-Caveat Lector- FYI ----- Original Message ----- From: Media Research Center <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, November 24, 2000 5:06 AM Subject: MRC Alert: Pro-Gore Court Decision Hailed; Standing O for Harris Distorted > ***Media Research Center CyberAlert*** > Friday November 24, 2000 (Vol. Five; No. 251) > > Pro-Gore Court Decision Hailed; Standing O for Harris Distorted; > Katherine "Cruella de Vil" Harris; Peggy Noonan for President? > > #### Distributed to more than 6,000 recipients by the Media > Research Center, bringing political balance to the media. Visit > the MRC on the Web: http://www.mediaresearch.org. Past CyberAlerts > are available at: http://www.mediaresearch.org/news/cyberalert/ > Subscribe/unsubscribe information at end of this message. > When posted, this CyberAlert will be readable at: > http://www.mrc.org/news/cyberalert/2000/cyb20001124.asp #### > > 1) ABC's Terry Moran promised being made up of Democrats had > nothing to do with the Florida Supreme Court ruling. A Boston > Globe reporter rejoiced at how the court promoted "the simple > revolutionary thought that created the country two centuries ago," > that "the merest individual voice matters." > 2) On MSNBC, Newsweek's Jonathan Alter celebrated the ruling for > hand counts as he denounced Republicans for how "they thought they > could snow us" with machines counts, but "it didn't work." > 3) Media Reality Check. "ABC's Diane Sawyer Can't Spot Non-Votes, > But Praises Those Who Can: Florida Dimple-Spotters Are Doing > 'Phenomenal Work.'" > 4) Al Gore "scored on the PR front" by suggesting he and Bush > meet, Newsweek's Jonathan Alter asserted on Wednesday's Today. But > when Chris Matthews advised Bush not to meet "because it would be > like a Mob meeting" since "there will be a trap," Alter fired > back: "The Vice President is not a terrorist!" > 5) Katherine Harris earned a standing ovation from members of both > parties at a swearing-in ceremony for legislators. NBC Nightly > News ignored it, the CBS Evening News reported only "state > Republicans" applauded her while ABC's Peter Jennings recognized > she "got a standing ovation...from members of both parties," but > he dismissed it as "having to do with state pride." > 6) Time's Margaret Carlson insulted Katherine Harris, contending > she's "often compared to Cruella de Vil, snatching ballots rather > than puppies." The Washington Post Ombudsman this week denounced a > reporter for issuing a personal attack on Harris for not using > "restraint when she's wielding a mascara wand." > 7) The latest edition of MediaNomics: "Economic Freedom is > Overlooked Concept at Broadcast Networks" and "Kudos to U.S. News > & World Report" for reporting how the "Clinton administration had > pushed through new workplace rules that could cost employers up to > $126 billion a year." > 8) Off the reservation at ABC. During Monday Night Football, > Dennis Miller recommended Peggy Noonan for President. Al Michaels > conceded her writing gives him "goose bumps." > > > > 1) The Florida Supreme Court ruling announced Tuesday night > in which the justices, appointed by Democratic Governors, decided > to ignore the state statues and create their own new vote counting > deadline of Sunday night, earned approval in some media quarters. > > -- ABC News. During an ABC News special report about the > ruling just before 10pm ET Tuesday night, November 21, ABC's Gore > beat reporter Terry Moran assured viewers: > "Before people say, 'oh, the Democratic Supreme Court of > Florida awarded victory to the Democratic candidate,' they should > go back into the law books and see that Florida, like most states, > has a long history of saying the most important value in an > election is to count the votes that were legitimately cast." > > -- Boston Globe. In a November 22 front page "news analysis," > Boston Globe Washington Bureau Chief David Shribman, a veteran of > the Wall Street Journal reporting staff, celebrated the court's > activist decision. "Every voice matters, the justices remind us," > declared the headline over the piece in which he rejoiced at how > the court decided the voters must be primary and "if that means > counting every last ballot card, that is both the burden and the > glory of democratic rule." Here's an excerpt of what Shribman > contended: > > For drama and decisiveness, the moment had few equals. > > Late at night, with Thanksgiving nearing and with the political > impasse moving into its third week, the Florida