MediaWatch: January 11, 1999
Table of Contents:
Let's Avoid Impeachment
A Day with Maria Shriver
Viewers of NBC News on impeachment day, Saturday, December 19, were treated to Maria Shriver’s liberal political advocacy as she suggested moderates were being manhandled and that the GOP is "ruled by extremists" and those "out of touch, out of control." But she never asked a Democrat anything about why they are standing so enthusiastically behind a man they say disgraced the presidency. Some examples of Shriver’s agenda:
Before the vote she tried to discredit the likely outcome, arguing with Republican George Gekas.
Shriver: "Several Republicans I’ve talked to told me today you cannot imagine the pressure on people down there to vote with the Republicans, they’d break your leg if you broke with them today."
Gekas: "Who said that?"
Shriver: "Oh, somebody told me that."
Gekas: "You check with that somebody."
Shriver: "I did. I checked with them and they said the pressure was so intense from the Republican leadership."
Gekas: "Ask him if he ever talked to me and the answer would be no."
Shriver: "He didn’t use your name but he said the pressure is unbelievable to stay the course."
Gekas: "Well that’s your description of it. I have seen no evidence."
Shriver: "That’s his. Break a leg was his description."
Gekas: "Do you want my answer?"
Shriver: "Sure."
Gekas: "My answer is I have not seen any evidence of that kind of pressure..."
Following a vote on an article in the afternoon, she told Democrat Tom Barrett that the impeachment decision would impugn the Congress. Admitting that "this is certainly a mark against Bill Clinton, against his presidency," she insisted "its also a mark against this Congress and this Congress will be forever known as the Congress that impeached the President of the United States."
Later, she demanded Republican Ann Northrup respond to the Democratic characterization that the vote "marks the downfall of the Republican Party, that it shows that this party is ruled by extremists." When Northrup noted that there are lots of Republican moderates, Shriver retorted: "So you don’t buy Congressman Bonior’s assessment that this House, and particularly the people like yourself, out of touch, out of control?"
