When Obama does it, it's news. ABC and NBC on Thursday night made time to highlight who President Barack Obama will bestow with a Presidential Medal of Freedom in two weeks -- on Wednesday, August 12. Both started with Senator Ted Kennedy. On ABC's World News, which never touted President George W. Bush's picks in advance, fill-in anchor Elizabeth Vargas trumpeted:
The White House announced that Senator Ted Kennedy, who is battling brain cancer, will be among sixteen people given the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom next month. President Obama said he's honoring Kennedy and the other recipients for their contributions as agents of change. Among the other medal winners are tennis great Billie Jean King, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and physicist Stephen Hawking.
Brian Williams announced on the July 30 NBC Nightly News, sans “presidential” in the title of the award:
Today we learned the names of the sixteen people who will this year be awarded America's highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom. They include Senator Ted Kennedy, tennis champion and women's advocate, Billie Jean King, retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, actor Sidney Poitier and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. You can see the full list of Medal of Freedom recipients our Web site, Nightly.MSNBC.com.
A posthumous honoree unmentioned by either Vargas or Williams: Jack Kemp.
Going back to the Clinton years, per a search on Nexis, NBC Nightly News has only once before announced recipients in advance, this item from Williams on Thursday, November 3, 2005 when Williams also mis-stated the name of the award: “And speaking of Alan Greenspan, he will be among several recipients of this year's Medal of Freedom, this nation's highest civil award. Some of those joining the outgoing Fed Chairman in the honor: Muhammad Ali, Carol Burnett, Aretha Franklin, Andy Griffith and Jack Nicklaus. President Bush will present the awards next week.”
Going by a search in Nexis of ABC News transcripts, back to the beginning of the Clinton administration, neither World News, or the previously titled World News Tonight, have ever before plugged in advance a President's selections for the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Also of note: This is the third time in less than two weeks that ABC's World News has championed Ted Kennedy.
On Sunday, July 19, anchor Dan Harris hailed how “Senator Ted Kennedy is using his own battle against brain cancer to make an emotional pitch for health care reform. Writing in Newsweek, Kennedy called it 'the cause of my life.'”
A week later, on July 26, World News devoted a full story to Kennedy's cause as Harris' tease framed Kennedy's big government agenda in the most-benign light: “In the game. An ailing Ted Kennedy, now working from his sick bed to achieve his life-long goal of health care for everyone.” Reporter John Hendren fretted: “Senator Edward Kennedy is the missing man in the battle for health care reform. On Capitol Hill, nearly everyone agrees things would be different if the liberal lion were here.”
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
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Destroy the left...we must.
July 30, 2009 - 20:15 ET by AgentAmericanThe left must be anihilated. No matter the cost. For our children.
Winston Churchill would have no other way.
The Medal of Freedom for the Senator from Chappaquiddick? Are you CKFUing kidding me?
In the hills, in the streets, in their backyard, we shall never surrender!
2010: A GOP Hill
I thought Teddy
July 30, 2009 - 20:20 ET by 10ksnookerLeft the cause of his life in the Oldsmobile in the creek.
Democrats always put
July 31, 2009 - 07:58 ET by kgDemocrats always put criminals on a pedestal to be admired.
"DumbAssity of Dope"
Another bad decision
July 30, 2009 - 20:23 ET by slickwillie2001American Thinker pointing out one of the more outrageous awards:
Obama Honors an Enemy of Israel: http://www.americanthinker.com
"Barack Obama today announced that he is presenting the Medal of Freedom to Mary Robinson. So who is Mary Robinson? An enemy of Israel to begin, and the host and mastermind of the first Durban conference. This is like sticking a fork in the eye of a supporter of Israel. But I am sure the Jewish left will think nothing of it. Each time I see a foreign policy decision of this administration -- on missile defense, disarmament, Israel, Honduras, on the Iranians crushing dissent to their fraudulent election, the question I now ask is this: If Hugo Chavez were the American President, would the action be any different?"
I doubt very much that the liberal media in the USA will trumpet this odious choice of the Bamster.
Thanks for that link and
July 30, 2009 - 22:35 ET by bigtimerThanks for that link and info sw.
Oh how far back all the ties O go...along with Soros, Pelosi and tons of others...Soros and others leading the way behind the scenes for decades and decades.
