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1. CNN: Dem Voters 'Pretty Moderate,' Repubs 'Very Conservative'
Though Iowa Democrats gave the most support to two far-left candidates -- Barack Obama followed by John Edwards -- while those attending GOP caucuses picked Mike Huckabee, a candidate with a lot of liberal views, CNN's Bill Schneider insisted Democratic caucus attendees "are pretty moderate" while "Republicans are very conservative." Ignoring the tendency of many liberals to shun calling themselves "liberal," Schneider based his contention on how the media's entrance poll found only 16 percent of Democrats who showed up to caucus described themselves "very liberal," but that "almost half" of Republican voters identified themselves as "very conservative."
2. Obama Win: 'Shot Heard 'Round the World...Lexington and Concord'
Anchoring MSNBC's live Thursday night coverage of the Iowa caucuses, Hardball host Chris Matthews couldn't contain his excitement for Barack Obama. Even before the results came in Matthews predicted an Obama victory would be "the shot heard 'round the world. This is Lexington and Concord with the target being not King George but President George this time." Matthews also claimed Iowa Democrats delivering a win for Obama could only be seen as a "rebuke" of Bush: "There's no doubt about it. And there's no way to read it except as a rebuke to President Bush." Matthews also hailed Obama as "not a 'Our way or the highway' sort of person at all. Very much a member of the world community. And I think the world will be very happy to hear this."
3. ABC Mocks Immigration Foes: Want 'Big Wall' to Toss Illegals Over
Good Morning America co-host Chris Cuomo, while discussing politics with Iowa voters on Thursday, spun foes of illegal immigrants as fans of simplistic solutions to a complicated issue. Maligning them, he complained: "Everybody wants to put up a big wall and then find who's not supposed to be here and throw them over that wall." Cuomo, while speaking to a voter who favored allowing illegals to stay in the country, seemed to morph into a parody of an enforcement conservative. Attempting to channel that mind set, he derided: "But for a politician, you want that red meat. You want to be able to be strong and we want them out!"
4. ABC's Cuomo: Romney's 'Two Americas' Criticism Shows 'Ignorance'
On Thursday's Good Morning America, Chris Cuomo saw dark motives in Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's attacks on Democrat John Edwards and his "Two Americas" rhetoric. The GMA host conducted a combative interview with the 2008 contender and even alleged that Romney's comments could be construed as an example of "ignorance." After playing a clip of the former governor dismissing Edwards's contention that there is a rich and poor America, Cuomo argumentatively asserted: "When you say, 'This is one America,' that could be a unity statement or it could be one of, perhaps, ignorance to the fact that in this country you have the rich growing at ten times the rate as the working class. Do you deny that is the situation in this country?" The ABC journalist then helpfully added: "You trying to make a different point?"
5. John Edwards Claims He 'Calmed' Pakistan; NBC's Gregory Unfazed
On Thursday's Today show from Iowa, NBC's David Gregory challenged Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards about his vote for the Iraq war, his relative lack of experience, and his divisive us-vs-them rhetoric. But Gregory had absolutely no reaction when Edwards grandly claimed that his phone call to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in the hours after the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto "was a calming influence" that helped stabilize an "international crisis" and was proof he is "ready for the presidency."
 CNN: Dem Voters 'Pretty Moderate,' Repubs
'Very Conservative'
Though Iowa Democrats gave the most support to two far-left candidates -- Barack Obama followed by John Edwards -- while those attending GOP caucuses picked Mike Huckabee, a candidate with a lot of liberal views, CNN's Bill Schneider insisted Democratic caucus attendees "are pretty moderate" while "Republicans are very conservative." Ignoring the tendency of many liberals to shun calling themselves "liberal," Schneider based his contention on how the media's entrance poll found only 16 percent of Democrats who showed up to caucus described themselves "very liberal," but that "almost half" of Republican voters identified themselves as "very conservative."
Asked by Soledad O'Brien about "the ideology of the people that we've seen so far in these entrance poll numbers," Schneider argued: "The Democrats are moderate. Only about 16 percent of them call themselves 'very liberal.' There's a cliche that only liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans show up. That's half true. Republicans are very conservative. Almost half of them say they are 'very conservative.' But Democrats are pretty moderate voters."
