On Monday, while both ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's Today covered the scandal involving reporters at CBS Anchorage affiliate KTVA caught on tape discussing ways to attack Republican Joe Miller's senate campaign, CBS's Early Show failed to make any mention of the incident.
On Good Morning America, White House correspondent Jake Tapper reported: "In Alaska, some reporters with the local CBS affiliate at a rally for Republican Senate nominee Joe Miller accidently left a message on the voice mail of Miller's spokesman." An audio clip of the voice mail played: "You know that of all the people that will show up tonight at least one of them will be a registered sex offender. We need to find that one person." Tapper followed with a clip of Sarah Palin condemning the comments on Fox News Sunday: "Those are corrupt bastards, Chris. That's what's wrong with the media today."
Interestingly, the CBS Early Show included a clip of Palin predicting Republican electoral success on Fox News Sunday during political coverage at the top of the broadcast, but never discussed her criticism of the local CBS affiliate.
Here is a transcript of Tapper's November 1 coverage on Good Morning America:
7:01AM ET
JAKE TAPPER: While the President is urging people to get to the polls tomorrow, the candidates are dealing with last-minute craziness in the final hours before the election. In Alaska, some reporters with the local CBS affiliate at a rally for Republican Senate nominee Joe Miller accidently left a message on the voice mail of Miller's spokesman.
KTVA AUDIO: You know that of all the people that will show up tonight at least one of them will be a registered sex offender. We need to find that one person.
TAPPER: The manager of the station says the reporters were, quote, "reviewing potential what if" scenarios, what others may be able to do to cause disruption in within the Miller campaign." But Miller's matron saint, Sarah Palin, didn't buy it.
PALIN: Those are corrupt bastards, Chris. That's what's wrong with the media today.
Here is a transcript of Welker's coverage on Today:
7:30AM ET
MEREDITH VIEIRA: But we're going to begin with Sarah Palin and accusations that a local TV station in Anchorage made up stories about Republican Senate hopeful Joe Miller. NBC's Kristen Welker has the details. Kristen, good morning.
KRISTEN WELKER: Good morning to you, Meredith. Sarah Palin has been one of the most outspoken voices on the campaign trail and now she's making headlines once again, this time weighing in on the latest scandal to hit the senate race right here in her home state of Alaska.
SARAH PALIN: We're going to fight corruption in the media, we're going to fight corruption in politics.
WELKER: Sarah Palin is stepping up her war of words against the media. At issue, a local Anchorage TV news crew allegedly talking on tape about finding a registered sex offender at an upcoming rally for Palin-backed senate candidate Joe Miller. The Miller camp charged the news team with trying to fabricate a negative story about the tea party candidate. An allegation the news station has adamantly denied. But Palin, who has frequently spared with the media, wasted no time lashing out, calling them quote, 'corrupt bastards' on her Twitter account and then repeating the comments Sunday morning on national TV.
PALIN: That's sick, those are corrupt bastards, Chris. That's what is wrong with the media today, when they have their chosen one.
