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1. NBC and CBS Honor Marine Posthumously Awarded Silver Star
Wednesday's NBC and CBS evening newscasts paid tribute to only the third Marine private ever, and the first since Vietnam, to be awarded the Silver Star, for heroism in the battle for Fallujah, who was killed in July during his third tour in Iraq. "At Camp Pendleton today," NBC's Brian Williams reported at the end of his newscast, "a ceremony to honor a fallen U.S. Marine." Williams outlined how "Corporal Sean Stokes was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, accepted by his dad for his heroism during the battle for Fallujah back in '04 when he was a private. Stokes is just the third buck private to receive the Silver Star in the past 40 years of U.S. military history, the first since the Vietnam war." The CBS Evening News concluded with a full story on the award to Stokes. Reporter Ben Tracy explained how Stokes was a "former athlete who chose the Marines over college after 9/11." Noting he was "only a private," Tracy related how "Sean stood out, often volunteering to go in first, directly in the line of fire. Wounded several times, he made it home twice." Interspersed with reflection's from the Marine hero's father, Tracy observed that "this morning, on what would have been his 25th birthday, Sean was awarded the coveted Silver Star for courage in battle."
2. ABC's Shipman on Women Voters: Who is the More 'Appealing' Dem?
Continuing the trend of focusing on Democrats and issues important to Democratic voters, Good Morning America reporter Claire Shipman on Wednesday delved into the psyche of women voters. Of course, this meant exclusively examining female voters who are choosing between liberal presidential candidates. Describing the dilemma of a group of women in California, she enthused: "For many of these Democratic women, it was a struggle between two extremely appealing candidates."
3. Vieira's Friends Only Considered Voting for Clinton or Obama
Catching up with a revealing comment from Monday morning, the day before the New York primary, Today show co-host Meredith Vieira recalled how over the weekend in her suburban New York town she was "with a group of friends" who "were trying to choose between Clinton and Obama." She then recited how those for both liberal candidates cited the "electability" of their preferred candidate, but Vieira didn't say anything about having any friends struggling between John McCain and Mitt Romney. Could that be because she doesn't have any friends close enough to hang around with on weekends who would consider voting Republican?
4. CBS's Rodriguez: The Impact of the Youth Vote -- for Democrats
On Wednesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez reported on the importance of the youth vote in the 2008 election, but seemed unable to find any young people who supported Republican candidates: "Young voters are having a huge impact on this election. Exit polls show 14% of registered Democrats who voted on Super Tuesday were under 30. The majority went for Obama." Rodriguez, who was on assignment in California, made a trip to UCLA and talked solely to young supporters of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton: "22-year-old Natalie Gonzalez is a Clinton supporter. Why are you so excited about this?...Curtis Whatley is supporting Obama."
5. CNN's Martin: Obama Should Emphasize His Liberal Record
CNN contributor Roland Martin, commenting on the results of Super Tuesday on Wednesday's American Morning, advised Barack Obama to indirectly play-up his liberal credentials in order to do better in upcoming caucuses and primaries. One such item was Obama's visible support of the pro-illegal immigration marches in 2007: "He has to be able to take the Hispanic supporters and say, look, this is a guy who we are behind....[H]e did make the point that he was only one of two U.S. Senators who actually marched in many of those immigration marches around the country. People probably forget that. If you don't make the point, they don't know."
6. Letterman's 'Top Ten Signs John McCain Is Getting Too Cocky'
Letterman's "Top Ten Signs John McCain Is Getting Too Cocky."
 NBC and CBS Honor Marine Posthumously
Awarded Silver Star
Wednesday's NBC and CBS evening newscasts paid tribute to only the third Marine private ever, and the first since Vietnam, to be awarded the Silver Star, for heroism in the battle for Fallujah, who was killed in July during his third tour in Iraq. "At Camp Pendleton today," NBC's Brian Williams reported at the end of his newscast, "a ceremony to honor a fallen U.S. Marine." Williams outlined how "Corporal Sean Stokes was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, accepted by his dad for his heroism during the battle for Fallujah back in '04 when he was a private. Stokes is just the third buck private to receive the Silver Star in the past 40 years of U.S. military history, the first since the Vietnam war."
