ABC Delivers Unusual Story-Ending Spin from the Right (on Miers)

On Wednesday's World News Tonight, ABC's Dan Harris highlighted conservative criticism of the selection of Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court, but delivered something unusual in network TV news -- story-concluding spin from a conservative perspective. Harris wrapped up his October 5 piece: "The faith angle is tricky for the President. He's argued Miers won't change twenty years down the line. But twenty years ago, before she was born again, she was a Democrat. Which raises the question: If she's changed once, can't she change again?" Earlier, he had relayed criticism from the right, such as former Bush 43 speechwriter David Frum's observation which encapsulated why so many conservatives are disappointed: “If you put someone like Harriet Miers in that room with someone as brilliant and charming as Stephen Breyer, she's never going to win any arguments with him."
(Wednesday's NBC Nightly News ran a full story of Miers' day on Capitol Hill visiting Senators and conservative opposition to her, but the CBS Evening News limited its coverage to a brief item read by anchor Bob Schieffer.)

Full transcript of the October 5 World News Tonight story:

Anchor Elizabeth Vargas: “The opposition to President Bush's nominee for Supreme Court justice, Harriet Miers, took on new intensity today. Once again, most of the criticism is coming from Republicans. Some powerful Senators said today they do not believe that Miers is the best person for the job. Here's ABC's Dan Harris.”

Dan Harris: “Harriet Miers today picked up some conservative supporters: Republican Senator John Cornyn, the Christian Coalition and the National Right to Life Committee. But other conservatives today mounted an attack on Miers' qualifications for the Supreme Court. Columnist George Will [text on screen]: 'There is no evidence that she is among the leading lights of American jurisprudence.'”

Senator Trent Lott on Tuesday's Hardball on MSNBC: “There are a lot more people -- men, women and minorities -- that are more qualified, in my opinion, by their experience than she is.”

David Frum, American Enterprise Institute [and a former 43 speechwriter]: “If you put someone like Harriet Miers in that room with someone as brilliant and charming as Stephen Breyer, she's never going to win any arguments with him.”

Harris: “The President has said Miers was rated as one of the nation's top lawyers.”

President Bush at Tuesday's Rose Garden press conference: “Not just one year, but consistently rated that way and as one of the top hundred lawyers.”

Harris caught some dissembling from Bush: “In fact, the President was referring to three National Law Journal lists that rank Miers among the most influential and powerful lawyers, each time citing her close relationship with George W. Bush. To convince reluctant conservatives that Miers is right for the job, White House allies are emphasizing her faith. Long-time friend, Texas Supreme Court justice Nathan Hecht, attends this evangelical church [shot of Valley View Christian Church] with Miers.”

Nathan Hecht: “It's a very important part of her life. It's a real priority for her.”

Harris: “For many Christian conservatives, that is not enough.”

Genevieve Wood, Center for a Just Society: “It's one thing to have people say it. It's another thing to be able to verify it by seeing someone's track record and Harriet Miers is missing that.”

Harris concluded: “The faith angle is tricky for the President. He's argued Miers won't change twenty years down the line. But twenty years ago [old photo of her on screen], before she was born again, she was a Democrat. Which raises the question: If she's changed once, can't she change again?”