Walters Aggressive with Bush in '01, Tosses Softballs to Obama --12/1/2008

1. Walters Aggressive with Bush in '01, Tosses Softballs to Obama
In the interview for Wednesday's Barbara Walters Special on ABC with Barack and Michelle Obama, Walters asked few questions that put the Obamas on the defensive, in contrast with her January 2001 interview with then-President-elect Bush in which she challenged him on a number of fronts. Most notably, she chided Bush for choosing John Ashcroft as Attorney General because he "openly opposes abortion," and claimed that Ashcroft was "not considered a friend to civil rights." She asked Bush about reports that, as governor of Texas, he "spent relatively little time studying specific issues," and "only does a few hours of work" a day. The ABC host also challenged Bush from the left on the trade embargo against Cuba, and even asked Laura Bush if her more "traditional" plans for her time as First Lady would be a "setback for women." But after having pressed Bush on a number of questions, several times from the left, Walters this time not only failed to challenge Obama from the right, but she actually pressed him from the left as she fretted about how long America has to wait for him to raise taxes on the rich: "During the campaign, there was a central and consistent theme of yours to raise taxes on people earning over $250,000 a year. Now, it seems there's a little waffling on that. When are you going to do it?"

2. On the Obamas, Walters: 'I Don't Want to Gush. They're Very Cute'
ABC's Barbara Walters couldn't contain herself as she previewed her upcoming interview with Barack and Michelle Obama on Wednesday's Good Morning America: "[T]hey're very -- I don't know how to put it. I don't want to gush. They're very cute, and very -- and very funny in this interview together." Walters played two clip of the interview, which is set to air on ABC on Wednesday night, in which she asked the President-elect softball questions such as, "How did you feel when you read about the three heads of the auto companies taking private planes to Washington?"

3. ABC's Gibson Sees No Liberals So Far in the Obama Cabinet
On ABC's World News on Tuesday night, anchor Charles Gibson ran down the list of all the Obama cabinet appointments so far, and never found a liberal label for any of them, from Hillary Clinton to Tom Daschle. ABC reporter Jake Tapper followed with the President-elect's newest budget nominees: "Mr. Obama today appointed experts from Capitol Hill to run his Office of Management and Budget. To be headed by Peter Orszag, the current director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office."

4. Brian Williams: 'Could We Use a Little FDR Right About Now?'
Working on the day after Thanksgiving, Brian Williams used Friday's NBC Nightly News to promote a new book from FDR's grandson, providing Williams with an opportunity to propose: "In your estimation, could we use a little FDR right about now?" Though Franklin Delano Roosevelt's policies failed to end the Depression, Williams hailed him as "the man who led this nation out of financial disaster." Conceding "we can no longer talk to him," as if we'd benefit from doing so, Williams trumpeted how "tonight we think we have about the next best thing" in FDR's grandson, Curtis, who "lives in the south of France after a career with the UN."

5. Turner: KGB 'Honorable,' Iraq 'Naked Aggression' = USSR in Afghan
"The KGB, I think, was an honorable place to work" with "worthwhile" achievements, CNN founder Ted Turner contended in an interview aired on Sunday's Meet the Press in which he blamed the U.S. for starting the battles with Vladimir Putin "by putting the Star Wars system in Czechoslovakia and Poland" and, when host Tom Brokaw recalled that Leonid Brezhnev reacted to Jimmy Carter's outreach by invading Afghanistan, Turner retorted with moral equivalence: "Well, we invaded Afghanistan, too, and it's a lot further -- at least it's on the border of the Soviet Union." Brokaw called it "naked aggression on the part of the Russians at the time," prompting Turner to charge: "Well, going into Iraq was naked aggression on the part of the United States."

Walters Aggressive with Bush in '01,
Tosses Softballs to Obama

In the interview for Wednesday's Barbara Walters Special on ABC with Barack and Michelle Obama, Walters asked few questions that put the Obamas on the defensive, in contrast with her January 2001 interview with then-President-elect Bush in which she challenged him on a number of fronts. Most notably, she chided Bush for choosing John Ashcroft as Attorney General because he "openly opposes abortion," and claimed that Ashcroft was "not considered a friend to civil rights." She asked Bush about reports that, as governor of Texas, he "spent relatively little time studying specific issues," and "only does a few hours of work" a day. The ABC host also challenged Bush from the left on the trade embargo against Cuba, and even asked Laura Bush if her more "traditional" plans for her time as First Lady would be a "setback for women." It is also noteworthy that Walters asked Bush about his plans for dealing with Saddam Hussein and cited "people in the know" who contended that the Iraqi dictator was "stronger than ever."

But after having pressed Bush on a number of questions, several times from the left, Walters this time not only failed to challenge Obama from the right, but she actually pressed him from the left as she fretted about how long America has to wait for him to raise taxes on the rich: "During the campaign, there was a central and consistent theme of yours to raise taxes on people earning over $250,000 a year. Now, it seems there's a little waffling on that. When are you going to do it?"

