On Inauguration Eve, CBS Stresses Bush's Approval Below Nixon's --1/20/2005

1. On Inauguration Eve, CBS Stresses Bush's Approval Below Nixon's
On the eve of President George W. Bush's second inauguration, the CBS Evening News brought up Richard Nixon in stressing Bush's comparatively low approval rating of 49 percent in a new CBS News/New York Times poll. John Roberts asked and answered: "What did Presidents Clinton, Reagan, Eisenhower, even Nixon, all have in common? A higher approval rating on the eve of their second inauguration than President George W. Bush." As Roberts spoke, viewers saw a screen with pictures of all five Presidents with their approval rating at the start of their second term listed below their photo. Referring to Condoleezza Rice's admission some bad decisions were made on Iraq, Roberts trumpeted how "the President's nominee for top diplomat did offer a rare moment of candor today."

2. NBC's Today Highlights Kerry's Attacks, Brings Carter Aboard
NBC's Today decided the day before President Bush's second inauguration was the logical time to tout John Kerry's potential 2008 presidential campaign and his attacks on Condoleezza Rice and Donald Rumsfeld, and to bring aboard Jimmy Carter to criticize Bush policies. Kerry, Katie Couric trumpeted, "had some tough questions for Dr. Rice" in "making a splashy return to Capitol Hill and calling once again for President Bush to fire Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld." Matt Lauer set up a full story by claiming that Kerry's "got some people wondering if he's laying the groundwork already for a presidential run in 2008." Lauer touted Carter as "a keen observer of world events." Lauer cued up Carter with questions about whether he's "concerned about the legitimacy" of the elections in Iraq?, what are the "options" for an "exit strategy" from Iraq? and what Carter wants "to hear" Bush "lay out in his speech?" Carter hoped Bush would stop "trying to cram the narrow-minded Republican premises down Democrats' throats."

3. CNN's Zahn: Will Rice Be "Own Woman" or "President's Puppet?"
CNN's Paula Zahn on Tuesday night insultingly degraded Secretary of State nominee Condoleezza Rice as she posed this question to Democratic Senator Joe Biden: "Do you see her being her own woman down the road or will she be nothing more than the President's puppet?" As if there's something wrong with the Secretary of State carrying out a President's policies. Zahn highlighted Senator Barbara Boxer's allegation that Rice's support of the Iraq war "'overwhelmed her respect for the truth.' Isn't that going to be a problem for her?" Zahn seemed appalled that Biden planned to vote for Rice's confirmation, citing how Biden and Rice disagree on the number of proficient Iraqi security forces: "So how can you support Doctor Rice if in fact her number is that vastly different from yours? You don't believe her number." She pressed: "So how can you support her if she doesn't have a clear assessment of that?"

On Inauguration Eve, CBS Stresses Bush's
Approval Below Nixon's

On the eve of President George W. Bush's second inauguration, the CBS Evening News brought up Richard Nixon in stressing Bush's comparatively low approval rating of 49 percent in a new CBS News/New York Times poll. John Roberts asked and answered: "What did Presidents Clinton, Reagan, Eisenhower, even Nixon, all have in common? A higher approval rating on the eve of their second inauguration than President George W. Bush." As Roberts spoke, viewers saw a screen with pictures of all five Presidents with their approval rating at the start of their second term listed below their photo. Referring to Condoleezza Rice's admission some bad decisions were made on Iraq, Roberts trumpeted how "the President's nominee for top diplomat did offer a rare moment of candor today."

Dan Rather set up the January 19 story: "President Bush is getting lower marks these days from the American public about his handling of Iraq. In a new CBS News/New York Times poll, 40 percent approve of his Iraq policy, 55 percent disapprove. CBS's John Roberts reports that's dragging down the President's overall job performance rating."