Supreme Court > stepped into the election struggle, throwing the battle for the > presidency into upheaval with the simple revolutionary thought > that created the country two centuries ago and could eventually > bring the 2000 campaign to an end: The merest individual voice > matters. > > Huge political armies continue to clash in the capital and in > Florida, but the decision of the state's highest court seeks to > assure that the relatively few anonymous voters whose views were > missed by machine count -- but whose intent may be discerned by > the human eye -- will be considered in the final count. In the > hands of those anonymous few rest the destinies of Governor George > W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore.... > > The theory behind the court's action was clear, and was anything > but the sterile product of an isolated court. Ruling in the most > fevered political atmosphere of the age, with control of the White > House in the balance, the court gave every indication of having > followed this dispute and all of its curious, even maddening, > turns. > > In that context, it said that a political campaign so close that > the margins were microscopic must ultimately be decided the way > even the most lopsided elections are decided, by the voters. And, > the court ruled, if that means counting every last ballot card, > that is both the burden and the glory of democratic rule. > > The court established that, as great as the institutions of > government are, the individual is greater still, and his or her > voice must be heard -- and counted. > > And so the counting will go on, through the holiday weekend. No > presidential election in modern times has lasted so long, or > prompted so many legal battles, or rewarded and then punished the > participants with such swiftness. But, then again, no election has > so unambiguously affirmed the founding principles of the nation, > especially the primacy, the prerogatives and, ultimately, the > power of the individual. > > END Excerpt > > To read Shribman's entire "news analysis," go to: > http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/327/nation/Every_voice_matters_t > he_justices_remind_us+.shtml > > > > 2) During the 1am ET hour on MSNBC the night of the Florida > Supreme Court ruling, Newsweek's Jonathan Alter used the decision > as an opportunity to denounce Republicans for trying to "snow us" > in how they argued machine counts are more accurate. > > In my absence from the MRC on Wednesday, Rich Noyes rewound a > tape a few hours to track down the early morning blast: > "The real Republican problem has been their legal strategy. > They started out with a losing strategy, a political and legal > strategy that stressed the machine count. They actually thought > that they were going to get all of us to believe that machine > counts all around the United States were the last authority, when > on the books in states all over the country they have these hand > counts. And they thought they could snow us with these machines, > and it didn't work." > > > > 3) ABC's Diane Sawyer used a flashlight Wednesday morning to > try to see a "dimpled chad," but when she couldn't, instead of > saying her failure demonstrated how inaccurate such counting must > be, she praised Florida hand counters for their "phenomenal work." > Her reaction fueled a Campaign 2000 Media Reality Check "Quick > Take" from the Media Research Center, produced by Rich Noyes and > Tim Graham. > > To read it online with an accompanying RealPlayer video clip > posted by MRC Webmaster Andy Szul, go to: > http://www.mediaresearch.org/news/reality/2000/Fax20001122.html > > To see the Media Reality Check in the format in which it was > distributed by fax, access the Adobe Acrobat PDF version: > http://www.mediaresearch.org/news/reality/2000/pdf/qt1122.pdf > > Here's the text of the November 22 report: > > ABC'S DIANE SAWYER CAN'T SPOT NON-VOTES, BUT PRAISES THOSE WHO CAN > FLORIDA DIMPLE-SPOTTERS ARE DOING "PHENOMENAL WORK" > > Racing through the numerical options for a Gore victory this > morning, ABC's Political Analyst George Stephanopoulos announced > on Wednesday's Good Morning America that his Democratic sources > estimate that if a "looser standard" of counting votes is allowed > in Florida, Al Gore would finally achieve a lead of a couple of > hundred votes. > > How loose is loose? The Democrats want "dimpled" ballots, or punch > cards that have been neither punched nor perforated but which have > a barely-detectable