Stephanopoulos Grossly Understates ABC Attention to Limbaugh/Fluke, Claims 'We Didn't Obsess Over This'
When FNC's Bill O'Reilly brought up "ABC News's coverage of this Rush Limbaugh/Fluke situation" on Wednesday's The O'Reilly Factor, guest George Stephanopoulos not only misled FNC viewers about ABC coverage by focusing only on how much time his weekday edition of Good Morning America devoted to the story while ignoring other ABC shows like World News and the weekend edition of GMA, but he even substantially understated the amount of time his own weekday GMA show spent on the controversy.
He also failed to mention that he repeatedly brought up the story as he hosted Sunday's This Week on ABC.
Referring to the weekday edition of GMA, Stephanopoulos claimed that he only included the story on Friday and Monday - with only about one and half minutes on Friday and "another follow-up on Monday morning," asserting, "We didn't obsess over this in any way, shape or form. We pretty much covered what was going on."
But reality was substantially different from the ABC host's recollection.
GMA gave attention to the story every day from Friday through Tuesday, with Friday, Monday and Tuesday being days Stephanopoulos was co-hosting. A total of more than eight minutes were spent on the Limbaugh story during the days Stephanopoulos was co-hosting GMA.
Friday's GMA devoted three minutes to the matter, which included a full report of two minutes, 40 seconds, along with 20 seconds of preview discussion at the beginning of the show between Stephanopoulos and co-host Robin Roberts.
Monday's GMA devoted two minutes and 50 seconds to the story, which included nearly all of a report plus a half minute of discussion with ABC political analyst Matthew Dowd.
Tuesday's GMA included another full report lasting two minutes and 20 seconds.
The Stephanopoulos-free weekend edition of GMA ran a full report on Saturday and a brief update on Sunday.
On Sunday's This Week program, host Stephanopoulos brought up the story with two guests - Democrat David Axelrod and Republican Newt Gingrich - and included the matter in the Roundtable segment later in the show, totaling about eight minutes of discussion for the entire show.
As for World News, the ABC evening show ran a full report on Friday, a brief update on Saturday, and another full report on Monday. The controversy was mentioned again on Tuesday's World News within a report.
Below are both video and a transcript of the relevant portion of the Wednesday, March 7, The O'Reilly Factor on FNC:
Well, I mean, Rush Limbaugh has a huge audience. He gets headlines. It became such an issue that he had to apologize for it, and this was after we picked it up after the pressure already began.
And, you know, I should also add we didn't do all that much on this. I think we did a minute and a half piece on Friday morning and another follow up on Monday morning. And that was it - no guests. We didn't obsess over this in any way, shape or form. We pretty much covered what was going on.
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Comments
He learned how to lie
Submitted by NC Boy on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 7:36am.
from the best. Wild Bill.
Don't you mean Buffalo Bob?
Submitted by KyWriter on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 11:10am.
As in Buffalo Bob Smith, sidekick to Howdy Doody? Just look at Stephanopolous: isn't he a dead ringer for Howdy Doody? The only difference is that David Axelrod is manipulating the controls instead of Buffalo Bob. In fact, most of the cast of that show have someone in the Democratic party they resemble: Hornblow the clown has to be Joe Biden. Princess Summerfall Winterspring would be Debbie Wasserman-Schultz... No, I take that back: Debbie is definitely Miss Piggy. I stand corrected.
Hey George,
Submitted by Boudin on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 7:48am.
When Rush said he descended to "their" level, he meant your level.
Got it?
And that's George's "evening
Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 7:51am.
And that's George's "evening update" from Bizarro World.
George was one of those who
Submitted by kg on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 10:19am.
George was one of those who started this whole contraception thing. He was ordered to push the topic by the White House.
"DumbAssity of Dope"
Oh, boy, O'Reilly's next on the list!
Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 8:00am.
He pronounced her name "Fluck."
Most people would pronounce her name like is sounds, but in an apparent effort to not be related to the fish terms or the accidental wild occurrence, Sandra pronounces it to rhyme with "book" or "cook."
As usual, the liberal numnuts are being delusional and
Submitted by gmaniac1 on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 8:14am.
dishonest in their explanation of their bias. Hence why we're here!
and A$$ploding hypocrisy......
Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 8:53am.
George certainly didn't bring up any examples of liberal insults to conservative women; apparently this is one time when "both sides do it" doesn't enter the lexicon.
Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee and Jan Shakowsky both refuse to condemn Bill Maher or to suggest that Obama's SuperPAC should return Maher's money. Only Republicans are "tainted" by someone else's remarks; Democrats remain apart from it, and pure.
Does anyone think Lee, especially, would have ignored the question if asked for a condemnation of Limbaugh?
Best part....Shakowsky is so anxious to get away she ends up going in the wrong direction. LOL
Media protestations aside, no one will remember ...
Submitted by ombdz on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 9:20am.
... the name Sandra Fluke in November. Add this to the list of conventional wisdom this cycle that's missing the mark ... http://bit.ly/qVdDUt
Ramp it up
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 9:28am.
Imagine that Bill Maher called a Vice Presidential candidate the 'c' or the 't' word.
Then imagine if Rush called this Fluke woman the 'c' or the 't' word.
Then imagine if he had used those words to describe a female (Clinton) running for office.