I also said don't even get me into Tutu in a post above I think, I had forgot about Robinson, didn't even know if I gave it a second thought glancing through the list at the time...I was so sickened by Kennedy and Tutu.
Oh anyway...thanks you for that article...I remembered who she was right off...she hates Israel.
Btw...If Chavez was Prez...it would be the same, with the msm leading the way.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Off the list
July 30, 2009 - 20:33 ET by Dan DiegoI heard Gidget was scrubbed since it appears Sotoadmeyer will be confirmed. Beastiality crowd is howling about the slight.
http://7.media.tumblr.com/Hn4CZClkqq86hri5X6EGsUk9o1_400.jpg
Mary Jo?
July 30, 2009 - 20:51 ET by DingbatMary Jo wasn't awarded anything? She did give her life...albeit against her will at the hands of a "winner" <gag>.
Well, this cheapens forever the Medal of Freedom
July 30, 2009 - 20:54 ET by R D HelmI mean, giving it to a man who allowed his young female passenger to drown because he was too concerned about saving his own ass?
This man has done more to break and weaken this country than even Jihad Jimmy himself ever even thought of.
And don't even get me started on the 2-3 million Cambodians....
Who will get one next year? Bill Ayers? The Shoe Bomber? Why not Hugo Chavez? Fidel Castro?
-Dave
i thought the same of the nobel peace prize...
July 30, 2009 - 21:13 ET by puredmashiewhen al gore won that one. the most ridiculous act: he "donated" the $1 million prize to his own foundation. that had to be on the advice of his accountant.
but to ted kennedy, just what has he done to merit this award? is this only a payback for his backing of bho over hillary during the nomination?
swing hard in case you hit it.
Yep... Chits being
July 30, 2009 - 21:20 ET by bigtimerYep...
Chits being paid.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Mary Jo
July 30, 2009 - 20:56 ET by irishguyTo steal Mr. Taranto's line (WSJ) "Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment"
July 30, 2009 - 21:01 ET by jessieHKennedy can commit murder & get a medal. What's wrong with this picture? This guy has been elected on sympathy. I guess you can kill someone, as long as you hold office in America. " Oh, that poor man. His brothers get shot & he's all alone. Let's put him in office" The man killed a woman! Now, he get's a medal? Has the world gone insane? The medal of freedom is for HEROES, not murderers..................
OUTRAGEOUS! Disgusting..be
July 30, 2009 - 21:13 ET by bigtimerOUTRAGEOUS!
Disgusting..beyond belief.
Disgraceful, despicable.
Kennedy will still have to answer to a higher force.
I'm not even getting into Tutu.
I really am infuriated...once again.
What audacity...how blatantly stupid can one be politically, I know O has the msm behind him ...but there are millions of us who will never forget this pathetic pay-back to Teddy.
This is slime...pure slime.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
They are using Ted
July 30, 2009 - 21:17 ET by general companyThinking he super popular with the avarage American to help get their Health care bill from the trash can. Another blunder by the left, most folks outside of Mass think he has overstayed his welcome
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
gc... So right you are
July 30, 2009 - 21:32 ET by bigtimergc...
So right you are about the KenndyCare Bill.
Like I said in another post, the people deciding all of this aren't the brightest bulbs in the room.
I know the msm will oooh and ahhh over this, but a heck of a lot of people across this land will not be.
Thank goodness for the internet.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Look at the list as a Bell
July 30, 2009 - 21:24 ET by DustBunny01Look at the list as a Bell Curve. Put ol' Ted at the worthless end then consider Joe Medicine Crow - High Bird.
If anything, his inclusion in the list makes it worthwhile.
My Nominee for the Medal of Freedom
July 31, 2009 - 00:23 ET by kilrodHere's a quote from a government employee who witnessed a recent inter-action between an elderly woman and an antiwar protester in a Metro station in DC. There were protesters on the train platform handing out pamphlets, on the evils of America . I politely declined to take one.
The elderly woman was behind me getting off the escalator and a young (20-ish) female protester offered her a pamphlet, which she politely declined. The young protester put her hand on the old woman's shoulder as a gesture of friendship and in a very soft voice the young lady said, "Lady, don't you care about the children of Iraq ?"
