On the June 8 edition of MSNBC's Imus in the Morning, host Don Imus and co-host Bernard McGuirk speculated that the “liberal elite news media” would consider the death of Al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi “bad news.” McGuirk asserted that Zarqawi's death could not possibly be bad except to “people like [filmmaker] Michael Moore.” McGuirk added: “And notice, probably, the long faces over at CNN this morning.”

Then, during a discussion with pundit and Congressional Quarterly columnist Craig Crawford, Imus speculated that "[t]here has got to be some people, though, like some of my liberal friends," who “probably look at” Zarqawi's death “on some level as bad news” because “they hate President Bush so much.” Crawford responded:

Yeah, I mean, this has, I think, been a problem of how we've been looking at this war. It's become a domestic political prism, that, you know, it's all about George Bush's popularity. But we've also got to think about -- I mean, hey, you know, our Congress went along with this, the American public went along with it when we decided to invade Iraq. Right or wrong, we had a -- we didn't have much of a debate about it, which I think was terrible. But nevertheless, you know, we let this president start this war and maintain this occupation.

Imus engaged in similar speculation with NBC chief White House correspondent David Gregory, asking, “I just wonder how long it'll take for you and the other members of the liberal elite news media to describe” Zarqawi's death as “a Karl Rove stunt because the president's poll numbers are so low.”

Gregory responded simply, “That hadn't occurred to me.”

From the June 8 edition of MSNBC's Imus in the Morning:

IMUS: We'll continue to cover this al-Zarqawi thing all morning, obviously. Although I don't know how much of the same videotape I want to see over and over and over again, like it's on a tape loop. He's dead, we'll find out what it means. It's got to be good, doesn't it, Charles?

CHARLES McCORD [co-host]: It cannot possibly be bad, obviously.

McGUIRK: Except to people like Michael Moore. And notice, probably, the long faces over at CNN this morning, but otherwise.

IMUS: Oh, at CNN. Everybody at CNN -- by the way, I hate them. I mean, it's unfortunate I have friends there, but. Oh, God, I hate them. You can't watch that network. I mean, they are just -- have you ever tried to watch them?

McCORD: Yeah, sure. I've tried.

IMUS: I mean, we're doing a radio show on MSNBC, and we beat them. They're horrible. Oh, God, they suck.

[...]

CRAWFORD: I don't guess we'll get the video of his dead body. We got that on the brother -- on the sons, Hussein's sons. That would be good.

IMUS: Usually, I don't like that kind of stuff, but I would like to see this one, this bastard.

CRAWFORD: I'd like to see this guy chopped up. Just run him through a wood chipper.

IMUS: There has got to be people, though, like some of my liberal friends -- which, I have far too many, by the way. I've got to try to rethink that whole thing. But gotta be some of them that actually, just because they hate President Bush so much, probably look at this as on some level as bad news, don't they?

CRAWFORD: Yeah, I mean, this has, I think, been a problem of how we've been looking at this war. It's become a domestic political prism, that, you know, it's all about George Bush's popularity. But we've also got to think about -- I mean, hey, you know, our Congress went along with this, the American public went along with it when we decided to invade Iraq. Right or wrong, we had a -- we didn't have much of a debate about it, which I think was terrible. But nevertheless, you know, we let this president start this war and maintain this occupation.

[...]

GREGORY: Look, this is certainly significant. And the problem at this stage is with the violence at the point that it's at, can Zarqawi be sort of easily replaced? There are other actors on that stage, and the administration knows that. But you cannot detract from the fact that symbolically and operationally this is a major figure that's been taken out.

IMUS: Of course, I just wonder how long it'll take for you and the other members of the liberal elite news media to describe this, and accuse the administration of this being a Karl Rove stunt because the president's poll numbers are so low.

GREGORY: That hadn't occurred to me.