MSNBC and CNN Showcase 'Time' Cover with Cheney Under Dark Cloud --3/9/2007

1. MSNBC and CNN Showcase 'Time' Cover with Cheney Under Dark Cloud
Time magazine's cover story image as reality? Displaying a mini-instance of pack journalism, MSNBC and CNN shows on Thursday afternoon and night pounced on Time magazine's cover story, "The Verdict on Cheney" beside a picture of Cheney under some dark clouds, as evidence Cheney's influence is declining in the White House in the wake of the Scooter Libby verdict. It may be, but the graphics on a magazine cover hardly proves it. MSNBC's Chris Matthews asserted on Hardball: "More coming here about amazing problems facing the Vice President. He's on the cover of Time magazine as we speak and it looks bad." On CNN's Paula Zahn Now, Zahn trumpeted how "tonight we're bring out into the open Vice President Cheney's downhill slide" which is "not pretty" and is illustrated by, as she instructed viewers, "Look at the cover of the new Time magazine: The Vice President under a dark cloud." Over on MSNBC's Countdown, fill-in host Alison Stewart highlighted how "special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald referred to the quote, 'cloud over the Vice President' in his summation at the Libby trial. The folks at Time magazine painting that cloud over Mr. Cheney quite literally in their art for the new cover story, going as far as to call him quote, 'one of Bush's biggest liabilities.'"

2. NBC's Today Show Delivers Hit Job on Dick 'Darth Vader' Cheney
Fresh off of testifying in the case against Dick Cheney's aide Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, NBC's Tim Russert, along with Andrea Mitchell, attacked the Vice President himself as they and Today host Meredith Vieira blamed Cheney for getting everything "wrong," pushed for his resignation and even compared him to "Darth Vader." On Thursday's Today, Mitchell relayed how "critics caricature Dick Cheney as the Darth Vader of the Bush White House. They say wrong on everything from the treatment of prisoners to Saddam Hussein's weapons." Vieira soon pressed Russert: "So you don't foresee any scenario in which he would either willingly resign or be asked to resign?"

3. CNN: Vermont's 'Impeach Bush' Votes 'Spreading Like Wildfire'
On Wednesday afternoon's The Situation Room, CNN correspondent Carol Costello filed a story about Vermont residents who have successfully voted on resolutions calling for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Costello described the impeachment supporters as "mad as hell and they're not going to take it anymore" as she remarked that "even if this effort doesn't pay off, sure feels good." After anchor Wolf Blitzer introduced the story as "pretty interesting," Costello delivered her set-up: "Interesting story, and you might say, Wolf, they are mad as hell and they're not going to take it anymore. And even if this effort doesn't pay off, sure feels good. They turned out in droves in tiny Jericho, Vermont. Despite the cold and the long wait, for the townsfolk, it was worth it." Costello further hyped the movement as she described the resolution as "spreading like wildfire." After describing Washington Democrats as uninterested in such an impeachment, the CNN correspondent concluded by relaying that pro-impeachment activists "hope, at the very least, the whole state of Vermont will jump on board."

4. Tickets on Sale for MRC's DisHonors Awards/20th Anniversary Gala
Three weeks until the MRC's annual "DisHonors Awards," this year part of what will be the biggest event in the MRC's history -- our 20th Anniversary Gala -- and tickets are now on sale.

MSNBC and CNN Showcase 'Time' Cover with
Cheney Under Dark Cloud

Time magazine's cover story image as reality? Displaying a mini-instance of pack journalism, MSNBC and CNN shows on Thursday afternoon and night pounced on Time magazine's cover story, "The Verdict on Cheney" beside a picture of Cheney under some dark clouds, as evidence Cheney's influence is declining in the White House in the wake of the Scooter Libby verdict. It may be, but the graphics on a magazine cover hardly proves it. Plugging an interview with Michael Duffy, the author of the cover story, MSNBC's Chris Matthews asserted on Hardball: "More coming here about amazing problems facing the Vice President. He's on the cover of Time magazine as we speak and it looks bad."

