Tag Archives: morning-america

On ABC and CBS, ‘Conservative’ Beck and Allies Countered by ‘Civil Rights Leaders’

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Just as they did in the morning, on Friday night the broadcast network stories on Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally in Washington, DC were pegged to left-wing complaints his event is scheduled for the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, except the reporters refused to identify the ideology of Beck’s critics while showing no such reluctance to tag him and/or his allies. “The rally in Washington. Followers of conservative radio and TV host Glenn Beck already gathering in the capital,” fill-in anchor Erica Hill teased at the top of the CBS Evening News. “In Washington,” she introduced the subsequent story, “followers of conservative talk show host Glenn Beck are already gathering on the Washington mall for tomorrow’s rally…” Reporter Wyatt Andrews, however, refrained from labeling: “Critics, like the Reverend Al Sharpton, say that Beck, who has described the President as [Beck: “a racist”] and who has railed against government programs for the poor, has no business invoking Dr. King.” Over on ABC’s World News, Claire Shipman warned: “While the comedians poke gleefully at the ‘Beckapalooza,’ as [Jon] Stewart calls it, civil right leaders worry the day will be tarnished.” Yet seconds later she found it necessary to apply a label: “Martin Luther King’s niece, a conservative activist, will appear supporting Beck tomorrow, as will Sarah Palin.” (Katrina-obsessed NBC Nightly News didn’t cover Beck-Sharpton) In an earlier post, “ Labeling Contrast: Beck a ‘Controversial Conservative,’ Al Sharpton Just an ‘Activist ,’” Rich Noyes noted how ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today on Friday both identified Beck as “conservative” while failing to tag Sharpton. On CBS’s Early Show: Correspondent Whit Johnson labeled Beck a “controversial conservative,” event speaker Alveda King (a niece of Martin Luther King, Jr.) a “longtime advocate for conservative causes”… Yet talking about liberal rabble rouser and onetime Democratic presidential candidate Al Sharpton, Johnson offered no ideological labels or even a tag that Sharpton might be “controversial.” Instead, Sharpton’s event was described as a rally “hosted by civil rights leaders…”

See original here:
On ABC and CBS, ‘Conservative’ Beck and Allies Countered by ‘Civil Rights Leaders’

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Hollywood, Hot Stuff, News

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Nina Garcia baby bump picture

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Project Runway judge Nina Garcia chicly accentuates her baby bump (she#39;s expecting another boy in December!) while paying a visit to Good Morning America in New York City on Thursday. Picking out an outfit for an occasion should be fun, not stressful, says Nina Garcia. And the gender of the new arrival? “I#39;m having another boy!” Garcia, 45, told us at Wednesday#39;s Target Kaleidoscopic Spectacular fashion show in New York. “We#39;re very excited to give our son a brother.” As for Luca

View post:
Nina Garcia baby bump picture

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Hollywood, Hot Stuff, News

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

ABC Links Dan Quayle’s ‘Potatoe’ to His Son: ‘Dust off the Jokes and Hold on to Your Potatoes’

