Between the lead story on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 Thursday night from Joe Johns on Democratic Congressman John Murtha’s call for withdrawing troops from Iraq and a piece by Candy Crowley on Bush and Cheney striking back at their war critics, Cooper read a statement from White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan comparing Murtha with Michael Moore. Cooper followed that with a retort from Moore himself released “exclusively to CNN.” Cooper read how McClellan asserted that given Murtha’s past support for a “strong America,” it “is baffling that he is endorsing the policy positions of Michael Moore and the extreme liberal wing of the Democratic Party.” After finishing his recitation of McClellan’s statement, Cooper hyped how “just moments ago Michael Moore released this statement exclusively to CNN.” With the text on screen, Cooper relayed the comment from the far-left filmmaker: “'Unfortunately, the President doesn't understand that it is mainstream middle America who has turned against him and his immoral war, and that it is I and the Democrats who represent the mainstream. It is Mr. Bush who is the extremist.'" (Screen text of rest of Moore's claim follows.)

It’s interesting that when Moore wanted to get out his attack on President Bush the first outlet he considered was CNN.

The 10pm EST Anderson Cooper 360, in leading with Murtha, matched the news judgment of the evening newscasts on ABC, CBS and NBC, as detailed in this NewsBusters item.

The MRC’s Brad Wilmouth provided me with a transcripts of Cooper’s reading, on the November 17 Anderson Cooper 360, of the McClellan and Moore statements:

"Well, the Bush administration has wasted no time countering Murtha's statement. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan has released this statement: Quote, 'Congressman Murtha is a respected veteran and a politician who has a record of supporting a strong America. So it is baffling that he is endorsing the policy positions of Michael Moore and the extreme liberal wing of the Democratic Party. The eve of an historic democratic election in Iraq is not the time to surrender to the terrorists. After seeing his statement, we remain baffled. Nowhere does he explain how retreating from Iraq makes America safer.'

“And just moments ago, Michael Moore released this statement exclusively to CNN. He said, 'Unfortunately, the President doesn't understand that it is mainstream middle America who has turned against him and his immoral war, and that it is I and the Democrats who represent the mainstream. It is Mr. Bush who is the extremist.'"

—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center