On CNN's Paula Zahn Now, Zahn trumpeted how "tonight we're bring out into the open Vice President Cheney's downhill slide" which is "not pretty" and is illustrated by, as she instructed viewers, "Look at the cover of the new Time magazine: The Vice President under a dark cloud. The headline: 'The Verdict on Cheney.' The story inside even brands him as 'the enemy within' the White House, dragging the whole administration down with him." Over on MSNBC's Countdown at the same 8pm EST hour, fill-in host Alison Stewart highlighted how "special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald referred to the quote, 'cloud over the Vice President' in his summation at the Libby trial. The folks at Time magazine painting that cloud over Mr. Cheney quite literally in their art for the new cover story, going as far as to call him quote, 'one of Bush's biggest liabilities.'"

[This item was posted Thursday night on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org [1] ]

"Cheney In Twilight" reads the table of contents headline for the Time.com posting of the story in the March 19 edition of the magazine to be released on Friday, a title which is also displayed as the headline over the story inside the hard copy of the magazine. The summary for the article: "Bush chose him because he was safe and sound. But the Libby trial spotlighted a Vice President whose overbearing style has become one of the Administration's biggest problems."

Time.com's table of contents for the March 19 issue: www.time.com [2]

The cover story: www.time.com [3]

As recounted in item #2 below, the excitement about the Time cover went beyond cable. Thursday's Today show featured the Time cover as Meredith Vieira inquired of Tim Russert:
"Friday's issue of Time magazine is gonna feature a cover story on the Vice President. It's written by Michael Duffy. And among other things Duffy writes, 'Cheney has become the administration's enemy within, the man whose single-minded pursuit of ideological goals, creaking political instincts and love of secrecy produced an independent operation inside the White House that has done more harm than good.' You understand the workings of the White House. What is your reaction to that assessment?"

Zahn's intro in full for her March 8 segment, with Time's "Cheney in Twilight" two-page spread displayed on screen:
"Tonight we're bring out into the open Vice President Cheney's downhill slide. The perjury and obstruction of justice verdicts this week against his ex-Chief-of-Staff, Scooter Libby, is focusing more attention on the Vice President this week more than ever and it's not pretty. Look at the cover of the new Time magazine: The Vice President under a dark cloud. The headline: 'The Verdict on Cheney.' The story inside even brands him as 'the enemy within' the White House, dragging the whole administration down with him."

Alison Stewart teased at the top of Countdown, with the cover displayed on screen: "Once a revered decision and policy-maker in the White House's inner-circle, now not so much. A look at the role of the Vice President. Is Dick Cheney, as Time magazine points out, indeed the enemy within?"

Stewart set up the subsequent segment: "Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald referred to the quote, 'cloud over the Vice President' in his summation at the Libby trial. The folks at Time magazine painting that cloud over Mr. Cheney quite literally in their art for the new cover story, going as far as to call him quote, 'one of Bush's biggest liabilities.'"

NBC's Today Show Delivers Hit Job on
Dick 'Darth Vader' Cheney

Fresh off of testifying in the case against Dick Cheney's aide Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, NBC's Tim Russert, along with Andrea Mitchell, attacked the Vice President himself as they and Today host Meredith Vieira blamed Cheney for getting everything "wrong," pushed for his resignation and even compared him to "Darth Vader." On Thursday's Today, Mitchell relayed how "critics caricature Dick Cheney as the Darth Vader of the Bush White House. They say wrong on everything from the treatment of prisoners to Saddam Hussein's weapons." Vieira soon pressed Russert: "So you don't foresee any scenario in which he would either willingly resign or be asked to resign?"

[This item is adapted from a Thursday morning posting, by Geoff Dickens, on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org [4] ]

Mitchell first pulled out the knife: "Good morning, Ann. The White House says that the Vice President remains the President's most trusted counsel but many are now asking how badly has the conviction of his closest aide hurt Dick Cheney? He is the most powerful Vice President in history but is he beginning to lose his clout? Critics caricature Dick Cheney as the Darth Vader of the Bush White House. They say wrong on everything from the treatment of prisoners to Saddam Hussein's weapons."

