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.
