It simply does not matter how many times Hillary Clinton gets tea and sugar cubes from Cynthia McFadden on ABC, or supportive see-her-website publicity from CNN’s Candy Crowley, or how many reporters are cued to ask her what makes her tear up – someone’s still going to claim improbably that Hillary is despised and savaged by the media. On CNN’s Reliable Sources on Sunday, all the sugary reports were ignored as Washington Post reporter-slash-columnist Dana Milbank proclaimed "The press will savage her no matter what, pretty much...they really have their knives out for her."
Here's the CNN transcript on the matter:
KURTZ: I had the impression it was a camp reunion when I was out there in Iowa. And it is great, the retail campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire. It is fun to cover and it is real, but it's -- when the votes are counted and we decide who did well -- for example, Hillary Clinton, let's say she doesn't win Iowa. Let's say she gets edged out by 1,000 votes. Is the press going to savage her as a loser?
MILBANK: The press will savage her no matter what, pretty much.
KURTZ: If she wins?
MILBANK: Well, obviously if she wins by any great margin -- the press with Hillary Clinton, it's a poisonous relationship. And I visited the various campaigns out there. It's a mutual sort of disregard. And they really have their knives out for her, there's no question about it out there. So...
KURTZ: And to what extent do you think that is affecting the coverage of Senator Clinton?
MILBANK: I think it unquestionably is. And I think Obama gets significantly better coverage than Hillary Clinton does, and given an equal performance he'll come out better for it.
KURTZ: Is this because journalists like Obama better than Hillary or...
MILBANK: It's more that they dislike Hillary Clinton. There is a long history there, her antagonism towards the press. It's returned in spades. And it is a venomous relationship that I see out there.
KURTZ: Interesting.
PS: Later, Kurtz noted that ABC's Charlie Gibson was moonlighting on "Sesame Street" on PBS. He didn't seem to notice that the gang over there was making subtle littler "Heckuva job, Brownie" references mocking President Bush as Christmas is ruined:
KURTZ: Here's a story that captures the holiday spirit. We already knew that Charlie Gibson, who made a seamless transition from morning host to evening anchor, is a man of many talents. But who expected him to show up on "Elmo's Christmas Countdown?"
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: And now Charles Blitzen, with another Christmas countdown report.
CHARLES GIBSON, ABC NEWS (voice over): Mass hysteria was broken out around the globe as word spreads that Stiller (ph) the elf has ruined Christmas for everyone. Heckuva job, Curly Shoes. Heckuva job.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center
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My grown sons watched Sesame
January 1, 2008 - 10:42 ET by motherbeltCHARLES GIBSON, ABC NEWS (voice over): Mass hysteria was broken out
around the globe as word spreads that Stiller (ph) the elf has ruined
Christmas for everyone. Heckuva job, Curly Shoes. Heckuva job.
They know the parents will get it. My grown sons watched Sesame Street when they were pre-schoolers. Even back then, SS made it a habit to toss in little quips that were aimed over the kids' heads to their parents. I used to think it was to give the parents some amusement since they had to watch with their kids (as in their decision to name a character "Flo-bear" which was way beyond their "target audience") but gradually realized they were making political statements too. Some of it is aimed at the parents for humor's sake, some of it making political points, and a lot of it is PC programming of the kids.
Crash test dummies. Dummies!
January 1, 2008 - 10:56 ET by CrashYo Kurtz & Milbank, this is the crash test for those who seek political stardom. If one cannot stand up to the challenge, they cannot go to the big show. After all, do we really want a crybaby in highest office in the free world?
It's pretty obvious...
January 1, 2008 - 11:05 ET by goldenthroatShmillary? Getting 'savaged' by the press? Pul-eeeeeze - get out the barf bag! The line of questioning in this interview was so closed-ended it couldn't have solicited any other response. This is typical of the MSM to make the viewer think that they're getting legitimate answers when, all the while, it is nothing but a calculated, deliberate mishandling of journalism. And it's pretty obvious that the Clinton camp has the MSM right in their hip pocket!