[This item is based upon a Thursday night posting, by the MRC's Brad Wilmouth, on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]
At 8:55pm EST Thursday night, anchor Wolf Blitzer turned to Schneider and correspondent Soledad O'Brien, as they presented some of the findings of CNN's entrance poll. O'Brien asked Schneider whether these voters are "very liberal" or "very conservative." While Schneider described Republican voters as "very conservative," he ignored the tendency by many liberals to shun calling themselves "liberal" as he seemed to accept that Democratic voters are "pretty moderate" because only 16 percent described themselves as "very liberal."
Below is a transcript of the exchange from the January 3 CNN coverage of the Iowa caucuses:
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: The ideology of the people that we've seen so far in these entrance poll numbers, are they very liberal? Are they very conservative?
BILL SCHNEIDER: They're different. The Democrats are moderate. Only about 16 percent of them call themselves "very liberal." There's a cliche that only liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans show up. That's half true. Republicans are very conservative. Almost half of them say they are "very conservative." But Democrats are pretty moderate voters.
CNN's posting of the entrance poll results for Democrats, which lists 18 percent as identifying themselves as "very liberal." Go to: www.cnn.com
And for Republican caucus attendees, of which 45 percent called themselves "very conservative." See: www.cnn.com
 Obama Win: 'Shot Heard 'Round the World...Lexington
and Concord'
Anchoring MSNBC's live Thursday night coverage of the Iowa caucuses, Hardball host Chris Matthews couldn't contain his excitement for Barack Obama. Even before the results came in Matthews predicted an Obama victory would be "the shot heard 'round the world. This is Lexington and Concord with the target being not King George but President George this time." Matthews also claimed Iowa Democrats delivering a win for Obama could only be seen as a "rebuke" of Bush: "There's no doubt about it. And there's no way to read it except as a rebuke to President Bush." Matthews also hailed Obama as "not a 'Our way or the highway' sort of person at all. Very much a member of the world community. And I think the world will be very happy to hear this."
Before the night's coverage ended Matthews even tipped his hand as to he's voting for when he announced: "You know I'll bet there's not a Peace Corps volunteer in the country who served in the Peace Corps in the '60s, '70s, '80s, 90s or recently that won't vote for this guy. He is so emblematic of our attempt, I think, to rejoin the world." It should be noted Matthews himself served in the Peace Corps.
[This item, by Geoffrey Dickens was posted Thursday evening on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]
The following exchanges occurred during MSNBC's live coverage of the Iowa caucus on January 3:
7:46pm EST, CHRIS MATTHEWS: If Obama wins tonight and according to the polls he's in good shape. Gene, you start. If he wins tonight that's the shot heard 'round the world. This is Lexington and Concord with the target being not King George but President George this time.
8:53pm, MATTHEWS: If Obama wins this caucus it will be the biggest political story in maybe 20 or 30 years our of this country. It'll be a story as certainly as big as, as Ronald Reagan defeating Jimmy Carter. It will be a story about a change in political direction for the country. A shot heard 'round the world, if you will. Barack Obama, son of Kenya, as well as America, with Kenya in turmoil right now. To be a son of that country, to be over here as a candidate for President and to win the Iowa caucuses is a change of American history. There's no doubt about it. And there's no way to read it except as a rebuke to President Bush. This is seen in the world as a man who represents a kind of a Third World view of the thing, of issues like Iraq. He looks at it as a member of the world community not just as an American. Not a "Our way or the highway," sort of person at all. Very much a member of the world community. And I think the world will be very happy to hear this.
9:26pm, MATTHEWS: Yes, yes! I want to say it loudly! I want to say it loudly!
KEITH OLBERMANN: Well say it loudly.