dent near what would be the right hole, added > to Gore's count so that he, not Bush, would be President. > > After Stephanopoulos's arithmetic display, viewers saw co-host > Diane Sawyer hold up a punch card ballot that she said was > dimpled. "I'm holding this because I've been obsessed with what it > is to see an actual ballot with a dimple in it and it is a very > subtle thing," Sawyer said. "And we, I don't think, I've been > putting flashlights through it," at which point she aimed a > flashlight beam through the paper, revealing no obvious holes or > marks. "I'm telling you the people doing this work are really > doing phenomenal work to see all of this and to take care over all > of these," she added. > > Her co-host, Charles Gibson, remarked that "It's just a slight > indentation in that in that uh, in that card." > > Sawyer hastened to add that "If you didn't see it [the dimple] at > home that's because it's really hard for you to see." > > Gibson agreed: "And they're not hitting it with a pen so that you > see an ink point, they're hitting it with a stylus so you just > have to look for an indentation." > > Sawyer: "That's right." > > Moments later, when Gibson interviewed Gore chief William Daley, > he failed to challenge him to defend the Gore camp's insistence > that such unreliable marks be counted as votes. Instead, he tossed > a softball about last night's ruling from the Florida Supreme > Court: "Did you expect this much of a victory from the court?" > > END Reprint of Media Reality Check "Quick Take" > > > > 4) Al Gore "scored on the PR front" by suggesting he and > Bush meet, Newsweek's Jonathan Alter asserted on Wednesday's > Today, as he argued "it's important for them to appear together > publicly to reassure the country and the world that we have a > stable democracy." But in the same segment, MRC analyst Geoffrey > Dickens observed, Chris Matthews advised: "If I were Bush I'd > never meet with him because it would be like a Mob meeting. It's > like who's gonna handle security and what's gonna be the trap? > There will be a trap." An appalled Alter fired back in Gore's > defense: "The Vice President is not a terrorist!" > > In the November 22 segment with Katie Couric, Alter asserted: > "I also think that Gore scored on the PR front by suggesting again > that the two men meet. You got financial markets that are getting > jittery. The American public is getting concerned about this." > Couric: "But you yourself say nothing very good would come > from that meeting but Gore looks good suggesting it." > Alter: "The meeting itself is not important. They would just, > it would be very frosty between the two of them. But it's > important for them to appear together publicly to reassure the > country and the world that we have a stable democracy. And just > say look we disagree about this. We disagree about the law but we > agree that we have a democracy that still works. That would-" > Couric: "Okay. Do you think we're gonna see a Gore-Bush public > appearance?" > Matthews: "I'd never meet. If I were Bush I'd never meet with > him because it would be like a Mob meeting. It's like who's gonna > handle security and what's gonna be the trap? There will be a > trap." > Alter: "The Vice President is not a terrorist!" > Matthews: "Gore's people will put out the word that they're > gonna agree on something about no further litigation and then all > of a sudden Gore, Bush has to come out and face the cameras and > say, 'Didya make the deal? Didya make the deal?' Because they'd > leak what they are going to put out at the meeting. I wouldn't > trust the other guy in politics, ever." > Couric: "Alright that's got to be the last word. Alright, > trust no one in politics! The last word from Chris Matthews." > > More like the Bush campaign should trust no one in the media. > > > > 5) Even in a moment of triumph, Katherine Harris couldn't > get a break from ABC, CBS or NBC. During a special joint session > of the Florida House and Senate Tuesday to swear in new members, > she received a standing ovation from nearly all in the chamber. > > But Tuesday night, the MRC's Tim Graham and Brian Boyd > determined for me, the NBC Nightly News didn't show the event > while on the November 21 CBS Evening News Byron Pitts asserted > that only "state Republicans" gave her "a hero's welcome." ABC's > Peter Jennings acknowledged she "got a standing ovation in the > legislature today from members of both parties," but he dismissed > any affirmation of her