NBC portrays Bob Dole's lack
of appearance at the NAACP convention as "an insult to
African-American voters" which "may reinforce...racial
divides along party lines."
> 1) This quote was picked
up by MRC analyst Gene Eliasen fromthe June 28 Washington Week in
Review. Time magazine Washingtonreporter Michael Duffy thinks the
First Lady is surrounded bycontroversy because she's doing so much
more: "I also think thatMrs. Clinton has changed the role of
First Lady so much, youknow, by getting so involved and so active and
paid such a highprice for it."
> 2) Appearing on CNN's
Larry King Live on Monday July 1, Eleanor Clift offered this
explanation as to who is to blame for the Gary Aldrich book: "One
thing we haven't really mentioned is the people who are surrounding
Mr. Aldrich and in fact they are members of what I would call the
right-wing mafia. I mean they were there for Paula Jones and they are
fueling a lot of what we hear on hate radio." MRC analyst
Geoffrey Dickens found thatquote.
> 3) MRC analyst Steve
Kaminski caught this conclusion to Newsweek Senior Editor Joe Klein's
July 8 piece on filegate: "But if Clinton does survive this
pounding, it may mean the revulsion against the `-gate' phenomenon --
20 years of ever-diminishing scandals -- is now more intense than the
disgust caused by any individual charge. If so, it would be the
President's most memorable public service."
Funny how he didn't feel that
way until the scandals hit a Democratic President.
> 4) After summarizing
Bill Clinton's attack on Dole over the assault weapons ban, on the
July 10 NBC Nightly News reporter Jim Miklaszewski proceeded to review
the controversy over Bob Dole not addressing the NAACP convention.
Here's the last two-thirds of his Wednesday night story as transcribed
by MRC intern Jessica Anderson:
Miklaszewski: "No doubt
this was a Clinton crowd. That comes as no surprise to Bob Dole. Dole
had been invited to speak to the convention yesterday, but declined.
He claimed he was already committed to campaigning and the All-Star
baseball game. To those at this convention that was quite a stretch
and an insult to African-American voters."
[Woman at NAACP convention:
"When you want to be President of the United States of America,
you cannot afford to write any American off."]
Miklaszewski: "Back in
Washington, Dole's Democratic critics had a field day."
[Rep. John Conyers, Jr., (D)
Michigan: "He's saying, 'I don't care about the black vote in
November,' and I think that the black vote in November will not care
about him."]
Miklaszewski: "That
already appears to be the case. The latest NBC News/Wall Street
Journal poll shows Clinton has a lock on the African-American vote;
only five percent would vote for Bob Dole. [On-screen visual shows
Clinton with 87 percent and Dole with five percent, plus or minus
seven percentage points.] But even Colin Powell believes that Dole
should have made an appearance."
[Gen. Colin Powell (Ret.):
"I wish he didn't have a scheduling conflict. I think it would
have been useful for him to present his views to the NAACP."]
Miklaszewski: "It would
have been a tough crowd."
[Anonymous man: "I think
he made the right move he didn't come because perhaps he might get
booed."]
Miklaszewski:
"Nevertheless, by not showing up here, Bob Dole may reinforce
those racial divides along party lines and fuel the anxiety among some
Republicans that in this presidential campaign Bob Dole may not be up
to the challenge. Jim Miklaszewski, NBC News, Charlotte."
So, when Bill Clinton fails
to address a Christian Coalition convention that's an insult to all
Christians?