MATTHEWS: This country and this is not a partisan comment, this is the country's view right now. We are in a rut. We are stuck in this rut. We are stuck in Iraq. No one has any idea how to get out of Iraq. Sure we've had the surge succeed but that's not the way to get out, that's just more stuck. We're more necessary. We've got a situation on every issue where the two sides are divided 50/50. Nancy Pelosi gets whacked everyday because she can't get the job done because she doesn't haven't the 60 senators to get the job done on the Senate side. So we have climate change, we're not doing anything really. We're not doing anything on energy. We're not doing anything on Social Security, Medicare reform. We're not doing anything on the war or on foreign policy. Everything is stuck. It's intractable. And I think the American people feel that. It's coming across in our NBC polling. People don't like the direction. They want something to happen. Now here's the question. Will they follow through and pick one side or the other to run the government and get something done? Or will they pull back again and clinch and divide power again? Which they've done before, which does bring about gridlock.
11:32pm, MATTHEWS: You know I think there's even something grander going on here and I can never say that, of course, about America where race has always been our San Andreas fault. The thing that does, always threaten to divide us, in fact, too often does. But there's something about Obama, where he comes from. He's almost delivered to us through Indonesia, through a Kenyan father. He's a man of the world. A Third World, in many way, person, not just an American. It's all a big picture here. You know I'll bet there's not a Peace Corps volunteer in the country who served in the Peace Corps in the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s or recently that won't vote for this guy. He is so emblematic of our attempt, I think, to rejoin the world.
Fore past praise of Obama by Matthews, see: www.mrc.org
To see the official Chris Matthews bio, with his Peace Corps work: www.msnbc.msn.com
 ABC Mocks Immigration Foes: Want 'Big
Wall' to Toss Illegals Over
Good Morning America co-host Chris Cuomo, while discussing politics with Iowa voters on Thursday, spun foes of illegal immigrants as fans of simplistic solutions to a complicated issue. Maligning them, he complained: "Everybody wants to put up a big wall and then find who's not supposed to be here and throw them over that wall." Cuomo, while speaking to a voter who favored allowing illegals to stay in the country, seemed to morph into a parody of an enforcement conservative. Attempting to channel that mind set, he derided: "But for a politician, you want that red meat. You want to be able to be strong and we want them out!"
In an introduction, co-host Diane Sawyer asserted that the point of the segment, which took place in Drake's Diner in Iowa, was to find out what's on the mind of voters. However, Cuomo's pre-selected group hardly seemed representative. It included a committed Barack Obama supporter, a backer of Senator Hillary Clinton, a man committed to caucusing for Senator Chris Dodd and a voter unsure about his choice. The total didn't exactly sound balanced: Three Democratic voters and one undecided.
[This item, by Scott Whitlock, was posted Thursday afternoon on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]
It needs to be noted that GMA provided no on-screen identifiers for these Iowans. The undecided individual's name wasn't given or even spoken aloud. He was described as a military man. Cuomo called him "Lieutenant Colonel." He did espouse some conservative viewpoints, especially on Iraq. It's also true that Cuomo asked questions on that topic which could be construed as right-leaning. But on the subject of illegal immigration, the ABC host remained true to his previous on-air comments. On June 8, 2007, Cuomo interviewed then-Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo. He asked the Congressman why he chose to "rip" down the amnesty bill and chastised Tancredo for using "scary" words during the debate. See June 8 CyberAlert for more: www.mrc.org
A transcript of the GMA segment, which aired at 8:15am on Thursday, January 3:
DIANE SAWYER: So, here are a couple facts about Iowa. It's the sixth most livable state in the union, the eighth safest and in the top ten smartest in the country. So, what's on their minds this morning and have all the voters made up their minds about who their going to vote for yet? Chris Cuomo back at the Drake Diner with his informal survey. Chris?
CHRIS CUOMO: Well, Diane, we're all certain about what we're going to have for breakfast. Everybody here has a nice little setup. But in terms of candidates, starting with you, Tia, do you know who your going to caucus for?
TIA: I do. I'm going to caucus for Obama.
CUOMO: You know for sure? Dave?
DAVE: Senator Dodd.
CUOMO: Okay. And Gianna (PH), you?
GIANNA (PH): Hillary Clinton.
CUOMO: Okay. And you, sir?
LIEUTENANT COLONEL: Not quite decided.