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Saturday’s Good Morning America on ABC devoted a full report to former Vice President Dan Quayle’s son Ben’s run for Congress in Arizona, focusing primarily on perceived gaffes by both him and his father. As anchor John Berman set up the report, he gave the impression that he views the former Vice President primarily as a joke: “It’s time to dust off the jokes and hold on to your potatoes. Who can forget the vice presidency of Dan Quayle? His mortal feud with TV’s Murphy Brown. His battles with the dictionary. Well, now, one of his children wants to follow in his footsteps and is making some headlines of his own, not all intentional.” During the piece which recounted a number of activities and statements by Ben Quayle that have come under criticism, or have come across to some as gaffes, correspondent T.J. Winick played a clip of the time that Dan Quayle infamously told a school boy that the word “potato” should have an “e” added to the end during a spelling lesson at a school. Winnick did not inform viewers that it was the teacher who led Quayle astray as she had misspelled the word on the word list she had given to the then-Vice President to check the children’s spelling. Winick also described what he called a “shocking ad” in which Ben Quayle labeled President Obama “the worst President in history,” and promised to go to Washington and “knock the hell out of the place.” The ABC correspondent also informed viewers that Quayle had been criticized for using a photograph of himself with his nieces in campaign literature because he has no children of his own. After the report, co-anchor Bianna Golodryga mused: “You know, every time I write out the word ‘potato’ I can’t help but think of Mr. Dan Quayle.” Below is a complete transcript of the report from the Saturday, August 14, Good Morning America on ABC: JOHN BERMAN: It’s time to dust off the jokes and hold on to your potatoes. Who can forget the vice presidency of Dan Quayle? His mortal feud with TV’s Murphy Brown. His battles with the dictionary. Well, now, one of his children wants to follow in his footsteps and is making some headlines of his own, not all intentional. Our man T.J. Winick has the story from Washington. T.J.? T.J. WINICK: John, good morning. Ben Quayle is the front-runner in a primary field of 10 candidates. He’s really struck a chord with angry voters, and, in more ways than one, he’s proven to be a chip off the old block. BEN QUAYLE, ARIZONA REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: Barack Obama is the worst President in history. WINICK: It’s a shocking ad, Ben Quayle looking straight into the camera talking tough like a Washington outsider. BEN QUAYLE: Somebody has to go to Washington and knock the hell out of the place. WINICK: But the 33-year-old may, in fact, be the ultimate insider. He’s the son of former Vice President Dan Quayle who’s tapped into his dad’s massive fund-raising network but also his dad’s history of making mistakes. Dan Quayle became a political punch line during the 1992 presidential race and in his four years as Vice President. (CLIP OF FORMER VICE PRESIDENT DAN QUAYLE TELLING A BOY TO ADD AN “E” TO THE WORD “POTATO”) WINICK: Now his son’s blunders like this campaign brochure have also become late night fodder. JAY LENO, FROM THE TONIGHT SHOW: Look at those two beautiful little girls. Trouble is, he doesn’t have any kids. WINICK: They were, in fact, Ben Quayle’s nieces, but that didn’t stop one campaign rival from accusing him of renting a family. RICK KLEIN, ABC NEWS SENIOR WASHINGTON EDITOR: People are looking for comparisons to his father. They’re looking for reasons not to take him seriously. They’re looking for reasons to make fun of him. And, so far, he’s only fueled that fire. WINICK: Quayle has also taken fire for calling himself the fourth generation of his family to live and work in Arizona. That’s because he was born in Indiana, grew up in Washington, D.C., and only moved to the state full time five years ago. CLIP OF AD: Arizona roots, worldwide experience. WINICK: This past week, the latest controversy, accusations that Quayle, campaigning as a family values conservative, once wrote for Dirty Scottsdale, a raunchy sex-themed Web site that covered the local club scene. The Web site’s creator says that Quayle used the alias “Brock Landers,” the name of a porn star in the movie Boogie Nights. Quayle admits he contributed to the site, but not under that name. KLEIN: Certainly, he benefits from the fact that people know that name and they know the name is associated with politics, but there’s just more scrutiny associated with being a Quayle. WINICK: One of the ways he has benefitted, well, Ben Quayle has raised over $1.1 million, and, not surprisingly, John and Bianna, many of those contributions have come from former colleagues and friends of his father. BIANCA GOLODRYGA: All right, T.J. You know, every time I write out the word “potato” I can’t help but think of Mr. Dan Quayle. BERMAN: I cross my fingers every time. (GOLODRYGA LAUGHS)

View original post here:
ABC Links Dan Quayle’s ‘Potatoe’ to His Son: ‘Dust off the Jokes and Hold on to Your Potatoes’

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Hollywood, Hot Stuff, News

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Joe Jonas Celebrates 21st Birthday Onstage

