Kelly O'Donnell
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CBS: ‘Questions’ About Scott Walker’s ‘Readiness for Prime Time’
July 13th, 2015 10:38 AM
During it’s preview of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s presidential announcement on Monday, CBS This Morning made sure to cast doubt on whether or not the Republican was “ready” to assume the White House in 2016. The CBS reporter insisted that “awkward exchanges” like one with a British reporter “have raised questions about his readiness for prime time” and “[t]o guard against criticism that he…
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Nets Continue Hammering Jeb Bush for His ‘Evolving Answers’ on Iraq
May 14th, 2015 9:17 PM
On Thursday night, the major English-language broadcast networks again covered possible 2016 Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush’s comments about the Iraq War and featured ABC and NBC omitting the fact that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton voted to authorize the Iraq War when she was a U.S. Senator. Additionally, all three network evening newscasts continued to ignore how…
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Nets Continue to Shamelessly Push Need for More Infrastructure Funding
May 13th, 2015 9:50 PM
Despite now knowing that the Amtrak train that derailed outside of Philadelphia on Tuesday night was going more than double the speed limit, the “big three” networks of ABC, CBS, and NBC continued pushing the need for more infrastructure funding and an increase in Amtrak’s budget on their Wednesday evening newscasts. In addition, CBS and NBC failed to mention the fact that train engine in…
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Nets Bash Rubio Over Age, Not Having the 'Fame’ & ‘Fortune' of Clinton
April 14th, 2015 12:00 AM
Minutes after Republican Senator Marco Rubio (Fla.) declared his candidacy for president, the major broadcast networks went to work in their Monday evening newscasts attacking Rubio over his age, policy positions, and touting the “experience,” “fame,” and “fortune” possessed by Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and possible Republican candidate Jeb Bush. NBC's Kelly O’Donnell shouted to Rubio…
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CBS, NBC Again Omit ‘Conservative’ Tag in Descriptions of Rand Paul
April 7th, 2015 11:52 PM
After all three networks declined to label Senator Rand Paul a conservative during their morning news shows, on Tuesday night ABC’s World News Tonight broke ranks and labeled him a “mainstream conservative” on issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and tax cuts. Fellow networks CBS and NBC continued to not use the conservative label and stuck to labels such as “Republican” and “libertarian.”
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After Retirement Announcement, NBC Lauds Reid's Political 'Skill'
March 27th, 2015 9:23 PM
Kelly O'Donnell touted Harry Reid's "reputation for mastering the tactical side of politics" on Friday's NBC Nightly News, after the Nevada Democrat announced that he is not running for a sixth term. O'Donnell quickly added that "that skill includes quickly endorsing a successor." However, the correspondent failed to mention that the politician had a significant role in exacerbating the partisan…
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Nets: Cruz Campaign Could Face ‘Rough Sledding’ with 'Mainstream' GOP
March 23rd, 2015 9:55 PM
On Monday night, the major broadcast networks devoted full segments to the announcement from Republican Senator Ted Cruz (Tex.) that he will seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, with CBS touting how he could face “some rough sledding” if he seeks support from “mainstream Republicans” and ABC made sure to point out his promises of “no abortion, no gay marriage, no gun control,” and…
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NBC: Ted Cruz a 'Conservative Firebrand' Who Throws 'Rhetorical Bombs'
March 23rd, 2015 11:54 AM
On Monday's NBC Today, while discussing Senator Ted Cruz's announcement of his presidential candidacy, co-host Savannah Guthrie described the Texas Republican as "whip smart, a real conservative firebrand, knows how to throw those rhetorical bombs that the base loves."
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ABC, CBS Skip Dick Durbin's 'Back of the Bus' Slur Against GOP
March 19th, 2015 11:31 AM
ABC and CBS on Wednesday night and Thursday morning ignored Democratic Senator Dick Durbin's smear that Republicans are keeping attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch in the "back of the bus." NBC mentioned the liberal politician's attack, but featured no critical analysis or questioning of the remark.
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STUDY: Nets Spend 11 Minutes on Clinton Foundation Scandals in 2015
March 18th, 2015 10:05 AM
The Clinton Foundation scandals have gone largely ignored by the three broadcast networks in 2015, as the swirling controversies have garnered a total of 11 minutes and 13 seconds of airtime on their evening and morning news shows. And the Spanish-language newscasts on Univision and Telemundo have completely ignored the Clinton Foundation 2015 controversies.
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CBS Channels Opponents of GOP Letter to Iran
March 10th, 2015 10:20 AM
On Tuesday morning, the big three (ABC, CBS, NBC) networks continued to play-up the supposed controversy surrounding a letter signed by 47 Republican senators to the leaders of Iran regarding its negotiations with the Obama administration over its nuclear program. CBS This Morning did its best to promote the harshest critics with Jeff Glor introducing the network’s coverage by declaring “[i]n…
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NBC Devotes Nearly 4 Mins to Dress Debate, Secs to Clinton Corruption
February 27th, 2015 3:47 PM
On Friday, NBC finally noticed the corruption scandal swirling around Hillary Clinton. However, the coverage on the Today show was relegated to a 49-second mention within a story slamming Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. By contrast, the morning show devoted 3 minutes 56 seconds to a social media debate about the color of a dress.
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NBC: Scott Walker Made 'First Major Blunder' of 2016 Race at CPAC
February 27th, 2015 12:09 PM
Desperate to tear down 2016 Republican frontrunner Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, co-host Matt Lauer led off Friday's NBC Today by proclaiming: "Governor's gaffe?...Presidential hopeful Scott Walker under fire for saying his experience with union protesters has prepared him to take on ISIS. Is it the first major blunder of the presidential race?"
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Nets Fret Conservatives Posed ‘a Thorny Obstacle’ to Boehner
January 6th, 2015 10:29 PM
On Tuesday night, each of the major broadcast networks devoted time to covering the swearing in of the 114th Congress and the race for House Speaker that saw John Boehner retain his post, but not without 25 conservatives voting in dissent against the incumbent Republican.
Overall, the networks lamented how the group presented “a thorny obstacle to Boehner's leadership” and, in turn, will force…