Oprah Winfrey

The Washington Post offered a roundup of commencement speech wisdom on the front of Saturday’s Style section. It started with Oprah Winfrey urging the graduates of Harvard to think broadly enough to “have more face-to-face conversations with people you may disagree with.”

That’s really not a principle at work inside the liberal media. CBS left that clip out in hailing Oprah's speech on Friday. The only wise people on the Post’s speaker list were liberals they agree with:

Friday's CBS This Morning touted Oprah Winfrey's recent Harvard commencement speech, airing over a minute of half of footage from the former daytime TV host's address. The morning newscast spotlighted how Winfrey took the opportunity to promote two liberal pet causes: gun control and "a clear path to citizenship" for illegal immigrants.

The show's three anchors all sang the billionaire's praises. Charlie Rose gushed over Winfrey's "remarkable speech". Norah O'Donnell trumpeted the TV star's "important message". Gayle King, who is Oprah's longtime friend, marveled over the address: "She did a great job yesterday." The three hosts didn't once mention King's close connection to Winfrey [audio clips available here; video below the jump].

Sounds like a personal vendetta ahead of genuine regret. CBS Late Show host David Letterman admitted to Oprah Winfrey, in an interview first aired Sunday night, that he backtracked after outrage erupted following a sex joke he told involving Sarah Palin’s then-14-year-old daughter Willow, not because it was highly inappropriate, but primarily so he could continue ridiculing Willow’s mother:

I’ll tell you why I apologized. I felt like Sarah Palin was somebody I wanted to continue to be able to make fun of and I felt like if I don’t apologize, if I don’t sincerely express my regret, I will not be able to go forward making fun of her.

Even if Obama loses next week, the media goo machine will keep cranking away. The new TV Guide is already speculating: “Will Michelle Obama Be the Next Oprah?” Writer Stephen Battaglio imagines what a star she could become (if her husband loses).

She could be bigger than Oprah? “Michelle Obama is such an appealing TV presence that if she and her husband find themselves moving out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, she’ll have the opportunity to make the transition from high-profile engaging talk-show guest to high-profile talk-show host – arguably the biggest ever in terms of recognition.” Experts agree, like a former CNN president.