[This item, by the MRC's Brad Wilmouth, was posted Sunday on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org [1] ]

While introducing Michelle Obama for the second half hour of the November 26 special, Walters invoked President Kennedy's family as she effused: "The Obamas harken back to another First Family, with their youthful embodiment of style, substance, and hope." But earlier, at the top of the program, she had taken a shot at President Bush as "one of the most unpopular Presidents in modern history" and suggested that it is not "an exaggeration to say that the fate of the nation is riding on [Obama's] shoulders." Walters: "In only 55 days, Barack Obama will replace one of the most unpopular Presidents in modern history. He will inherit two wars and an economic crisis not seen since the Great Depression. Tonight, as families across our country gather for the Thanksgiving holiday, there is a sense of unease and a hope that someone can restore confidence and leadership. Although Barack Obama insists we have only one President at a time, some say that fear and financial uncertainty have forced him into the unprecedented role of a shadow President, even before he has taken the oath of office. Perhaps it would not be an exaggeration to say that the fate of the nation is riding on his shoulders."

In her interview with Bush which aired on the January 19, 2001, 20/20 on ABC, after asking Bush a couple of questions about the bitterly fought 2000 election and beliefs by his critics that the Supreme Court "handed" the election to him, Walters moved on to the issue of Ashcroft, showing a clip of him expressing pro-life sentiments while holding up an unclear photograph of what was likely the image of an unborn baby. Ashcroft: "God's precious gift of life must be protected in law and nurtured in love."

After claiming that Ashcroft was "not considered a friend to civil rights," Walters then took Bush to task for nominating a "lightning rod" after saying he wanted to "unite" the country:

WALTERS: Now, he openly opposes abortion. But he's going to have to be the one to protect the abortion clinics. He's not considered a friend to civil rights. He's been against court-ordered desegregation. The big question is, can an attorney general enforce federal laws and protect rights that he personally, vigorously opposes?
GEORGE W. BUSH: Yes. His job is going to be to enforce the laws and there's no question in my mind he will. John is a steady hand. He'll do a fine job.
WALTERS: Did you expect him to be as much of a lightning rod?
GEORGE W. BUSH: Yes.
WALTERS: You really did? And you did it anyway, even though you talk about wanting to unite?
GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, it doesn't mean we can't unite the nation once we put somebody in place who can do the job as attorney general.

After asking Bush a few questions about his own investment choices, which she used to challenge him on his plan to allow workers to invest a portion of their Social Security tax payments in the stock market, Walters went on to bring up reports that Bush did not spend much time working in his job as governor of Texas:

WALTERS: I want to talk a little bit about your, your own presidential style. It has been reported that, as governor, you spent relatively little time studying specific issues. You started work at 9, you took two hours for lunch and jogging, and you finish work at 5.
GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, this is just ridic-, I don't know where-
WALTERS: This is what we've this is what we've read.
GEORGE W. BUSH: No, that's just absurd. It's just totally absurd.
WALTERS: Tell us your schedule.
GEORGE W. BUSH: I'm up at 5:45 to 6. I read the papers. I'm at work generally at 7:15 to 7:30. I do exercise. I try to exercise on a regular basis, because I happen to believe that I'm a more effective person if I exercise. I worked over lunch. I oftentimes got home at 8 or 9 at night.
WALTERS: Do you nap every day?
GEORGE W. BUSH: No.
WALTERS: You know, but this is what's been said about you, you know-
GEORGE W. BUSH: I know, but this is-
WALTERS: -that you're this sort of a gentleman President who comes in, does a few hours of work and leaves.
GEORGE W. BUSH: Yeah. That's because, that's just shoddy reporting. It's ridiculous.

Walters then moved on to the subject of Iraq, as she contended that Saddam Hussein was "stronger than ever" and that he was "building up his military capabilities." Walters: "The problem left over from your father's time, Saddam Hussein. And he's stronger than ever. Just this past week, he said yet again, no inspectors. People say that, who are in the know, that he's building up his military capabilities. It's in your lap. What do you do?"

She asked Bush about the apparent inconsistency between his support for the trade embargo against Cuba while supporting trade with China, and soon brought aboard Laura Bush. The ABC anchor even managed to challenge Mrs. Bush from the left as she voiced concerns that her plans for her role as First Lady would be a "setback for women." Walters: "You are also going to be, in your own words, a more traditional First Lady. Hillary Clinton was very activist. She was involved sometimes in policy planning. And, you know, there will be those people who will say this is a setback for women."

Below are transcripts of portions of Walters's interview with President-elect and Mrs. Obama, followed by portions of the January 2001 interview with President and Mrs. Bush:

# From the November 26 World News with Charles Gibson on ABC, substitute hosted by George Stephanopoulos:

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: The economy, of course, is one of the top issues the President-elect discussed with Barbara Walters in her exclusive interview airing tonight on ABC. And Barbara is here with us now to share part of that conversation. From what I saw, Barbara, the President-elect seemed to be in pretty good spirits.

