"New Anchor's Record of Liberal Advocacy:..." [ ABC's Ted Koppel signs off after 25 years]

MRC ^ | Monday November 21, 2005 | BrentBaker RichNoyes

[fight_truth_decay]

"As ABC's White House Correspondent, New Nightline Anchor Terry Moran Pushed a Liberal Agenda"

Below is the text of a Media Reality Check, put together by the MRC's Rich Noyes, which was distributed by fax this afternoon.

Moran: We're Now World's Bad Guys "Mr. President, recently Amnesty International said you have established, quote, ‘a new gulag of prisons around the world beyond the reach of the law and decency.' I'd like your reaction to that, and also your assessment of how it came to this, that that is a view not just held by extremists and anti-Americans, but by groups that have allied themselves with the United States government in the past, and what the strategic impact is, that in many places in the world the United States these days under your leadership is no longer seen as the good guy."

Now, the text of the rest of the November 21 Media Reality Check:

Another network news broadcast is about to undergo a major transformation. Tomorrow, Ted Koppel signs off after 25 years as Nightline anchor. A week from tonight, an ABC News triumvirate of Martin Bashir, Cynthia McFadden and Terry Moran will take the helm. But while the characters change, expect the spin to remain the same.

Bashir is a recent addition to ABC News, probably best known for his Michael Jackson documentary that helped push Jackson's arrest and trial on child molestation charges. McFadden is a veteran ABC correspondent whose focus has been legal cases, but she's offered political opinions on the air. For example, when film director Elia Kazan was given a lifetime achievement award at the 1999 Oscars, McFadden spoke for liberals still furious that Kazan opposed communism in the 1950s, explaining on Good Morning America the next day that her "favorite moment was in the car driving up to the red carpet, a lone protester holding a sign that said, ‘Kazan: the Linda Tripp of the '50s.'"

White House correspondent (and World News Tonight/Sunday anchor) Terry Moran, on the other hand, has earned something of a cult following on the far left with his obnoxious liberal questioning of President Bush and Press Secretary Scott McClellan. A blogger on the far-left Daily Kos Web site suggested a right-wing conspiracy in Moran's elevation: "Terry Moran has been one of the strongest question-askers and hounders of Scott McClellan in the past few months. He has stood up to Scott again and again....This smacks as a strategic move from the WH to me. Just when the scandal looms, you find ways to get rid of your critics."

Moran's record is filled with quotes that make liberals cheer. On the Sunday before President Bush's second inauguration, Moran began his newscast: "In a time of war and natural disaster, is it time for a lavish celebration?"

In May, during the controversy over Newsweek's faulty story about claims the U.S. military had abused the Koran, Moran told Press Secretary McClellan: "Scott, you said the retraction by Newsweek magazine of its story is a good first step. What else does the President want this American magazine to do?" After McClellan offered a suggestion, Moran erupted: "With respect, who made you the editor of Newsweek?" Uh, hadn't Moran himself just asked for an editorial opinion?

In May 2003, Moran was upset by a new tax law that would not provide families with a child "credit" over and above any taxes actually owed. He argued with Press Secretary Ari Fleischer: "I just wanted to make sure that you are saying the White House agreed to make the choice to leave these children behind." At a televised press conference in March 2003, Moran lectured the President: "So many governments and peoples around the world now not only disagree with you very strongly, but see the U.S. under your leadership as an arrogant power."

Moran isn't always a tough guy. In 2000, he covered Al Gore's campaign and empathized with the Vice President after his third debate with Bush: "You've spent a quarter century in public service and have worked on a lot of these issues, obviously have mastered a lot of the details of them. When you look across the stage, are you frustrated at all?"

END Reprint of November 21 Media Reality Check

- Brent Baker

[fight_truth_decay]

Moran questions Press Secretary Scott McClellan via ArtsJournal from Editor & Publisher which is subscription:

MORAN: Scott, is the insurgency in Iraq in its last throes"? [Cheney comment]

McCLELLAN: Terry, you have a desperate group of terrorists in Iraq that are doing everything they can to try to derail the transition to democracy. The Iraqi people have made it clear that they want a free and democratic and peaceful future. And that's why we're doing everything we can, along with other countries, to support the Iraqi people as they move forward ...

