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ABC News Serenades Ann Coulter With "The Bitch Is Back"
ABC World News Now | June 28, 2007 | L.N. Smithee

Posted on 06/28/2007 3:15:39 AM PDT by L.N. Smithee

I was just about to flip off my TV set when I did a cursory spin around the channels to see if there was something happening I would want to TiVo for tomorrow when I came across ABC's World News Now broadcast, a hodgepodge of previously aired ABC News stories read by minor league anchors getting their first taste of national network exposure (Anderson Cooper began his career on this show).

The anchors had just finished a replay of Salon.com refugee Jake Tapper's story on the Coulter-Edwards kerfuffle, which contained Tapper's trademark leftward spin. After it was finished, the male anchor said to the female anchor (I'll fill in those details later if you care) something in the realm of "You know how we have a Paris Hilton blackout? Why don't we also have an Ann Coulter blackout?" As the female anchor proposed that Mrs. Edwards and Coulter somehow have it out on television, someone in the control room played in the background Elton John's "The Bitch Is Back." The song's volume rose as the show went to a commercial break.

Personally, I have soured on Coulter after she suddenly became needlessly strident and gratutitous in issuing insults. She's become a conservative enfant terrible, and doesn't seem to care that while she gets all the credit for stirring up outrage, it reflects badly on people who share her concerns but not her penchant for inflammatory rhetoric.

But this thread is not about what I think of her, it's about what is acceptable behavior for a news program. Essentially calling a best-selling author a "bitch" on a newscast? There is absolutely NO excuse for this.

While the BBC recently openly admitted that there is rampant leftist bias within its reports, there has been no similar self-reflection on the part of American news outlets. I propose a good place to start such a discussion would be right at this point: Who is it at ABC News who decided that it would be journalistically acceptable to play "The Bitch Is Back" after a story about Ann Coulter? Someone in that dark room with all the monitors, switches and levers set it up and said, "Do it." What was in his/her mind? What does David Westin have to say about it? Did the decision-maker figure Westin would be proud?


TOPICS: Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: abcnews; anncoulter; bias; coulter; edwards; jaketapper; media; mediabias
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To: L.N. Smithee
But this thread is not about what I think of her, it's about what is acceptable behavior for a news program. Essentially calling a best-selling author a "bitch" on a newscast? There is absolutely NO excuse for this.

Actually, I bet Ann would get her rocks off on this. That's the image she tried so hard to create, after all.

101 posted on 06/28/2007 7:39:34 AM PDT by Hemingway's Ghost (Spirit of '75)
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To: jude24
If Ann Coulter showed even a little class, she wouldn't be open to the charges of being a "bitch." But with the little verbal grenades she lobs, she is essentially the Right's version of Michael Moore.

Whether Ann Coulter is a bitch or not is not the point of this discussion. The point is, could you imagine them running that music after a story about Hillary or Pelosi? They are both open to those charges as well.

The bias of the DBM is flagrant and consistent. This is only another example.

102 posted on 06/28/2007 7:49:23 AM PDT by Cracker Jack (The only thing in Washington worse than the republicans is the democrats.)
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To: Drawsing
Ann knows we are in a war for the survival of a free America. She knows that the Stalinist press, their Hollywood propaganda and university elite are playing for keeps. In the war of ideas the timid seldom see victory. Ann is acting like the man we conservatives wish we could send to congress. One who will engage the battle and destroy the enemy (that would be the the godless liberals). One who will say and do what is necessary no matter how many nasty things are said about them - men who fear God and not men! She is more of a man than our castrated conservative legislators (and quite a woman too!)

If Ann is to hot for some here it is only because they are not fighting the war, they may have chosen sides, but they are not fighting to win and for keeps. Go Ann - help keep liberty in America!