Then Vieira and Russert finished the hit. Vieira: "You heard what Andrea just said and along with that we still don't know about the Vice President's role in the CIA leak case. Has he become too much of a political liability for this administration?"
Russert: "Well obviously the relationship between the President and Vice President is different now than it was six years ago but the President's favorable rating across the country is at 30 percent. The hard core Republican base is all George W. Bush has left. And that's the exact same base that Dick Cheney appeals to. So absent some kind of physical difficulty or incapacity Dick Cheney will stay as Vice President."
Vieira: "So you don't foresee any scenario in which he would either willingly resign or be asked to resign?"
Russert: "I don't think he'll step down voluntarily. I think it would have to be something physical because Meredith, remember with our Constitution now if the Vice President did step down the President would have to go to a Democratic Congress to seek confirmation of a replacement which could result in very interesting hearings and the Democrats would try to have some serious input on that choice."
Vieira: "Tim as Andrea mentioned before in Friday's issue of Time magazine is gonna feature a cover story on the Vice President. It's written by Michael Duffy. And among other things Duffy writes, 'Cheney has become the administration's enemy within, the man whose single-minded pursuit of ideological goals, creaking political instincts and love of secrecy produced an independent operation inside the White House that has done more harm than good.' You understand the workings of the White House. What is your reaction to that assessment?"

The following is the full segment from Vieira, Mitchell and Russert as it occurred in the first half hour of the March 8 Today show:

Ann Curry: "Turning now to politics. Vice President Dick Cheney has long been seen as the major power-broker in the Bush administration but now that Cheney's former chief-of-staff is a convicted felon has power shifted at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? NBC's Andrea Mitchell's been taking a look at this for us. Andrea, good morning."

[On screen headline: "VP Under Fire, Has Cheney Lost His Clout?"]

Andrea Mitchell: "Good morning, Ann. The White House says that the Vice President remains the President's most trusted counsel but many are now asking how badly has the conviction of his closest aide hurt Dick Cheney? He is the most powerful Vice President in history but is he beginning to lose his clout? Critics caractiture Dick Cheney as the Darth Vader of the Bush White House. They say wrong on everything from the treatment of prisoners to Saddam Hussein's weapons."
Dick Cheney: "We believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons."
Mitchell: "And then that embarrassing shooting accident last winter when he shot a friend in the face. Bush aides whispered that Cheney waited too long to alert the President."
Todd Purdum, Vanity Fair magazine: "There has to be some part of him that is irritated that Vice President Cheney has caused him a certain amount of trouble. He's caused him trouble in the Libby case, he's caused him policy trouble. Some of his advice has clearly turned out to be, I think, objectively, bum advice."
Mitchell: "After the election losses last fall Cheney could no longer protect his closest ally Donald Rumsfeld."
Cheney: "Don Rumsfeld is the finest Secretary of Defense this nation has ever had."
Mitchell: "And Condoleezza Rice started winning battles over Iran, Syria and North Korea. Did that signify a split? Perhaps when Cheney praised former UN ambassador John Bolton, who had just blasted those decisions."
Cheney: "I especially want to recognize Ambassador John Bolton who did a superb job for America at the United Nations."
Mitchell: "Even though Bolton clearly infuriated the President."
George W. Bush: "I strongly disagree, strongly disagree with his assessment."
Mitchell: "But Mr. Bush still relies on his Vice President for crucial talks with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Cheney says his value to the President is he has no political ambition for himself."
Cheney: "I'm not worried about what the folks in Iowa are gonna say in the caucuses in January of next year. I'm there to do a job and that's to call them as I see them."
Mitchell: "But others say that is also a weakness, making Cheney, who is now on the cover of the new Time magazine out tomorrow less sensitive to the political fallout from his own advice. And this footnote. Instead of expressing disappointment over the Libby verdict, as Dick Cheney did, the President said he respected the jury's decision. Ann."
Meredith Vieira: "I'll take it actually, Andrea. Thank you very much."
Mitchell: "I'm sorry Meredith, to you."
Vieira: "That's okay."