MORAN: But the insurgency is in its last throes?

McCLELLAN: The Vice President talked about that the other day -- you have a desperate group of terrorists who recognize how high the stakes are in Iraq. A free Iraq will be a significant blow to their ambitions.

MORAN: But they're killing more Americans, they're killing more Iraqis. That's the last throes?

McCLELLAN: Innocent -- I say innocent civilians. And it doesn't take a lot of people to cause mass damage when you're willing to strap a bomb onto yourself, get in a car and go and attack innocent civilians. That's the kind of people that we're dealing with. That's what I say when we're talking about a determined enemy.

MORAN: Right. What is the evidence that the insurgency is in its last throes?

McCLELLAN: I think I just explained to you the desperation of terrorists and their tactics.

MORAN: What's the evidence on the ground that it's being extinguished?

McCLELLAN: Terry, we're making great progress to defeat the terrorist and regime elements. You're seeing Iraqis now playing more of a role in addressing the security threats that they face. They're working side by side with our coalition forces. They're working on their own. There are a lot of special forces in Iraq that are taking the battle to the enemy in Iraq. And so this is a period when they are in a desperate mode.

MORAN: Well, I'm just wondering what the metric is for measuring the defeat of the insurgency.

McCLELLAN: Well, you can go back and look at the Vice President's remarks. I think he talked about it.

MORAN: Yes. Is there any idea how long a "last throe" lasts for?

[SteveMcKing]

I'm sure he thinks he's the next big anchorman, not realizing that the ship is already sunk.

[river rat]

That is absolutely a face, I would like to rearrange..
Moran really puts a face on "Leftist Asshole", doesn't he?

Semper Fi

[This Just In]

'MORAN: Yes, Is there any idea how long a "last throe" lasts for?'

Should have been quoted:

'MORON: Yes, do I have any idea how long a "last throe" lasts for when asking questions about "last throe"?'

[Reactionary]

I think we have Mr. Silky Pony II.

[dynachrome]

The gaydar is pinging.

[southernerwithanattitude]

After he did that once I would have said--next question! I can't believe they let these buzzards get away with questions like this!

[SandRat]

His name needs to be spelled MorROON!

[Czar]

A real dipstick.

Where do they find these mopes?

[This Just In]

Stuck on stupid "last throe".

[ErnBatavia]

Cojoined??

[This Just In]

Boy, Moran sure was peppering McClellan with riveting, intellectually charged questions.

[ChadGore]

Happy Liberation Day !

[mrsmith]

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3a5d3376472c.htm
"A footnote: Margaret Zwisler, the neighbor who Bush transition officials believe leaked the account of Chavez's illegal immigrant problem, is not only a member of a prominent Democratic law firm. Her brother, Terry Moran, is a reporter for ABC News, which broke the story on Chavez's problems."

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3a36edee3b07.htm
"I just heard Peter ask a reporter in front of the vice president's mansion if the very loud protestors in the background were for gore or Bush. The reporter said they were Bush supporters and they had bullhorns.....LOL WTG DC Freepers....music to my ears...Bless you all. (Peter was obviously not happy with the answer.) ...
It wasn't Jennings who was unhappy, but the reporter, Terry Moran.
Peter: "Terry, the demonstrators are unusually loud tonight. Are they Bush people or Gore people?
Terry: "Well, these are Bush people (eyes look down, contemptuously). They have bullhorns tonight.
47 Posted on 12/12/2000 20:50:47 PST by mrustow "

[ncountylee]

ABC is trying to polish a turd...again.

[BillSharp]

Is Moran the "sloppy seconds" guy.

[MinuteGal]

He also looks like a much younger Warren Beatty......yes, you know, Warren Beatty, the Clyde of Hillary and Clyde.

Leni

[dynachrome]

Let us hope there are no children.

[ozzymandus]

Whatta punk. Some people just need a good beating.

[Enchante]

Terry Moron= the usual sort of arrogant leftist airhead twit that the MSM loves to worship

I'm sure he will continue to have his cult following of Daily Kos and DU psychotics, but will he maintain any ratings sufficient to please network bosses? It would be fun to see him take "Nightline" right down the tubes - haven't been able to watch the sanctimonious fool Koppel in many years, and I'm sure that Terry Moron will be more revolting than Ted............