Will they say this about sweet little Chelsea? For her to blow off a 9 year old girl just wanting some questions answered was nothing short of insensitive and petty. You can sure tell Chelsea is a Clinton because she has her nose so far up in the air!
Then again, I guess she has a great example in mom, huh?
"Yeah! That's the ticket!" - Tommy Flanagan
Sure, this how hard the MSM goes after the Clintons.
January 1, 2008 - 11:15 ET by Jack BauerSure, this how "hard" (SIC) the MSM goes after the Clintons.
Chelsea Clinton has been injected into primaries by the Clintons.
Simple question. Why do reporters take orders from the Clintons? Isn't it outrageous that so-called "reporters" allow a candidate to dictate whether they speak to woman who is almost 30 years old.
A professional woman who landed a job at a Hedge Fund which pays her vast amounts of money.
But get this... that Clinton opposed ban on journalists (which journos seem to impose on themselves), stetches to A NINE YEAR OLD GIRL?
The Clinton strategy...
January 1, 2008 - 11:27 ET by goldenthroatJB,
The Clintons have demonstrated that they WILL talk to the press - but ONLY the ones they chose! That's why the MSM takes orders from them. These left-coast, bleeding-heart, 'do as I say, not as I do' liberal journalists know that, if you're not in the Clinton circle, you can forget about gleening anything from them.
Heaven forbid that Slick Willy, Shmillary and Shmillary Jr. would receive negative press and tarnish that pure-as-the-driven-snow Clinton name!
"Yeah! That's the ticket!" - Tommy Flanagan
golden -- yep. But we
January 1, 2008 - 11:35 ET by Jack Bauergolden -- yep.
But we know the cynical corruption that infects the name Clinton. That's a given.
Isn't it amazing how all these "courageous" and "investigative" reporters would sell their granny for a place on the Clinton bus? That's the worrying corruption.
Especially as the MSM will, at the drop of a hat, go after Mr Giulian's son (who is 21, I believe) to ask the most personal family questions.
And he has NOT injected himself into his father's campaign.
And therein lies the "cause and effect"...
January 1, 2008 - 12:29 ET by goldenthroatJB,
That's the major problem with the MSM. America is certainly not blind to the corruption and deceit that lies within the Clinton camp and how they have become masters at manipulation.
But it's that same corruption and deceit that the MSM feeds on! It is what they, too, have become and why they are so behind Shmillary being elected president!
It is the old adage "My mind is made up. Don't confuse me with the facts!" The MSM will be knocking themselves out to "lie" Shmillary right into the White House.
"Yeah! That's the ticket!" - Tommy Flanagan
The Clintons have always
January 1, 2008 - 17:47 ET by motherbeltThe Clintons have always operated on the premise that there's one set of rules for them, and one set for everyone else.
Anyone remember when Connie Chung interviewed Newt Gingrich's mother, got her confide "between you and me" and then gleefully reported that she said Newt had called HRC a bitch?
Fair game, right? But don't you dare try to talk to Chelsea!! She and HRC's mother are just window dressing for the centerpiece of the three generations tableau.
Still, Hil is the Repub's best bet
January 1, 2008 - 12:15 ET by jondelwicheIt's an odd deal with her;
I will never understand how anyone could
vote for this phony doofus, yet she undeniably
would most turbochange the right's election effort
this fall.
I guess I hope she does well in the primaries;
I'd love to see her in the fall campaign, the trouble
is many of the left dont want that......
Hillary
January 1, 2008 - 14:22 ET by iveseenitallHillary is a left-winger, communist to the core. She's not very bright, despite Bill's trying to paint her as a "genius". I also think that she would be more vulnerable in the general election than would Obama. She has high negatives due to her quite unpleasant personality. Nonetheless, should she be elected (God forbid), she will be fulfilling her position as a life-long traveler who will bring America closer the transparent, but largely ignored, goals of the Socialists/Communist. At best , she's one of their useful idiots.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"