All three morning shows on Tuesday deemed it news worthy to listen to audio excerpts from Hillary Clinton's upcoming book. On the same day that Good Morning America ignored the leaking by the White House of a CIA station chief [1] in Afghanistan, news reader Amy Robach parroted Democratic talking points: "In the book's audio version, Mrs. Clinton describes making choices with her head and her heart." [MP3 audio here [2].]
Robach made sure to advertise a one hour interview Diane Sawyer [3] will conduct with Clinton on June 9th. The primetime special will be followed by yet more promotional time with the Democrat on the June 10th GMA. On CBS This Morning, Tuesday, Anthony Mason assured viewers that the "upcoming memoir has nothing to do with politics." He added that in an author's note, "the potential presidential candidate says the book will not engage in political finger pointing."
Mason, too, played an extended clip from Clinton. After the former Secretary of State dismissed Washington insiders, he featured a clip: "I didn't write this book for them. I wrote it for Americans and people everywhere who are trying to make sense of this rapidly changing world of ours."
This is the second time CBS This Morning hosts have played Clinton's audio book. On May 13 [4], Gayle King touted life lessons the former Secretary of State learned from her mom.
On NBC's Today, Natalie Morales highlighted trivial sections of the book, such as the possible candidate talking about her hair:
HILLARY CLINTON: When I began this book, I considered a number of titles. One proposed, "It Takes A World." A fitting sequel to "It Takes A Village." My favorite was "The Scrunchie Chronicles: 112 Countries And It's Still All About My Hair."
It's not often that the three morning shows find time to talk about books, let alone to play extended sections from audio editions.
Hard news certainly existed for the morning shows on Tuesday. Yet, only Today covered the "potentially dangerous mistake" by the Obama White House, the accidental leaking of a CIA operative in Afghanistan. CBS This Morning and Good Morning America avoided it.
Transcripts of the three May 27 news briefs can be found below:
GMA
8:03
AMY ROBACH: And ABC News has obtained the first section of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's upcoming book Hard Choices. In the book's audio version, Mrs. Clinton describes making choices with her head and her heart. And she describes the fateful night Osama bin Laden was captured.
ABC GRAPHIC: Early Look at Clinton Book: Making Decisions With "Head and Heart"
HILLARY CLINTON: Perhaps the most famous example from my four years as Secretary of State was President Obama's order to send a team of Navy SEALs into a moonless Pakistani night to bring Osama bin Laden to justice. It was as crisp and courageous a display of leadership as I've ever seen.
ROBACH: Mrs. Clinton will sit down with Diane Sawyer for an exclusive interview. It is an ABC News primetime special, June 9 at 9pm eastern. And she will join us live here on GMA on June 10th.
CBS This Morning
7:32
ANTHONY MASON: Hillary Clinton insists this morning that her upcoming memoir has nothing to do with politics. Hard Choices is expected to have new information from Clinton's four years as Secretary of State. In an authors note out this morning, the potential presidential candidate says the book will not engage in political finger pointing.
HILLARY CLINTON: While my views and experiences will surely be scrutinized by followers of Washington's long running soap opera, who took what side, who opposed whom, who was up and who was down, I didn't write this book for them. I wrote it for Americans and people everywhere who are trying to make sense of this rapidly changing world of ours, who want to understand how leaders and nations can work together and why they sometimes collide. And how their decisions affect all out of lives.
MASON: The memoir is published by Simon and Schuster, which is owned by CBS.
Today
8:03
NATALIE MORALES: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton jokes about the public's obsession with her hair in a new audio version of her author's notes for her upcoming memoir Hard Choices. Take a listen.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: "The Scrunchie Chronicles;" Hillary Clinton Jokes About Focus on Her Hair]
HILLARY CLINTON: When I began this book, I considered a number of titles. One proposed, "It Takes A World." A fitting sequel to "It Takes A Village." My favorite was "The Scrunchie Chronicles: 112 Countries And It's Still All About My Hair."
MORALES: We still love a scrunchie. Well, Hard Choices will be officially released on June 10th.
— Scott Whitlock is Senior News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Scott Whitlock on Twitter. [5]