In response to the ridiculous Seth Leibsohn challenge yesterday, I raise my hand and offer evidence (Exhibit No. __ — oh, who can keep count at this point?) that the press was soft on the Bush Administration in the run-up to the Iraq War.
Here’s Jessica Yellin of CNN (but formerly of ABC News*, during the time period in question) talking last night about the pressure she was under from network news execs when she was covering the Bush White House back then (via Michael Calderone at The Politico):
Late Update: The three broadcast network anchors were on the Today show this yesterday morning and Matt Lauer got them to ruminating on the coverage of the Iraq War, especially before the invasion. Only Katie Couric whole-heartedly embraced the notion that the media had been cowed by Bush’s popularity and the post-9/11 patriotic fervor:
*Late Update: Yellsin was apparently referring to another of her previous employers, MSNBC.
Later Update: Yellin clarifies her remarks.
A look at how Phil Gramm, McCain’s top economics adviser and possible future Treasury Secretary, came to earn the sobriquet “Foreclosure Phil.”
Scott McClellan’s began his book tour this morning. Here’s a sampling of his interview on the Today show:
These Obama-hoarding-superdelegates stories keep coming up, and we keep knocking them down. So here we go again. As Greg Sargent explains:
Once either campaign has got an individual super-del privately locked down, it rushes that super-del out the door and makes it public as quick as possible, in order to make it official. The campaigns don’t privately hoard super-dels, because to do so would risk losing them.
The latest polling in the Mississippi Senate race has incumbent (albeit appointed) Sen. Roger Wicker (R) now trailing former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove (D), 47-46. This is the race to complete the term of the retired Trent Lott.
[ed. note: This post originally had the spread as 44-40, which is actually the number from the latest poll on Obama v. McCain in Michigan, where McCain is leading. So many polls. Sorry for the confusion.]
TPM Election Central takes a first run at the electoral math.
Jessica Yellin has a post up at a CNN blog clarifying her remarks last night about being pressured by her bosses at the time to stay positive in her reporting during the run-up to the Iraq War:
First, this involved my time on MSNBC where I worked during the lead up to war. I worked as a segment producer, overnight anchor, field reporter, and briefly covered the White House, the Pentagon, and general Washington stories.
Also, let me say: No, senior corporate leadership never asked me to take out a line in a script or re-write an anchor intro. I did not mean to leave the impression that corporate executives were interfering in my daily work; my interaction was with senior producers. What was clear to me is that many people running the broadcasts wanted coverage that was consistent with the patriotic fever in the country at the time. It was clear to me they wanted their coverage to reflect the mood of the country.
What do Michelle Malkin, Rachael Ray, Dunkin Donuts, and terrorism have in common?
Rep. Don Young (R-AK) today officially filed to run for reelection to a 19th term as Alaska’s sole representative in the House. Here’s a portion of the statement from Young that his campaign released:
“I know I may come off as gruff sometimes, and some think that my methods in Congress are a bit aggressive. But guess what? I’m effective, and my colleagues in Congress on both sides of the aisle always have acknowledged that. We are a huge state with only one representative in the House. The only way anything can get done for our state is to stand up and fight for it, and I’ve done that well for you all throughout my career.
“We live in a world where liberals from San Francisco are running Congress and their greatest wish is to lock up Alaska and turn it into a national park. Well, that’s not happening on my watch, not now and not ever. I have fought long and hard over my career for a state I love and a state I proudly call home. With your support, I look forward to continue standing up for Alaska!”