NBC News Finally Ends Its Blackout of Fast and Furious Scandal
As Newsbusters reported yesterday, the Big Three (ABC, CBS, NBC) network news shows have been stunningly slow to report on the Eric Holder hearings on the Fast and Furious scandal. NBC news hasn’t even reported once on the gunwalking controversy, until last night. On Tuesday’s NBC Nightly News, at the very end of her report, Kelly O’Donnell finally told viewers about “a failed operation that sent US guns into Mexico.” O’Donnell awkwardly attempted to explain the controversy, in 30 seconds, since no one on Nightly News or Today had previously done it.
The only other mention of the Holder hearings came on Wednesday’s edition of CBS's This Morning. ABC skipped the story entirely.
The following excerpts were aired on the June 12 NBC Nightly News and June 13 CBS's This Morning:
NBC Nightly News
06/12/12
7:08pm EDT
KELLY O’DONNELL Another controversy, Republicans claim [Eric] Holder has misled and refused to cooperate with Congress's investigation of a failed operation that sent US guns into Mexico, code name ‘Fast and Furious.’ Today Holder made a new offer to try to work out differences over ‘Fast and Furious,’ and that could include providing more documents to congressional investigators, very important Brian, because House Republicans have made a serious threat to hold the Attorney General in contempt of Congress next week. Brian?
CBS This Morning
06/13/2012
7:16 am EDT
[CBS News Graphic: "Holder On The Hot Seat: Republicans Call On AG To Resign"]
ERICA HILL: Attorney General Eric Holder is rejecting a call to resign over the Fast and Furious gunrunning operation, a story first revealed by a CBS News investigation. Justice Department officials allowed smugglers to take tens of thousands of guns to Mexico - some of them later used in crimes, including the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent. Holder faces a possible contempt of Congress charge in the House for not releasing documents in the case.
As he testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Texas Senator John Cornyn made it clear he does not buy the attorney general's story.
SEN. JOHN CORNYN, (R), TEXAS (from congressional hearing): So, Mr. Attorney General, it's more with sorrow than regret -- than anger, that I would say that you leave me no alternative but to join those that call upon you to resign your office.
ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: I don't have any intention of resigning. I heard the White House press officer say yesterday that the President has absolute confidence in me. I don't have any reason to believe that that, in fact, is not the case.
HILL: In the meantime, Democrats familiar with White House thinking tell CBS News the administration sees Holder as a liability, but there is nothing it can do this close to the election.
Mary Chastain, at Big Journalism, also noticed the end of NBC's Fast and Furious omission streak.
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Comments
The hoped for reaction of the viewers...
Submitted by c5then on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 1:34pm.
"Justice Department officials allowed smugglers to take tens of thousands of guns to Mexico - some of them later used in crimes, including the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent."
WTF!!!!! Why am I just hearing about this now???!!!!!!
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
➚ c5
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 2:03pm.
I know you're joking, but think about both of those NBC viewers who are just now getting the information.
But only one of the two is
Submitted by texastommy on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 3:11pm.
But only one of the two is paying attention.
u b raciss n' shitzz evrybody
Submitted by jaysouth on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 3:14pm.
u b raciss n' shitzz
evrybody no that jig dun b code for n*word
➚ We can only deduce
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 1:53pm.
Rather than report the news, NBC decided Eric Holder's complicity in the murder and subsequent coverup of a Federal Border Agent would reflect unflatteringly on their god and master, President Obama.
Since when is critical mass reached only after 9 congressional summonings of a Cabinet Member?
This goes beyond bias.
BS networks
Submitted by jaysouth on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 3:13pm.
It is slowly dawning on the BS networks (Columbia BS, National BS and American BS) that they are becoming irrelevant in today's world.
And that will be it...
Submitted by c5then on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 3:24pm.
Until after the election...
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
I love the way they frame it.
Submitted by Newsbubba on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 3:26pm.
To the morons who watch NBC, it sounds like this just popped up, and the first reaction the congressional Republicans had is to hold the bastard in contempt and call for his resignation!!
Why you could almost believe that they didn't give poor Eric the Red even 24 hours notice to come up with the documents, before jumping ugly, those bastards!
We really need a current events test that people have to pass before they can vote.
Ready to throw under the bus?
Submitted by JeffC... on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 4:25pm.
If NBC is mentioning it, maybe the administration is ready to throw Holder under the bus.
My guess is the latter precedes the former.
Are you suggesting that
Submitted by needle on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 9:15pm.
Are you suggesting that watching the DNC media is like Kremlinology?
Hmmm, sounds about right.
- Looking forward to the self-annihilation of the Manipulated Stories Machine.
You have to wonder
Submitted by sherlock1 on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 6:20pm.
You have to wonder if any members of the "low-info / high-trust" audience that NBC caters to ever ask themselves how come so many of NBC's stories that do not reflect so well on Obama are actually months old, while the "featured" stories that fawn over Obama are only hours old?
Probably not.
When did the “Fast & furious” scandal first break?
Submitted by needle on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 9:08pm.
An interesting update to this story would be a mention of when the Fast & furious scandal first broke.
Imagine the Weekly Standard ignoring the Valerie Plame story for, say, a year.
- Looking forward to the self-annihilation of the Manipulated Stories Machine.
Sycophant Rock
Submitted by locomotivebreath1901 on Thu, 06/14/2012 - 9:08am.
NBC: Neo-Bolshevik Comrades.
But there is no media bias...