Posted on 03/11/2004 2:19:12 PM PST by FlyLow
“It's shaping up to be the longest and nastiest campaign in history,” CBS’s Byron Pitts charged Monday after a clip of Senator John Kerry denouncing tax loopholes and right before running a soundbite in which President Bush simply conveyed a comment about a policy position taken by Kerry. Bush’s supposedly “nasty” remark: “He's for good intelligence. Yet he was willing to gut the intelligence services. And that is no way to lead a nation in a time of war.”
Instead of castigating Kerry’s other shots at Bush on jobs and the handling of pre-9/11 intelligence, Pitts endorsed their credibility and painted Kerry as the victim as Pitts passed along how Kerry warned, without any substantiation, that the Bush team will “attack my character and even my wife's.”
Pitts asserted: “Troubling issues for Mr. Bush: jobs, the war in Iraq and continued questions about his administration's handling of the intelligence prior to the September 11th attacks, a theme his rivals hit hard today.” Kerry: “If the President of the United States can find the time to go to a rodeo, he can find the time to do more than one hour in front of a commission that is investigating what happened to America's intelligence.” Pitts then concluded: “Kerry told supporters earlier today he expects the Bush team will, quote, 'attack my character and even my wife's.’ Expect the mud to fly both ways for eight long months.”
The next morning, the MRC’s Brian Boyd noticed, Pitts continued his complaints about “nastiness” in the presidential contest, as if candidates should not be allowed to criticize each other. Pitts insisted on the March 9 Early Show: “Both men predict a bitter and nasty fall campaign and no place will that be truer than in Florida where Kerry told supporters, Republicans will attack his character even his wife's. The Massachusetts Senator hopes to raise nearly $80 million between now and next summer. That's still well short of the $100 million Mr. Bush already has in the bank, in what will be the costliest and likely the nastiest race in history."
Over on Tuesday’s Today, co-host Ann Curry, the MRC’s Geoff Dickens observed, was taken aback by Bush “bashing his opponent” about a Senate vote taken nine years ago -- as if that is somehow out of bounds. During a session with Tim Russert, Curry played this clip from Bush about how Kerry pushed for a cut in intelligence funding: “His bill was so deeply irresponsible that he didn't have a single co-sponsor in the United States Senate. Once again Senator Kerry is trying to have it both ways. He's for good intelligence yet he was willing to gut the intelligence services."
Curry then lamented: "An incumbent President bashing his opponent about a bill from nine years ago that never even came to a vote.”
Now the March 8 CBS Evening News story in full. Anchor John Roberts introduced it: “In the presidential campaign, the outcome of primaries tomorrow in four Southern states is not in any doubt, and the battle for the South in November is already in high gear. CBS's Byron Pitts reports tonight President Bush opened fire today from his home state of Texas, while Senator John Kerry came out charging in the battleground state of Florida.”
Pitts began, over video of a man at a Kerry rally wearing a Bush mask: “Today in Florida on the campaign trail, Halloween came early.” Senator John Kerry: “I told you this campaign is growing like crazy, folks.” Pitts: “And it's not just the unflattering Halloween mask but the unflattering tone that's already made March feel like late October.” Kerry: “I will close the stupid, insulting, disgraceful tax loopholes.” Pitts: “It's shaping up to be the longest and nastiest campaign in history.” President George W. Bush: “He's for good intelligence. Yet he was willing to gut the intelligence services. And that is no way to lead a nation in a time of war.” Pitts: “The latest polls show Senator Kerry beating President Bush in Florida by six points, the state Mr. Bush famously won by just over 500 votes in 2000.” Bush in Texas: “If you can't count on your home state in politics, you're in deep trouble.” Pitts: “Troubling issues for Mr. Bush: jobs, the war in Iraq and continued questions about his administration's handling of the intelligence prior to the September 11th attacks, a theme his rivals hit hard today.” Kerry: “If the President of the United States can find the time to go to a rodeo, he can find the time to do more than one hour in front of a commission that is investigating what happened to America's intelligence.” Pitts concluded: “Kerry told supporters earlier today he expects the Bush team will, quote, 'attack my character and even my wife's.’ Expect the mud to fly both ways for eight long months. Byron Pitts, CBS News, West Palm Beach, Florida.”
For a picture and bio of Pitts: www.cbsnews.com
Bullsh*t.
AlQaida certainly didn't care of Kerry became a victim!
Yeah..like we need a whiny victim leading us through these perilous times.
Hey, Miss Kerry...if you can't stand the heat...get the he!! out of the kitchen!
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