The CBS Evening News concluded with a full story on the award to Stokes. Reporter Ben Tracy explained how Stokes was a "former athlete who chose the Marines over college after 9/11." Noting he was "only a private," Tracy related how "Sean stood out, often volunteering to go in first, directly in the line of fire. Wounded several times, he made it home twice." Interspersed with reflection's from the Marine hero's father, Tracy observed that "this morning, on what would have been his 25th birthday, Sean was awarded the coveted Silver Star for courage in battle."
[This item was posted Thursday morning on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]
(Such prominence in the media for a military hero is unusual, a 2006 MRC study discovered. "Touting Military Misdeeds, Hiding Heroes" determined that the ABC, CBS and NBC morning and evening shows gave little attention since 9/11 to those who have earned the military's highest honors.)
A February 5 Sacramento Bee article, "Father hopes fallen Marine's heroism will inspire others," online at: www.sacbee.com
A Human Events posting from last summer which recounted Stokes' heroism: www.humanevents.com
The Sean Andrew Stokes Memorial Organization Web site: www.sasmemorial.org
The short, but respectful, item from Williams at the end of the February 6 NBC Nightly News:
 "We want to take a moment to give recognition to a member of the U.S. military as they so often do not get the recognition they deserve. At Camp Pendleton today, a ceremony to honor a fallen U.S. Marine. Corporal Sean Stokes was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, accepted by his dad for his heroism during the battle for Fallujah back in '04 when he was a private. Stokes is just the third buck private to receive the Silver Star in the past 40 years of U.S. military history, the first since the Vietnam war. He was killed in Iraq last July, three years after the action for which he was honored today. It was his third tour of duty in Iraq."
The Nightly News Web site has a longer "Web-only" video story from NBC's Peter Alexander: www.msnbc.msn.com
The MRC's Brad Wilmouth corrected the closed-captioning against the video to provide this transcript of the final story on the February 6 CBS Evening News:
KATIE COURIC: With violence in Iraq down, it's easy to forget that Americans continue to die there. The toll now approaching 4,000. Americans like Sean Stokes of Auburn, California, the only Marine private awarded the Silver Star in this war. Ben Tracy tells his story.
BEN TRACY: This may be one of the proudest moments of Gary Stokes' life, but it's also one he would trade for anything in the world.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL BENJAMIN WATSON, US MARINES: Today we honor the memory of a man who has joined a distinguished fraternity of heroes.
TRACY: This past summer, his son Sean, a Marine who had served in Iraq, told his family he was now floating on an aircraft carrier far from danger. When did you know something was wrong?
 GARY STOKES, FATHER OF US MARINE: I didn't even know he was in Iraq until the Marines knocked on my door. "We regret to inform you that your son has been killed in Iraq."
TRACY: Sean had been in Iraq for 45 days. It was the third tour for this former athlete who chose the Marines over college after 9/11.
TRACY TO STOKES: Did you say, "I don't want you to do this"?
GARY STOKES: Yes.
TRACY: In Fallujah, Sean moved house to house, hunting down Iraqi insurgents. What he did was so dangerous it was documented by journalists.
 SEAN STOKES, US MARINES, ON THE HISTORY CHANNEL: Every house I walk up to, I'm saying a prayer like, "Get me out of this one, Lord, please."
TRACY: Only a private, Sean stood out, often volunteering to go in first, directly in the line of fire. Wounded several times, he made it home twice.
GARY STOKES: At first, we were going, "Sean, please, you know, you've done your part, buddy. No more, please."
TRACY: But Sean wouldn't let down his fellow Marines. He returned to Iraq for a third time. While on patrol, he stepped on a roadside bomb.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL BENJAMIN WATSON, US MARINES: We'll never forget the example that Sean set for us.
TRACY: This morning, on what would have been his 25th birthday, Sean was awarded the coveted Silver Star for courage in battle.