CUOMO: Not quite. You might go back and forth, you know. Let's see. So, everybody's a little mixed. But what we do know is the issue that's guiding us. And that's very important. Because as we setting it up here, a lot of talk about change and experience, but not a lot about change what, change how? Experience that will mean what? Now, big issues. Tia, you're young.
TIA: Right.
CUOMO: You have no health care. Tell me about what this means in your life.
TIA: Um, well -- It's -- A lot of candidates talk about health care for families, health care for senior citizens, but I'm just in between. I don't want to go get a job where just so I can get health care. And I don't want to get married just so I can have health care. Nobody's doing anything about it and nobody's talking to me.
CUOMO: So, you feel that individually, nobody's talking about you and you specifically on the issue you don't hear anything about that's relevant to just you?
TIA: Right. I'm not in college. I'm not under my parents' insurance and there's nothing for me. I have to pay for it. I have to pay a lot and I don't really want to. CUOMO: And you're not really hearing a whole lot on how the change will happen.
TIA: Exactly. Exactly. Nobody is willing to address that issue and change it for the younger people who are just trying to make their way.
CUOMO: And yet, you know who you want? Why? So, what are you defaulting to for your choice?
TIA: It's not about health care in that sense. I'm really excited about the ideas of a minority president. Really excited.
CUOMO: That would be a first. Lot of history being made there.
TIA: Yeah. Yeah. And nobody's talking about that either.
CUOMO: Lieutenant Colonel, you've been to Iraq. Very important job there. Looking for IEDs, obviously the biggest problem there. But back home here, the war becomes about politics. The decision to stay or go. Very important to you. What's your perspective on it?
LIEUTENANT COLONEL: I look at it -- What does the senior leadership in the country of Iraq right now have to say about us staying or going? And I know that right now there are lots of positive things taking place in Iraq.
CUOMO: Because of the President's -- Because of what troops are doing on the ground? Because of the training that you saw when you were there, now the big political move is to get everybody out. Everybody's trying to figure out how to get 'em out. Do you think that's playing politics with a delicate situation?
LIEUTENANT COLONEL: As long as we continue to support the troops with the very best resources available, give them what they need to do their jobs, I think we're doing the right thing.
CUOMO: So, your concern is that if you start pulling them out without supporting the ones that your leaving there, you wind up creating jeopardy.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL: That's right, as well as the transition between the coalition forces, the American -- the United States soldiers on the ground and the Iraqi security forces. There needs to be a seamless transition there which is not tied to a timetable. I mean, that's gonna' be tied to a situation on the ground in neighborhoods, not necessarily provinces, but individual neighborhoods.
CUOMO: And a lot of the talk here without the experience of being there is "just pull it out, it's time for them to take care of themselves," but you know what vulnerability would be there in that instance, right?
LIEUTENANT COLONEL: That's absolutely right.
CUOMO: All right. And, again, an issue that's a lot of politics now, but not a lot of real planning for what could happen, but we'll have to see what happens with that. Now, Gianna, for you, immigration.
GIANNA: Yes.
CUOMO: You've been naturalized. You've now here a naturalized citizen three years.
GIANNA: Yes.
CUOMO: But it's a big issue. Everybody wants to put up a big wall and then find who's not supposed to be here and throw them over that wall. But what is your perspective on that?
GIANNA: Okay. I think that, one, it's not going to work, first, at all. That is a joke. Um, we, immigration is a big issue because we need more humane laws. We need to reunite families. We need to -- There are a lot of negative feelings against immigrations (sp) and we need to be done with that. We need to secure our borders. I totally agree with that. But that doesn't mean you stop immigration. We need to first work with what we have inside, then that will help us protect ourselves from what is outside.
CUOMO: But for a politician, you want that red meat. You want to be able to be strong and we want them out!
GIANNA: I want someone to come out with a solution. Everybody knows what is the problem. Everybody has an idea what is the possible solution. But no one has actually enacted the solution and make it work. And I'm looking for that.
CUOMO: One of those problems that just flies in the face of what America is supposed to be about, but about how you can get a quick answer to something. Because when you say you have to deal with all the people here and most of them might have to stay, that doesn't sound like change.