BARBARA WALTERS: He is confident, but, George, he is very aware of how much he has on his plate. I sat down with President-elect Obama for over an hour yesterday evening in Chicago. In a wide-ranging interview that covered the status of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the state of the economy, and the cabinet and staff he's assembling, the President-elect made it very clear that he's concerned about the two-month lapse between now and when he can take action as President. As you prepare to lead the country, what is your biggest fear?
BARACK OBAMA: There are a lot of things that keep me up at night.
WALTERS: Yeah.
OBAMA: And one of the concerns I have is that the economy is so weakened that the next 60 days are, are going to be difficult, because we've got a President who, even though he may mean well, is now sort of in lame duck status, Congress isn't in, and I don't have the reins of power. But what we can also do is to try to instill in the American people a sense of confidence that help is on the way, that somebody's going to be thinking about the fact that you're losing your home, that somebody's going to be working on making sure that, if you are at risk of losing your job, that there are plans in place to secure that job.
WALTERS: So what you're saying is, "Hang in there"?
OBAMA: Absolutely.
WALTERS: How did you feel when you read about the three heads of the auto companies taking private planes to Washington?
OBAMA: Well, I thought maybe they were a little tone deaf to what's happening in America right now. When people are pulling down hundred billion dollar, hundred million dollar bonuses on Wall Street, and taking enormous risks with other people's money, that indicates a sense that you don't have any perspective on what's happening to ordinary Americans.
WALTERS: Are there sacrifices that Americans as individuals can do?
OBAMA; Yes. The first thing, I think, is for the American people to draw on that reservoir of confidence and stick-to-it-ness and perseverance that my grandparents had during much tougher times during the Great Depression. To feel confident that we're going to get through these times. But each of us have a role to play, in not being wasteful when it comes to energy. For us to turn off the lights when we leave the house, to make sure that we're unplugging the chargers that we use on our cell phones. Buying a fuel efficient car, making sure that the tire pressure is proper so that we're not using as much gasoline. All those things add up, can make an enormous difference.
WALTERS: You talk about light bulbs and so forth. When you're in the White House, are you going to green the White House? You're going to turn off the light bulbs, tell the kids to turn them, you know?
OBAMA: Absolutely. One of the things I want to do is to, I've already met the chief usher, and one of the things I want to do is to sit down with him and, let's do an evaluation. How are we using energy in the White House? Now, you know, I don't want to, part of what I want to do is to show the American people that it's not that hard.
WALTERS: Are you going to tiptoe around at night and turn out the lights?
OBAMA: Well, you know, I'm not going to be obsessive about it, but I do that in my current house. There's no reason why I wouldn't do it in my next one.
WALTERS: Well, he has a few more lights to turn off in this next one. When I finished my conversation with the President-elect, we were then joined by his wife Michelle, and we talked about everything from the theme of his inaugural address to concerns about his safety, to the chores they expect their children to do in the white house. George, this couple clearly enjoys each other's company. As you will see tonight, they were very candid and very funny.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Barack Obama funny?
WALTERS: He says that he does have a sense of humor, but hers is better.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Can't wait to see. Barbara's special airs at 10 tonight, 9 Central.

# From the November 26 Barbara Walters Special on ABC:

BARBARA WALTERS: Good evening. In only 55 days, Barack Obama will replace one of the most unpopular Presidents in modern history. He will inherit two wars and an economic crisis not seen since the Great Depression. Tonight, as families across our country gather for the Thanksgiving holiday, there is a sense of unease and a hope that someone can restore confidence and leadership. Although Barack Obama insists we have only one President at a time, some say that fear and financial uncertainty have forced him into the unprecedented role of a shadow President, even before he has taken the oath of office. Perhaps it would not be an exaggeration to say that the fate of the nation is riding on his shoulders.

...

10:04 p.m.
You have said that Americans don't expect miracles from you, but many of them, indeed, do. You're expected to cure the economy, and to save the planet, and to do it quickly. Are you concerned that expectations might be too high for you?

10:08 p.m.
During the campaign, there was a central and consistent theme of yours to raise taxes on people earning over $250,000 a year. Now, it seems there's a little waffling on that. When are you going to do it?

...

After Obama brought up the importance of Americans trying not to waste energy, Walters asked: "You talk about light bulbs and so forth. When you're in the White House, are you going to (?) the White House? Are you going to turn off the light bulbs, tell the kids to turn the, you know?"

After Obama talked about re-evaluating how the White House uses energy, Walters responded: "Are you going to tip-toe around at night and turn off the lights?"

...

10:15 p.m.
You know, the primary theme of your campaign, of course, was "change" and new ideas, but a lot of the people on your team are former Clinton people, former Clinton insiders, so some people say, "What happened to change?"

...

Walters introduced the second half hour which focused on the relationship between Barack and Michelle Obama, and their expectations on raising their children in the White House:

WALTERS: The Obamas harken back to another First Family, with their youthful embodiment of style, substance, and hope. And at the epicenter, the woman the President-elect calls:
BARACK OBAMA CLIP FROM SPEECH: The rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama.