GARY STOKES: The fallen are all heroes. It's not, it's all of them. And it helps recognize those guys, too.
TRACY: Because their fellow Marine proved at such an early age that being a hero has nothing to do with rank. Ben Tracy, CBS News, San Diego.
CBSNews.com video of this story: www.cbsnews.com
Video of a story aired on San Diego's Fox affiliate: www.fox6.com
And video of a piece run by San Diego's NBC affiliate: video.nbcsandiego.com
 ABC's Shipman on Women Voters: Who is
the More 'Appealing' Dem?
Continuing the trend of focusing on Democrats and issues important to Democratic voters, Good Morning America reporter Claire Shipman on Wednesday delved into the psyche of women voters. Of course, this meant exclusively examining female voters who are choosing between liberal presidential candidates.
Describing the dilemma of a group of women in California, she enthused: "For many of these Democratic women, it was a struggle between two extremely appealing candidates." Such flowery language about two liberals White House contenders shouldn't be surprising. In January of 2007, Shipman famously depicted the battle between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as a contest of "fluid poetry" versus "hot factor." See the January 19, 2007 CyberAlert for more: www.mrc.org
[This item, by the MRC's Scott Whitlock, was posted Wednesday afternoon on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]
Recounting the decision making process of five Super Tuesday voters, Shipman discussed the quandary of one woman who, as the ABC reporter put it, "initially felt the tug toward Hillary so many of her contemporaries did." According to voter Laura Chick, "[Women have] struggled against the glass ceiling all their lives. And, to them, having Hillary Clinton elected president is the culmination of their life struggle."
It is true that 57 percent of those who voted Democrat on Super Tuesday are women, but GMA has consistently focused on issues and subjects that relate to the Democratic side of the 2008 primaries. For instance, in early January of '08, the day before the New Hampshire primary, Good Morning America devoted 15 minutes to the Democratic race and only 31 seconds for the Republican contest. See the January 8 CyberAlert: www.mrc.org
A transcript of the segment, which aired at 7:31am on February 6:
ROBIN ROBERTS: But, now more on the race to '08. And from New York, to Alabama, California, to Connecticut, women emerged as the strongest voice on Super Tuesday for the Democrats. They made up a whopping 57 percent of the vote in the Democratic primaries. ABC's senior national correspondent Claire Shipman joins us now from Los Angeles with more on that. Good morning, Claire.
CLAIRE SHIPMAN: Good morning, Robin. They made up the front lines for Hillary Clinton. And we grabbed some of the women who were voting here in California, just after they cast their ballot to talk about it. It was still a difficult decision for a lot of them. And we found differences among the Democratic women we talked to based on age, based on race. But, interestingly, the Hillary supporters say they were not voting for her just because she was a woman. Heavy turnout among female voters gave Hillary Clinton a critical boost.
ALICIA BLEIER (Clinton supporter): She's enormously talented and intelligent. Yes, it's great she's a woman.
SHIPMAN: Female voters made the difference across the country, New Jersey, Tennessee, Massachusetts and California, where the gender gap was as big as 25 points. Was it just Venus versus Mars? We sat down with a group of California women just after they voted to talk about whether gender made a difference in the voting booth. Alicia, who voted for Clinton, says no.
BLEIER: Not at all for me. And I think it's slightly insulting, actually, because I find that that's more superficial. I want to know what their positions are. I want to know their experience. To me, it's a bonus. Oh, how great. And she's a woman. I mean, I agree with her positions and she's a woman.
SHIPMAN: Not only was there a gender gap but a generational gap among women. Laura, who decided to support Obama, says she initially felt the tug toward Hillary so many of her contemporaries did.
LAURA CHICK (Obama supporter): They've struggled against the glass ceiling all their lives. And, to them, having Hillary Clinton elected president is the culmination of their life struggle.
SHIPMAN: From everything I can tell, women who are under 30 and under, especially, don't feel the same way about having the first woman.
KATHERINE LEE (Obama supporter): We are in a different generation. And it shouldn't be solely based on, the fact that, oh, I'm a woman. I need to vote for a woman to get the woman in office.