GIANNA: It is a change if they have the power to make illegal immigrants legal. There are people who deserve to be here in the United States and they can make it. There are people who deserve to be gone. They should be gone. And they can make the difference. The last can make the difference.
CUOMO: Now, Dave, you're looking at the future. You're a father. You want to hear about the environment. We hear those words, but not a lot behind them. What's your take?
DAVE: I'm looking for someone who can bring results, both with the energy, the environment, with education and how I've gone through the selection process is been looking at their past behavior and past performance, trying to find an indicator of what I think would be their future behavior and future performance.
CUOMO: So, you want to hear about the results. You want to hear about what it's all about. I mean, all of you have something that's very close to your heart, but you're hearing it in words or labels and not a lot about what the plans are. But, then again, these are all very sophisticated issues. So you're going to make your decision for a candidate that you think, at some point in the future might address what you really believe in, even if it's not heard now.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL: Right.
 ABC's Cuomo: Romney's 'Two Americas'
Criticism Shows 'Ignorance'
On Thursday's Good Morning America, Chris Cuomo saw dark motives in Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's attacks on Democrat John Edwards and his "Two Americas" rhetoric. The GMA host conducted a combative interview with the 2008 contender and even alleged that Romney's comments could be construed as an example of "ignorance." After playing a clip of the former governor dismissing Edwards's contention that there is a rich and poor America, Cuomo argumentatively asserted: "When you say, 'This is one America,' that could be a unity statement or it could be one of, perhaps, ignorance to the fact that in this country you have the rich growing at ten times the rate as the working class. Do you deny that is the situation in this country?" The ABC journalist then helpfully added: "You trying to make a different point?"
[This item, by Scott Whitlock, was posted Thursday afternoon on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]
Romney responded by informing Cuomo that, of course, he realized there are many differences between Americans, but the common good is more important. This, apparently, wasn't enough for Cuomo. He prompted the GOP contender: "And recognize there are issues underneath that will need to be addressed?"
Other questions from Cuomo included wondering whether Mike Huckabee's surge has been the result of Romney airing negative ads about the ex-Arkansas governor. He offered asides that seemed to contain no actual question. After the candidate claimed he was simply pointing out the differences between himself and Huckabee, Cuomo retorted, "Describing the differences. Perception is negative, instead of just saying what you do well, what they don't do, inside and outside of party." Another query included the host asking, "...How long can you go without a victory?"
A transcript of the segment, which aired at 7:10am on Thursday, January 3:
DIANE SAWYER: And now we're going to head over to former Governor Romney and Chris Cuomo. Chris.
CHRIS CUOMO: All right, thank you, Diane. Certainly, nobody has put more energy and time into Iowa than Governor Romney. Very good to have you this morning.
MITT ROMNEY: Thanks.
CUOMO: Good luck to you today.
ROMNEY: Thank you.
CUOMO: So, let's take a look at where things stand. It was always assumed you would start a little slow nationally and the plan seemed to be let's focus on Iowa and New Hampshire, a lot of time and money. But today when we look at the polls, you're in a dead heat at best with Huckabee who was a relative unknown. In New Hampshire, you have McCain hot on your heels. What do you think went wrong?
ROMNEY: Wrong? Hey it couldn't be better, are you kidding me? I started off as an unknown. And here I am the only guy that's in contention for the top spot in both states. Governor -- or Senator McCain, really not top contender here in Iowa. Of course, Mike Huckabee not a top contender there. So I'm at a good spot in both of these two states. I'd like to win 'em. But if I don't win, coming in second in these states is a strong statement. Then we go on to Michigan. In a good position in Michigan. South Carolina, also tied for the lead there. Nevada, tied for the lead. Wyoming. So I'm pretty pleased at the prospects. And frankly our guys are working real hard. And I'm a guy not terribly well known to most people in the country but making progress.
CUOMO: Optimism now, but how long can you go without a victory?
ROMNEY: Well, I'm hoping that I get some victories. So I'm not forecasting for anything other than success. I don't know whether we're going to win this particular caucus or the next primary. But I expect to continue to do well, to be a top contender in each of these early primary states. And I'll pick up some of the key wins.
