Time Magazine Editor: Hillary Clinton a 'Moral Conservative' --11/9/2007
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2. CBS's Early Show Focuses on Giuliani Scandal, Never Touched Hsu
3. ABC Devotes 19 Minutes to Liberal Film; Streep Bashes O'Reilly
4. Oops! ABC Accidentally Features Pro-Fred Thompson Message
5. Order Now: Bozell's Book on Media Coverage of Hillary Out Tuesday
6. Bored of Late Night Re-Runs? 'NewsBusted' Comedy New This Week
Sullivan appeared on MSNBC to plug the magazine's new cover story by Joe Klein: "What Hillary Believes." See: www.time.com I learned of Sullivan's assessment of Clinton from Mark Finkelstein, who posted an item on it Thursday night on the MRC's NewsBusters blog. He noticed she has a bio of the "Faithful Democrats" Web site: faithfuldemocrats.com The "Progressive Faithful Media" site notes her work for Daschle: "Ms. Sullivan is an editor of Washington Monthly and leading expert on religion and the Democratic Party. She is a doctoral candidate in Religion and Politics at Princeton and formerly served as an aid to Senator Tom Daschle and Editorial Director for the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. She holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Harvard Divinity School." See: therespublica.org A Washington Monthly bio for her cites her jump to Time magazine earlier this year: "Amy Sullivan is the nation editor for TIME magazine, where she directs political coverage and the magazine's polling operation. Her book on Democrats and religion, The Party Faithful, will be published in February 2008 by Scribner. Sullivan's work has appeared in publications including the Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, and was included in The Best Political Writing 2006. She is a frequent guest on radio and television talk shows. Previously, Sullivan served as editor of the Washington Monthly, and as editorial director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. She holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Harvard Divinity School, and pursued doctoral studies in sociology at Princeton University." See: www.washingtonmonthly.com This isn't the first time Sullivan has appeared on television to paint Democrats as less liberal. The July 18 CyberAlert, "CBS Uses Democrat Helpers to Show Democrats Now 'Get Religion,'" recounted: Monday's Early Show on CBS picked up on Time magazine's promotional cover story, "How The Democrats Got Religion." CBS reporter Jeff Glor used two guides to explore how the Democrats would "level the praying field," but didn't exactly tell viewers that these guides were involved in the drive to help the Democrats. The first expert was Time magazine's Amy Sullivan, who wrote a "God Gap" essay for the magazine. Time and CBS didn't explain she was an aide to then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and during her stint with the liberal magazine The Washington Monthly, she advised the Democrats on how to "get religion" in the last presidential election cycle, to no avail: www.washingtonmonthly.com Sullivan's piece in the July 23 Time: www.time.com For the CyberAlert article in full: www.mediaresearch.org The relevant portion of the interview on the November 8 edition of the 6pm EST Tucker on MSNBC, picking up after Carlson asked: "What are her core beliefs?"
For a look at August 31 Evening News coverage of the Hsu scandal: www.mrc.org For more on September 7 Evening News coverage of Hsu: www.mrc.org On the November 8 Early Show, Pitts worked to illustrate Giuliani's close connection to Kerik while beginning to analyze the possible political fallout: "For his former boss and Republican presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani, there are potential political problems. The men who were friends, business partners. It was Mayor Giuliani who elevated Kerik from detective, to head of corrections, to police commissioner...It was Giuliani who recommended Kerik to President Bush for Secretary of Homeland Security. But it all fell apart. Allegations of wrongdoing doomed Kerik's nomination, and have haunted Giuliani ever since." [This item is based on a posting, by Kyle Drennen, was posted Thursday afternoon on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ] Here is the full transcript of the 8:03am segment:
RUSS MITCHELL: Republican presidential hopeful, Rudy Giuliani, has stood by his good friend and associate, Bernard Kerik, through good times and bad. But that could change now that Kerik maybe in some big trouble. CBS News correspondent Byron Pitts reports.