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I hope you can fit a car on there,’ Joe jokes as brothers Kevin and Nick surprise him with cake at Hershey, Pennsylvania, show. By Jocelyn Vena Joe Jonas (file) Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Joe Jonas celebrated a major milestone on Sunday when he turned 21. But his brothers decided to start the celebration a few hours early on Saturday night while onstage during a Hershey, Pennsylvania show. Kevin and Nick wouldn’t let Joe get through the Hershey Stadium concert without acknowledging his big day in front of their fans. In online footage , Kevin tells Joe, “I think it’s important that we celebrate with our friends as well. So we wanna bring out a little something for you, Joe.” Just before a cake was brought out to him, Joe joked, “I hope you can fit a car on there.” “In the meantime,” Nick said to the fans, “why don’t we sing happy birthday to Joe?” As the crowd sang out to Joe, Kevin’s wife, Danielle, and a female friend carried out the birthday cake but had some problems lighting the candles. With a little assistance from the birthday boy, one candle was lit, and then Joe took a second to think about what he wanted to wish for. “That’s really good cake,” Joe told fans as he took a bite. “Thank you, guys!” So, did Joe enjoy the big surprise? It seems so. He later tweeted , “:)… Ohhh boyyy… That show was amazing!” Although there’s no word yet how he celebrated his birthday proper, when the Jonas Brothers stopped by “Good Morning America” last Friday, Joe teased that some plans were in the works. “Besides a dog, I don’t know. That’s all I kind of wanted. I don’t know [what we’re going to do to celebrate]. These guys are not telling me what they’re doing.” In the days before his big 21st, Joe tweeted about his one birthday gift demand: “I had a dream last night I got a dog for my birthday. The dog had huge puppet eyes . When I picked it up he said ‘oh hey Joe.’ ” Nick also tweeted some birthday wishes, via their dad’s Twitter page. “RT @PapaJonas Big Day! Joe’s 21st Birthday, my 25th Anniversary AND JONAS LA tonight on Disney,” he wrote. Tourmate and “Camp Rock 2” castmate (not to mention ex-girlfriend) Demi Lovato was a bit late to the party, but made time to tweet Joe a birthday wish on Monday (August 16) writing, “Ah happy late bday @joejonas!” Share your birthday wishes with Joe in the comments below! Related Photos The Jonas Brothers Play Chicago Related Artists Jonas Brothers

Go here to see the original:
Joe Jonas Celebrates 21st Birthday Onstage

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Some Media Tag Serial Stabber as ‘Israeli National,’ Others See ‘Israeli Arab’ or ‘Palestinian Christian’