SHIPMAN: Katherine voted for Obama and some of his supporters say he's the historic choice.
SHOVANDA WILLIAMS (Obama supporter): In my opinion he is the better candidate but at the same time I am voting for him because he is African-American.
CHICK: For me the idea of electing a person of color is equally as compelling as electing a woman.
SHIPMAN: For many of these Democratic women, it was a struggle between two extremely appealing candidates.
LEE: I support both of them. And I find that they have very similar ideas on many, many things. And if Obama loses, I will be more than happy to support Hillary.
SHIPMAN: Now, in our group, we had two women who voted for Hillary Clinton, three for Barack Obama. All of the Obama supporters, in fact, said they would support Hillary Clinton if she's the nominee. And the vote-- the woman vote is obviously something we're going to continue to watch, Diane. Very important.
 Vieira's Friends Only Considered Voting
for Clinton or Obama
Catching up with a revealing comment from Monday morning, the day before the New York primary, Today show co-host Meredith Vieira recalled how over the weekend in her suburban New York town she was "with a group of friends" who "were trying to choose between Clinton and Obama." She then recited how those for both liberal candidates cited the "electability" of their preferred candidate, but Vieira didn't say anything about having any friends struggling between John McCain and Mitt Romney. Could that be because she doesn't have any friends close enough to hang around with on weekends who would consider voting Republican?
In the February 4 interview session, with Democratic strategist Paul Begala, Republican operative Mike Murphy and Michele Noris of NPR, Vieira included her weekend activities in a question:
"Let me tell you something that, that came up yesterday, I'm in the super market in my town, and people are talking and I was with a group of friends who, actually were trying to choose between Clinton and Obama and the, for example, the ones who were for Clinton said, 'Well I want to vote for her but I think I'm gonna vote for Obama because I think he, he can win the general election.' And then some of the Obama people said, 'Well I'm gonna vote for Clinton because I think she's gonna win.' So how much is electability gonna be a factor tomorrow?"
Vieira lives in a town in Westchester County, New York. Vieira's blog: meredithtoday.ivillage.com
[This item, by the MRC's Brent Baker, was posted Wednesday night on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]
The MRC's Geoffrey Dickens alerted me to Vieira's telling disclosure.
 CBS's Rodriguez: The Impact of the Youth
Vote -- for Democrats
On Wednesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez reported on the importance of the youth vote in the 2008 election, but seemed unable to find any young people who supported Republican candidates: "Young voters are having a huge impact on this election. Exit polls show 14% of registered Democrats who voted on Super Tuesday were under 30. The majority went for Obama." Rodriguez, who was on assignment in California, made a trip to UCLA and talked solely to young supporters of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton: "22-year-old Natalie Gonzalez is a Clinton supporter. Why are you so excited about this?...Curtis Whatley is supporting Obama."
[This item, by Kyle Drennen, was posted Wednesday afternoon on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]
Rodriguez also discussed the importance of the internet in attracting young voters, once again something only Democrats seem to do: "Call them the Facebook generation. 18 to 29-year-olds who are going face-to-face, chatting on-line, sharing opinions. More than 50 million strong. They're a potential gold mine for the candidate who can connect with them. There are videos like this one [shows a clip of an Obama video on-line] seen and heard by 11 million people in just one week."
Rodriguez did make brief mention of young supporters of Republican candidates, their kids: "Also on the rise is the presence of the candidate's kids. Chelsea Clinton, Meagan McCain, Romney's five sons, and Sarah Huckabee."
This was quickly followed by highlighting celebrity endorsements for Obama and Clinton: "And the influence of celebrities galvanizing the younger generations. Usher campaigning for Obama. Magic Johnson courting voters with Clinton. So while the field of candidates is winnowing down, the power of the youth vote is growing up."
Finally, Rodriguez cited well-known political expert Sean (P Diddy) Combs: "This week rap mogul Sean Combs, who has a huge following, called the young adult vote 'a sleeping giant.'"