# From the Wednesday, January 17, 2001, World News Tonight on ABC:

BARBARA WALTERS: Did you expect him to be as much of a lightning rod?
GEORGE W. BUSH: Yes.
WALTERS: You really did. And you did it anyway even though you talk about wanting to unite.
BUSH: It doesn't mean we can't unite the nation once we put somebody in place who can do the job as Attorney General.
WALTERS: He's not considered a friend to civil rights, he's been against court ordered desegregation. The big question is, can an Attorney General enforce federal laws and protect rights that he personally, vigorously, opposes?
BUSH: Yes. His job is going to be to enforce the laws and there's no question in my mind he will. I know there's a lot of people out there hollering, mainly voices of special interests in Washington. That's what they're paid to do. And they're paid to create noise and emotion, but John is a steady hand who will do a fine job.

# From the January 19, 2001, 20/20 on ABC:

BARBARA WALTERS: You will become the President after one of the most contentious elections in history. Half the country was for you. Half the country was not for you. What can you do right away to assuage the resentment that many people still have?
GEORGE W. BUSH: I'm not going to change what I campaigned on, nor would I change my philosophy, but I'm going to be the president of everyone. It's rare that there's a landslide in American politics. Most elections are fairly evenly divided. And it's incumbent upon the victor to be humble and smart and focused to win the respect of the other half, and that's exactly what I intend to do.
WALTERS: What do you say to the people who feel that you didn't win the election, but that the Supreme Court handed it to you?
GEORGE W. BUSH: I say that they didn't watch the recounts. They counted the votes more than one time in the state of Florida. And every time they recounted, I won.

...

WALTERS: Well, let's talk about John Ashcroft. Everybody is.
GEORGE W. BUSH, LAUGHING: Yes.
WALTERS: He is your candidate, your nomination for attorney general.
JOHN ASHCROFT, HOLDING A PHOTOGRAPH OF WHAT IS LIKELY AN IMAGE OF AN UNBORN BABY: God's precious gift of life must be protected in law and nurtured in love.
WALTERS: Now, he openly opposes abortion. But he's going to have to be the one to protect the abortion clinics. He's not considered a friend to civil rights. He's been against court-ordered desegregation. The big question is, can an attorney general enforce federal laws and protect rights that he personally, vigorously opposes?
GEORGE W. BUSH: Yes. His job is going to be to enforce the laws and there's no question in my mind he will. John is a steady hand. He'll do a fine job.
WALTERS: Did you expect him to be as much of a lightning rod?
GEORGE W. BUSH: Yes.
WALTERS: You really did? And you did it anyway, even though you talk about wanting to unite?
GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, it doesn't mean we can't unite the nation once we put somebody in place who can do the job as attorney general.
WALTERS: Let's talk a bit about the economy, especially the stock market. Months ago, your economic adviser, Larry Lindsey, took all of his money out of the stock market. He said at time that the bubble will burst. Now, you are now required to put whatever investment you have in a blind trust. But before that, you took your money out of the stock market. You said you wanted to be liquid. Now, does this show a lot of confidence in the stock market?
GEORGE W. BUSH: No. It shows a person who wants to, who needs income from T-bills in order to be able to pay for expenses.
WALTERS: Yeah, but you could also get income from equity.
GEORGE W. BUSH: Yeah, you bet. I, actually, I've got some of my money in real estate right here in Crawford, Texas, some of my money in the market.
WALTERS: Still?
GEORGE W. BUSH: Yeah, you bet. And I don't know what, I don't what it is, because that's the blind trust portion of my-
WALTERS: Yeah. But the fact that you said you were liquid, the fact that Larry Lindsey took his money out, I mean, this is, doesn't show great confidence.
GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, I made my decision really to meet my own personal situation. And I've got confidence in our economy. I'm a little concerned about the short run.
WALTERS: Still, it was surprising that before Mr. Bush put his money in a blind trust, he had pulled it out of the stock market. Because one of his major campaign issues was that a portion of people's Social Security savings should be invested in the market. Do you still think that Americans should invest part of their Social Security in the stock market?

...

WALTERS: I want to talk a little bit about your, your own presidential style. It has been reported that, as governor, you spent relatively little time studying specific issues. You started work at 9, you took two hours for lunch and jogging, and you finish work at 5.
GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, this is just ridic-, I don't know where-
WALTERS: This is what we've this is what we've read.
GEORGE W. BUSH: No, that's just absurd. It's just totally absurd.
WALTERS: Tell us your schedule.
GEORGE W. BUSH: I'm up at 5:45 to 6. I read the papers. I'm at work generally at 7:15 to 7:30. I do exercise. I try to exercise on a regular basis, because I happen to believe that I'm a more effective person if I exercise. I worked over lunch. I oftentimes got home at 8 or 9 at night.
WALTERS: Do you nap every day?
GEORGE W. BUSH: No.
WALTERS: You know, but this is what's been said about you, you know-
GEORGE W. BUSH: I know, but this is-
WALTERS: -that you're this sort of a gentleman President who comes in, does a few hours of work and leaves.
GEORGE W. BUSH: Yeah. That's because, that's just shoddy reporting. It's ridiculous.

...