CUOMO: Headline for you recently has been negative ads, going after your opponents in party and outside of party. You have Ed Rollins from the Huckabee campaign saying he wants to hit you in the mouth he's getting so upset at the negative ads. Do you regret a little bit the strategy recently? Do you think maybe that's why you've taken a hit in the polls?
ROMNEY: No, actually, I've been rising in the polls. I was 22 points behind Governor Huckabee here just a few weeks ago --
CUOMO: But you were up before that.
ROMNEY: Now we're tied neck and neck. And I think the reason I've been able to be successful is not just the time I've spent here and all the people I've gotten to know across the state, but also we're focusing again on issues and I think it's important that campaigns describe issues and people's positions on issues. If one didn't look -- for instance, that Governor Huckabee has been providing or being in favor of providing in-state tuition and scholarships for illegal aliens that would be an issue that people wouldn't know about. Likewise if you weren't aware of the fact that he dramatically risen, grown -- both spending and taxes, that would be something he'd get away with. And of course, giving out over 1,000 pardons and commutations. Those are differences in our record or positions and I hope people make the decisions based on positions and issues and that's why I've been running ads describing our differences.
CUOMO: Describing the differences. Perception is negative, instead of just saying what you do well, what they don't do, inside and outside of party. Let's take a quick listen to what you said about the Clintons.
ROMNEY: And I'll tell you, when I watched John Edwards from time to time get up and talk about two America, I'm tempted to -- well, offer an expletive like baloney and, uh, because, you know, we are one America!
CUOMO: Let's talk about this. You're talking with Edwards there about how two Americas versus one. Let me ask you about that for it (sp). When you say "this is one America," that could be a unity statement or it could be one of, perhaps, ignorance to the fact that in this country you have the rich growing at ten times the rate as the working class. Do you deny that is the situation in this country? You trying to make a different point?
ROMNEY: I think you probably heard me enough to know I start off by saying there's a lot of differences between Americans. They're rich, poor, Democrat, Republican, male, female, coast-livers, heartland-livers, but when it comes to the matters that matter most, supporting our nation in times of great need, that we come together as a nation. And I think it's that point that we're wise as people running for president to talk about unifying our nation, not talking about dividing our nation, and I think that Senator Edwards' comments are divisive in nature and that the great way forward for Americans is to come together, to work together for our common good.
CUOMO: And recognize there are issues underneath hat will need to be addressed.
ROMNEY: Of course we have differing views on a wide range of issues. And not everybody agrees with those issues, but pointing out the issues I think is essential to a successful campaign.
CUOMO: Governor, thank you for joining us this morning. I wish you the best. I hope your health holds up.
ROMNEY: Thank you. You too.
CUOMO: Back to you, Diane.
 John Edwards Claims He 'Calmed' Pakistan;
NBC's Gregory Unfazed
On Thursday's Today show from Iowa, NBC's David Gregory challenged Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards about his vote for the Iraq war, his relative lack of experience, and his divisive us-vs-them rhetoric. But Gregory had absolutely no reaction when Edwards grandly claimed that his phone call to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in the hours after the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto "was a calming influence" that helped stabilize an "international crisis" and was proof he is "ready for the presidency."
Edwards asserted: "We just had this, this international crisis in Pakistan that is still ongoing. And my response to that was to speak directly to President Musharraf, to urge him to do a series of things that would move the country toward democracy, that would allow international inspectors into the country and to proceed with the elections in an open, fair, verifiable and secure way. And I believe was a calming influence in a very volatile situation."
Does Edwards really think that in the turmoil following Bhutto's killing his phone call was of any consequence whatsoever? Or is this just another display of Edwards' knack for grotesque overstatement, as when in 2004 he claimed that "when John Kerry is President, people like Christopher Reeve are going to walk, get up out of that wheelchair and walk again." See: www.washingtonpost.com
[This item, by the MRC's Rich Noyes, was posted Thursday on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]
Here's more of the exchange that took place about 7:42am ET, as caught by MRC's Geoff Dickens:
DAVID GREGORY: As you know, Senator Edwards, this race is really turning on the question of judgment and experience, so let me ask you about that. You were a one-term senator, you have apologized for your support of the Iraq war, for the Patriot Act, for a controversial bankruptcy measure. Given that, given the question of judgment and experience, why wouldn't it be fair for voters to think, as President Clinton suggested about one of your opponents, that it would be a roll of the dice to put you in the White House?
