In reporting on the political fallout from President Bush's campaign-style, nationally televised address on the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, ABC and CBS made no mention of the letter Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (NV) and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA) sent to the networks on September 12 asking that Democrats be allotted equal time on the airwaves to respond to Bush's speech. NBC was the sole broadcast network to report on Reid and Pelosi's letter, noting, on the September 12 broadcast of Nightly News, “Democratic leaders later released a letter to the television networks demanding equal time to respond to the president's address,” and similarly, on the September 13 broadcast of Today, that Democrats “are now requesting equal time.”

From the September 12 broadcast of NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams:

BRIAN WILLIAMS (anchor): Now to the political angle we mentioned at the top of the broadcast. It happened last night, the night of the fifth anniversary of 9-11, the president's speech was, in part, about Iraq. That means politics to many Democrats, who are now demanding equal time. David Gregory is at the White House for us tonight. David, good evening.

DAVID GREGORY (NBC News chief White House correspondent): Good evening, Brian. And in this national, prime-time address, the president called for putting aside our differences in this country. But no one, Republican or Democrat, is listening.

The White House previewed last night's address as the president's reflection on the nation's pain five years after 9-11. Quickly, however, it became prime-time political argument.

BUSH [video clip]: I'm often asked why we're in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was not responsible for the 9-11 attacks. The answer is that the regime of Saddam Hussein was a clear threat.

GREGORY: And included this warning for voters.

BUSH [video clip]: Whatever mistakes have been made in Iraq, the worst mistake would be to think that if we pulled out, the terrorists would leave us alone. They will not leave us alone. They will follow us.

GREGORY: Today, Democrats condemned the White House for what they saw as a speech exploiting 9-11 rather than uniting the country, as the president did from Ground Zero five years ago.

REID [video clip]: No bullhorn, only the bully pulpit of his office, which he used to defend an unpopular war in Iraq and to launch clumsily disguised barbs at those who disagree with his policies.

GREGORY: Democratic leaders later released a letter to the television networks demanding equal time to respond to the president's address.

From the September 13 broadcast of NBC's Today:

MATT LAUER (co-host): On “Close Up” this morning, the politics of the war on terror. Both Democrats and Republicans promised to try for bipartisanship after 9-11, but five years later, many in Congress are at war with each other. NBC's chief White House correspondent David Gregory has more on that. David, good morning to you.

GREGORY: Good morning to you, Matt. And, yeah, the politics of national security have become so divisive in Washington during this election year, that even the president's 9-11 address in prime-time to the country has ignited an emotionally charged debate.

The president may have thought he could use 9-11 to heal political wounds.

BUSH [video clip]: We must put aside our differences and work together to meet the test that history has given us.

GREGORY: But Democrats considered it an empty gesture -- one more political argument disguised as a commemorative speech in an increasingly bitter campaign season. They are now requesting equal time on the television networks to respond.