MRC/NB's Bozell on Media's Softness on Obama, Hillary Clinton

The morning after appearing with NewsBusters senior editor Tim Graham at the National Press Club (pictures and audio from that event posted below) to discuss the media's lack of interest in Hillary Clinton's role in Clinton administration scandals, MRC president and NewsBusters publisher Brent Bozell appeared on the January 11 "Fox & Friends" to discuss NBC's gauzy treatment of Barack Obama.

Video: Windows Media (5.10 MB) or MP3 audio (742 kB).

GRETCHEN CARLSON, co-host: What have we come to Brent, where people are actually supposed to be objective but they're endorsing a candidate seemingly on the national news?

BRENT BOZELL: Well, not seemingly. They just are, in their coverage. In the Tuesday night blog that Brian Williams wrote, he quoted Lee Cowan as saying that it's hard to stay objective when you're covering this guy Obama. And then he -- kudos to Lee Cowan for being so honest -- now the next day, Brian Williams turned around and said now, that doesn't mean, it's ridiculous to say that we have any bias, after admitting it, he then turns around and says just the opposite the next day.

BOZELL: But it doesn't matter what Lee Cowan or Brian Williams thinks or Brent Bozell thinks. The record is the record, and all you have to do is watch these people covering this person. I mean, you need, collectively NBC is in need of smelling salts.

Co-host Steve Doocy then cited more examples of NBC's bias, saying that "the drool-fest continues" on sister network MSNBC with Chris Matthews. Doocy insisted that Matthews is "doing all he can to get him, Barack Obama, elected."

Bozell then added that Matthews "likens him to Bobby Kennedy" and quipped, "why isn't this man [Matthews] on his staff?"

BOZELL: He's a commentator, but the point is, as a commentator one can say well he has that right to do that, fine, but admit it. Don't pretend to be anything but what you are. And that's the problem with these guys.

The media are gooey over Obama, but they're also disinterested in exploring anything unseemly about Hillary Clinton. That was the theme behind a January 10 book wrap at the National Press Club where Bozell and co-author Tim Graham discussed and signed copies of "Whitewash: What the Media Won't Tell You About Hillary Clinton, but Conservatives Will."

Video of the book wrap will air on a future installment of C-SPAN's "Book TV"

[Update (13:55): You can access audio of the event here. ]

Below are some photos from the event: