NBC Hails Obama Tax Hike Proposal As ‘A Turning Point In Our Politics’
On Sunday’s NBC Nightly News, anchor Lester Holt touted how President Obama’s plan to “propose tax hikes for wealthiest Americans” during Tuesday’s State of the Union address would be “potentially putting Congress in the position of appearing to defend the highest income earners over the middle class.” Turning to CNBC chief Washington correspondent John Harwood, Holt wondered: “John, will a Republican Congress go along with any of this?” Harwood seized the opportunity cheer Obama’s politically posturing: “It’s not likely, Lester. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t important. These proposals and others from both parties in Congress all mark a turning point in our politics.”
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Networks Ignore John Kerry’s Embarrassing James Taylor Stunt in Paris
On Friday, while all three network morning shows covered Secretary of State John Kerry arriving in Paris to offer U.S. condolences following the recent terrorist attacks, none of the broadcasts mentioned one of the most embarrassing moments in American diplomatic history that occurred during the visit – Kerry bringing musician James Taylor to a press conference to sing “You’ve Got A Friend” to the French people. The bizarre attempt at international damage control – following the Obama administration’s failure to have a single top U.S. official attend a anti-terror march in Paris on Sunday – played out while the NBC, ABC, and CBS morning shows were on the air. NBC’s Andrea Mitchell reported the musical incident on Twitter at 8:01 a.m. ET. Later on her 12 p.m. ET MSNBC show, Mitchell referred to the moment as “a somewhat awkward musical make-good.”
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At Obama Press Conference, No Questions on Skipping Anti-Terror Rally
Barack Obama on Friday conducted an almost hour-long news conference with journalists, but faced no questions on his administration’s much-maligned decision not to send a representative to last Sunday’s massive anti-terror rally in France. ABC journalist Jon Karl wondered if the President had any thoughts on Mitt Romney possibly running for president again. After a nearly 20 minute preamble, Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron finally got to reporters. After offering up a tough question, Karl lobbed this softball: “If I may, Mr. President, I really like would hear your reaction to the news that Mitt Romney is thinking about running for president again.” Obama brushed that aside with a simple retort: “…I have no comment.”
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ABC’s ‘This Week’ Criticizes Reagan’s ‘Tattered Civil Rights Image’
Monday is Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, and on Sunday morning, ABC’s This Week decided it was the perfect opportunity to scold the Republican over his civil rights record. During the show’s weekly “powerhouse puzzler” segment, guest host Martha Raddatz asked the This Week panel “which president signed a law making MLK’s birthday a national holiday?” The ABC reporter then played a clip from ABC’s report on the signing ceremony in which ABC’s Sam Donaldson proclaimed “the president and Dr. King’s widow walking into the Rose Garden together in an effort to spruce up Mr. Reagan’s tattered civil rights image.”
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ABC’s George Stephanopoulos Fawns Over ‘Heroic’ Jimmy Carter: Still ‘Going Strong’
Former Democratic operative turned journalist George Stephanopoulos on Friday fawned over Jimmy Carter. Though much of the interview with the “heroic” ex-President focused on his humanitarian work, Stephanopoulos also prompted Carter to push his liberal agenda. The politician went on a rant against the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United campaign finance ruling, calling it “the stupidest ruling and the most damaging ruling that the Supreme Court has ever issued.” Ever? Worse than the 1857 Dred Scott case that ruled African Americans to not be citizens? Worse than 1896’s Pessy vs. Ferguson, the case that legalized racial segregation? Stephanopoulos offered no follow-up to this perplexing assertion. |
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