WALTERS: The problem left over from your father's time, Saddam Hussein.
GEORGE W. BUSH: Yes.
WALTERS: And he's stronger than ever. Just this past week, he said yet again, no inspectors. People say that, who are in the know, that he's building up his military capabilities. It's in your lap.
GEORGE W. BUSH: It is.
WALTERS: What do you do?
GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, we're going to insist upon some certain things. Insist that the agreement he signed he lives up to. We're going to have to rebuild a, a coalition of nations that, that have kind of unraveled recently.
WALTERS: You're going to do that?
GEORGE W. BUSH: I'm going to try, darn right. I'm going to keep the pressure on Saddam Hussein. This man's got to understand he cannot -- he cannot develop weapons of mass destruction and threaten our friends, the Israelis, and/or destabilize the--the Persian Gulf. We're just not going to let him do that.
WALTERS: Mr. President-elect, you're going to start now building up a, a relationship again with the allies to what?
GEORGE W. BUSH: To keep the pressure on Saddam Hussein.
WALTERS: To bomb? To invade?
GEORGE W. BUSH: No, no, no, I didn't say bomb. You're putting words in my mouth.
WALTERS: Okay, but that's what I'm wondering. What are you putting-
GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, to keep the pressure on him in terms of the sanctions.
WALTERS: Many of our allies don't want sanctions.
GEORGE W. BUSH: That's the problem. I agree.
WALTERS: Yeah.
GEORGE W. BUSH: I mean, if what you're suggesting is the sanction regime is starting to unravel, it is.
WALTERS: So you got to do some work on that?
GEORGE W. BUSH: Absolutely, we're going to have to do some work on that.

...

WALTERS: We have recognized Vietnam, an old enemy and now a socialist country. We have relations with China. We don't tell them what kind of government to have. Are there any circumstances that would induce you to establish relations with Cuba?
GEORGE W. BUSH: With Cuba?
WALTERS: Cuba?
GEORGE W. BUSH: Yeah. Free elections and free prisoners and free press.
WALTERS: You don't say to China, unless you have free elections and free press, we won't do business with you?
GEORGE W. BUSH: No, but we do say this to China, and that's different. That is to say, we say, we want to make sure if there's trade, we trade with an entrepreneurial class. That doesn't happen in Cuba. In order to trade with Cuba, you're actually trading with a Castro or government-owned entity, and the people don't benefit.

...

WILL FERRELL, PLAYING GEORGE W. BUSH, FROM SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: Excuse me, Uncle Dick, I was wondering since technically I am the president, if I could keep this dog I found in the parking lot? My Cabinet and I have decided to name him Awesome Dude.
WALTERS: I want to talk about people poking fun because Saturday Night Live is still poking fun of you.
GEORGE W. BUSH: That's good. That's a good sign.
WALTERS: And that-
LAURA BUSH: Won't that go on for another four years?
WALTERS: I think it's going to go on for four more years, but the description of you as good natured, but bumbling, and not too smart, why does that linger?
GEORGE W. BUSH: Had I not won the election, I wouldn't have been on Saturday Night Live. But I don't worry about all that business.
WALTERS: Does it bother you, Mrs. Bush?
LAURA BUSH: We're usually in bed before they're on, but when you're in politics, you know that there's going to be criticism, of course. It is just part of the job. It's just what happens. And, you know, you just try to not pay attention to it.

...

WALTERS: You are also going to be, in your own words, a more traditional First Lady. Hillary Clinton was very activist. She was involved sometimes in policy planning. And, you know, there will be those people who will say this is a setback for women.
LAURA BUSH: Well, those weren't my own words. I didn't say I would be a traditional first lady. I said that I have been, I've always had traditionally women's jobs. I was a teacher and a librarian. I stayed home to raise my children once George and I married and I had twins. But I don't think I've been a traditional first lady of Texas. I've been a very activist first lady. I've worked on legislative issues, legislator appropriated money for the early childhood initiatives that I thought were important. So I don't think I'll be traditional in that sense.

On the Obamas, Walters: 'I Don't Want
to Gush. They're Very Cute'

ABC's Barbara Walters couldn't contain herself as she previewed her upcoming interview with Barack and Michelle Obama on Wednesday's Good Morning America: "[T]hey're very -- I don't know how to put it. I don't want to gush. They're very cute, and very -- and very funny in this interview together." Walters played two clip of the interview, which is set to air on ABC on Wednesday night, in which she asked the President-elect softball questions such as, "How did you feel when you read about the three heads of the auto companies taking private planes to Washington?"

Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts interviewed Walters just after the top of the 7 am Eastern hour of the ABC program, as The View co-host played the two clips from her time with the Obamas. During the first clip, after asking how the outgoing Illinois Senator felt about the auto executives and their private planes, Walters brought up another group of business leaders: "Should bank executives -- it's almost Christmastime -- forego their bonuses?" Once Mr. Obama gave his answer, she posed a question about a much less serious matter: "How are you going to get along without your Blackberry?" Roberts broke in after he answered, and remarked how it was "so tough to give up that Blackberry."

[This item, by the MRC's Matthew Balan, was posted Wednesday evening on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org [2] ]

The GMA co-host first asked Walters, "How are they doing?" The ABC veteran began to gush from the first moment of her first answer: " They -- together, they're very funny. I've never seen [them] this relaxed. By the way, he's losing, so far, that negotiation about the Blackberry." She continued by talking about the issue of the Obama daughters, which was the main subject of the second clip from the interview.

