Media Eagerly Slime Schwarzenegger So Democrats Don't Have To --10/4/2003

1. Media Eagerly Slime Schwarzenegger So Democrats Don't Have To
Not slimed by dirty politics from Democrats but from the media which continue to highlight suspiciously revealed comments about Nazis and to troll for women to denounce Arnold Schwarzenegger. Friday night all the networks picked up on the claim he once said he "admired" Hitler and highlighted, just days before the election, the claims of another woman who alleged he groped her over 20 years ago, but neither CBS or NBC bothered to point out how the woman made the charge at a left-wing press conference which unveiled anti-Schwarzenegger TV ads. ABC's Linda Douglass insisted "there is no evidence that Democrats planted the stories about his alleged groping of women or past statements he might have made about Hitler." She should know since she and her media colleagues are doing the sliming so Democrats don't have to.

2. ABC's Rooney Exhorts Davis to Be Harsher: "It's Sexual Assault"
California Governor Gray Davis just isn't harsh enough for ABC's Brian Rooney. When Davis, during an interview excerpted on Friday's Good Morning America, refrained from denouncing Schwarzenegger over the groping and Nazi allegations, maintaining that it's up to voters to "decide how much weight to put on it," Rooney lectured Davis: "He denied some of it, admitted some of it and apologized. He may have admitted some things that are a criminal offense -- it's sexual assault."

3. Katie Couric Favorably Compares Arnold's Reaction to Clinton's
Friday's Today featured a session with the woman who remembered being touched once by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1975 and feminist lawyer Gloria Allred, but Today's Katie Couric, in a surprising question, favorably compared Schwarzenegger's reaction to charges of sexual impropriety with how Clinton reacted and how Democrats then said sexual activity didn't matter. Couric pressed Senator Dianne Feinstein: "He has admitted to bad behavior, which is more than President Clinton did when he was faced with similar charges, at least right away. Do you think Arnold Schwarzenegger has handled this well, and what about Democrats who say someone's personal behavior really doesn't have anything to do with their professional capabilities as many said in the case of Bill Clinton?"

4. Dozens of Celebrities Sign Vote No on Recall Ad to Keep Davis
Dozens of celebrities had their names listed Friday in a full page ad, in the Daily Variety trade newspaper, urging a "no" vote on the recall so Gray Davis can remain in office. Amongst the 46 signers: Richard Dreyfuss, Barbra Streisand, Cybill Shepherd, Pierce Brosnan, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson and Annette Bening.

5. Dan Rather Turns Good Employment News Into Bad News
The good news was bad news to CBS and Dan Rather. The Labor Department reported Friday that the unemployment rate held steady at 6.1 percent in September while payrolls increased by 57,000 jobs, the first monthly payroll rise since January. But Rather emphasized how "a lot of people who need jobs can't find them" and though "the economy actually created more jobs than it lost for the first time in eight months," that wasn't "nearly enough to meet demand." Rather set up a story by warning that "with jobs still hard to find," people are being forced to go into the military and those in the military can't afford to leave.

Editor's Note: Some media outlets are still obsessed with "Leakgate." On Friday night, CNN's Aaron Brown devoted the entire hour of NewsNight to the subject and ABC's Nightline featured a group of former CIA staffers upset about the name getting published and how the White House is improperly trying to impute political motives to Joe Wilson.

Media Eagerly Slime Schwarzenegger So
Democrats Don't Have To

Not slimed by dirty politics from Democrats but from the media which continue to highlight suspiciously revealed comments about Nazis and to troll for women to denounce Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Friday night all the networks picked up on the claim Schwarzenegger once said he "admired" Hitler and highlighted without hesitation, just days before the election, the claims of another woman who alleged he groped her over 20 years ago, but neither CBS or NBC bothered to point out how the woman made the charge at a left-wing press conference which unveiled anti-Schwarzenegger TV ads.

