Ending her final night as anchor of the CBS Evening News with a “five years in five minutes” video retrospective, Katie Couric went out in sync with how she conducted herself since 2006 – challenging and discrediting conservatives while providing a platform to liberals to disparage conservatives.
Her Thursday night highlight package began with Couric pressing President George W. Bush in 2006: “Is there anything that you wish you had done differently?” From there, CBS jumped to actor Michael Fox: “I could give a damn about Rush Limbaugh's opinion.” After clips on wild fires, steroids and the Virginia Tech shooting, viewers heard this blast from Valerie Plame: “I never once considered that, in fact, this administration would betray my identity as payback.”
Getting to the 2008 campaign, CBS played a friendly clip of Couric empathizing with Joe Biden: “Are you worried you're going to have to pull your punches a bit?” Then, instead of re-running her “what newspapers do you read?” question, Couric chose instead to highlight, just weeks after Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, how Sarah Palin had said that nation was not protecting al-Qaeda. (Video excerpt after jump) MP3 audio
The fresh way Couric tried to embarrass Palin for a widely-held presumption:
KATIE COURIC: The United States is deeply unpopular in Pakistan. Do you think the Pakistani government is protecting al-Qaeda within its borders?
SARAH PALIN IN 2008: I don't believe that new President Zardari has that mission at all.
The five-minute long segment did include one challenge to President Obama from an earlier interview: “Did the addition of 30,000 additional troops help the situation in Iraq?”
MRC Media Reality Check, by Rich Noyes and Geoff Dickesn, posted Wednesday with a video montage of her most-liberal moments: “Katie Couric's Five Years at CBS Marked by Liberal Agenda and Low Ratings; Advertised as a ‘Straight Shooter,’ Couric's Liberal Skew Did Nothing to Repair Damage Caused by Dan Rather's Bias.”
Portions of the video run at the end of the last-ever CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, aired Thursday, May 19, as collated by the MRC’s Brad Wilmouth:
KATIE COURIC: And now, as many of you know, this is my final broadcast on the Evening News. It's been an extraordinary privilege to sit in this chair and a real honor to work with so many talented people here at CBS News. We thought we'd take a look back at some of the history-making people and events we've covered, so here now, five years in five minutes.
COURIC TO PRESIDENT BUSH: When you look back on the last five years, is there anything that you wish you had done differently?
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Yeah, I mean, I wish, for example, Abu Ghraib didn't happen.
MICHAEL J. FOX: I care deeply about stem cell research.
RUSH LIMBAUGH: Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting, one of the two.
FOX: I could give a damn about Rush Limbaugh's opinion. I’m not a victim.
...
VALERIE PLAME: I never once considered that, in fact, this administration would betray my identity as payback.
...
COURIC: Did the addition of 30,000 additional troops help the situation in Iraq?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Katie, there is no doubt that our troops helped to reduce violence.
COURIC: Are you worried you're going to have to pull your punches a bit? It's a different dynamic, isn't it?
VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: I don't know, is it?
SARAH PALIN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Can I call you Joe?
PALIN: I don't believe that new President Zardari has that mission at all.
OBAMA: I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear-
COURIC: Who’s to say you’re reading the tea leaves accurately now?...
COURIC: 3,240 - the number of days the war here has gone on.
OBAMA: -pleased to nominate General David Petraeus.
COURIC: Are you disappointed things aren't as stable? And are you concerned that they could unravel as combat forces leave the country?
...
OBAMA: I can report to the American people the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden.
COURIC: Tonight the man who ordered the attack that destroyed the Towers is dead.
...
COURIC: And to all of you watching, thank you so much for coming along with me on this incredible journey. That's the CBS Evening News for tonight. I'm Katie Couric. Good night.
Video of the entire piece, as posted on CBSNews.com