Vieira: "Tim Russert is NBC's Washington bureau chief and moderator of Meet the Press and he also played a pivotal role in the Libby case. Tim, good morning to you."
Russert: "Good morning, Meredith."
Vieira: "You heard what Andrea just said and along with that we still don't know about the Vice President's role in the CIA leak case. Has he become too much of a political liability for this administration?"
Russert: "Well obviously the relationship between the President and Vice President is different now than it was six years ago but the President's favorable rating across the country is at 30 percent. The hard core Republican base is all George W. Bush has left. And that's the exact same base that Dick Cheney appeals to. So absent some kind of physical difficulty or incapacity Dick Cheney will stay as Vice President."
Vieira: "So you don't foresee any scenario in which he would either willingly resign or be asked to resign."
Russert: "I don't think he'll step down voluntarily. I think it would have to be something physical because Meredith, remember with our Constitution now if the Vice President did step down the President would have to go to a Democratic Congress to seek confirmation of a replacement which could result in very interesting hearings and the Democrats would try to have some serious input on that choice."
Vieira: "Tim as Andrea mentioned before in Friday's issue of Time magazine is gonna feature a cover story on the Vice President. It's written by Michael Duffy. And among other things Duffy writes, 'Cheney has become the administration's enemy within, the man whose single-minded pursuit of ideological goals, creaking political instincts and love of secrecy produced an independent operation inside the White House that has done more harm than good.' You understand the workings of the White House. What is your reaction to that assessment?"
Russert: "Well those are important words and I think Andrea's report is exactly on the money. We have a situation where Dick Cheney lost his ideological soul mate Donald Rumsfeld. And now you see the re-emergence of Condi Rice, the Secretary of State, reaching out to Iran, reaching out to Syria through Iraq, but nonetheless she has done it. The arrangement, the agreement with North Korea. Something that was ascribed by many as very similar to what President Clinton had done. So clearly the President now is looking at more pragmatic views than ideological views when it comes to some aspects of his foreign policy. And that would be an emphasis more on Condoleezza Rice than on Dick Cheney."
Vieira: "And I wonder if that will extend to the war in Iraq? I want to go to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll because we asked respondents about the war in Iraq. 69 percent, 69 percent, said they felt less confident about a successful outcome there. Huge number. Only 20 percent said they felt more confident. We move over to the war in Afghanistan. Again, 69 percent said they think the war is not going well."
Russert: "That's very dismal news for our country and certainly for this administration, Meredith, because you have to take a country to war, you can't just send an army. And more than, close to half of Republicans now, have a very pessimistic view about those wars. George Bush described himself as a war president, he bet his presidency on the outcome of the war in Iraq and now these kind of dismal numbers really do, I think, have a profound effect upon how history will look at him."
Vieira: "But given what you said about Condoleezza Rice seeming to direct foreign policy a little bit more right now than Cheney, do you expect that will bleed over into the way the President deals with Iraq and Afghanistan?"
Russert: "I do. I think that's why you see this meeting with Iraq, Iran and Syria, Condoleezza Rice is, is involving it, involved in it. I think more and more the President realizes that you can't just have a military solution to the situation in Iraq. Diplomacy is central to it. The acknowledgement by the President, we needed more troops in Iraq. I think there's a growing sense within the White House and certainly within the Oval Office that there has to be a course correction when it comes to the war."
Vieira: "Back to the poll and this time politics. The 2008 presidential race. 73 percent of respondents say that they are already following the race closely and we're 10 months away from the Iowa caucuses. What does that say to you that so many people are paying so much attention so early?"
Russert: "It's an astounding number. Here we are in March of '07 more than 600 days before the election. I think, in part, it's because of a lot of dissatisfaction with President Bush's performance. As I mentioned his approval rating is 30 percent. But I also think that the fact there are 16 candidates in the Democratic/Republican parties running, everyone has a horse and they're kind of enjoying watching it."
Vieira: "Okay Tim, thanks very much."
Russert: "Alright Meredith."