ABC's Linda Douglass, who on Thursday night, a mere five days before the election, first quoted from the questionable three-decade old documentary transcripts which cited Schwarzenegger as saying he "admired" Adolph Hitler, on Friday night insisted "there is no evidence that Democrats planted the stories about his alleged groping of women or past statements he might have made about Hitler."

She should know since she and her media colleagues are doing the sliming so Democrats don't have to. And if he only "might have made" the statements about Hitler then why did she so eagerly report them? See the October 3 CyberAlert for the Douglass story on the October 2 World News Tonight highlighting the quotes about Hitler: www.mediaresearch.org

Friday's New York Times, the MRC's Rich Noyes noticed, provided a clue as to why ABC ran with the quotes: The New York Times had the same material since Tuesday and so either Douglass wanted to beat them or the source got tired of waiting for the Times to do his or her dirty work and called ABC. In a story titled, "Schwarzenegger Admired Hitler, Book Proposal Says," Times reporters Adam Nagourney and David D. Kirkpatrick disclosed:
"A copy of the proposal for the book, which would have been entitled The Master Plan, was provided to The New York Times on Tuesday by someone who has no obvious affiliation with any of the California campaigns. The person provided the copy on the condition that his identity be kept secret and would not explain the motivation for releasing it. But the person was aware that the disclosure, coming within days of the California recall election, could damage Mr. Schwarzenegger's campaign."

For the October 3 New York Times story: www.nytimes.com

Naturally, Friday's morning shows all picked up on the Nazi quotes which Douglass cited the night before and which were the focus of the Friday New York Times story. Katie Couric opened NBC's Today: "Good morning. Arnold Schwarzenegger on the defensive. Now the California candidate is responding to charges that he made admiring remarks about Adolf Hitler."

But on Friday night Douglass used her World News Tonight air time to defend herself and colleagues against Schwarzenegger's criticism of their news judgment even as Douglass and her CBS and NBC colleagues relayed the uncorroborated claims of another woman who came forward at a left-wing, anti-Schwarzenegger press conference.

Douglass began her October 3 story: "Arnold Schwarzenegger says he's being slimed by dirty politics even though there is no evidence that Democrats planted the stories about his alleged groping of women or past statements he might have made about Hitler."
Schwarzenegger: "This is a campaign, this is the last four days, and people are now attacking me about women stuff, attacking me with the Hitler stuff, they're attacking me, anything they can find."
Douglass: "He said he believes he is the victim of professional political hit men."
Schwarzenegger: "I only guess it is to destroy my campaign and people have been paid, people have been encouraged to do that. I have no idea because this is my first political campaign."
Douglass: "Women continue to come forward to accuse Schwarzenegger of groping."
Schwarzenegger: "I don't have a memory about twenty years ago or ten years ago or any of those allegations."
Douglass: "Colete Brooks said he grabbed her buttocks 22 years ago when she was a young TV intern."
Colette Brooks: "He then proceeded to put his hands in that very place of my anatomy."
Douglass: "Brooks was surrounded by Democratic activists today who are working hard to turn women voters against Schwarzenegger."

Douglass at least noted how the woman made her allegations at a press conference organized by Democratic activists, a relevant point ignored by CBS and NBC.

On Friday's CBS Evening News, after noting how Schwarzenegger said he doesn't remember saying that he admired Hitler, reporter Jerry Bowen moved on to how "more alleged groping victims came forth."
Colette Brooks, alleged victim: "He said to me quote unquote, 'Nice ass.' [edit jump] He then proceeded to put his hands in that very place of my anatomy."

Over on the NBC Nightly News, George Lewis began: "As Arnold Schwarzenegger's bus tour rolls through California, he's hit a few political speed bumps: [video zeroing in on New York Times headline: "Schwarzenegger Admired Hitler, Book Proposal says"] Published allegations that he once expressed admiration for Adolph Hitler following earlier allegations that he groped several women. Two of those women, E. Laine Stockton and Colete Brooks, talked to reporters today."
Brooks: "He said to me quote unquote, 'Nice ass.' Forgive the accent. He then proceeded to put his hands in that very place of my anatomy."

