20070626 CyberAlert

CyberAlert

CBS Frets Court's Turn to Right, ABC Rues Campaign Finance Ruling

A usually-daily report, edited by Brent H. Baker, CyberAlert is distributed by the Media Research Center, the leader since 1987 in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.

The 2,435^th CyberAlert. Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996

9:45am EDT, Tuesday June 26, 2007 (Vol. Twelve; No. 108)

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1. CBS Frets Court's Turn to Right, ABC Rues Campaign Finance Ruling

The Supreme Court on Monday issued two rulings related to free speech, but CBS was more concerned by the court's move "to the right," while ABC deplored the impact of the ruling striking down of a ban on advocacy advertising 60 days before an election.

Substitute CBS Evening News anchor Harry Smith, however, saw only one of the cases as involving free speech as he stressed the ideological direction of the court: "Today the justices ruled on a broad range of issues, including campaign finance reform and free speech for students. The rulings illustrate a distinct turn to the right due in part to the court's newest members."

Instead of seeing a victory for free speech, Wyatt Andrews described it as "part of a trend in which the Roberts court generally has moved to the right."

Andrews soon touted how "often the court's only woman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, would verbally strike back," such as when "she said the partial-birth abortion decision reflects ancient notions about women's place in the family, and this was out loud in open court."

Over on ABC, anchor Charles Gibson relayed how both of the big rulings "involved freedom of speech," but only in the school case did ABC put "free speech" on screen. With "Campaign Ads" on screen, Gibson rued the triumph for free speech: "The court weakened a key provision of the campaign finance reform law, opening the way for many more groups to run many more political ads."

2. NBC Highlights Students Asking Bush to Stop Torturing Prisoners

On Monday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams highlighted a "surprise" letter presented to President Bush by high school students visiting the White House who wanted the President to "stop the practice of torture." Williams: "When they got there, 50 of them [out of 141] presented him with a handwritten letter that they had signed demanding that the United States stop the practice of torture."

During the 37-second item, Williams recounted the story and at one point showed a copy of the letter on-screen with the sentence "We do not want America to represent torture" blown up so it was readable to viewers.

The NBC anchor concluded by relaying the President's response: "The President told them the United States does not practice torture, the very same thing the President has said publicly in the past."

3. NBC's Today Portrays Dick Cheney As the 'Master of Stealth'

Carrying the left's water, on Monday's Today show, NBC's Kelly O'Donnell furthered the liberal spin of Dick Cheney as a dark and sinister force inside the White House.

While refusing to label Melanie Sloan and Michael Blanton as the known liberals that they are, O'Donnell cited them, along with the Washington Post's Barton Gellman, in a segment that portrayed Cheney as a "master of stealth." In the story about Cheney withholding documents from the National Archives, O'Donnell aired three soundbites opposed to Cheney but only aired one from a Cheney advocate, White House Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino.

4. ABC Again Admires 'Noble' Environmentalist Who Shuns Toilet Paper

On Monday's Good Morning America, for the second time in less than two months, the ABC program featured a gushing segment on a liberal environmentalist's "noble experiment" of forgoing toilet paper and all other modern amenities in order to have "no impact" on the Earth.

GMA weatherman Sam Champion, who is himself a promoter of extremist environmental beliefs, touted how the year-long project could be "fun."

Co-anchor Chris Cuomo marveled at how Colin Beaven, or "No Impact Man," as he likes to be called, is trying to "do nothing to hurt the environment." In an unintentionally funny moment, when Cuomo noted that he couldn't "go without" toilet paper, this exchange followed. Cuomo: "Can't go without [toilet paper]. Can't be that green, Sam. Can't be that green." Champion: "I want to help you." In the 8:30am tease for the segment, guest co-host Juju Chang deemed the project a "noble experiment."

5. Huffington Post Writer: At Least Hitler Meant Well -- Unlike Bush

President Bush is actually worse than Hitler because at least the German dictator meant well when he was trying to exterminate Jewish people, ex-Seinfeld sit-com writer and Washington Post sports reporter Peter Mehlman contended in a rant last Wednesday on the Huffington Post blog.

Pointing out how many see Bush as the worst President ever, the featured Huffington Post contributor asserted that "what no one is saying is the one overarching reason he's the worst: the Bush administration is the first that doesn't even mean well."

Mehlman contended: "You could argue that even the world's worst fascist dictators at least meant well. They honestly thought were doing good things for their countries by suppressing blacks/eliminating Jews/eradicating free enterprise/repressing individual thought/killing off rivals/invading neighbors, etc....Bush set a new precedent. He came into office with the attitude of 'I'm so tired of the public good. What about my good? What about my rich friends' good?'"

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