Full transcript of the February 6 segment aired at 8:30:
MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ: This exciting presidential campaign has roused interest among one group of voters normally not known for their participation, young adults. Surveys show the percentage of Americans between 18 and 29 paying attention to the campaign has grown from 13% in 2000 to 42% in 2004 and, get this, 74% this year. What's behind this increase? Last night I met up with some students at UCLA. At colleges across the country young voters like these were glued to the TVs. 22-year-old Natalie Gonzalez is a Clinton supporter. Why are you so excited about this?
NATALIE GONZALEZ: Just as a young woman voter in California, seeing how young people everywhere are just so excited to vote.
RODRIGUEZ: Curtis Whatley is supporting Obama.
CURITS WHATLEY: Finally there's a campaign where America feels like it's not the politician's campaign. It's our campaign. We're sick and tired of being sick and tired.
RODRIGUEZ: Call them the Facebook generation. 18 to 29-year-olds who are going face-to-face, chatting on-line, sharing opinions. More than 50 million strong. They're a potential gold mine for the candidate who can connect with them. There are videos like this one seen and heard by 11 million people in just one week.
DAVID BIRDSELL: That's one of the things that makes web campaigning so exciting. We're watching people, new people, participating in the process and changing the way we understand politics.
RODRIGUEZ: Young voters are having a huge impact on this election. Exit polls show 14% of registered Democrats who voted on Super Tuesday were under 30. The majority went for Obama.
BARACK OBAMA: Thank you.
RODRIGUEZ: In fact, the youth vote played a key role in propelling Obama to victory in Iowa. Young voter turnout there rose 135% from 2004.
CHELSEA CLINTON: Hi, Cathy. Chelsea. Nice to meet you.
RODRIGUEZ: Also on the rise is the presence of the candidate's kids. Chelsea Clinton, Meagan McCain, Romney's five sons, and Sarah Huckabee. And the influence of celebrities galvanizing the younger generations. Usher campaigning for Obama. Magic Johnson courting voters with Clinton. So while the field of candidates is winnowing down, the power of the youth vote is growing up.
WHATLEY: A lot of times we get a bad rap for not participating. We're participating. We're here. We're speaking out. Nobody can take that away from us.
RODRIGUEZ: This week rap mogul Sean Combs, who has a huge following, called the young adult vote 'a sleeping giant.'
 CNN's Martin: Obama Should Emphasize
His Liberal Record
CNN contributor Roland Martin, commenting on the results of Super Tuesday on Wednesday's American Morning, advised Barack Obama to indirectly play-up his liberal credentials in order to do better in upcoming caucuses and primaries. One such item was Obama's visible support of the pro-illegal immigration marches in 2007: "He has to be able to take the Hispanic supporters and say, look, this is a guy who we are behind....[H]e did make the point that he was only one of two U.S. Senators who actually marched in many of those immigration marches around the country. People probably forget that. If you don't make the point, they don't know."
Earlier in the segment, which started 45 minutes into the 6am EST hour, Martin, who appeared with American Morning co-host John Roberts, detailed some of the problems Obama might face in the future: "But the problem is this -- in every Democratic primary, women have made up about 57 plus percent of all voters in various primaries. That is a critical voting block, and so, he has to be able to really grab a lion's share." This prompted the question from Roberts: "As we saw in many of the states across the country last night -- the Super Tuesday races, with the exception of Illinois, she won the majority of the Hispanic vote as well. How much of a problem for that?"
Martin first brought up Obama's past working in low-income neighborhoods in Chicago: "I think part of the problem here, and I think when it comes to Hispanics, but also dealing with low income voters, is that Obama does not focus more on the community organizing days. If you actually listen to Michelle Obama's speech on Sunday in Los Angeles and UCLA, that's actually the speech that he should be giving. She talked about going to public schools. She talked about being out there, working with steel workers, working in public housing complexes."
What Martin said immediately afterwards concerning Obama is puzzling, given Hillary Clinton's own "privileged" background of going to Wellesley and Yale Law School: "The perception is that he is a candidate that went to Harvard University, you know, University of Chicago, Constitutional Law professor. But he has to be able to connect with people saying -- wait a minute, I'm there with you. My mom was on food stamps. I understand what it felt like from being a single parent household. He has to make that case better."