When saying "nice ass," Brooks mimicked Schwarzenegger's accent.

A Reuters story, "Angry Women Launch Anti-Schwarzenegger TV Ad," reported Brooks made her charge at a press conference organized by a bunch of left-wing groups, including moveon.org, and that the alleged incident occurred at CNN. Reuters relayed: "Businesswoman Colette Brooks told Friday's news conference that in 1981, while she was working as an intern at CNN, Schwarzenegger remarked on her 'nice ass' and groped her buttocks. Brooks did not report the incident at the time because she feared for her job. 'How can we support someone who puts more value on my ass than the assets I have to contribute to the state of California?,' Brooks said." See: story.news.yahoo.com

ABC's Rooney Exhorts Davis to Be Harsher:
"It's Sexual Assault"

California Governor Gray Davis just isn't harsh enough for ABC's Brian Rooney. When Davis, during an interview excerpted on Friday's Good Morning America, refrained from denouncing Schwarzenegger over the groping and Nazi allegations, maintaining that it's up to voters to "decide how much weight to put on it," Rooney lectured Davis: "He denied some of it, admitted some of it and apologized. He may have admitted some things that are a criminal offense -- it's sexual assault."

Rooney later ruminated with Davis about how the two had once discussed Schwarzenegger tales: "I know that you've heard stories about Arnold Schwarzenegger -- I have -- and you and I once talked about it." How chummy.

ABC aired the Rooney piece with Davis just minutes after Linda Douglass pointed out how "Democrats opened fire, going as far as to suggest that his alleged behavior could be a crime."
Douglass played this clip of Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren at a press conference: "The truth is that the behavior described here is a battery under California law."

A bit later, journalist Rooney channeled politician Lofgren.

MRC analyst Jessica Anderson took down Rooney's session with Davis, taped in an office, as shown on the October 3 Good Morning America:

Davis: "I'm disturbed by what I've heard today and I know the voters have a big decision to make in five days. I'm confident that they'll make a judgment on Mr. Schwarzenegger's fitness to hold office. I hope these things did not happen to the women described. If they did, this is a matter voters will take into account and decide how much weight to put on it when they're going to vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger."
Rooney: "He denied some of it, admitted some of it and apologized. He may have admitted some things that are a criminal offense -- it's sexual assault."
Davis: "But we don't know what he admitted to, what he didn't admit to. His story seems to constantly change. I'm just going to let this all settle in until we know really what the facts are. Let's just see what the full story is from Mr. Schwarzenegger before I weigh in."
Rooney: "Because you know, as well, that ABC News reported some of these old quotations, going back to the 'Pumping Iron' days, about how he admired Adolf Hitler."
Davis: "Yeah, I find that particularly offensive. I don't see how anyone can admire Adolf Hitler. Any decent American has to be offended by that phrase."
Rooney: "Back in August, Schwarzenegger's campaign chief told the Sacramento Bee that this is not a position election, this is a character election. If they established it as a character race, why not meet them on those terms?...

After Davis said he's not comfortable sitting in judgment, but that Schwarzenegger's admiring Hitler "shocks the conscience," Rooney reminisced: "I know, I know that you've heard stories about Arnold Schwarzenegger -- I have -- and you and I once talked about it."
Davis: "I have heard a ton of stories. I can't tell you how many people have come to me with reported indiscretions and things that you and I would pale about, but I said I'm not into this business -- don't bother telling me."
Rooney: "Do you look at him and wonder how he got this far?...So it's not ever crossed your mind what it would be like to hand this office over to Arnold Schwarzenegger?"

For a picture and bio of Rooney: abcnews.go.com

Katie Couric Favorably Compares Arnold's
Reaction to Clinton's

Friday's Today featured a session with the woman who remembered being touched once by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1975, E. Laine Stockton, and feminist lawyer Gloria Allred, but Today's Katie Couric, in a very surprising question, favorably compared Schwarzenegger's reaction to charges of sexual impropriety with how Clinton reacted and how Democrats then said sexual activity didn't matter.