work, attributing it to "perhaps having to > do with state pride." > > -- CBS Evening News. Over video of the standing ovation, Byron > Pitts reported: "Today the only public judgment came from state > Republicans as they gave Secretary of State Harris a hero's > welcome, she's the one player most often vilified by Democrats." > > -- ABC's World News Tonight allowed viewers to hear the > applause as anchor Peter Jennings explained: "Just one other note > from Tallahassee. Perhaps having to do with state pride, the > Florida Secretary of State, Katherine Harris, got a standing > ovation in the legislature today from members of both parties. She > was there for the swearing-in of new legislators." > > > > 6) A new harangue about Katherine Harris and a previous one > denounced. In this week's Time magazine, the MRC's Tim Graham > observed, Margaret Carlson argued that Harris "mixed the pious > certitude of Linda Tripp with the hauteur of a Dynasty > protagonist." Carlson added this insult: "Harris, often compared > to Cruella de Vil, snatching ballots rather than puppies, was > briefly the most powerful woman on the planet." > > The Washington Post Ombudsman this week denounced a reporter > for issuing a personal attack on Harris. Fashion reporter Robin > Givhan had denigrated Harris: "One wonders how this Republican > woman, who can't even use restraint when she's wielding a mascara > wand, will manage to use it and make sound decisions in this game > of partisan one-upmanship." > > -- Margaret Carlson in the November 27 Time. On a page which > included Harris's head, with deranged red cartoon eyes, posted on > the cartoon of Cruella DeVil, Carlson opined: > "The only person who looks like a character from one of the > more usual cable dramas is Florida Secretary of State Katherine > Harris, a Bush campaign co-chairwoman who mixed the pious > certitude of Linda Tripp with the hauteur of a Dynasty > protagonist. She once performed in a Sarasota nightclub, getting > audience members to join her in flapping their arms to music in a > peculiar art form called chicken dancing. Until the Florida > Supreme Court enjoined her from certifying the vote, Harris, often > compared to Cruella de Vil, snatching ballots rather than puppies, > was briefly the most powerful woman on the planet. > "To grasp the enormity of what Harris was up to, imagine James > Carville as a political appointee of Governor Roger Clinton's, > deciding to shut down a legal recount of an election with a > 300-vote margin and award the victory to Roger's brother Bill." > > As Tim Graham pointed out, Harris is not a "political > appointee," but a public servant elected through the "will of the > people." > > After detailing Republican jokes about hand counting, Carlson > rebutted: > "What's fraudulent is the very notion that one side's > political operative could singlehandedly decide a disputed > election. If this were a horror movie, the audience would be > mentally shouting 'Stop this woman! Call the authorities!'" > > To read Carlson's complete diatribe, go to: > http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,88796,00.html > > > -- Washington Post. In his inaugural column, new Post > Ombudsman Michael Getler on Wednesday criticized the personal > nature of an attack on Harris by a Post reporter. An excerpt of > his November 22 column, titled "Mascara Smear." > > "At this moment that so desperately needs diplomacy, > understatement and calm, one wonders how this Republican woman, > who can't even use restraint when she's wielding a mascara wand, > will manage to use it and make sound decisions in this game of > partisan one-upmanship." > > That sentence appeared on the front page of the Style section last > Saturday in an article by Post fashion reporter Robin Givhan about > Florida's secretary of state, Katherine Harris. > > I would paraphrase that sentence: "At this moment that so > desperately needs diplomacy, understatement and calm, one > wonders" how The Post could publish such a slashing attack on the > personal appearance of a woman who has been an important figure in > the electoral stalemate. > > In case you missed it, here are excerpts from what Ms. Givhan told > us about Ms. Harris: "Her skin had been plastered and powdered to > the texture of pre-war walls....