The old woman looked up at her and said, "Honey, my father died in France during World War II, I lost my husband in Korea , and a son in Vietnam. All three died so you could have the right to stand here and badmouth our country. If you touch me again, I'll stick this umbrella up your ass and open it."
~God Bless America ~
Remember, only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American Soldier
Great story
July 31, 2009 - 00:35 ET by general companyI would vote for Bush and Petraeus, because they both belive in freedom
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
I am going to bed---
July 31, 2009 - 00:36 ET by misterbillI am going to bed--- but before I go, I want to earn some hisses and boos.
Ted Kennedy said, "I have half a mind to reject the medal".
OK, OK, I don't care anymore.
Good night....
→ Misterbill
July 31, 2009 - 00:38 ET by Cool ArrowNow that there's funny, I don't care who y'are.
Hope is an excuse for doing nothing - Rush Limbaugh
Oh my
July 31, 2009 - 00:40 ET by general companyNo you didnt. : ]
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
Agents of Change. It sounds
July 31, 2009 - 01:09 ET by KevroyAgents of Change. It sounds Orwellian and gives me a chill up my leg.
Who is Herald Obama ???
July 31, 2009 - 03:51 ET by jacktheripper"I LOVE DEAD KENNEDY'S"
Wait till you see how Rachel Madcow covered this
July 31, 2009 - 04:03 ET by 2ConservativeWomenOn last night's show, Rachel Madcow listed some of this year's Medal recipients, including Harvey Milk (!), and then contrasted them to a couple of GWB's recipients, former CIA Director George Tenent and Paul Bremmer (both of whom she bashed, of course.....Iraq...blah, blah, blah). Madcow then concluded by saying it's good to have the Medal of Freedom back and to have it no longer be ironic.
The clip is at her site - it's labeled "Honor without Irony" and it's just after the two minute mark:
http://www.msnbc.msn...
After suffering through two minutes of her crapola show, I'll be sure not to flip channels again. I'm surprised her garbage show is even on the air anymore, but MessNBC doesn't expect much in the way of ratings.
uugh....
July 31, 2009 - 04:07 ET by 2ConservativeWomenearly, no coffee yet, spelled names incorrectly - I meant Tenet and Bremer.
Mary Jo's Freedom
July 31, 2009 - 07:36 ET by nadadhimmiToo bad Mary Jo Kopecne wasn't free to escape the back of good ole drunken Teddy's Oldsmobile in '69. That murdering, moon faced bastard deserves a long slow agonizing death on Earth before he rots eternally in Hell.
Under the healthcare plan
July 31, 2009 - 09:34 ET by Willis_Leon_JohnsonThat has been named in 'honor' of the Chappaquidick killer, little teddy would have been "given a pain pill"according to olbammer.
Too bad he won't take the medicine he prescribes for everybody else.
http://gjresult.com
He's dead, Jim...
July 31, 2009 - 09:53 ET by Meredith1966I believe there are two reasons Senator Kennedy is getting this medal, right now-
1. Because he and Obama will use this as an opportunity to further promote Government-run healthcare (there, I said it, and I don't mean 'public option');
2. Because Senator Kennedy is shortly to die. I don't say that with any joy, I say it as an acknowledgement that Obama wants to make sure Ted gets his medal while he's still alive and because, as is pointed out, ABC has been suddenly talking about him in the last couple of weeks. That indicates to me that someone has tipped off ABC that his condition is worsening and they want to start the eulogizing early.
"The words of a President have an enormous weight and ought not to be used indiscriminately." - Calvin Coolidge
Don't you have to do
July 31, 2009 - 11:54 ET by mattmDon't you have to do something to promote freedom to get the Medal of Freedom?
Unless Kennedy is getting it for managing to keep his freedom even though he should have been put in jail.
Ofcourse
August 1, 2009 - 08:38 ET by cwnelson79A medal given to the murderer Ted Kennedy. I like Muhammad Ali also , the man who changed his name because he was brainwashed by a racist group. And he never changed it back, but let us honor racism anyway. I heard something about that pervert Harvey Milk getting it too. Why not? Freedom for degenerate homosexuals to ruin America. And who doesn't love Jim Jones, friends of ole Harvey. Barry choices are so very good, he just proves himself the jackass more and more. I would have added Rev. Wright and Louis Farrakhan for good measure. Why not? No more insane than Ted Kennedy. And any other murderers or racists that he can think of.