Couric pressed California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein: "He has admitted to bad behavior, which is more than President Clinton did when he was faced with similar allegations, at least right away. Do you think Arnold Schwarzenegger has handled this well, and what about Democrats who say someone's personal behavior really doesn't have anything to do with their professional capabilities as many said in the case of Bill Clinton?"

Couric began the segment with Feinstein on the October 3 Today, MRC analyst Ken Shepherd observed, by cuing her up on the groping allegations against Schwarzenegger: "How serious in your view, are these allegations?"

After Feinstein raised the Nazi quote, Couric wondered: "What kind of impact do you think all of this will have at the polls?"

But next, Couric challenged Feinstein with this refreshing question from the right: "Let me ask you another question, if I may, about these allegations of sexual misconduct against Arnold Schwarzenegger. He has admitted to bad behavior, which is more than President Clinton did when he was faced with similar allegations, at least right away. Do you think Arnold Schwarzenegger has handled this well, and what about Democrats who say someone's personal behavior really doesn't have anything to do with their professional capabilities as many said in the case of Bill Clinton?"
Feinstein replied: "Well, I don't necessarily agree with that. I think your personal behavior does affect you in public office. People look at people in public office, believe it or not, as role models. What they do, the good they do in their life, the kind of person they are, the kind of representation they give to the people. We are a representative government. And, so, I think this does affect it. I was deeply impacted by President Clinton. He knows it. I know it. I like to believe and hope that we elect the best among us, not some of the least among us."

Couric followed up: "I know that you dismiss the notion that this was all politics as some people in the Schwarzenegger campaign have said. But don't you agree, Senator Feinstein, that the timing of these allegations is rather suspicious, and it does smack of dirty politics?"

Dozens of Celebrities Sign Vote No on
Recall Ad to Keep Davis

Dozens of celebrities had their names listed Friday in a full page ad, in the Daily Variety trade newspaper, urging a "no" vote on the recall so Gray Davis can remain in office. "Join us," the AP reported that the read in bold letters, followed by: "Vote no on the recall." AP found that the list of 46 names included "actors, producers, writers and studio chiefs."

Amongst those signing, AP noted, were two with business ties to Arnold Schwarzenegger: "Amy Pascal, Chairman of Sony's Columbia Pictures, which distributed the Schwarzenegger films The 6th Day and Last Action Hero; and Ron Meyer, President and Chief Operating Officer of Vivendi Universal Entertainment, which distributed Schwarzenegger's End of Days and Junior."

Other names on the list, as culled from the AP story and an AFP dispatch on Yahoo News:

- Richard Dreyfuss
- Danny Glover
- Barbra Streisand
- Larry David
- Cybill Shepherd
- James Cromwell
- Stacy Keach
- Rob Reiner
- Pierce Brosnan
- Warren Beatty
- Jack Nicholson
- Annette Bening
- James Brolin
- Robert Guillaume
- Norman Lear

For the AP story: story.news.yahoo.com

For the AFP story: story.news.yahoo.com

For a picture and bio of any of the names above, go to the Internet Movie Database ( imdb.com ) and under "search" in the top left, choose "people" from the pull-down menu and enter the full name.

Dan Rather Turns Good Employment News
Into Bad News

The good news was bad news to CBS and Dan Rather. The Labor Department reported Friday that the unemployment rate held steady at 6.1 percent in September while payrolls increased by 57,000 jobs, the first monthly payroll rise since January. But Rather emphasized how "a lot of people who need jobs can't find them" and though "the economy actually created more jobs than it lost for the first time in eight months," that wasn't "nearly enough to meet demand." Rather set up a story by warning that "with jobs still hard to find," people are being forced to go into the military and those in the military can't afford to leave.

ABC's Peter Jennings and NBC's Tom Brokaw were more upbeat, but neither ABC or NBC, nor CBS, corrected some dour reporting from last month when they all showcased how the economy in August had lost 93,000 jobs. On Friday, the Labor Department revised that number to say that only half as many, 41,000, had really lost their jobs in August.