[S]he looked as if she were > wearing a mask....The American public doesn't like falsehoods, and > Harris is clearly presenting herself in a fake manner....Why > should anyone trust her?" > > Ms. Givhan's treatment of Ms. Harris, in the view many Post > readers -- including the ombudsman -- was a classic example of > the arrogance of journalists that undermines people's confidence > in the media. > > During this extraordinary period, The Post has been bombarded by > e-mails and phone calls about alleged bias. Mostly, callers > express partisan opinions without citing specific stories. But the > Harris article produced a different and, in my view, more serious, > specific and useful reaction for the paper to ponder. > > Mocking someone's appearance is not something that newspapers > should do.... > > Eugene Robinson, Style editor, says he had no idea the story would > provoke the reaction it did. "Part of what a Style section ought > to do is kick up a bunch of dust from time to time. But just > because there is a big reaction to this story doesn't mean that we > wanted this....Maybe we were a little deaf to the tone in this > case," he says.... > > The stakes for The Post on a story such as this are high. Its > reporting and analysis of the presidential standoff have lived up > to the paper's well-earned reputation for top-notch coverage. Yet > that reputation can get tarnished by such a high-readability story > that can add fuel to those who believe, or suspect, that the paper > is inherently biased. > > END Excerpt > > To read Getler's entire piece, including a defense from > Givhan, go to: > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49904-2000Nov21.html > > > > 7) The November 21 edition of MediaNomics by Rich Noyes, > Director of the MRC's Free Market Project: > > -- Economic Freedom Is Overlooked Concept At Broadcast > Networks > Economic freedom is closely correlated with both the wealth of > a nation and the ability of its people to enjoy satisfying > livelihoods. But none of the three broadcast networks reported the > findings of this year's country-by-country survey of economic > freedom, released jointly by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall > Street Journal on November 1. More troubling, the concept of > economic freedom has been virtually excluded from the networks' > news agendas this year, even as their heavy coverage of the > presidential campaign spotlighted tax and regulatory proposals > which would affect Americans' economic freedom.... > > To read the whole article, go to: > http://www.mediaresearch.org/fmp/medianomics/2000/mn20001121.html > > -- Kudos...to U.S. News & World Report > None of the broadcast networks took time from their ongoing > coverage of the Florida re-count to tell viewers that the lame > duck Clinton administration had pushed through new workplace rules > that could cost employers up to $126 billion a year. Yet despite > all of the political news, the November 27 edition of U.S. News & > World Report successfully included a report by Kim Clark > explaining why the business community has objected so strenuously > to the new rules.... > > To read the rest of the article, go to: > http://www.mediaresearch.org/fmp/medianomics/2000/kd20001121.html > > > > 8) Two ABC on-air personnel agreed Peggy Noonan would make > the best President, with one admitting she gives him "goose > bumps." Naturally, they aren't with the news division but with ABC > Sports. > > MRC entertainment analyst Tom Johnson alerted CyberAlert to > the comments made during ABC's Monday Night Football game this > week. Returning from an ad break during the 4th quarter, the ABC > camera focused on a poster urging people to vote which featured a > picture ABC football commentator Dennis Miller and proclaimed: > "Dennis, You Decide." Miller commented: "Well, if it's up to me > I'd pick Peggy Noonan." > Play-by-play announcer Al Michaels responded: "That gave me > goose bumps." > Miller asked: "You like Peggy's writing, huh?" > Michaels gushed about her columns in the Wall Street Journal, > though he dropped the word Journal: "I read the Wall Street > editorial page, I get goose bumps." > > > Too bad Al Michaels isn't in contention to anchor World News > Tonight. Reading the Wall Street Journal editorial page is > probably a practice few at ABC News follow. -- Brent Baker > > > >>> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] Put "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" > in the BODY of the message, NOT in the subject line. Problems and > comments can be addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <<< <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. 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