The full transcript of the segment on the February 6 American Morning:
JOHN ROBERTS: 45 minutes after the hour. Barack Obama is still playing the role of underdog. But after last night, there is a new feeling of momentum. Here's what he told supporters last night.
BARACK OBAMA: In states north and south, east and west, what began as a whisper in Springfield has swelled to a chorus of millions calling for change.
ROBERTS: Well, at least 13 out of 22 states went to Obama last night. Roland Martin is a CNN contributor, who is watching all the returns come in late last night.
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Just a couple of hours ago.
ROBERTS: You had a couple of hours sleep, maybe 90 minutes worth. He joins us this morning. So last night was a pretty interesting night to watch. Hillary Clinton -- and if you look at, say, the results from California, she is still strong among white women, older Americans, lower income earners, but Barack Obama beginning to gain in white men. How important is that for you?
MARTIN: Well, that is critical, because he is to be able to put together this sort of coalition building -- that is a pieces from this group, this group, and this group. But the problem is this -- in every Democratic primary, women have made up about 57 plus percent of all voters in various primaries. That is a critical voting block, and so, he has to be able to really grab a lion's share, anywhere from 30 to 35. Look, she's maybe over 40. She's probably going to pick up 70. But any time she gets over 72, that's a problem in any state.
ROBERTS: As we saw in many of the states across the country last night -- the Super Tuesday races, with the exception of Illinois, she won the majority of the Hispanic vote as well. How much of a problem for that? Where's that exactly going to be going for?
MARTIN: The problem is Texas. That's where you probably had the largest group remaining over all the primary states. And so, he must do real well. I think part of the problem here, and I think when it comes to Hispanics, but also dealing with low income voters, is that Obama does not focus more on the community organizing days. If you actually listen to Michelle Obama's speech on Sunday in Los Angeles and UCLA, that's actually the speech that he should be giving. She talked about going to public schools. She talked about being out there, working with steel workers, working in public housing complexes, because the perception is that he is a candidate that went to Harvard University, you know, University of Chicago, Constitutional Law professor.
But he has to be able to connect with people saying -- wait a minute, I'm there with you. My mom was on food stamps. I understand what it felt like from being a single parent household. He has to make that case better. She's doing extremely well. She's going to stay on message and to focus on those folks.
ROBERTS: So that's lower income. Why is she doing better with Hispanics?
MARTIN: Well, I think because of Bill Clinton is hugely popular. I talked to Paul Begala last night. I talked about when he went down to Texas and then went down to the various barrios, and went to Corpus Christi and Brownsville, and so, you have that unique relationship, but you're also cannot deny the reality of this black-brown friction that we have seen take place across the various states. And I was debating someone here at CNN about this, saying -- look, I'm born and raised in Houston, Texas. I covered stuff in Dallas and Austin. I've seen it since 1989, coming out while I was still in college. That is real. And so, he has to be able to take the Hispanic supporters and say, look, this is a guy who we are behind. Also, we did do a debate, John, he did make the point that he was only one of two U.S. senators who actually marched in many of those immigration marches around the country. People probably forget that. If you don't make the point, they don't know.
ROBERTS: So, how important was her win in California to blunting the momentum that he was beginning to build up. And then look like the last-minute polls in California were dead wrong. They had just about an even race. She beat him pretty handily.
MARTIN: Well, but he's the deal with the last-minute polling, which you don't take into consideration. One-third of all ballots cast were early voting. And so, they really started right after New Hampshire. She did a real welcoming after that. The problem now moving forward is now more folks know who he is, but she did very well. That was a critical strategy for her to get those early ballots, because she saw him coming down the back stretch towards the end of the campaign.Probably one more week, he could have been able to generate the number of people, but you have half a million people vote early, it's difficult to overcome a double digit lead.
ROBERTS: Well, they're still very close in delegates and we got a long way to go.
MARTINS: That's right. So all of a sudden, Vermont, those votes are going to be real pretty for those delegates.