After the second clip, Roberts repeated Walters' earlier point: "As you said, very comfortable -- very funny with one another." She then asked, "How would you describe their relationship, Barbara?" Walters first described their conversation of the Obamas' individual senses of humor, and gave an anecdote about how Mr. Obama stopped his wife for a second, so he could wipe lipstick off of her teeth. It was at this point that The View co-host made her "I don't want to gush" remark.

Roberts closed the segment by asking about the Obamas' Thanksgiving plans and who "gets the last word a lot." Once Walters gave her final answer, Roberts herself gushed a bit over the future First Couple: "Quite a partnership."

The full transcript of the Roberts/Walters segment, which began 2 minutes into the 7 am Eastern hour of ABC's Good Morning America:

ROBIN ROBERTS: ...[W]e begin the morning with ABC's new exclusive interview with President-Elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle. Barbara Walters sat down last night with the new first couple in their hometown of Chicago, where Barack Obama talked candidly about the economic bailout, and adjusting to his new life as president-elect.
BARBARA WALTERS (from taped interview): How did you feel when you read about the three heads of the auto companies taking private planes to Washington?
PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA: Well, I thought -- maybe they're a little tone-deaf to what's happening in America right now. And this has been a chronic problem, not just for the auto industry. I mean, when people are pulling down $100 million bonuses on Wall Street, and taking enormous risks with other people's money -- that indicates a sense that you don't have any perspective on what's happening to ordinary Americans.
WALTERS: Should bank executives -- it's almost Christmastime -- forego their bonuses?
OBAMA: I think they should. That's an example of taking responsibility. I think that if you are already worth tens of millions of dollars, and you're having to lay off workers, the least you can do is say, I'm willing to make some sacrifice, as well, because I recognize that there [are] people who are lot less well-off who are going through some pretty tough times.
WALTERS: How are you going to get along without your Blackberry?
OBAMA: (Laughs.) This is a problem. You know, one of the things that I'm going to have to work through is how to break through the isolation, the bubble, that exists around the president, and I'm in the process of negotiating with the Secret Service, with lawyers, with White House staff.
WALTERS: You might have a Blackberry?
OBAMA: Well, I'm negotiating to figure out how can I get information from outside of the 10 or 12 people who surround my office in the White House. I want to make sure that I keep my finger on the pulse of the struggles that people are going through every day.
ROBERTS (on-camera): So tough to give up that Blackberry. And, of course, Barbara just returned with this interview. She joins us now. You were just in Chicago hours ago --
WALTERS: That's right.
ROBERTS: [You] had a chance to sit down with the Obamas, as we just saw. What -- how are they doing?
WALTERS: They -- together, they're very funny. I've never seen [them] this relaxed. By the way, he's losing, so far, that negotiation about the Blackberry. But, of course, their main concern is about, you know, the two, little girls, and how they have a life that's not in a bubble -- how they have a life that's as normal as possible. And you'll be surprised that -- how they're going to make that happen.
OBAMA (from taped inteview): I think a lot of it just has to do with making sure that they understand that they're special to us because we're their parents. But they're not special in terms of having to do their home work or having to do chores. Or --
ROBERTS: They're going to do chores in the White House?
B. OBAMA: Absolutely. You know, having --
MICHELLE OBAMA: Yeah. That was the first thing I said to some of the staff when I did my visit, because, of course, they were like, 'oh, the girls -- they're so great.' I said, you know, we're going to have to set up some boundaries, because they're going to need to be able to make their beds --
WALTERS: Really?
M. OBAMA: And clean up. They do that now.
B. OBAMA: They've been doing that since they were four years old.
ROBERTS: In the White House, they're going to make their beds and clean up their rooms?
M. OBAMA: That's going to be one of my goals.
B. OBAMA: That's our plan.
M. OBAMA: You don't make their beds. Make mine (both Obamas laugh) but skip the kids. Let them make their own beds. They have to learn these things.
B. OBAMA: Right. The thing I'm most proud [of] about my kids is that they're kind, thoughtful kids, and they show everybody respect. Everybody they meet. They're kind and sweet, too, and they're thoughtful, and, you know, if they retain that, the other stuff will take care of itself.
ROBERTS (on-camera): As you said, very comfortable -- very funny with one another. How would you describe their relationship, Barbara?
WALTERS: By the way, you know, he's usually so serious, and when he discusses Afghanistan with us and the economy, it's very serious. He says that he is funny. I said, people think you don't have much of a sense of humor. He said, no, I'm funny -- but she's funnier. They did something that I think everyone can relate to. We sit down for the interview, and she -- Mrs. Obama is talking, and he bends over and says just a minute, dear. And he takes, on camera, the lipstick off her teeth. We left it in. I said, you know what, I'm going to leave this in, because everybody should see [it]. You know, [unintelligible] They're -- they're very -- I don't know how to put it. I don't want to gush. They're very cute, and very -- and very funny in this interview together.
ROBERTS: Of course, Thanksgiving is tomorrow. What are their plans?
WALTERS: She says that they're going to have 60 people at least, and he says, yeah, mostly her relatives. She's says I'm not cooking. She said, and I quote, 'my husband ran for president. I should have another cooking something for dinner.' So she's just going to -- she'll be a lady of leisure, more or less, at the dinner.
ROBERTS: We see how they are very comfortable with each other, going back and forth, but who gets the last word a lot?
WALTERS: She says she does, and he says she gets the last word -- I'€˜m quoting him: 'When Momma's happy, everyone is happy.' And she talked, too, about the fact, you know, that he is always so cool and so on. And he says, yeah, but sometimes she gets under my skin. And I said, well, what? And he said, Well, when she's unreasonable. She does keep him grounded. She gives him the little nudges here and there. When he talks about not wanting to be in a bubble, she won't let him be in a bubble. That's when you see her teasing and trying to -- not put him down. But saying, hey, you know? Let's remember who we are, just the two of us.
ROBERTS: Quite a partnership. Well, Barbara, thank you. I know you just landed hours ago to bring us a sneak peek. We appreciate it, and you can see all of Barbara's exclusive interview with the Obamas on a special edition of ABC's 20/20. You can see it tonight at 10/9 Central. Thanks again, Barbara.