CNN: Vermont's 'Impeach Bush' Votes 'Spreading
Like Wildfire'

On Wednesday afternoon's The Situation Room, CNN correspondent Carol Costello filed a story about Vermont residents who have successfully voted on resolutions calling for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Costello described the impeachment supporters as "mad as hell and they're not going to take it anymore" as she remarked that "even if this effort doesn't pay off, sure feels good."

After anchor Wolf Blitzer introduced the story as "pretty interesting," Costello delivered her set-up: "Interesting story, and you might say, Wolf, they are mad as hell and they're not going to take it anymore. And even if this effort doesn't pay off, sure feels good. They turned out in droves in tiny Jericho, Vermont. Despite the cold and the long wait, for the townsfolk, it was worth it."

Costello further hyped the movement as she described the resolution as "spreading like wildfire" before she went on to point out that this movement is happening in "liberal" Vermont which "voted for John Kerry." Costello also relayed anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan's involvement in Vermont's impeachment movement. After describing Washington Democrats as uninterested in such an impeachment, the CNN correspondent concluded by relaying that pro-impeachment activists "hope, at the very least, the whole state of Vermont will jump on board."

[This item, by Brad Wilmouth, was posted Wednesday night on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org [5] ]

A transcript of the story from the 5pm EST hour of the Wednesday, March 7 Situation Room:

Wolf Blitzer: "In Vermont, calls for impeaching President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Towns around the state approved nonbinding resolutions on the subject during the state's annual town meetings. Let's go back to CNN's Carol Costello. She's watching all of this in New York. Pretty interesting story, Carol."

Carol Costello: "Interesting story, and you might say, Wolf, they are mad as hell and they're not going to take it anymore. And even if this effort doesn't pay off, sure feels good. They turned out in droves in tiny Jericho, Vermont. Despite the cold and the long wait, for the townsfolk, it was worth it."
Man at a town meeting: "Whereas George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney have, one, deliberately misled the nation about the threat from Iraq-"
Costello: "Voters love the 'Impeach Bush' resolution, passing it overwhelmingly."
Unidentified man #2: "I'm very dissatisfied with President Bush."
Costello: "The resolution is spreading like wildfire. People at more than 30 other town meetings across Vermont also voted to impeach Bush and Cheney. Now, keep in mind this is liberal Vermont, land of Howard Dean and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. It voted for John Kerry in 2004. And, um, oh yeah, one of the organizers behind the impeachment push is none other than anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan. Some Vermonters say, 'So what?'"
Ellen McCay, voted to impeach President Bush: "This is not a liberal issue. This is an American issue."
Costello: "And the 'Impeach Bush' movement is moving so fast in the state, Vermont Congressman Peter Welch pledges to carry its sense of urgency to Washington, saying, 'I will work in Congress to aggressively hold the President accountable through strict oversight and investigations that follow the facts.' Translation: He'll do what he can because the Speaker of the House has already squelched any congressional conversation about impeachment."
Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker: "I have said, and I say again that impeachment is off the table."
Costello: "Some analysts say it's not so much that the Democrats wouldn't consider impeachment, but they don't want to give the President any ammunition."
Stuart Rothenberg, political analyst: "I think the Democrats know they have the upper hand now, and they want to keep pushing that without causing themselves problems."
Costello: "Of course, no local resolution carries weight in Washington, D.C., but organizers in Vermont hope, at the very least, the whole state of Vermont will jump on board."