Over a span of three days, Good Morning America has devoted almost 19 minutes of air time to promoting Lions for Lambs, the left-wing, anti-war drama starring and directed by Robert Redford. The promotional push continued on Thursday's show as one of the film's other stars, Meryl Streep, attacked Bill O'Reilly for what she apparently saw as questioning the patriotism of liberals. After co-host Diane Sawyer played a clip of O'Reilly wondering if Democrats really want to win in Iraq, the actress sarcastically stated: "It was my favorite thing that I ever saw Bill O'Reilly do. And so I lifted it out of his show and put it in the movie." Streep derided O'Reilly's comments as the "wife beating question" and, in an annoyed tone, asked: "Are you still beating your wife? There's no way to answer it." Sawyer's interview came after a segment on Wednesday with the actress, director Redford and fellow star Tom Cruise. That followed yet another piece on Tuesday solely with Redford. On Thursday, Sawyer continued to laud what she saw as a brave film. The co-host gushed that Lions for Lambs wonders how "you strengthen the muscles of your convictions?" She fawned over the film, which involves a journalist lobbying other reporters to oppose the government's plans for war, by describing Streep's character as "a middle-aged reporter, facing the question of her job or her convictions. What does it take to be brave?" For the earlier segments this week, check the November 8 CyberAlert: www.mrc.org And: www.mrc.org It should be pointed out that Good Morning America has stood alone in its excessive push for this film. While GMA devoted 18 minutes and 45 seconds to the movie, CBS's Early Show and NBC's Today have, thus far, featured no interviews with the film's stars. In addition to the massive amount of coverage ABC has given and the gushing tone of Sawyer's questions, the morning show has also featured a generous amount of clips from the movie. Over three days, Good Morning America has played two minutes and 33 seconds worth of the film. In contrast, the Lions for Lambs trailer is only two minutes and 30 seconds long.
Sawyer's appearance on Thursday featured some bizarre suggestions. There was this "good idea" that the actress appropriated from her mother: Streep also asserted that most Americans aren't sacrificing. She lectured, "I think we'll do things if we think our children are in danger. And for 99 percent of us, our children are not." Even if you buy the argument, wouldn't the global threat of radical Islam mean that, at some point, all of "our children" would be in danger? Finally, as noted by Sawyer, the actress believes that "just blogging to your friends is not enough" if you want to express your opinions. Streep complained that the problem with blogging is "it just sort of goes out and corroborates with all the other people who agree with you and then you're done." So, blogs don't work because they are only read by like-minded people? As opposed to a more diverse environment like Hollywood? A transcript of the segment, which aired at 8:16am on November 8:
DIANE SAWYER: And now, a chance this morning to have coffee with Meryl Streep. She is one of the stars of the new movie "Lions for Lambs" with Robert Redford and Tom Cruise. It is a movie about a professor, a student, a senator and a journalist and the question, how do you strengthen the muscles of your convictions? Streep and Cruise.
[The screen shot will be added to the posted version of this CyberAlert. But in the meantime, check the NewsBusters posting by Scott Whitlock: newsbusters.org ]
Perhaps Mr. Rich has read the MRC's recent study that found ABC has devoted double the amount of stories to 2008 Democratic candidates as they have for Republican contenders: www.mrc.org Maybe he just wanted to even the playing field, ever so slightly? Considering that Good Morning America has yet to offer a "town hall" special to a Republican, but has held two for the Democrats, this might be as close as Fred Thompson will get on ABC.
The promotional text for the book: Uncovering a Fifteen Year Love Affair How could America's presidential front-runner be a woman who has held only one elective office and had staggering numbers of personal, political, and financial scandals? How did the First Lady to a disgraced, impeached president become a presidential front-runner despite never having held elective office before 2001? And how did this happen given her staggering number of personal, political, and financial scandals -- and her leftist political agenda? Authors L. Brent Bozell and Tim Graham peel back the layers of Hillary Clinton's success to expose the real shocker -- not Travelgate or Whitewater -- but a fifteen year love affair by the liberal media, starting with Time magazine, who first introduced Hillary Clinton to the country as an "amalgam of Betty Crocker, Mother Teresa and Oliver Wendell Holmes." The elite media's continued and unprecedented favoritism is the key to Hillary's mythic political standing. They have downplayed or ignored her every scandal and recast her ultra-liberalism as being in the political center. What's even more stunning is the incredible number of stories that have been under-reported, excused and buried. To expose the truth, the authors interviewed dozens of leading conservatives who want Americans to hear the whole story, including Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham, Cal Thomas, Newt Gingrich and many others. Whitewash: What the Media Won't Tell You About Hillary Clinton, But Conservatives Will Order your copy today! To order from the MRC for $25.95 (shipping included), with the amount over our cost of the book going to support the MRC: www.mrc.org
To order for $17.13 from Amazon, but you'll have to pay an additional shipping charge: www.amazon.com Shipping is free from Amazon and Barnes & Noble if your order totals $25 or more. The book will be released on Tuesday, November 13 and should ship shortly afterward and be available in major chain bookstores next Tuesday or soon thereafter.