Posted on August 14, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

When reporting on the nationality of a criminal from another country, it normally would be considered unnecessary or even uncalled for to take the extra step of explicitly identifying the suspect’s ethnicity or religious affiliation as well. But, given that Israelis, the vast majority of whom are Jewish, often face sharp criticism and negative press reaction over conflicts with their Arab neighbors – inflaming anti-Semitic sentiment – if an Israeli citizen who is non-Jewish is implicated in a violent crime, informing viewers that he is non-Jewish would seem to be in order. But so far in the media coverage of serial stabber Elias Abuelazam’s arrest, some major news shows on both broadcast and news networks have avoided explicitly informing viewers that he is not a Jewish Israeli, while others have been more upfront with viewers on the subject. CNN’s The Situation Room, the NBC Nightly News, FNC’s Fox and Friends, and CBS’s The Early Show all directly relayed to viewers at least once that Abuelazam is an Israeli Arab. But ABC’s World News, the CBS Evening News, FNC’s Fox Report, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN’s American Morning and NBC’s Today show have all avoided such a direct identification of ethnicity, although Saturday’s Good Morning America did note that his mother had spoken Arabic in an interview. On Thursday’s World News, ABC correspondent Steve Osunsami described the serial killer simply as an “Israeli national,” and on Friday’s Good Morning America, ABC correspondent Jeremy Hubbard recounted that he was arrested “just as he was about to board a flight to his native Israel.” On Saturday’s Good Morning America, Osunsami again referred to him as an “Israeli national,” but later in the report indirectly conveyed his ethnicity by noting that Abuelazam’s mother in Israel had spoken Arabic in an interview. On Thursday’s CBS Evening News, correspondent Elaine Quijano described him as an “Israeli national.” On Friday’s The Early Show, the initial report on Abuelazam did not mention ethnicity as Quijano reported during the 7:00 a.m. hour that, when he was arrested, Abuelazam was “trying to fly to Israel.” But during a news brief just after 8:00 a.m., Jeff Glor described him as an “Israeli Arab.” On Friday’s CBS Evening News, guest anchor Erica Hill referred to Abuelazam’s “native Israel,” while correspondent Quijano again tagged him as an “Israeli national.” On Thursday’s NBC Nightly News, correspondent Pete Williams not only informed viewers that Abuelazam is not Jewish, but, for those who might be worried that being identified as an Arab might implicate Muslims, the NBC correspondent also relayed to viewers that Abuelazam is non-Muslim as Williams referred to him as “an Israeli man, Elias Abuelazam, a Palestinian Christian.” But the Today show did not take Williams’s approach. On Friday’s Today, the story was included in two news briefs, during one of which NBC’s Juju Chang mentioned that he was trying to fly to Israel. Saturday’s Today show included a full report, with co-host Amy Robach tagging him as “a 33-year-old Israeli national,” while correspondent Ron Mott identified him as “an Israeli citizen.” On Thursday’s The Situation Room, CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer identified Abuelazam as an “Israeli Arab” as he plugged the story, and, after a report by correspondent Jeanne Meserve that recounted the crime spree and the serial killer’s arrest, correspondent Paula Hancocks elaborated on his background in Israel, describing him as an “Israeli Arab,” and she, similar NBC’s Pete Williams, noted that he is from a “Christian family.” On Friday’s The Situation Room, correspondent Susan Candiotti did not mention ethnicity, but relayed that “his family in Israel is a very well-respected member of a Christian organization.” But Friday’s American Morning did not take the same approach as The Situation Room, as neither his ethnicity nor his religion was ever mentioned when CNN’s Meserve appeared at the top of each of the show’s three hours, referring to him as an “Israeli citizen” each time. On Thursday’s Fox Report, anchor Shepard Smith described him as a “33-year-old Israeli citizen.” On Friday’s Fox and Friends, FNC co-anchor Gretchen Carlson twice read a brief item on his arrest, referring to him as an “Israeli citizen,” but, during the 8:00 a.m. hour, FNC’s Geraldo Rivera appeared to discuss the matter in more detail and described him as “an Israeli Arab living here on a green card legally,” and later wondered why an Israeli Arab would feel motivated to target African-American victims. On Friday’s Fox Report, anchor Smith referred to “his native Israel,” and on Saturday’s Fox Report, anchor Julie Banderas referred to him as an “Israeli man.”

See the original post:
Some Media Tag Serial Stabber as ‘Israeli National,’ Others See ‘Israeli Arab’ or ‘Palestinian Christian’

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Hollywood, Hot Stuff, News

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

John Legend, The Roots Wake Up Audiences On ‘Good Morning America’

Posted on August 6, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Legend, ?uestlove and company played songs from their upcoming Wake Up! album on ‘GMA’s Summer Concert Series.’ By Christopher MacAllister John Legend performs on “Good Morning America” in New York City on August 6 Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images NEW YORK — After what was described as “one of the greatest sound checks ever,” John Legend and the Roots were set to entertain audiences for “Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series” at Central Park’s SummerStage. Before the cameras were even rolling, the music group entertained the waiting audience with Legend singing a “Good Morning” melody. When “GMA” hosts Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos arrived onstage to greet Legend and the band, Roberts commented on the intimacy of the performance, saying, “Everyone thought you were singing just for them!” Before the official beginning of the set, the audience enjoyed snapping photos of Legend and the Roots, and vice versa, with Legend taking pictures of the audience on his phone. The next song, “Little Ghetto Boy,” from their forthcoming album Wake Up! got the audience going, with the Roots’ Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) busting some mad rhymes and Legend singing the chorus before delving into the next verse. Legend then announced the release date for Wake Up!: September 21. Good times were had with their performance of another fast-paced, jazzy song, “Hard Times,” also from Wake Up! The SummerStage audience continued to grow as the song played, with more and more people arriving to witness the performance. During the typical wait for the next on-air song performance, ?uestlove and Legend were joking around, laughing while having a look at the cover of their new album. When asked about it, Legend said, “It’s funny seeing yourself as a cartoon!” He added that this album has been two years in the making, and ?uestlove said that “people will get uplifted by it.” The uplifting had already begun with the announcement of the next, more recognizable song, “Ordinary People,” which was definitely a fan favorite. The audience sang along and swayed with the music. After spirited audience applause, Legend performed “Waiting for Superman,” which the singer explained he’d written for the movie of the same name, due out this fall. He played an instrumental riff with the Roots until we were on air again, and then the song “Shine” began. After the epic finale, Legend took a bow with a nice “God bless ya’ll” for the audience. And it wouldn’t be a Roots concert without ?uestlove throwing his drumsticks into the crowd as souvenirs. One enthusiastic audience member summed it up nicely: “There is no better combination for a live show than the Roots and John Legend!” Related Photos John Legend And The Roots Shine On ‘Good Morning America’ Related Artists John Legend The Roots