Back on the September 5 CBS Evening News, anchor John Roberts announced: "The Labor Department today reported an unexpected August surge in job cuts by U.S. employers. The disappointing figures cast a shadow on recent indications that the economy is finally starting to come out of the doldrums."

For more on CBS's September 5 coverage as well as that delivered by ABC and NBC, see the September 8 CyberAlert: www.mediaresearch.org

Fast forward to Friday night, October 3, and on World News Tonight ABC's Jennings observed: "There's promising news on the job market today. The Labor Department says that unemployment held steady at 6.1 percent last month. And after seven months of losses, the economy created 57,00 new jobs in September. They are welcome headlines. There is, of course, as always, more to the story."

Betsy Stark suggested that the job market recovery "may finally be here" with big job gains in business services and health care but, she cautioned, the manufacturing sector still lost jobs.

NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw was upbeat: "Good news on the job front in this country. For the first time in eight months businesses added jobs, 57,000 of them in September, and the unemployment rates stayed steady at 6.1 percent. The manufacturing sector continues to struggle but there are some manufacturing businesses in this country that are thriving and growing."

Chip Reid proceeded to look at some success stories, citing American Axle and Manufacturing, Harley-Davidson, Louisville Slugger, John Deere, Trek bicycles -- all thriving due to high-tech expertise.

All that good news didn't rub off on Dan Rather, who led the Friday CBS Evening News with the supposedly bad news, as taken down by MRC analyst Brad Wilmouth:
"Good evening. The government's latest report on the job market is mixed. It shows at least some improvement by one measure, some new jobs. But there is still a long way to go. A lot of people who need jobs can't find them. The unemployment rate was the same in September as it was in August -- 6.1 percent. Here's the surprise. The economy actually created more jobs than it lost for the first time in eight months, but not nearly enough to meet demand. With jobs still hard to find, Anthony Mason reports many Americans are going to work for their uncle -- Uncle Sam."

Anthony Mason outlined the premise: "How tight is the job market? Ask Eric Rosa, who just graduated high school."
Eric Rosa: "'It's getting really hard to find work out here."
Mason: "Or Aina Gayares, looking for a job in retail sales."
Mason: "And you couldn't find anything?"
Aina Gayares: "Nothing."
Mason: "Neither could 20-year-old Milena Kravchenski."
Milena Kravchenski: "There aren't any jobs out there. And you just get, you know, angry, and you just give up after awhile."
Mason: "But Milena didn't give up. Instead, she and Eric and Aina have signed up with the Army. Is this economy helping your recruiting efforts?"
Lieutenant Colonel John Gillette, U.S. Army: "We found the economy has been a significant factor in recruiting for us."
Mason: "Lieutenant Colonel John Gillette says the Army was looking for 100,000 recruits this year. Have you met those goals?"
Gillette: "Yes, we've made and exceeded those goals."
Mason: "Because even in a recovery, this economy is still struggling to create jobs."
George W. Bush: "Things are getting better, but there's still work to do."
Mason: "In fact, between February and August, the economy lost nearly 600,000 jobs, and 9 million Americans are still looking for work. That weak job market is making more people look at the military, but it's also making fewer people leave. So many sailors are staying in the service, for example, that the Navy has actually cut 700 recruiting jobs. But the military still offers a steady paycheck and good benefits."
Rosa: "It's a guaranteed some kind of a job, so-"
Mason concluded: "So for new recruits taking the oath of enlistment, it's not just the Army. It's employment. Anthony Mason, CBS News, New York."

For much more on the unemployment/payroll numbers, see Saturday's Washington Post story: www.washingtonpost.com

# For those interested, the Late Show with David Letterman on Friday night had a Rush Limbaugh-inspired "Top Ten" list, the "Top Ten Items on Rush Limbaugh's To-Do List." If you are sensitive to derogatory comments about Limbaugh, however, you should avoid it. Otherwise, it's online at: www.cbs.com

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