Cynical Smith on NY Times Anti-Terror Leak: Press 'Easy Target' for Embattled Bush

Given NewsBusters' goal of exposing outrageous liberal media bias, perhaps I should switch focus from the Katie-less Today to Harry Smith & Co. at the Early Show. I rarely check in on the show, which has languished seemingly forever in last place. But, happening upon it this morning, Smith's bald-faced bias left me breathless.

Smith's guest was Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report. Talk was first of the proposed flag-burning amendment. A snide Smith observed:

"I'm just curious about this. Because somewhere I read in the last couple of days in the entire history of the republic there have only been 200 documented serious incidents of this in the entire history of the United States." Lotta history there, Harry.

Walter "Yeah."

A skeptical Smith "Yet we should be chasing after a constitutional amendment? That's big stuff."

Walter: "Yeah, no, you're hitting right on it, Harry."

Guess we know why Harry likes Amy.

The pair ended with a discussion of the New York Times' recent leak of the government's anti-terror program designed to track terrorists' financial transactions.

Smith "Let's talk about the president and vice-president mad as heck at the New York Times . . . about revealing the bank surveillance system. Is this a way to attack the 'evil media' or is there a legitimate effort here?"

A compliant Walter took her cue from Smith: "Right. Well, listen, I think that certainly the president going on the offense on terrorism is always a place where he feels the most comfortable, the most confident, and it still the place where most Americans give him high marks. So if the president wants to go out on the offense on this issue, I think it still helps him ultimately in pushing his goal toward positioning himself and the Republican party on terrorism as the leaders and protectors."

Not a word from Walter suggesting the administration might be sincerely angered by the divulging of a program designed to help track down people trying to kill as many of us as possible.

Smith's parting shot was the most telling of all:

"Yeah, easy target. Amy Walters, thank you so much. Great to see you."

I bet.

Finkelstein lives in the liberal haven of Ithaca, NY, where he hosts the award-winning public-access TV show 'Right Angle.' Contact him at mark@gunhill.net

----------

Update, with hat tip to Free Republic member 'daviscupper': turns out that Walter, of the 'non-partisan' Cook Political Report, has a highly-partisan liberal/Dem background.  According to her bio, "she served as Political Director of the Women's Campaign Fund [which describes itself as 'dedicated to growing the number of pro-choice women in public office'] and worked for Congresswoman Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky (D-PA-13). In 1994, she was the campaign manager for Congresswoman Mezvinsky's re-election effort."