Roberts elaborated, as corrected against the closed-captioning by the MRC's Brad Wilmouth: "What did Presidents Clinton, Reagan, Eisenhower, even Nixon, all have in common? A higher approval rating on the eve of their second inauguration than President George W. Bush. [On screen, beneath photos of each President, his approval rating at the start of his second term. Clinton: 60%, Reagan: 62%, Eisenhower: 73%, Nixon: 51% and Bush: 49%] It will be a challenging second term for the President. The majority of Americans are optimistic about the next four years, but they still think the country's on the wrong track. And while President Bush will appeal for unity in his inaugural address-"
George W. Bush: "By uniting we can get a lot done."
Roberts: "-Americans are skeptical. Slightly more believe he'll divide rather than unite the nation."
Bush: "The crisis is now."
Roberts relayed findings, with the numbers on screen: "There's good and bad news on Social Security. The majority of Americans do believe Social Security won't be there for them [54 percent], and half say there is a crisis [50 percent]. But half also say the President's plan for private accounts is a bad idea. The numbers are worse [70 percent] if it means a cut in promised benefits. And President Bush still has problems on Iraq. Many people said the elections should go ahead [49 percent], but the majority don't believe it's safe enough for Iraqis to vote [65 percent]. They also say it's not possible to create a stable democracy there [52 percent]. And while the President's nominee for top diplomat did offer a rare moment of candor today-"
Condoleezza Rice, at hearing: "We've made a lot of decisions in this period of time. Some of them have been good, some of them have not been good. Some of them have been bad decisions, I'm sure."
Roberts: "-the majority think President Bush is making things in Iraq sound better than they are [55 percent], a point driven home at Condoleezza Rice's confirmation hearings."
Senator Joseph Biden, (D-DE): "As my mother would say, 'God love ya, please do me a favor: Start to tell the whole deal.' And for God's sake, don't listen to Rumsfeld. He doesn't know what in the Hell he's talking about on this."
Roberts: "And in a sign that the Democrats may resist the President's call for unity, today they said they're going to delay the confirmation vote for Condoleezza Rice, scheduled for tomorrow, until next week. The White House shot back the Democrats are putting politics ahead of national security. Welcome to the second term."

For the CBSNews.com rundown of the poll: www.cbsnews.com

NBC's Today Highlights Kerry's Attacks,
Brings Carter Aboard

NBC's Today decided the day before President Bush's second inauguration was the logical time to tout John Kerry's potential 2008 presidential campaign and his attacks on Condoleezza Rice and Donald Rumsfeld, and to bring aboard Jimmy Carter to criticize Bush policies. Kerry, Katie Couric trumpeted, "had some tough questions for Dr. Rice" in "making a splashy return to Capitol Hill and calling once again for President Bush to fire Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld." Matt Lauer set up a full story by claiming that Kerry's "got some people wondering if he's laying the groundwork already for a presidential run in 2008." Lauer touted Carter as "a keen observer of world events." Lauer cued up Carter with questions about whether he's "concerned about the legitimacy" of the elections in Iraq?, what are the "options" for an "exit strategy" from Iraq? and what Carter wants "to hear" Bush "lay out in his speech?" Carter hoped Bush would stop "trying to cram the narrow-minded Republican premises down Democrats' throats."

Today made Rice look like the rude one in how the show framed her confrontation with California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer. Today's January 19 opening caught by the MRC's Geoff Dickens:
Condoleezza Rice: "Senator we can, we can have this discussion in any way that you would like but I would really hope that you will refrain from impugning my integrity. Thank you very much."
Katie Couric: "Good morning, Fried Rice. An angry Condoleezza Rice snaps back at a senator who questioned her truthfulness as the President's nominee for Secretary of State returns to the hot seat today, Wednesday, January 19th, 2005."

Couric soon previewed the program: "And welcome to Today on this Wednesday morning, I'm Katie Couric."
Matt Lauer: "And I'm Matt Lauer. Condoleezza Rice is known as someone who shows grace under fire but there was no doubt about it that Senator Boxer got under her skin a bit at the confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill yesterday."
Couric: "Yeah we saw that right now. We'll have more on that story. And then Matt another senator who had some tough questions for Dr. Rice was John Kerry making a splashy return to Capitol Hill and calling once again for President Bush to fire Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. What was Kerry up to and how was he received? We'll talk to Tim Russert about that."
Lauer: "Former President Jimmy Carter is gonna join us this morning. He always has so much going on in his life. His humanitarian work with the Carter Center."
Couric: "That's right."
Lauer: "He's a ke-"
Couric: "Writing books."
Lauer: "Right exactly. A keen observer of world events. He travels around monitoring elections. We're gonna talk to him about some of the key stories in the news and also about an auction he has coming up to benefit the Carter Center and find out what you might be able to buy from the former President."
Couric: "Yeah from his Plains home or from-"
Lauer: "From a workshop. Yeah he's in, he's in his workshop this morning. He's got paintings and wine and things like that."

Lauer set up the lead segment of the 7am half hour: "On Close Up this morning, Senator John Kerry. He returned to the Senate on Tuesday and he's got some people wondering if he's laying the groundwork already for a presidential run in 2008. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell is on Capitol Hill with more on that this morning. Kelly, good morning."

