When far-left former Democratic Senator Howard Metzenbaum passed away in March, the NBC Nightly News didn't identify his party or apply any ideological label as fill-in anchor Ann Curry hailed his life as “the classic American success story” of a man who “always fought for the little guy, taking on the oil and insurance industries” while he “stuck to his populist principles.”
But on Friday night, Independence Day holiday fill-in anchor Lester Holt accurately described former Senator Jesse Helms, who passed away earlier in the day at age 86, as “a Republican and staunch conservative” as well as “a champion to the right and a lighting rod to the left.” NBC reporter Martin Savidge, however, tagged Helms as “an ultra-rightist” when he won his Senate seat in1972, though Savidge concluded his review of Helms' career by portraying the late Senator's ideology in a positive light: “Helms finally left the Senate in 2003 at the age of 81, and for the rest of his life would proudly wear the unofficial title of the Senate's most conservative Senator.”
Holt painted Helms from the negative, what he was against as opposed to what he favored: “He staked out firm positions against everything from communism and foreign aid to civil rights and modern art.”
Holt could just as easily have summarized: “He staked out firm positions in favor of everything from freedom fighters and lower taxes to protecting the life of the unborn.”
Holt introduced the story on the Friday, July 4 NBC Nightly News:
As the country celebrated our 232nd birthday today, we learned one of the more remarkable and controversial figures of American politics has died. Former North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms, a Republican and staunch conservative, who wore the nickname 'Senator No,' passed away this morning at the age of 86. With a brand of politics forged in the Old South, for three decades Helms stood at the forefront of the nation's political and social divide. A champion to the right and a lighting rod to the left, he staked out firm positions against everything from communism and foreign aid to civil rights and modern art. In life, few had ambivalent feelings about Jesse Helms and so it goes tonight with his death.
The over-the-top label from Savidge:
An ultra-rightist, he was elected in the Republican landslide of 1972.
MSNBC.com video of Savidge's story.
My March 13 NewsBusters item, on how the NBC Nightly News described Metzenbaum, recounted:
....[I]n an item about the passing of very liberal ex-Senator Howard Metzenbaum, [NBC Nightly News fill-in anchor Ann] Curry never mentioned his ideology or party as she hailed his life as "the classic American success story" of a man who "always fought for the little guy, taking on the oil and insurance industries" while he "stuck to his populist principles."...Curry's short item on Metzenbaum on the Thursday, March 13 NBC Nightly News:
We learned today that former Ohio Senator Howard Metzenbaum has died. His life was the classic American success story. A self-made millionaire, his public career spanned nearly 20 years. And he always fought for the little guy, taking on the oil and insurance industries, often using filibusters to block bills. After leaving the Senate, Metzenbaum stuck to his populist principles, leading the Consumer Federation of America. Howard Metzenbaum was 90 years old.
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
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"he staked out firm
July 5, 2008 - 06:54 ET by mikej"he staked out firm positions against everything from communism...."
Wait! Stop right there! That's all you need to know as to why he enraged the left.
think that's bad
July 5, 2008 - 07:10 ET by mister josephwell, just now, on Good Morning America Weekend Edition, he was labeled as "against civil rights, women's rights, and gay rights"
Well, I'm sure that, when
July 5, 2008 - 08:27 ET by motherbeltWell, I'm sure that, when Ted Kennedy shuffles off this mortal coil, he will be described as an ultra-leftist who never met an entitlement he didn't love, advocated confiscatory taxation and redistribution of wealth, and "staked out firm positions in favor of everything from mandated wages, to gay 'marriage,' from government control of education to unfettered abortion rights up to the actual birth process."
Ya think?
(edited at 09:27)
Shoot 'em all; let God sort 'em out! - Marge Simpson
Excellent point. The AP
July 5, 2008 - 12:30 ET by Republic1Excellent point. The AP has already put out a smear opinion piece masquerading as news item that decribes Helms as "divisive" and "right wing". As most of us know, the MSM NEVER describes folks like Kerrry, Kennedy, Clinton, Biden, Byrd, Pelosi, Reid, Obama, Sharpton, and Jackson as divisive, or left wing. Or, in the cases of Sharpton and Jackson, career criminals and extortionists.
"Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him." -Muhammad
Conservative is a Dirty Word
July 5, 2008 - 08:14 ET by allanfConservative is a dirty word to the left. What really irks leftists is that Liberal is a dirty word to the American people.
Talk the talk, walk the walk
July 5, 2008 - 09:16 ET by AmericanEnergistIt's interesting that Senator Helms had long stuck to his conservative principles. Whether you agree with him or not, he must be honored for his loyalty to himself.
Senator Metzenbaum, who decided to cross the ideological aisle after imposing his liberal principles during his Senate tenure, retired to Florida to escape his own state's draconian estate tax.
http://blog.cleveland.com/plaindealer/2008/03/former_ohio_senator_howard_met.html#798508
Heck, if I were set to lose up to 7% of my estate to the state taxman, I might move too!
Rest in peace, Senator Helms - you walked the talk.
Most of the national news
July 5, 2008 - 09:22 ET by nythatesusaMost of the national news comes from a Manhattan Left perspective, and this is the view of the Manhattan Left on Helms.
As the Wall Street Journal pointed out in an editorial about Metzenbaum, he moved from Ohio to Florida a few years before his death. This tax-loving liberal therefore avoided Ohio's estate tax. Don't think NBC mentioned this.
Metzenbaum
July 5, 2008 - 16:10 ET by SAM-OHMetzenbaum also avoided Ohio income tax for the years he was considered a Florida resident. The unfortunate thing about his ducking out on the Ohio estate tax is that under Ohio law 80% of the Ohio estate tax amount gets channeled back to the municipality or township where the taxpayer resided when he or shes died. In other words, most of the estate tax revenue goes back to one's hometown rather than to some black hole in the state budget.
To be sure, Metzenbaum was entitled to arrange his affairs anyway he wished to do so. All the same, in large part, he snubbed his nose at his own community.
Jesse could care less what these
July 6, 2008 - 02:29 ET by Delsaidiots say.
He knows who and what he stood for and more importantly, GOD knows.
That is all that matters.
Jesse is right where he needs to be and he will continue to pray for all of us.