NBC's Lauer Interrogates McChrystal on 'Demeaning' Criticism of Obama

January 7th, 2013 5:28 PM
In an interview with retired General Stanley McChrystal on Monday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer grilled the former Afghanistan commander on his resignation following criticism of President Obama in a 2010 Rolling Stone article: "There were several demeaning quotes attributed to your staff members, even to you, about the President and about key members of his staff....Was he [Obama] furious…

NBC's Lauer Hypes: GOP 'In Throes of a Civil War' Over Sandy Relief Bi

January 3rd, 2013 12:02 PM
At the top of Thursday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer teased an upcoming interview with New York Congressman Peter King by seizing on House GOP disagreement over when to schedule a vote on a Hurricane Sandy relief bill: "...fresh off the fiscal cliff fight, the Republican Party appears in the throes of a civil war. This morning, we'll talk to an outspoken GOP congressman who urged voters in…

NBC's Relieved Chuck Todd Proclaims: 112th Congress 'Finally Leaves Us

January 2nd, 2013 4:49 PM
After worrying on Tuesday's NBC Nightly News about possible House GOP "shenanigans" preventing a fiscal cliff deal, on Monday's Today, chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd breathed a sign of relief: "...this 112th Congress does leave us today, and some people say finally leaves us today....it began with a threat of a government shutdown just two months into this congress. And then, of…

TMZ: Matt Lauer ‘Freaked Out’ By People Screaming Bad Things At Hi

December 28th, 2012 8:18 AM
NBC Today show host Matt Lauer is apparently getting harassed for the program’s decision to can former co-host Ann Curry. TMZ reported Thursday that network sources told the gossip website Lauer is “miserable” over people screaming bad things at him on the streets of Manhattan.

Network Gun Policy Stories In Late '90s Carried Exact Same Liberal The

December 20th, 2012 6:17 PM
If today's gun control debate seems a bit stale to you, you're not wrong. Twelve years ago, MRC's Geoffrey Dickens wrote a Special Report on network coverage of gun controversies over a two-year period from July 1997 to June 1999. ABC, CBS, and NBC harped on several major themes in their coverage of gun policy stories. The arguments most commonly advanced by the network stars had one thought…

NBC Poll Shows Pessimism About Obama 2nd Term, Lauer Spins it as Pessi

December 13th, 2012 12:41 PM
Following a report on Thursday's NBC Today in which political director Chuck Todd touted a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, co-host Matt Lauer tried to spin one finding: "...only 53% say they're optimistic about a second term for Obama and 47% say they are pessimistic. Is this really more pessimism about Washington in general?" Todd accepted the characterization: "It is. You know, you…

NBC's Lauer Cites CIA 'Torture' Scenes in Bin Laden Movie, Asks Whethe

December 6th, 2012 4:45 PM
During a segment on Thursday's NBC Today on the upcoming film about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, Zero Dark Thirty, co-host Matt Lauer wondered if scenes depicting "brutal interrogations" of terror suspects would make movie-goers feel guilty: "It's inevitable people are going to sit in the movie theater...and when they see the scenes of torture, they're going to ask themselves if they think it…

Matt Damon Tells Crude 'Tossing Salad' Joke On Today Show, Lauer and G

December 4th, 2012 4:35 PM
Actor Matt Damon made a crude sexual joke about "tossing salad" on NBC's Today show Tuesday. Although the topic was food, co-hosts Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie both clearly understood the reference and laughed along with Damon and others on the set (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):

NBC's Lauer Tees Up Warren Buffett to Demand Tax Hikes and Dismiss GOP

November 27th, 2012 11:55 AM
In an interview with Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett on Tuesday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer was puzzled by GOP opposition to the billionaire investor's call for higher taxes: "One of the ideas being pushed out there by the Right is that if you raise taxes on the wealthy it will have a chilling effect on hiring and investment in this country....Why do you think Republicans are clinging…

NBC's Lauer Suggests Obama, Climate Change for Time's 'Person of the Y

November 16th, 2012 12:47 PM
At the end of an interview with Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos on Friday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer wondered: "I think it was 1999, you were named Time magazine's Person of the Year, alright? So I was just actually on a panel the other day where they're trying to figure out 2012's Person of the Year. Who should it be?... it could be Barack Obama, it can be – I mean, there are a lot of…

NBC's Matt Lauer Almost Calls Him David 'Betray Us

November 12th, 2012 12:12 PM
Remember back in September 2007 when the far-left MoveOn.org created a firestorm with an ad placed at the New York Times headlined "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?" NBC's Matt Lauer apparently does, for on Monday's Today show, he asked guest Newt Gingrich, "Did David Betray, Petraeus do the right thing by resigning?" (video follows with commentary):

After Touting Sandy as 'October Surprise' for Obama, NBC Now Labels Si

November 8th, 2012 10:41 AM
After NBC News spent a week hyping President Obama's response to Hurricane Sandy as a major boon for his re-election campaign, on Thursday's Today, political director Chuck Todd completely dismissed Republicans citing the event as one reason for Mitt Romney's defeat: "Believe it or not, that Sandy finger-pointing is something that is being pushed around...when you look at the entire scope of…

NBC Panel: Romney Loss Would Cause GOP 'Civil War'; GOP 'Toast' in 'Mu

November 6th, 2012 3:39 PM
During a panel discussion on Tuesday's NBC Today, former McCain campaign advisor Steve Schmidt and PBS host Tavis Smiley began writing the Republican Party's obituary before any votes had been counted, after co-host Matt Lauer wondered: "Which party stands to suffer the most long-term damage if they lose today?" [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump] Schmidt proclaimed: "…

NBC's Lauer: 'Swift and Unanimous' Agreement Romney Ohio Ad 'Campaign

November 6th, 2012 12:27 PM
In an interview with senior Romney advisor Ed Gillespie on Tuesday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer ripped into an ads run by the Governor's campaign in Ohio about the auto industry: "The reaction was swift and unanimous, Ed. They were painted as misleading by independent fact-checkers. Ohio newspapers said they were an exercise in deception, a masterpiece of misdirection, and Chrysler and GM…