured excerpts of anchor Katie Couric's kid-gloved interview with Bush. Again, no Democrats were quoted.
- The September 5 broadcast featured a report on Bush's speech from that day. No Democrats were quoted.
NBC's Nightly News
- The September 8 broadcast featured a report on the Senate Intelligence Committee report. NBC noted that the White House and congressional Republicans dismissed the report, but quoted no Democrats.
- The September 7 broadcast featured a report on Bush's call for Congress to pass legislation the White House proposed allowing terror detainees to be tried using military tribunals. NBC News correspondent Chip Reid reported: "Republicans and Democrats say they're hopeful a compromise can be reached. In part, that's because, with elections so close, no one in Congress wants to look soft on terrorism." NBC then aired a clip of Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (NV) saying: "We need these very, very bad people brought to justice."
- The September 6 broadcast featured a report on Bush's speech acknowledging the existence of secret CIA prisons and the transfer of prisoners to Guantánamo Bay; it quoted Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
- The September 5 broadcast featured a report on Bush's speech from that day by NBC News chief White House correspondent David Gregory and included a response by former Democratic presidential candidate retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark, who said, "The war in Iraq was a mistake. The policies that this administration has trumpeted haven't worked."
The September 4 broadcast featured a report by Chip Reid on the prospect of Democratic gains in the House and Senate in the midterm elections. Reid reported on a letter sent by congressional Democratic leaders to Bush calling for Rumsfeld's resignation and the redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq. The report quoted no Democrats, but it included a clip of Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) from the September 3 broadcast of NBC's Meet the Press expressing support for the president. Later in the broadcast, NBC News White House correspondent Kelly O'Donnell reported that the White House had issued a "pretty dismissive" response to the Democrats' letter.
But on the positive side, a new poll shows that contrary to right wing viewpoints, more republicans read playboy than democrats. Looking at the typical republican wife, I can see why...
If I recall correctly (and you may be able to prove me wrong), many of the "models" in Playboy are also right-wing. And judging by the looks of Democrats' wives, I can see why. (That's a joke for those of you in the media.)
as in joke, before this gets out of hand!
And currently I'm sitting on it. But anyway, back on topic. It is good that following last night's speech on ABC, George Stephanopoulos (Clinton aide and Democrat Dreamboat) was there to do the analysis.
So score one for the Dems.
--"George Stephanopoulos (Clinton aide and Democrat Dreamboat) ...So score one for the Dems."--
Stephanopoulos' function at ABC is as an unbiased, non-partisan--not as a spokesperson or "scorer" for the Democratic Party.
But he is a Democrat. With quotes like: "What the President is trying to do right now is scare people enough to care about the war on terror." (From the 9-7 show that MM says no Democrat was quoted on), it hardly seems he is being 100 % neutral.
And I didn't actually mean that this was some sort of game. No "scoring" was actually involved.
means telling the truth. What's not neutral is pretending their is two sides to every conservofacist lie connie.
---"But he is a Democrat."---
The point of this MM item is to show that *official* Democratic responses were scarce. You brought attention to Stephanpoulos' appearance as if that ought to assuage or comfort Democrats. It doesn't. Stephanpoulos is, again, not a spokesperson for, or an official of, the Democratic Party, your one example notwithstanding. A search of MM produces several examples of misinformation on his part as well.
My Mom always said that we are each born with a gift that should be shared with the world. Leather was obviously born with a gift for comedy and he shares that gift with his fellow MMFA posters. In other words Leather is the comic relief around here. I never get angry with him because I find him hilarious, it's like he's doing a parody of a right-winger.
My late wife was a model when she was young, and a stunning beauty, also as lefty as I am. A huge majority of the beautiful movie stars are serious lefties as you well know. So yes it was a joke but a poor and frankly dumb one. I mean COULTER is a conservative, take a look at her but use a shiny shield or you might turn to stone (see thats a good joke, little mythological reference, and a more indirect reference to her innate ugliness, free of charge advise, probably all its worth).
Bush is treated like a King on 9/11.
Given free airtime to lie and make more statements on his "War".
when the terrrists have us on our knees, that's when we should pray. Now I'm really scared.
How long will we allow this fool to keep us afraid? The talking points now seems to be "We are safer now than we were on September 10th, 2001. But, were not safe yet."
Boy, makes me want to run right out and vote Republican.
It's Bush has made us safer, but we're not safer. That's why we are fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here. That's why we are in Iraq fighting a civil war to put an end to terrorism once and for all. Oh, and we don't know what victory is, but we're getting closer all the time.
use those great liberal ideas like padding the pockets of dock workers and unions by spending millions checking containers coming into the country even though not one item used for terrorism has come in that way.
Oh, and let's not racial profile even though only one race is causing 100 percent of the terrorist attacks.
Oh, I almost forgot. Let's cut and run and appease, appease, appease. Makes me want to run right out and vote democrat and buy burquas to hand out to all my progressive female friends.
is a stooge and a coward. Until morons like him are fighting in Iraq getting their legs blown off this will not be a just war.
