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ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Media Research Center President Brent Bozell [2] today blasted CBS News, and CBS Evening News Anchor Dan Rather, for spiking a CBS poll which showed President Bush leading Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. Previous CBS polls showing Kerry ahead of Bush were reported faithfully by the Evening News broadcast.
If the CBS Evening News cannot report in a fair and balanced fashion about this election they need to get out of the news business. The networks own web site carried the results of the poll with the headline Bush Moves Ahead of Kerry, but the CBS Evening Newss refusal to report these findings show the network has already chosen sides in this election and is not credible, Bozell said.
The latest CBS News/New York Times poll showed Bush pulling ahead of Kerry as the CBS News web site correctly noted by 46% to 43% after two previous polls had showed Kerry leading Bush. Two weeks ago, the CBS Evening News emphasized how Bush's approval rating had fallen below 50 percent, but the new poll found his approval rating back above 50 percent but that too went unmentioned Monday night.
Given the total debacle that was CBS Newss election coverage in the 2000 election, CBS has an even greater burden and obligation to be fair and balanced in this years election coverage. Spiking their own poll to favor one candidate over another reveals that CBS has not learned the lessons of four years ago, and four years later it continues to mislead and misinform the American people, Bozell said.
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