103 posted on 06/28/2007 8:13:29 AM PDT by DaveyB (Ignorance is part of the human condition - atheism makes it permanent!)
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To: ZULU

We have enough Go along to Get along Republicans. Ann is a breath of fresh air. Being a girl gives her protected group status, although they do make exceptions for Conservative minorities. Ann Rox!!

President Bush has a spine, its just that you don’t like what he is trying to accomplish. If deporting Mexicans was such a big deal why is Tancredo only getting 3% of the vote??

Pray for W and Our Troops


104 posted on 06/28/2007 8:28:27 AM PDT by bray (The Surge is Working on both Enemies)
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To: southern rock
But that didn't stop you from getting in your little digs, did it?

Sure didn't. And I stand by every word that I wrote.

It's the principle of the situation, not the worthiness of the target. A left-leaning news organization may think nothing of playing "The Bitch Is Back" after an Ann Coulter story, but you would have Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, John Podesta, David Brock, Eric Alterman, and the DNC hierarchy wetting their pants and screaming foul if a Fox News producer had done the same regarding, say, Helen Thomas or Medea Benjamin. But if someone at Fox were to have such a lapse in judgment, my reaction would be the same even if in my heart I agreed with the sentiment.

Let's put it another way: Many years ago, when Geraldo Rivera had his nose broken by a neo-Nazi that threw a chair in the midst of a brawl between people of his ilk and black activists, a fashion publication called W published its list of "Ins and Outs." Among the "Ins": "The person who broke Geraldo's nose (despite his loathsome politics)." Whichever editor green-lighted that line actually gave kudos to a white separatist! And it's not enough to just dismiss his murderous hatred for Jews, blacks, and everybody but Aryans because someone who didn't have that hatred within him wouldn't have thrown the chair.

What kind of hypocrisy is it to say "Neo-Nazis are terrible, horrible people unless they're beating up Geraldo?" I am not going to engage in situational ethics and say I despise leftist media bias unless it's being practiced against someone with whom I disagree.

105 posted on 06/28/2007 8:54:13 AM PDT by L.N. Smithee (Has George W. Bush been taking Carter's Little Pills?)
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To: Hemingway's Ghost
Just what I would expect from a lefty.

Why not go to DU and join them. They hate Coulter too.

BTW, Hemingway was a man of the left and never said a bad word about the communists. So, your “tag” gives you away.

106 posted on 06/28/2007 9:41:28 AM PDT by pablo H (Remember '96- No more Doles!)
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To: pablo H
Just what I would expect from a lefty.

Why not go to DU and join them. They hate Coulter too.

Pretty stern words from a hack who just signed up for FR.

Here's a hint, Junior. Worshiping at the altar of Coulter does not a conservative make. If she gives you a chubby, that's wonderful, but she's no high priestess of Conservatism. She's a shrill hack who's made a fortune by playing the cult of personality game for dullards like you who believe there's nothing more to politics than the screaming heads on the television talk shows.

Now, proceed to piss off.


107 posted on 06/28/2007 9:54:37 AM PDT by Hemingway's Ghost (Spirit of '75)
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To: Hemingway's Ghost
Of course, you just don’t like talking heads.

Funny, how I go thru your posts, and the only talking head you dislike is Coulter.

Hmm...

Who else but a phony conservative, i.e. Liberal, would have such hatred for Coulter and no one else.

And your idol Hemingway was an extreme leftist. Again, a clue to your real identity No need to get upset, just admit the truth.

108 posted on 06/28/2007 10:05:17 AM PDT by pablo H (Remember '96- No more Doles!)
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To: LexBaird

” See, radio is broadcast over “public airwaves”, and therefore regulated under the FCC. Cable TV and satellite radio are not, being directly subscribed to. Therefore Howeird Stern can verbally masturbate and Chrissy Matthews can propagandize at will. Isn’t that convenient? “

I was thinking of broadcast news on NBCABCCBSPBS.

Intesting point, though. If this passes, you might see sales of satellite radios go through the roof if people have to go there for the truth. I might want to check out some stock prices...