ABC's Gibson Sees No Liberals So Far
in the Obama Cabinet

On ABC's World News on Tuesday night, anchor Charles Gibson ran down the list of all the Obama cabinet appointments so far, and never found a liberal label for any of them, from Hillary Clinton to Tom Daschle. ABC reporter Jake Tapper followed with the President-elect's newest budget nominees: "Mr. Obama today appointed experts from Capitol Hill to run his Office of Management and Budget. To be headed by Peter Orszag, the current director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office."

[This item, by the MRC's Tim Graham, was posted Wednesday afternoon on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org [3] ]

TV reporters love to designate the CBO as "nonpartisan," but the appointment is made by the parties in power in the House and Senate, as the CBO website explains: "The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate jointly appoint the CBO Director, after considering recommendations from the two budget committees." The current president pro tempore of the Senate is Robert Byrd. Orszag got the job when the Democrats took over in 2007. Before that, he worked for the liberal Brookings Institution.

For the CBO's own description on how its director is appointed, see "CBO Fact Sheet" at: www.cbo.gov [4]

Here's how Gibson ran down his completely non-ideological list of Obama picks:

GIBSON: We learned another member of the Barack Obama economic team today. We have a chart of the cabinet that the new president will have. His new director of the Office of Management and Budget will be Peter Orszag, who is currently the director of the Congressional Budget Office. But we're also learning some of the other members to be announced in his cabinet. For instance, ABC News has learned today that Robert Gates, the current Secretary of Defense, will stay on for at least the first year of the new Obama administration. In the Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano the leading contender. She is the governor of the state of Arizona.
Everybody is talking about the State Department. We understand that Hillary Clinton is a done deal. She will be announced as the new secretary of state in an Obama administration. At the United Nations, Dr. Susan Rice, currently at the Brookings Institution, no relation to Condoleezza Rice, will take over as the U.N. ambassador in a new Obama adminstration. Attorney General, Eric Holder, former Deputy Attorney General, friend of Barack Obama, the nominee there. We understand the vetting process is complete. At the Department of Health and Human Services, former senator Tom Daschle from South Dakota, friend of Barack Obama, to take over there, and the leading contender at the Commerce Department, Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico.

Let's review briefly some lifetime American Conservative Union ratings for the Obama administration: Barack Obama eight percent, Joe Biden 13, Rahm Emanuel 13, Hillary Clinton's an eight, and Tom Daschle, a 13. Clearly, a Republican list of appointees with ACU scores of 87 to 92 would be a list of "conservatives."

Brian Williams: 'Could We Use a Little
FDR Right About Now?'

Working on the day after Thanksgiving, Brian Williams used Friday's NBC Nightly News to promote a new book from FDR's grandson, providing Williams with an opportunity to propose: "In your estimation, could we use a little FDR right about now?" Though Franklin Delano Roosevelt's policies failed to end the Depression, Williams hailed him as "the man who led this nation out of financial disaster." Conceding "we can no longer talk to him," as if we'd benefit from doing so, Williams trumpeted how "tonight we think we have about the next best thing" in FDR's grandson, Curtis, who "lives in the south of France after a career with the UN."

Williams cued up Roosevelt, "I know you've been asked for comment along these lines lately: In your estimation, could we use a little FDR right about now?" Roosevelt naturally agreed as he recalled "FDR is credited with a fantastic list of legislative achievements," but "to me, his achievement in conveying confidence and hope to the American people was far more important" and so "I hope Obama picks it up" and will "convey to the American public that they have to join him in coping with this recession."

[This item, by the MRC's Brent Baker, was posted Saturday on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org [5] ]

Williams, who anchored the Friday, November 28 NBC Nightly News, set up the pre-recorded segment:
"Now to a name that's been in the news a lot lately: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the man who led this nation out of financial disaster and guided us right through to victory in World War II. We can no longer talk to him, but tonight we think we have about the next best thing. FDR's grandson, Curtis Roosevelt, grew up in the White House. These days he's 78, lives in the south of France after a career with the UN. And he's broken his silence about his grandfather with a new book, Too Close to the Sun."