Continue reading here:
John Legend, The Roots Wake Up Audiences On ‘Good Morning America’

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nicolas Cage son Kal picture

Posted on July 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

“This is the first time my youngest son is ever going to see me in a movie, so we#39;ll see what happens,” Nicolas Cage said at the Cinema Society and Amnesty International screening of The Sorcerer#39;s Apprentice, due in theaters July 14, in New York. It will be a few years before he watches Leaving Las Vegas, but Wednesday night marked a movie milestone for Nicolas Cage#39;s 4-year-old son, Kal. Then, turning to his wife of six years, Alice, he asked: “What does Kal think I do for a living?

See the original post:
Nicolas Cage son Kal picture

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Hollywood, Hot Stuff, News

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

‘American Idol’ Top 10 Begin ‘Beautiful Day’ With ‘Good Morning America’

Posted on July 9, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Lee DeWyze, Crystal Bowersox and company strummed and belted through the rain in Central Park on Friday. By Christopher MacAllister Lee Dewyze and Crystal Bowersox perform on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ on Friday Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images With their signs and banners eagerly clutched in their hands, fans marched into Central Park to see “American Idol” season-nine winner Lee DeWyze and runner-up Crystal Bowersox chat with Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos about “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” before two 12-year-old girls competed and a guy who looked like Santa’s older brother competed in an “Idol” trivia quiz. And also to see all of the top 10 Idols perform for the “Good Morning America” Summer Concert Series on Friday (July 9). Crystal was the first one to perform, singing Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart” while strumming her guitar, of course. She did the song justice despite the slight spray of rain. Next up was Lee, again with a guitar, awaiting his time to shine amid the continuing showers. The crowd shouted their love for him, as he responded to their makeshift banners, wishing happy birthdays and anniversaries. Asked about the life-changing experience of winning “Idol,” he said it was “important to remember where you came from” and managed to plug the October release of his upcoming album. He then performed “Treat Her Like a Lady” by the Cornelius Brothers, to which the audience reacted with more enthusiasm and excitement. Then all of the top 10 took the stage and the band began the riff for Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life.” The guys gave their best for the rousing anthem, before the girls took over with “My Life Would Suck Without You” by Kelly Clarkson. The rain seemed to bring down the energy of some, Lee in particular, who almost seemed bored at times. But as all 10 sang the song as an ensemble, they gave it a powerful finish. Before the last song, Lee, Andrew Garcia and Michael Lynche began to beat box and rap for the slightly drenched crowd. But instead of capping off the set with another group performance, Lee went solo for his single, “Beautiful Day” — and fans didn’t seem to mind the irony of the bad weather. Actually, as one fan told MTV News, there more than one reason to consider it a beautiful day. “It was great to see the American Idols on stage together, and the rain was nice, as it has been so hot!” Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 9 Finalists Perform On ‘Good Morning America’ American Idol Season Nine Cast Glam Up For Tour

See the rest here:
‘American Idol’ Top 10 Begin ‘Beautiful Day’ With ‘Good Morning America’

