Is there anything a journalist cannot or will not twist to bring the
topic back to how life would be so much better if only not for that
awful George W. Bush? On Tuesday's CBS Evening News, with the help of
the Washington Post's Sally Quinn, Sharyl Attkisson managed to blame
news, that Al and Tipper Gore are separating, on how they never got over
being denied the presidency despite winning the popular vote in 2000.
If only Bush hadn't taken it from them.
Attkisson recalled "it's been ten years since that oddly public
passionate kiss at the Democratic convention. That was followed by
Gore winning the popular vote for President but losing the electoral
vote. Family friend Sally Quinn says that may have done the marriage
irreparable harm."
Viewers then head from Quinn, who's married to former Post Executive
Editor Ben Bradlee and is now titular overseer of the paper's "On
Faith [1]" blog: "He obviously suffered a lot and still is suffering.
He'll never get over that and neither will she." (jpg
of screen shot [2] of Quinn)
Attkisson cheekily began her story: "While Al Gore was out fighting
global warming, his marriage to Tipper was apparently cooling."
On ABC's World News, Claire Shipman offered a simpler explanation,
sans the political grudges: "The Gores have told friends they've simply
grown apart. Tipper embracing the perks of a post-political life like
grandchildren and travel. The former Vice President relishing his role
as an award-winning environmental activist and not eager to slow down."
- Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at
the Media Research Center. Click
here [3] to follow him on Twitter.