109 posted on 06/28/2007 10:24:00 AM PDT by Humble Servant (Keep it simple - do what's right.)
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To: L.N. Smithee
Indexing some of the more recent NASTY articles about Ann -- while we await her NEW column -- in response to Elizabeth Edwards -- VERY SOON:
ABC's Overnight Anchor Jokes About a ‘Skinny Death Match' Between Paris Hilton and Ann Coulter
  Posted by Pyro7480
On News/Activism 06/28/2007 8:58:23 AM PDT · 41 replies · 1,366+ views


NewsBusters ^ | 6/28/2007 | Matthew Balan
 

Andrew Dice Coulter [ExileStreet]
  Posted by ParsifalCA
On News/Activism 06/28/2007 7:25:43 AM PDT · 37 replies · 1,039+ views


ExileStreet ^ | 6/28/07 | Patrick Hurley
 

ABC News Serenades Ann Coulter With "The Bitch Is Back"
  Posted by L.N. Smithee
On News/Activism 06/28/2007 3:15:39 AM PDT · 108 replies · 3,053+ views


ABC World News Now | June 28, 2007 | L.N. Smithee

110 posted on 06/28/2007 11:03:35 AM PDT by RonDog
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To: L.N. Smithee
"The Bitch Is Back."

All along I had thought this was Hillary's theme song

111 posted on 06/28/2007 11:08:03 AM PDT by Gone_Postal (We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat)
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To: pablo H
Funny, how I go thru your posts, and the only talking head you dislike is Coulter.

If you get that from reading my posts, you must be (a) wholly unfamiliar with the English language, or (2) completely retarded. Now go bother someone else with your childish behavior, eh? The whole "you don't like X, so you must be Y" thing was disproved at the dawn of human civilization. Spend some time on the JV squad before you decide to sound off, okay?

What a chump.


112 posted on 06/28/2007 11:32:04 AM PDT by Hemingway's Ghost (Spirit of '75)
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To: torchthemummy
torchthemummy said: "You don't need to call somebody a fag or wish somebody dead just because the libs use such rhetoric (yes, with relative impunity.) "

I disagree. Ann made it very clear that her comment about Edward's death was in the context of Bill Maher's comments about Cheney. Maher did not face the firestorm that Coulter did. And the attack against Coulter required that her comment be taken out of context.

This is purposeful media bias and should be pointed out whenever and wherever it occurs. To do otherwise is to fight the political battle with one hand tied behind your back. I would call it "false civility" to let a double standard be used against us.

113 posted on 06/28/2007 11:46:03 AM PDT by William Tell (RKBA for California (rkba.members.sonic.net) - Volunteer by contacting Dave at rkba@sonic.net)
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To: capebuffalo

“you’re so wrong. She’s exacltly who we need;Smart & fearless!”

I’m not saying she’s not “smart” and/or “fearless”. As much as I hate to admit it, Michael Moore is “smart” and, sure as hell, is fearless in the way he delivers his message too.

All I’m saying is, why give the left ammunition they don’t need? Coulter could be a great spokesperson for the conservative cause. Yes, she is intelligent and she goes for the throat. But how often do we conservatives blab on about how the lefties have nothing but name calling to fall back on?

All I’m saying is, she doesn’t have to climb down the same sewer pipe that they do.


114 posted on 06/28/2007 11:53:26 AM PDT by mark3681
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To: L.N. Smithee
I expect nothing less from Jake Ass-Tapper and the other slimy newz douches at ABS.
115 posted on 06/28/2007 5:27:25 PM PDT by Captainpaintball
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To: ZULU
Increasingly, she is appearing to be America’s Cassandra in the face of the treachery of the current Administration and its acolytes in the House of Lords.

You got that right.

116 posted on 06/28/2007 7:25:48 PM PDT by pray4liberty (http://totallyunjust.tripod.com)
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