Networks Spin Violent 'Occupy' Protesters as 'Pushing Back,' Minimize

October 26th, 2011 12:08 PM
According to the network morning shows, violent Occupy Wall Street protesters are fighting back against government officials who are trying to rein them in. Early Show's Erica Hill highlighted "this growing crackdown on the anti-Wall Street protests around the country." She added, "In Oakland, California, the protesters are pushing back." The "pushing back" came in the form of throwing rocks…

NBC: Occupy Wall Street a 'Civics Lesson' for Kids; GOP Debate an 'Ant

October 21st, 2011 5:48 PM
During a panel discussion on Friday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer asked of the Occupy Wall Street protests: "What's the civics lesson in this for our kids as they're watching this on TV?" News anchor Natalie Morales argued: "...there's a huge civics lesson....the idea of having that civil discourse is important to teach our kids and it's something in history we've seen." In contrast,…

NBC's 'Today': Obama 'Sparked a Giggle-Fest' Over Justin Bieber During

October 19th, 2011 5:19 PM
On Wednesday's NBC Today, fill-in news anchor Savannah Guthrie shared this important presidential news with viewers: "And it's the last day of the President's bus tour through North Carolina and Virginia but it hasn't been all business for the commander in chief. At a Virginia high school he sparked a giggle-fest and even managed to break some hearts." [Audio available here] A clip followed…

NBC's Savannah Guthrie Gushes Over 'Tireless' Hillary Clinton's 'Blunt

October 17th, 2011 5:36 PM
In an interview light on substance and heavy on praise with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton aired on Monday's NBC Today, correspondent Savannah Guthrie fawned: "Hillary Clinton of course is known for keeping a tireless pace....[her] approach is a combination of blunt talk, personal charm and above all, frequent-flyer diplomacy." Later, Guthrie sympathetically informed viewers: "She has…

'Today' Show Panel Wonders if Chris Christie Too Fat to Be President

September 29th, 2011 11:25 AM
On Thursday's NBC Today, co-host Savannah Guthrie asked a panel of guests about the possibility of New Jersey's governor entering the presidential race and observed: "There's kind of this conventional wisdom among the political chattering class that someone as heavy as Chris Christie-" Dr. Nancy Snyderman interjected: "As fat as he is." Guthrie continued: "...would not be elected."

'Today' Show Panelist Star Jones Rants: 'You're Never Going to See a R

September 22nd, 2011 3:43 PM
Update: Full transcript added. During the weekly "Today's Professionals" panel discussion in the 9 a.m. ET hour of Thursday's NBC "Today," while on the subject of the execution of Troy Davis, attorney Star Jones used the opportunity to proclaim: "You're never going to see a rich, white man being put to death in the United States of America. That's not going to happen right now." [Audio…

'Today' Show Gives Platform for Writer McGinniss to Hawk New Palin-Bas

September 15th, 2011 1:06 PM
NBC's Today touted an "exclusive" interview Thursday with Sarah Palin stalker and author Joe McGinniss, smearing the former governor with unsubstantiated allegations. NBC didn't try to prove them. They just spread them. Fill-in co-host Savannah Guthrie proclaimed: "Stunning allegations made about Sarah Palin in a bombshell book. Is she really the hockey mom she claims to be? How strong is her…

Michael Moore Claims Fox News and 'AM Hate Radio' Encouraged Violence

September 13th, 2011 1:14 PM
Appearing on Tuesday's NBC Today to promote his autobiography, left-wing filmmaker Michael Moore decried "the amount of hatred that was generated on a certain news channel and on AM hate radio" against him, insisting: "They daily encouraged people to essentially commit acts of violence against me." [Audio available here] Moore leveled the charges in response to a question from fill-in co-…

NBC Reporter to Huntsman: Are Perry and Bachmann 'Too Far Right to Win

September 1st, 2011 1:26 PM
On Thursday's Today show NBC's Savannah Guthrie prodded Jon Huntsman to slam his fellow GOP presidential candidates Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann as too conservative, as she pressed the former Governor of Utah: "Are they too far right to win and beat President Obama?" For his part, Huntsman played into Guthrie's portrayal of his competitors by responding that the American people "don't want…

NBC's Guthrie Urges Obama 'Go For Broke' With New Stimulus

August 22nd, 2011 11:46 AM
In an interview with former press secretary and current Obama campaign advisor Robert Gibbs on Sunday's Meet the Press, substitute host Savannah Guthrie pushed the President from the left: "If the President thinks more should be done, if he thinks there should be more stimulus, why doesn't he just go for broke? Why doesn't he go out there and ask for it, make a case for it?" Guthrie worried…

Tweet Read on 'Meet the Press': 'We're Angry at Obama, But We're Not S

August 21st, 2011 5:23 PM
Savannah Guthrie actually did a pretty good job filling in for David Gregory on "Meet the Press" Sunday. Unfortunately, her biases came out near the end of the program when she chose to read a viewer's tweet that was quite hostile to Republicans (video follows with transcript and commentary):

MSNBC Gushes Over 'Ice Cream and Golf' on Obama's Vacation

August 19th, 2011 1:38 PM
Filling in for Andrea Mitchell during Thursday's 1 p.m. ET hour on MSNBC, Savannah Guthrie talked to correspondent Kristen Welker about President Obama's vacation plans: "Kristen, do you have any idea what he and the First Family plan to do while they're spending this time on Martha's Vineyard? I'm going to venture a guess there will be golf and ice cream, if past vacations are any indication…

NBC Spins for Obama Vacation: 'When Is There Ever a Good Time for a Wo

August 19th, 2011 12:38 PM
NBC on Friday offered a light-hearted defense of Barack Obama's vacation, justifying it by pointing out how hard it is for world leaders to take trips. On Today, NBC's Savannah Guthrie implored, "Well, is there ever a good time for a world leader to take a vacation? President Obama is receiving some criticism for his summer getaway to Martha's Vineyard and he's not the only one."

Donny Deutsch on NBC's 'Today': 'Why Can't You Write an Unflattering B

August 11th, 2011 12:20 PM
During a panel discussion about the Michele Bachmann Newsweek cover, left-wing advertising executive Donny Deutsch acknowledged that "It is politically biased," but didn't see any problem with that: "Who says the media's not biased?...Why can't they make a statement? Obviously that was a real picture...It's not a flattering article....why can't you write an unflattering biased article?"  …