ROBERTS: Exactly. Howard Dean loves that. Roland, thanks very much. Good to see you.
 Letterman's 'Top Ten Signs John McCain
Is Getting Too Cocky'
From the February 6 Late Show with David Letterman, the "Top Ten Signs John McCain Is Getting Too Cocky." Late Show home page: www.cbs.com
10. Canceled tomorrow's campaign appearances so he doesn't miss "Lost"
9. Spent the afternoon roughing up Romney supporters
8. Last night, he blew half campaign war chest playing internet poker
7. Already working on his 2012 re-election strategy
6. Plans to campaign for the next three days in "Vodkachusetts"
5. Recently told voter "Keep that ugly ass baby away from me"
4. Now refers to Mike Huckabee as "Mike Suckabee"
3. Has started yelling, "Bingo!" when he doesn't even have bingo (come on, folks, he's old!)
2. Renamed his campaign bus the "Bite Me Express"
1. Went to Mexico with Jessica Simpson
For video of Letterman reading the list: www.cbs.com
-- Brent Baker
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Wednesday's NBC and CBS evening newscasts paid tribute to only the third Marine private ever, and the first since Vietnam, to be awarded the Silver Star, for heroism in the battle for Fallujah, who was killed in July during his third tour in Iraq. "At Camp Pendleton today," NBC's Brian Williams reported at the end of his newscast, "a ceremony to honor a fallen U.S. Marine." Williams outlined how "Corporal Sean Stokes was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, accepted by his dad for his heroism during the battle for Fallujah back in '04 when he was a private. Stokes is just the third buck private to receive the Silver Star in the past 40 years of U.S. military history, the first since the Vietnam war." 
(Such prominence in the media for a military hero is unusual, a 2006 MRC study discovered. "Touting Military Misdeeds, Hiding Heroes" determined that the ABC, CBS and NBC morning and evening shows gave little attention since 9/11 to those who have earned the military's highest honors.) 
"We want to take a moment to give recognition to a member of the U.S. military as they so often do not get the recognition they deserve. At Camp Pendleton today, a ceremony to honor a fallen U.S. Marine. Corporal Sean Stokes was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, accepted by his dad for his heroism during the battle for Fallujah back in '04 when he was a private. Stokes is just the third buck private to receive the Silver Star in the past 40 years of U.S. military history, the first since the Vietnam war. He was killed in Iraq last July, three years after the action for which he was honored today. It was his third tour of duty in Iraq." 
GARY STOKES, FATHER OF US MARINE: I didn't even know he was in Iraq until the Marines knocked on my door. "We regret to inform you that your son has been killed in Iraq." 
SEAN STOKES, US MARINES, ON THE HISTORY CHANNEL: Every house I walk up to, I'm saying a prayer like, "Get me out of this one, Lord, please." 
Continuing the trend of focusing on Democrats and issues important to Democratic voters, Good Morning America reporter Claire Shipman on Wednesday delved into the psyche of women voters. Of course, this meant exclusively examining female voters who are choosing between liberal presidential candidates. 
Catching up with a revealing comment from Monday morning, the day before the New York primary, Today show co-host Meredith Vieira recalled how over the weekend in her suburban New York town she was "with a group of friends" who "were trying to choose between Clinton and Obama." She then recited how those for both liberal candidates cited the "electability" of their preferred candidate, but Vieira didn't say anything about having any friends struggling between John McCain and Mitt Romney. Could that be because she doesn't have any friends close enough to hang around with on weekends who would consider voting Republican? 
On Wednesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez reported on the importance of the youth vote in the 2008 election, but seemed unable to find any young people who supported Republican candidates: "Young voters are having a huge impact on this election. Exit polls show 14% of registered Democrats who voted on Super Tuesday were under 30. The majority went for Obama." Rodriguez, who was on assignment in California, made a trip to UCLA and talked solely to young supporters of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton: "22-year-old Natalie Gonzalez is a Clinton supporter. Why are you so excited about this?...Curtis Whatley is supporting Obama." 
