CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News provided imbalanced coverage of the October 31 nomination of federal appeals court judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. to the Supreme Court -- Republicans, conservatives, and pro-Alito guests dominated the networks' coverage; far outnumbering Democrats, progressives, and Alito critics. Media Matters for America analyzed the cable news networks' October 31 coverage of the nomination from 7 a.m. to noon ET.

Cable news channel

Republican /conservative /pro-Alito guests

Democratic /progressive /anti-Alito guests

CNN (American Morning, and a special edition of The Situation Room)

Gary Bauer, former Republican presidential candidate and president of American Values

Lawrence Lustberg, “liberal” lawyer who endorsed Alito nomination

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)

Pat Robertson, right-wing televangelist

Bay Buchanan, president of The American Cause

Richard Thornburgh, former attorney general under presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush

Helgi Walker, former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas

James Carville, Democratic political strategist

Lanny Davis, former White House special counsel under Clinton

Nan Aron, president of Alliance for Justice

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA)

MSNBC (Imus in the Morning, MSNBC News Live)

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

Pat Buchanan, MSNBC analyst and former Republican presidential candidate

Gary Rubman, former law clerk for Alito

Terence Jeffrey, editor of Human Events

Sen. Jeff Sessions

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA)

Sen. Edward Kennedy

Fox News (Fox & Friends First, Fox & Friends, Fox News Live)

John Nagle, associate dean for faculty research at Notre Dame Law School

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN)

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)

Richard Thornburgh

Michael Carvin, former colleague of Alito

Nick Calio, former legislative specialist for President Bush

Pat Robertson

Douglas Kmiec, former head of the Office of Legal Counsel in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

Jay Jorgenson, former law clerk for Alito

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS)

C. Frederick Beckner, former law clerk for Alito

Former Sen. George Mitchell (D-ME)

Bob Beckel, Democratic strategist

Tammy Bruce*, Fox News political analyst

*Bruce criticized Alito's dissent in the case Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1991), in which he argued that a provision of Pennsylvania abortion law requiring spousal notification should be upheld.