Us real conservatives do not claim Leatherhelmet. We need to engage in thoughtful, reasoned debate... something Leatherhelmet uses little of. Please do not hold all of us conservatives in the same boat with him. Sorry... had to get that off my chest.
I understand, man... every family has one like that. Problem is your family has BUNCHES of them. ;>)
Your family has bunches of them too. Both sides in this country have their less-than-stellar representatives. Don't be too blind to see that. ;-)
I dont blame the right for Leather, or Coulter or Savage for that matter. By the same token the left is not responsible for Ward Churchill or whatever lefty with a big mouth spouts off and the left isnt responsible for me either.
about checking containers was the unanimous recommendation of the 9-11 commission.
We knew you were anti-American and against our troops but now you show us you're also against union workers. I don't know what you do for a living, but your salary and benefits would be much lower without the past contributions of organized labor.
Largely because I have had a good union job for almost thirty years. Anyone against unions will not be getting my vote. It would be voting against my family.
I find it hard to believe that you have progressive female friends. Maybe they're lying to you because they know you'll believe anything. If you're a right winger you match the correct profile for gullibility.
he knows ann coulter.
Oooooo... somebody tell Leather to sleep with a gun under his pillow just in case he pisses Ann off.
I'm sure those jackboots are pinching your bunyuns, and that armband? It's sooooooo 1940's.
Do you have proof that nothing ever came in on one of those containers? Since we don't inspect them, how would you know?
cutting and running or appeasing. That is a lie, Leatherhelmet.
before neocons say we need to widen the war on terror to include stingrays. Steve Irwin was killed by a terrorist stingray cell.
Hellooooo.... we've already started, baby! w()()t! Out.
[link to www.salon.com]
And then there's the latest success in the war on terra:
[link to rawstory.com]
No breeding, no terrorists. Works every time!
a modern-day Bridget Loves Bernie, but with more suicide bombing.
[link to www.imdb.com]
read some of them "Shakespeares".
"heh heh.. lessee, splittin up them Montagoos & Crappalets worked pretty good at makin martyrs. That poisons a lot less messy than those suicide bombers,too"
Uh oh, sounds alot like public enemy #1 (except when he isn't!)...
I'll bet those stingrays had friggin laser beams on their heads!
Dock workers wont be checking containers. That would be a security job not an unloading job. However I encourage you to continue to highlight the conservatives 'lets get as many Americans killed as possible policy' I bet that is a sure winner.
Container ships are the mainstay of ocean commerce. They dock in US ports daily. It would be rather easy to put a large amount of explosive into a container, use a cell phone as a detenator, and once the cargo arrived and was on the back of a truck moving thru a crowded area like a city, just call the cell phone number and *kabooom!!!*. Containers are also used to smuggle all kinds of contraband and several container ships are pirated annually. I guess we shouldn't even consider beefing up port security, eh?
---"use those great liberal ideas like ... checking containers coming into the country even though not one item used for terrorism has come in that way"---
Ya know, you're so right. That would be as wacky as, say, checking airline passengers for box cutters starting back about Sept. 10, 2001.
good one (and thanks for giving my struggling poor Angels a break-if not a Sox fan, disregard)
If you didn't see the Daily Show last night, your post was on the same track.The Brit correspondent (can't recall his name) did a report on the lack of a terrorist attack since 9/11, lack of a hurricane attack since Katrina-- Bush's ability to learn lessons from each disaster as he leads us into the next one-pretty funny, hope you caught it.
Yet. Also, if you don't like what the unions have done for you, go back to working 80 to 100 hour weeks for $2.00 an hour, and forget about vacations or benefits. Perhaps you members of your famioly could be injured or killed in accidents or factory fires because the doors were chained shut to make sure they didn't take any unauthorized breaks during their 12-16 hours straight on the job.
Really? Timothy McVeigh, Eric Rudolph, and Mohammed Atta were the same race? Well, on that point I'll have to agree with you. They did have a common race: human. However, "Arabic" is not a race, "semitic" is not a race, "Islamic" is not a race, so I guess you're as wrong there as you are everywhere else, namely, 100 per cent wrong.
Like Bush did from the National Guard?
You mean like Bush giving $43,000,000.00 to the Taliban?
You'd be doing the right thing for all the wrong reasons, but the Democratic Party would welcome both your vote and your ideas, if only to try to show you why you are totally wrong.
And if they are truly progressive, they'll give them back to you for you to, because if you ever realized how foolishly, ridiculously wrong you are, you wouldn't ever want to show your face in public again.
"you or members of your family,"
and
"for you to wear."
Damned lack of preview.
A commercial with a pack of wolves tipped the '04 election. So, why wouldn't keeping people terrified continue to get them votes.
the pack of wolves is now more readily seen as a herd of sheep. W's been a crummy shepherd. We're no better off now that in 2004. He had his "mandate" and controlled all of government. I think Americans are now seeing GOP for what it has become.