And enjoy the archive of past shows: www.youtube.com Actually, one late-night comedy show is new this week and not in re-runs: Chelsea Lately on E!. But NewsBusted is funnier. -- Brent Baker
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Asked by Thursday night by MSNBC's Tucker Carlson what are Hillary Clinton's "core beliefs," Amy Sullivan, editor of the "Nation" section for Time magazine, conceded "it seems that on social issues, by which I mean kind of welfare and economic issues, she's fairly liberal," but Sullivan insisted, "she's a moral conservative." Sullivan, who once worked as an aide to Democratic Senator Tom Daschle, justified her contention by contending Clinton "gets behind, you know, things like values issues. She's endorsed a plan to lower abortion rates..." A dumbfounded Carlson reacted: "Has she ever suggested placing any restriction of any kind on abortion, limiting for instance abortion for sex selection? Or any restriction, of any kind. Ever? I must have missed it. Has she?" Sullivan responded by touting Clinton's position: "I think she's focused more on preventing unwanted pregnancies and providing support for women who are pregnant and want to have their babies but aren't sure that they can afford it." 
AMY SULLIVAN: On foreign policy, she is a little more hawkish than the rest of the Democratic Party, and certainly more than the primary base is. It seems that on social issues, by which I mean kind of welfare and economic issues, she's fairly liberal. But she's a moral conservative. Which is to say that she also gets behind, you know, things like values issues. She's endorsed a plan to lower abortion rates that actually just passed through the House and Senate conference committee this week. 
Thursday's Early Show on CBS featured a full story on the likely indictments of former NYPD Commissioner and Rudy Giuliani friend, Bernard Kerik, but the Early Show never aired a story on Hillary Clinton's fugitive fundraiser, Norman Hsu. News reader Russ Mitchell set up the story: "Republican presidential hopeful, Rudy Giuliani, has stood by his good friend and associate, Bernard Kerik, through good times and bad. But that could change now that Kerik maybe in some big trouble." Reporter Byron Pitts explained how "CBS News has learned former New York City Police Commissioner, Bernard Kerik, could face indictment as early as today on criminal charges, including tax fraud and other counts." While the Early Show had no hesitation in reporting a possible Giuliani scandal, the morning news program failed to mention the Hillary Clinton fundraising scandal involving fugitive Norman Hsu even once. That was true even when Early Show co-host, Harry Smith, had reported the story on the August 31 and September 7 CBS Evening News broadcasts, while filling in for anchor Katie Couric. 
PITTS: But for his former boss and Republican presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani, there are potential political problems. The men who were friends, business partners. It was Mayor Giuliani who elevated Kerik from detective, to head of corrections, to police commissioner. The two were symbols of unity and strength in the hours and weeks after 9/11. It was Giuliani who recommended Kerik to President Bush for Secretary of Homeland Security. But it all fell apart. Allegations of wrongdoing doomed Kerik's nomination, and have haunted Giuliani ever since. 
Good Morning America viewers may have been surprised to see someone wearing a "Fred '08" t-shirt on Wednesday's show. No, it wasn't liberal co-host Diane Sawyer or Chris Cuomo, the brother of New York's Democratic Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo. Rather, it was John Rich, a singer/songwriter for the band "Big & Rich" and a Tennessee native. He performed on the program sporting a big grin and a shirt that promoted Fred Thompson's 2008 presidential bid. He could be seen standing next to Sam Champion, GMA weatherman and a supporter of Al Gore's liberal climate change policies. 
Champion once famously hosted a segment about global warming that wondered if "billions" will die from global warming. See the February 1 CyberAlert: 
Bored of late night comedy show re-runs? Well, the MRC's "NewsBusted" comedy video show is not on strike! A new episode, in fact, was just posted this morning (Friday). While Leno, Stewart, Letterman, O'Brien, Ferguson, Kimmel and Colbert are all in re-runs because of the strike by the Writers Guild of America, the MRC's NewsBusted comedy video show -- with jokes about politics, Hollywood and media bias -- is fresh this week. Check out the latest two-and-a-half-minute comedy show now at the top of the MRC's NewsBusters blog: 