JOHN EDWARDS: No, no I think far from it. I think what you see from me is, number one, I'm being honest with people which I think is enormously important in a president of the United States. To tell the truth, people are looking for somebody who will tell the truth. And when you look at how we respond to crisis, for example, we just had this, this international crisis in Pakistan that is still ongoing. And my response to that was to speak directly to President Musharraf, to urge him to do a series of things that would move the country toward democracy, that would allow international inspectors into the country and to proceed with the elections in an open, fair, verifiable and secure way. And I believe was a calming influence in a very volatile situation. So I think if you watch what I've actually done and what my behavior is that I'm ready for the presidency.
GREGORY: Since that time but you still haven't apologized for the judgments in...
JOHN EDWARDS: I was, well I was wrong. I've said directly I was wrong about the vote on the war and I've taken complete responsibility for that.
GREGORY: Mrs. Edwards, let me ask you about Senator Clinton....
-- Brent Baker
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Though Iowa Democrats gave the most support to two far-left candidates -- Barack Obama followed by John Edwards -- while those attending GOP caucuses picked Mike Huckabee, a candidate with a lot of liberal views, CNN's Bill Schneider insisted Democratic caucus attendees "are pretty moderate" while "Republicans are very conservative." Ignoring the tendency of many liberals to shun calling themselves "liberal," Schneider based his contention on how the media's entrance poll found only 16 percent of Democrats who showed up to caucus described themselves "very liberal," but that "almost half" of Republican voters identified themselves as "very conservative." 
Anchoring MSNBC's live Thursday night coverage of the Iowa caucuses, Hardball host Chris Matthews couldn't contain his excitement for Barack Obama. Even before the results came in Matthews predicted an Obama victory would be "the shot heard 'round the world. This is Lexington and Concord with the target being not King George but President George this time." Matthews also claimed Iowa Democrats delivering a win for Obama could only be seen as a "rebuke" of Bush: "There's no doubt about it. And there's no way to read it except as a rebuke to President Bush." Matthews also hailed Obama as "not a 'Our way or the highway' sort of person at all. Very much a member of the world community. And I think the world will be very happy to hear this." 
Good Morning America co-host Chris Cuomo, while discussing politics with Iowa voters on Thursday, spun foes of illegal immigrants as fans of simplistic solutions to a complicated issue. Maligning them, he complained: "Everybody wants to put up a big wall and then find who's not supposed to be here and throw them over that wall." Cuomo, while speaking to a voter who favored allowing illegals to stay in the country, seemed to morph into a parody of an enforcement conservative. Attempting to channel that mind set, he derided: "But for a politician, you want that red meat. You want to be able to be strong and we want them out!" 
On Thursday's Good Morning America, Chris Cuomo saw dark motives in Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's attacks on Democrat John Edwards and his "Two Americas" rhetoric. The GMA host conducted a combative interview with the 2008 contender and even alleged that Romney's comments could be construed as an example of "ignorance." After playing a clip of the former governor dismissing Edwards's contention that there is a rich and poor America, Cuomo argumentatively asserted: "When you say, 'This is one America,' that could be a unity statement or it could be one of, perhaps, ignorance to the fact that in this country you have the rich growing at ten times the rate as the working class. Do you deny that is the situation in this country?" The ABC journalist then helpfully added: "You trying to make a different point?" 
On Thursday's Today show from Iowa, NBC's David Gregory challenged Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards about his vote for the Iraq war, his relative lack of experience, and his divisive us-vs-them rhetoric. But Gregory had absolutely no reaction when Edwards grandly claimed that his phone call to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in the hours after the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto "was a calming influence" that helped stabilize an "international crisis" and was proof he is "ready for the presidency."