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

ABC, NBC and CBS Mostly Ignore Obama’s Recess Appointment of Pro-Health Care Rationing Doctor to Head Medicare

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Barack Obama’s decision to make a recess appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick to run Medicare has been vastly ignored by the mainstream news media, despite the fact Berwick has made controversial statements favoring rationing of medical care. As CNSNews.com’s Terry Jeffrey reported Dr. Berwick, at a talk celebrating the 60th birthday of Great Britain’s National Health Service, told the audience to be wary of returning to a free enterprise based system as he warned: “Please, don’t put your faith in market forces,” and urged them “I hope you will never, ever give up on what you have begun” and rallied the crowd: “I hope you realize and affirm how badly you need–how badly the world needs–an example at scale of a health care system that is universal, accessible, excellent and free at the point of care–a health system that, at its core is like the world we wish we had: generous, hopeful, confident, joyous and just.” Berwick even ominously told his audience at Biotechnology Healthcare, “The decision is not whether or not we will ration care, the decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open.” So given Berwick’s rather outspoken faith in socialized medicine the news that Obama is planning to circumvent Congress with a recess appointment, to have him head Medicare, had to be big news, right? Well not according to NBC, CBS and ABC news, as there was no mention of the President’s decision to make the recess appointment on Tuesday night’s NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News or ABC’s World News. In fact the embargo on the information continued through Wednesday morning as there were zero mentions on ABC’s Good Morning America and CBS’s The Early Show. Only NBC’s Today show mentioned the news as Lester Holt, in an 8am EST news brief on the July 7 show, told viewers the following: President Obama is expected to appoint his choice to oversee Medicare and Medicaid today, while Congress is in recess. This means Dr. Donald Berwick won’t have to undergo Senate confirmation hearings. Republicans had wanted to question the Harvard professor and healthcare policy expert about comments he made on rationing medical care. A scant 20 seconds from the NBC’s Today show, as of Wednesday morning, is all the three major broadcast news networks have devoted to the news that Obama has just named a health care rationing doctor to run this country’s Medicare system. To read more about Berwick please read CNSNews.com’s coverage.

See the article here:
ABC, NBC and CBS Mostly Ignore Obama’s Recess Appointment of Pro-Health Care Rationing Doctor to Head Medicare

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Hollywood, Hot Stuff, News

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

NBC and ABC Barely Touch Kagan Hearings, CBS Promotes Her As ‘Very Agile’