O'Donnell: "Good morning Matt. In the words of a senior aide John Kerry came back to the Senate Foreign Relations committee with, 'guns blazing.' A resurfaced Kerry taking aim at Rumsfeld and Rice. Just back from Iraq and claiming new insight on the war after meeting soldiers, officials throughout the Middle East and in European capitals John Kerry challenged Secretary of State nominee Condoleezza Rice over troop levels."
John Kerry: "And frankly your answer disturbed me."
Condoleezza Rice: "This was never going to be easy. It was always going to have ups and downs."
O'Donnell: "And while praising her personally Kerry suggested she might not get his vote."
Sen. Kerry: "I have reservations."
O'Donnell: "But no holding back as Kerry took a new job at Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. An echo from his presidential run."
Sen. Kerry from August 25th, 2004: "I call for the resignation of the Secretary of Defense for failure to do what he should've done."
O'Donnell: "Now in an e-mail to supporters Kerry asked for help to pressure the White House to drop Rumsfeld for, in Kerry's view, failing to adequately protect and supply troops in Iraq. Kerry writes [text on screen], 'I'll say this in the Senate, but I'm asking you to add your voice to mine: President Bush for the sake of our troops, replace Rumsfeld now.' Senate Republicans still back Rumsfeld and the White House has given every indication the Defense Secretary has a place in the second term. Matt."

In the 8am half hour, Lauer introduced Carter who appeared from Plains Georgia: "Former President Jimmy Carter never slowed down a bit after he left the Oval Office keeping himself firmly in the middle of world events by monitoring elections and promoting peace through his work at the Carter Center. Tomorrow he will attend President Bush's Inauguration and, and believe it or not he has a very unique way of spending whatever free time he has in his Plains, Georgia workshop and that's where he is this morning. President Carter good morning, great to see you."

Lauer pined: "Well I wish I were there in person but it's nice to talk to you via satellite. And I want to talk to you about the Carter Center and in particular that workshop because I know you haven't shown many people that. But let me just start by asking you, your opinion on a couple of news items of the day. We're 11 days away from Iraqi elections. The violence in Iraq is extremely high in particular targeting certain people who may be participating in these elections. Given the level of intimidation right now President Carter are you concerned about the legitimacy of those elections?"
Carter: "Well I think just having an election of any kind might be considered an achievement by the Bush administration. But I've always thought the Iraqi venture was a serious mistake, a tragedy and kind of a quagmire. But all of us are praying now that the election will be reasonably successful and that the Sunnis, sooner or later will have some reasonable involvement in the government so that a civil war won't erupt."
Lauer: "Well you say reasonably successful. What's the litmus test on that?"
[Carter]
Lauer: "And the follow-up being some sort of an exit strategy? What are our options?"
[Carter]
Lauer: "I mention you're gonna go to the Inauguration in Washington tomorrow. President Bush beginning a second term. What do you want to hear him lay out in his speech?"
Carter: "Well I would like to hear some analysis of an exit strategy for Iraq. I'd like for him to explain specifically as possible how we're gonna turn our attention back to controlling terrorism around the world which we've abandoned as we went into Iraq. And of course how he can bring the whole government back together in a harmonious way to work on domestic and foreign affairs on a pretty much bipartisan basis rather than just trying to cram the narrow-minded Republican premises down Democrats' throats. That's obviously from a completely objective and non-biased analyst."
Lauer: "Let me ask you now about where you're standing now. You're in your workshop there in Plains. And, and you know you make me feel a bit like a slacker President Carter because I'm listening to, to all the things you do and obviously the humanitarian work but you've taken up painting, wine-making, wood-working. Are these life-long passions of yours?"
[Carter]
Lauer: "And President Carter I just want to say that in my discussions to you over the years I know that you hold yourself to very high standards in your work and your life are you critical of your artwork?"
[Carter]
Lauer: "And I know you're a wine, wine-maker there as well, you gonna invite me down for a wine tasting some time?"
[Carter]
Lauer: "Let me, let me just do this. Let, I was just gonna say I only got 30 seconds left. Let me just ask you, back in 1977, your Inaugural, what's the most vivid memory you have of that day President Carter?"
[Carter]
Lauer: "Well former President Jimmy Carter. President Carter always nice to visit with you and thanks for sharing some of your artwork with us as well."
[Carter]
Lauer: "Alright if you'd like to learn more about the Carter Center auction you can log onto our Website at today.msnbc.com. We'll have the information there."

CNN's Zahn: Will Rice Be "Own Woman"
or "President's Puppet?"

