'Today' Has No Time for Negative Obama, Edwards Stories, But Plenty for Bush's '1776'

NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

As the screencap shows, the cast of "Today" was really yukking it up this morning at George Bush's expense, recycling his "1776" gaffe on the occasion of the Queen's visit and updating the story with the Queen's retort. Between a show-opening tease and the later laugh-a-thon, the show devoted no less than 1 min, 43 seconds of its opening 21-minute 7:00 AM half-hour to the matter.

But, at least during that crucial first half-hour, "Today" somehow couldn't find a second to report on either of two stories with negative implications for Dem presidential candidates Obama and Edwards.

View video here.

Speaking in Virginia yesterday, Obama claimed that "ten thousand people died" in the Kansas tornado. He was only off by a factor of 1,000. Since we all know that Obama is brilliant, a Harvard law grad, why bother to pass along a story which doesn't fit the template?As for Edwards, in an interview yesterday with the Associated Press, he claimed that "he worked for a hedge fund between presidential campaigns to learn about financial markets and their relationship to poverty." Not that there's anything wrong with working for the financial industry, but still, shades of the politician caught taking bribes who claims he was conducting his own undercover investigation of corruption. By the way, at least for the time being, anti-poverty warrior Edwards has refused to disclose how much the hedge fund, Fortress Investment Group, paid him.

Again, nary a word in the first half-hour, discouraging or otherwise, from "Today" about Edwards extracurricular activities.

But President Bush and "1776"? Send in the clowns! Vieira sardonically reminded us of President Bush's "little verbal slip," and replayed the clip. "Today" then rolled footage of the Queen's retort, made at yesterday's reception at the British embassy, when she began a toast by asking the president whether she should start by saying "when I was here in 1776." Meredith, David Gregory and Al Roker then riffed off the episode, with Meredith suggesting that "they should go on the road -- to the Catskills!" Hehe.

ASIDE: No mention of Edwards' hedge fund work during the first half-hour of Good Morning America, but GMA did play a clip of Obama's 10,000-dead in Kansas mistake.

Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Thanks, Badeye. The job comes with a lifetime supply of Prilosec ;-)

[liberty or death]

And a job well done Mark. I have hated that show for as long as i can remember.

[DManA]

Gregory was an Imus favorite. Didn’t hear Davy standing up for his bud.

[Badeye]

“Thanks, Badeye. The job comes with a lifetime supply of Prilosec ;-)”

(chuckle)

I can’t help but wonder what historians will make of this era a hundred years from now, with the 20/20 hindsight in play.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Many thanks, LOD. My tagline says it all ;-)

[trisham]

I don’t watch “Today”. The hosts are buffoons.

[Lee'sGhost]

Isn’t he gay? Or is he one of those guys who is gay but just hasn’t admitted it yet?

[seanmerc]

He doesn’t seem to be a man of strong principle.

[SoFloFreeper]

But see, Hussein Obama meant there were 10,000 spiritually dead in Kansas, since Kansas is overwhelmingly white and Republican.

[canuck_conservative]

And the mainstream media doesn’t have a leftist bias?

Yeah right.

[wilco200]

They also managed to cover the Fort Dix plot story, this morning, without unttering the words, muslim, islam, illegal, or alien.

Viera even pondered “Why do you think is was that radicalized these men?”

The response “radical messages on the internet and radical videos”
No mention of islam.

[kevkrom]

Isn’t he gay? Or is he one of those guys who is gay but just hasn’t admitted it yet?

I dunno... what would you call a guy who has erotic fantasies about himself?

[Lee'sGhost]

A liberal.

[DCPatriot]

How about Obama saying 10,000 people were killed in the Kansas tornado, instead of 10?

DUH! Did you even read the freaking article?

[ConservativeStatement]

I’d call that person an “Olbermann.” :-)

[dangus]

Two differences:
1.Bush’s gaffe was funny; Obama’s was not.
2.Bush knew he had misspoke; Obama is an idiot.

[DCPatriot]

Heard a weather girl last nite say that the waves off North Carolina were THIRTY FEET. LOL!

[johnny7]

Pig slop for the sheeple...

[Arrowhead1952]

These people really wonder why viewership and paper circulation figures are headed into the cellar???? If a Republican had made the gaffe of 10,000 dead in the Kansas tornado, he would be tarred and feathered by the DBM. I guess Obama isn’t an intellectual after all.

[Verginius Rufus]

Well, did the weather girl specify if the waves were 30 feet high or 30 feet wide?