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

While ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today spent little time on the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan on Tuesday, the CBS Early Show featured a report from legal correspondent Jan Crawford, who cheered Kagan finally being able respond to Republican “attacks” in a “very agile” way. Good Morning America devoted only a single news brief early in the 7AM ET hour to the hearings as news reader JuJu Chang noted how Kagan “will be questioned by Republicans who say she is too liberal and too political.” Chang added: “Kagan promised to take a modest approach to judging.”   On Today, correspondent Kelly O’Donnell offered only a brief 7:09AM report on the hearings: “Weeks after her nomination, seated in silence for hours, finally Elena Kagan gets to make her case….[she] describes herself as a daughter of the American dream.” O’Donnell described the arguments from both sides of the aisle: “No surprise, Democrats praised her intellect and the chance to broaden the Supreme Court….Saying they would be respectful, Republicans did not hesitate to get tough. From abortion rights to immigration, they found various ways to call her liberal.” In an 8:04AM news brief, news reader Natalie Morales declared: “Republicans portrayed Kagan as a liberal activist with no judicial experience. Kagan promised an even-handed approach to the law.” In contrast, the Early Show devoted a full 7:10AM segment to Kagan, as fill-in co-host Chris Wragge proclaimed: “Day two of Elena Kagan’s Senate confirmation hearings get underway this morning and the gloves are expected to come off.” Crawford began the report that followed by observing: “After nearly two months of public silence while Republicans attacked her, Elena Kagan was sworn in and answered back. She vowed to uphold the law fairly.” Crawford previewed Tuesday’s hearings: “…today the questions and the fireworks begin. Republicans say the questions won’t be easy, as they try to paint her as a liberal activist.” Wragge asked about the tone of the hearings: “…every word yesterday from Elena was just so measured and so deliberate. Can we expect more of that today with every response from the questions she’ll be fielding?” Crawford replied: “No, it’s going to have a very different tone today….they’re really going to start pressing her on all these issues….what we’ll see today is how agile and how effective she is at answering those and responding to those, engaging these senators without saying anything that can be held against her.” Wragge concluded the segment by asking Crawford to predict Kagan’s performance. Crawford responded by gushing: “I think she’s going to do, actually, very, very well. I’ve seen her argue before the Supreme Court. She’s very agile , she spars with those conservative justices very well, so I don’t think these Republicans are going to have too much of an easy time, you know, pressing her on some of these issues.” Here is a full transcript of Crawford’s June 29 report: 7:10AM CHRIS WRAGGE: Day two of Elena Kagan’s Senate confirmation hearings get underway this morning and the gloves are expected to come off. CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford is on Capitol Hill with a look at today’s session. Jan, good morning. JAN CRAWFORD: Good morning, Chris. Well, you know Elena Kagan really stayed out of the public eye for two months and Americans finally got a glimpse of her, but today, she’s going to face a lot of questions from the Republicans on this side of the aisle and they’re going to see if she can handle the heat. After nearly two months of public silence while Republicans attacked her, Elena Kagan was sworn in and answered back. She vowed to uphold the law fairly. ELENA KAGAN: I will listen hard to every party before the court and to each of my colleagues. CRAWFORD: And she told a bit of her life story. KAGAN: My parents lived the American dream. They grew up in immigrant communities. My mother didn’t speak a word of English until she went to school. But she became a legendary teacher and my father a valued lawyer. CRAWFORD: Kagan sat stoically for hours while senators gave their opening statements, but today the questions and the fireworks begin. Republicans say the questions won’t be easy, as they try to paint her as a liberal activist. JEFF SESSIONS: It’s not a coronation, as I’ve said, but a confirmation process. Serious and substantive questions will be asked. CRAWFORD: But Democrats will be ready to come to her defense. CHARLES SCHUMER: She is brilliant, she is thoughtful, and I think she is straight out of central casting for this job. SESSIONS: But proving that to the senators is what Elena Kagan is going to have to do and it all starts, Chris, in just a couple of hours. WRAGGE: Jan, the last thing I would ever do is sit here and say this has got to be pretty easy on someone, but every word yesterday from Elena was just so measured and so deliberate. Can we expect more of that today with every response from the questions she’ll be fielding? CRAWFORD: No, it’s going to have a very different tone today, Chris. You know, yesterday, her face – I mean, she really showed no expression all day, she just sat there and listened to these senators deliver these long opening statements. So today they’re really going to start pressing her on all these issues that they’ve got ready. So what we’ll see today is how agile and how effective she is at answering those and responding to those, engaging these senators without saying anything that can be held against her. WRAGGE: And quickly, on a separate note here, I want to talk about this Supreme Court ruling. They ruled that had state and local governments cannot ban guns. Now what’s the importance, if you can just tell us quickly, of this 5-4 decision? CRAWFORD: Chris, this was a huge ruling that basically extended gun rights nationwide. It said cities and states across the country cannot flatly outright ban handguns, that you have a fundamental right to own a gun in your own home to protect yourself. WRAGGE: Can I ask you real quickly, you know Elena Kagan very well. How do you think she’ll perform today? CRAWFORD: I think she’s going to do, actually, very, very well. I’ve seen her argue before the Supreme Court. She’s very agile, she spars with those conservative justices very well, so I don’t think these Republicans are going to have too much of an easy time, you know, pressing her on some of these issues. WRAGGE: Alright, Jan Crawford, thank you very much. We look forward to your report later on today. CRAWFORD: Thanks, Chris.

View original post here:
NBC and ABC Barely Touch Kagan Hearings, CBS Promotes Her As ‘Very Agile’

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Hollywood, Hot Stuff, News

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,