Network Snowe Job: NBC and ABC Mourn Retirement of Maine Senator, Fret Over Lack of GOP Centrists
On Wednesday's NBC Today, chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd
was looking for any excuse to be an Obama spokesman as made this
declaration about the announced retirement of Maine Senator Olympia
Snowe: "...she's serving as a personal testimonial to the
President, who says there's no more centrist coalition inside the
Republican Party." [Listen to the audio]
On Tuesday, ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer praised the liberal GOP legislator as, "The principled voice of reason in
some of the most contentious debates in Washington..." and noted how
fellow Maine Senator and Republican moderate Susan Collins was
"absolutely devastated by this decision."
In addition to mourning the loss of Snowe's moderation, NBC and ABC
simultaneously predicted doom for Republican chances of taking back the
Senate in November. On Today, Todd proclaimed: "...this almost assures
that it's a better than 50/50 chance Democrats hold control of the
United States Senate."
On
Tuesday's Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams touted Snowe's retirement
as "a big blow to the GOP." Similarly, on Wednesday's Good Morning
America, news anchor Josh Elliott announced that it was "a major blow to
Republicans hoping to take control of the U.S. Senate in November."
All of the news briefs cited Snowe's reasons for leaving. Williams
explained: "Olympia Snowe of Maine, ranked the most moderate Republican
in the Senate, says the partisanship in Washington has become too much."
Sawyer exclaimed: "...she's just tired of the gridlock." Elliott
remarked: "She says that she's frustrated by the current climate of
partisan rancor and gridlock."
Interestingly, CBS made no mention of Snowe's retirement on Wednesday's This Morning.
-- Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.