Then imagine if he had used those words to describe a self appointed food Sheriff named Michelle.
Oh, the wailing and gnashing of teeth!!
Georgie Snuffleupagus...
Submitted by kch50428 on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 9:47am.
Is a Democrat Operative playing a newsperson on TV.
Ain't that the truth. How
Submitted by Jerry on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 10:10am.
Ain't that the truth. How is this man given any credibility???
Could you imagine the uproar from the Left if Carl Rove had a "news" program.
I watched this...
Submitted by Superglyde on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 10:35am.
and was furious with BOR. He never once challenged him or called him out for flat out lying.
I'm getting tired of BOR..his "spin stops here" line is dishonest.
O'Reily let George skate on his starting the contraception
Submitted by frank14 on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 10:56am.
talking points at the Republican debate. He was Obama's point man.
O'Reily let George skate on his starting the contraception
Submitted by frank14 on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 10:56am.
talking points at the Republican debate. He was Obama's point man.
It was the entire ABCNews, not just GMA
Submitted by Yarbles on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 10:52am.
I have the ABCNews top headlines on my homepage, among several others. I have the first 5 "Top Stories" headlines displayed and Limbaugh was among the top stories every day until today. In fact, on Monday the story was 2 of the top 5.
Also, when you look at the content of the stories they were blatantly promoting the advertiser boycott, naming not only companies that had dropped but giving the left a target list of remaining advertisers.
another reason why I have quit watching O'Reilly
Submitted by ohio granny on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 11:07am.
O'Reilly is a blowhard. He fancies himself a tough interviewer. I have NEVER watched any interview he has done with a democrat that was "hard". I think he is jealous of Rush and has always been. Rush does not pretent to be something he is not.
O'Rielly has lost all credibility as far as I am concerned. He cares more about getting interviews than he does about getting the truth. O'Rielly is like democrats in that his truth is only what he wants it to be, not what it actually is.
Indeed
Submitted by Free Stinker on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 11:23am.
I've seen O'Reily give a tougher interview to private citizen Sarah Palin than he ever gave to Candidate ObamAA+
/// Sarah Palin Fan since July 11, 2007 /// خال
When you question a liberal ...
Submitted by metaphorsbwithu on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 11:18am.
The one thing I've learned about asking questions of liberals is you'd better have the facts at your fingertips because they will shower you with baloney.
That said, even if you give them undeniable facts that contradict their answers, it doesn't matter.
They are slick, slippery, shameless and shifty and virtually never admit they are wrong - no matter what.
Had O'Reilly quoted the actual number of pieces on Limbaugh and the time spent Stephanopoulos would have probably retorted, "Who's being obsessive?"
I know these people like the back of my hand.
The Fluke caper was a three
Submitted by celator on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 11:37am.
The Fluke caper was a three act play written, produced and acted out by the Obama team and its MSM campaign re-election team. In act 1, scene one when Georgie dropped the box of contraceptives on the floor in front of Romney during that debate. Everyone went, "Huh?"
Now we know why that was such an important theatrical prop. Everyone has figured that out by now, but the play goes on and on and on. Diversion, diversion, diversion.
And it's working... They've
Submitted by Jerry on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 11:49am.
And it's working...
They've got the Republicans on the defensive... AGAIN. About a stupid, media(D) conceived, irrelevant issue about whether or not it's ok to call a slut a liberal, sex crazed activist .
We need to stay on point on:
1) the ECONOMY
2) Joblessness and it's impact on the ECONOMY
3) Gas Prices and their effect on the ECONOMY
4) Obama's war on oil and it's negative impact on the ECONOMY
5) Obama's redistribution of wealth and it's impact on the ECONOMY
6) Obama's war on achievers & tax payers and it's impact on the ECONOMY
The MSM(D) desperately wants to shift the dialog away from Obama's total destruction of the ECONOMY. Don't let them control the issue.
Puppet
Submitted by sergeant stogie on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 1:36pm.
Little Georgie is so cute. It's a wonder he's able to function at all what with all those different DNC folks' hands up his butt moving his mouth.
Yes, George, you and your network DID obsess over this.
Submitted by drsamherman on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 1:41pm.
Don't ever try to tell a psychiatrist what an obsession is, because we seem them every day in patients.
You DID obsess over this incident, to the point where you could not function otherwise. Every other story was somehow reflected to include a misogyny angle, whether as remote as Alpha Centauri or not. You personally obsessed over the story across every newscast you did. Your writers were almost orgasmic.
You very nearly were compulsive, but as the story started to die and Rush was not fired, it nipped that particular transition to further mental illness. It stands just for that compulsion, but not for the overarching compulsion of defending an incompetent scoundrel in the White House to the detriment of functioning in your self-anointed capacity as keeper of the public truth. Massive FAIL, Georgie.
Oh Georgie, you're such a
Submitted by sngnsgt on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 6:54pm.
Oh Georgie, you're such a good little Clinton butt boy. You started this whole contraception thang with your dumb debate question. You're a fellow Fluker whether you want to be or not. I'll bet you have Bill Maher's private phone number. Gee, isn't he funny? A million bucks to Barry. What a patriot!!! Did the other George (Soros) write that question for you? What a country. You made all this $$ without an original thought of you own.