After discussing how being FDR's grandson determined Curtis Roosevelt's identity and his concerns about whether the Obama children can remain "grounded," Williams posed the question about if "we use a little FDR right about now?" Roosevelt answered:
"Yes, and I do hope that the President-elect realizes that when you look at that first hundred days -- FDR is credited with a fantastic list of legislative achievements and so forth. Fine. But to me, his achievement in conveying confidence and hope to the American people was far more important. And I hope Obama picks it up and realizes that all of his economic advisers, all of political advisers of every stripe are not going to be able to give him what only he can do and that is to convey to the American public that they have to join him in coping with this recession."

The Barnes & Noble page for Too Close to the Sun: Growing Up in the Shadow of My Grandparents, Franklin and Eleanor: search.barnesandnoble.com [6]

MSNBC.com video of the interview excerpt aired on Friday's NBC Nightly News: www.msnbc.msn.com [7]

Turner: KGB 'Honorable,' Iraq 'Naked
Aggression' = USSR in Afghan

"The KGB, I think, was an honorable place to work" with "worthwhile" achievements, CNN founder Ted Turner contended in an interview aired on Sunday's Meet the Press in which he blamed the U.S. for starting the battles with Vladimir Putin "by putting the Star Wars system in Czechoslovakia and Poland" and, when host Tom Brokaw recalled that Leonid Brezhnev reacted to Jimmy Carter's outreach by invading Afghanistan, Turner retorted with moral equivalence: "Well, we invaded Afghanistan, too, and it's a lot further -- at least it's on the border of the Soviet Union." Brokaw called it "naked aggression on the part of the Russians at the time," prompting Turner to charge: "Well, going into Iraq was naked aggression on the part of the United States."

Turner, who did the sit-down as part of the media tour for his new book, Call Me Ted, defended Putin's KGB background by comparing it to someone who worked for the FBI: "We have an FBI and, and, and, and, and we're not prejudiced against somebody who's worked at the FBI. It's an honorable place to work. And the KGB, I think, was an honorable place to work. And it, it gave people in the former Soviet Union, a communist country, an opportunity to do something important and worthwhile."

Yeah, like oppressing people in captured nations and running gulags to suppress political dissent.

And Czechoslovakia is no more.

[This item, by the MRC's Brent Baker, was posted Sunday on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org [8] ]

Seven months ago, Turner similarly applied moral equivalence in describing Iraqi insurgents as "patriots" who simply "don't like us because we've invaded their country" and "if the Iraqis were in Washington, D.C., we'd be doing the same thing."

In that same interview on PBS, Turner predicted global warming will soon lead to cannibalism. The April 2 CyberAlert item, "Turner: Iraqi Insurgents 'Patriots,' Warming Inaction: Cannibalism," recounted with video:

Full rundown: www.mediaresearch.org [9]

From the pre-recorded interview run on the Sunday, November 30 Meet the Press:

TOM BROKAW: You met Vladimir Putin when he was just an aide to the mayor of St. Petersburg. He picked up you and Jane Fonda, to whom you were married at the time. But as you have watched him since then, most people see not in his eyes a soulful person, but the eyes -- three letters, as someone has put it: KGB. That he is-
TED TURNER: Well, he had that background. But you know, we have an FBI and, and, and, and, and we're not prejudiced against somebody who's worked at the FBI. It's an honorable place to work. And the KGB, I think, was an honorable place to work. And it, it gave people in the former Soviet Union, a communist country, an opportunity to do something important and worthwhile.
BROKAW: But in the meantime, it appears that he's very much more interested in just causing difficulty for the United States, getting in our face in a manner of speaking.
TURNER: Well, wait. We're the ones -- in my opinion, we're the ones that started that. We're the ones that started by putting the Star Wars system in Czechoslovakia and Poland when they wanted to be part of it. We've said that that system is only to protect us from Iran or protect Europe from Iranian missiles. So why didn't we cooperate with the Russians? Why have we constantly been pushing, we've been pushing on the Russians all the time.
BROKAW: Your friend, Jimmy Carter, tried to be friendly with Leonid Brezhnev, and for his friendliness what did Brezhnev do?
TURNER: Hell, I don't remember. It was before I got involved.
BROKAW: He invaded Afghanistan. He invaded Afghanistan.
TURNER: Well, we invaded Afghanistan, too, and it's a lot further -- at least it's on the border of the Soviet Union or the former Soviet Union or Russia. A lot of these countries have changed names several times.
BROKAW: But, Ted, don't try to go there in terms of justifying that. I mean, it is, the fact is that the Russians, it was a naked aggression-
TURNER: Why can't I try and justify it?
BROKAW: It was naked aggression on the part of the Russians at the time.
TURNER: Well, going into Iraq was naked aggression on the part of the United States.
BROKAW: Yeah, but big power politics and changing big power politics requires everyone to come to the table, and that includes the Russians, not just the United States.
TURNER: They'll come if we invite them, I'm sure.

Barnes & Noble page for Turner's book: search.barnesandnoble.com [10]

-- Brent Baker