Tickets on Sale for MRC's DisHonors Awards/20th
Anniversary Gala

Three weeks until the MRC's annual "DisHonors Awards," this year part of what will be the biggest event in the MRC's history -- our 20th Anniversary Gala: www.mediaresearch.org [6]

Cal Thomas will serve as Master of Ceremonies and we'll have several conservative stars presenting and accepting the awards, including Ambassador John Bolton, radio talk show host Neal Boortz, columnist/author/provocateur Ann Coulter, FNC and radio host Sean Hannity, political strategist Mary Matalin, game show host Pat Sajak and former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele. Plus, we'll have some big-name surprise guests.

Date: Thursday, March 29 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC. Reception at 6pm, dinner and gala at 7pm. (Black-tie optional.)

Seats are $250.00 each, limited to two per individual unless you are an Associate or Trustee of the MRC. (Contribute $1,000 annually to earn Associate status; $5,000 annually to earn Trustee privileges.)

Every year we end up oversold, so if you want to ensure a seat, order ASAP.

Seats can only be purchased via phone. If you would like to reserve your seat, want more information on how to become an MRC Associate or Trustee, or information on purchasing a table for the evening, please contact Sara Bell at (800) 672-1423 between 9am and 6pm EST Monday through Friday. Or, e-mail her at: sbell@mediaresearch.org [7]

The MRC accepts all major credit cards.

At each annual gala, we mockingly award the worst reporting of the year and then have a conservative leader accept the award in jest.

But the best reason to attend is to watch the videos of the nominated quotes and enjoy making fun of the media's misdirected left-wing reporting.

This year's award categories:

# Puppy Love Award

# Dan Rather Memorial Award for the Stupidest Analysis

# God, I Hate America Award

# Tin Foil Hat Award for Crazy Conspiracy Theories

# The I'm Not a Political Genius But I Play One on TV Award

If you didn't attend last year, this is what you missed:

Cal Thomas, Larry Kudlow, Tony Blankley Mark Levin, Jack Singlaub, Stan Evans, Linda Chavez, Ken Cribb and Ron Robinson highlighted the presentations and acceptances of MRC's "2006 DisHonors Awards: Roasting the Most Outrageously Biased Liberal Reporters of 2005," which were presented on Thursday night, March 30, before an audience of more than 900 packed into the Independence Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt hotel in Washington, D.C.

Following the presentation of the DisHonors Awards videos in five categories, a look at several unintentionally humorous clips from network newscasts and the audience picking the Quote of the Year, those in attendance watched a "Tribute to the American Military" video. It was preceded by a "Toast to the Fallen Comrade" and followed by remarks from Herman Cain, the former President of Godfather's Pizza and National Chairman of the MRC's Free Market Project.

DisHonors Awards winners were selected by a distinguished panel of 17 leading media observers, including Rush Limbaugh, Steve Forbes, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Robert Novak and Mary Matalin, who served as judges.

Cal Thomas, a syndicated columnist and panelist on FNC's Fox Newswatch, served as Master of Ceremonies. Lawrence Kudlow, host of CNBC's Kudlow & Company and National Review Online's economics editor, was the first presenter of nominated video clips, followed by Washington Times Editorial Page Editor Tony Blankley and nationally syndicated radio talk show host Mark Levin.

In place of the journalist who won each award, a conservative accepted it in jest. Those standing in for the winners: Major General Jack Singlaub (Retired), radio talk show host and conservative commentator Linda Chavez, Ron Robinson, President of the Young America's Foundation, Ken Cribb, President of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and a former Reagan administration official, and author Stan Evans, the founder of the National Journalism Center, who delivered an especially hilarious routine.

The evening began with welcoming remarks from Cal Thomas, an invocation by Reverend Robert Sirico, President of the Acton Institute, and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Colonel Robert Rust (Retired).

END Reprint of Summary of last year's event

To watch video of all of last year's nominated quotes and of the award presentations, check: www.mediaresearch.org [8]

To read about and watch video from all of the past DisHonors Awards galas, go to: www.mediaresearch.org [9]

Again, for the Web section on this year's upcoming gala: www.mediaresearch.org [6]

-- Brent Baker