CNN's Paula Zahn on Tuesday night insultingly degraded Secretary of State nominee Condoleezza Rice as she posed this question to Democratic Senator Joe Biden: "Do you see her being her own woman down the road or will she be nothing more than the President's puppet?" As if there's something wrong with the Secretary of State carrying out a President's policies. Zahn highlighted Senator Barbara Boxer's allegation that Rice's support of the Iraq war "'overwhelmed her respect for the truth.' Isn't that going to be a problem for her?" Zahn seemed appalled that Biden planned to vote for Rice's confirmation, citing how Biden and Rice disagree on the number of proficient Iraqi security forces: "So how can you support Doctor Rice if in fact her number is that vastly different from yours? You don't believe her number." She pressed: "So how can you support her if she doesn't have a clear assessment of that?"

The MRC's Ken Shepherd observed the agenda of Zahn's questions to Biden on the January 18 Paula Zahn Now on CNN:

Zahn: "Joining me now, one of the most powerful Democratic senators, Joseph Biden of Delaware. So, Senator, do you think Condoleezza Rice was truthful in her testimony before the Senate today?"
Senator Joseph Biden, (D-DE): "I think she was evasive in the responses to Senator Boxer's questions about what I think was disinformation. She was literally correct when she said that the intelligence community, a portion of it, said those aluminum tubes were for a gas centrifuge system. But like others in the administration, she didn't point out that a significant portion of the intelligence community said, no, no, they're not for that purposes. But to use the fancy word, it was disingenuous."
Zahn: "So, Senator, you found her disingenuous. Barbara Boxer, your colleague, basically said Dr. Rice's defense of the war -- quote -- 'overwhelmed her respect for the truth.' Isn't that going to be a problem for her?"
[Biden]
Zahn: "So do you think she'll be effective if and when she gets this job?"
Biden: "Well, I don't know whether to blame her or the administration. If you noticed, and you listened, she listened, she demurred on all questions relating to international economy and how it affected our foreign policy. She was pretty straightforward in her discussion about Iran and its nuclear capability and why we weren't engaged with the Europeans. There still seems to be this struggle within the administration between the neo-conservative view of the world and the basic Republican internationalist view of the world. I'm not sure which side she's going to come down on. And if she comes down on the internationalist side, for lack of a better phrase, whether she'll really confront in a legitimate way Mr. Cheney and the vice president and Mr. Wolfowitz and others."
Zahn: "Do you see her being her own woman down the road or will she be nothing more than the president's puppet?"
Biden: "Well, if she doesn't establish herself as her own woman, to use your phrase, she will be viewed by her subordinates at the State Department as just that. And that will vastly undercut her ability to run that department."
Zahn: "Senator, as we leave you tonight, I need some help with some math here. You asked Doctor Rice a very pointed question about the number of Iraqi security forces that are really trained to do the job. She contended it was 120,000. You say, based on your several visits to Iraq, it's closer to 4,000. What are we talking about here?"
Biden: "In the field, if you ask any commanding officer over there, how many Iraqi military are ready to supplant an American force on the ground, you will get a number a heck of a lot closer to 4,000 than you will 120,000. And it's because we've had a really, really lousy training program, up until about three months ago, when General Petraeus took over, and, further, because we have not taken advantage of the offers of the Egyptians, of the French even, and the Germans and others to train Iraqi forces."
Zahn: "But, Senator, we're talking about some 116,000 discrepancies here."
Biden: "Absolutely, positively."
Zahn: "So how can you support Doctor Rice if in fact her number is that vastly different from yours? You don't believe her number."
Biden: "Because -- well, I believe her number in this regard. There are 120,000 people in uniform. Are they trained? No. Are they equipped? No. We are not winning in Iraq. The place is more dangerous. Unless there's a serious course change, we're in real trouble."
Zahn: "So how can you support her if she doesn't have a clear assessment of that?"
Biden: "Well, I support her because the President -- that's the President of the United States's policy. You know, she is not the one that makes the policy. The President of the United States is saying the same things that she is saying. And the fact of the matter is, I've never seen such concentration of power within the White House and the Vice President's office as I'm seeing now. Is he entitled to do that? Yeah. Is it a smart thing to do? No. Does it shut out other voices? Yeah. I think we're going in the wrong direction. I'm concerned about it. But once she's secretary of state, maybe there will be an epiphany here. But I'm not counting on it."
Zahn: "Senator Joseph Biden, we have to leave it there tonight. Thanks so much for your time."

-- Brent Baker