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To: bvw
What the hell are you talking about?
Someone else here has reprinted the entire interview Couric conducted with Morris. I remember the interview well, and the transcript here corroborates my recollection. Morris, after having great access to the Reagans, published a bizzare half-fictionalized tale about the Reagans that used a controversial method of filling in the gaps of the historical record. He was criticized widely in the media for his use of a Hunter Thompson-like "gonzo" technique.
The Reagans were vocal in their criticism of Morris, and didn't hide their feeling of betrayal after letting Morris have unprecedented access. Morris in fact did use the words "apparent airhead" in his book to characterize the President of the United States. Couric used that appellation to provoke interest in the Today Show interview. In the interview, she took him to task, and no doubt already fearing the backlash would hurt sales, Morris backed off much of his criticism and even tried to suck up to the Reagans after the fact.
It really is ridiculous that Coulter chose that incident as an example of liberal bias in the media. As Couric pointed out, she essentially cross-examined Morris and got him to recant much of what he had written, making him look like a fool. As Couric pointed out today, Nancy Reagan called Couric to thank her for setting the record straight.
How ironic that Coulter used that incident to lambast Couric. Anyone reading the actual transcript of the Morris interview (in another post in this thread) ought to realize that Couric's skepticism of Morris's statements only belies Coulter's very argument of liberal bias. The fact is Coulter could have chosen many other, much better examples to make her point about the liberal biases of the Today Show hosts.
So knock it off with that crap objecting to the relevance of Nancy Reagan's reaction to the Couric interview of Morris.
260 posted on 06/26/2002 3:51:07 PM PDT by BuckeyeForever
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To: BuckeyeForever
Couric's statement that Morris concluded that Reagan was an airhead was a LIE. He started out with a low opinion of Reagan, but discussions with him raised it.
261 posted on 06/26/2002 4:45:10 PM PDT by Richard from IL
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To: BuckeyeForever
You sort of missed the point of my reprinting the entire transcript.

The author talked about how when he first met Reagan he though he was an "apparent airhead," but over time he came to know that Reagan was "a very bright man."

In all its pre-interview airing hype, Couric and the crew at Toady (spelling intentional) made it seem like the biographer's conclusion was that the Gipper is an airhead. Note the lack of the word "apparent."

Either they were intentionally lying to build hype about the story or they were totally incompetent in reading the book (if they even bothered to read the book) OR they were biased in their presentation, and took the release of the book as an opportunity to independently slander President Reagan, for ideology or money.

263 posted on 06/26/2002 6:19:36 PM PDT by Fixit
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To: BuckeyeForever
Morris in fact did use the words "apparent airhead" in his book to characterize the President of the United States. Couric used that appellation to provoke interest in the Today Show interview

Since you expend so much energy and effort to shout from the roof tops in this thread how you are right, and everyone else is wrong, you could try a bit harder to be factual and not "spin." Couric did not butcher Morris' conclusions and then slander President Reagan with "The Gipper was an airhead!" to millions in a snide remark to open her show to "provoke interest in the Today show interview" as you stated. She did it for selfish ideolgical reasons, and it was aped by her collegues at NBC (producers of the show, Matt Lauer).

Couric led the Today show with this:

KATIE COURIC, co-host: Good morning. The Gipper was an airhead! That's one of the conclusions of a new biography of Ronald Reagan that's drawing a tremendous amount of interest and fire today, Monday, September the 27th, 1999. ________________________________________________________

Then, the very next day, they still had not had enough of their dig at Reagan, so:

September 28, 1999, Tuesday KATIE COURIC reporting: Thank you Stone. (Voiceover) We'll look at the controversial new biography of Ronald Reagan. Does the author go too far? We'll ask him. _________________________________________________________

And then this:

September 28, 1999, Tuesday MATT LAUER, co-host: Good morning. For the first time, President Bush is responding to the controversial new biography of Ronald Reagan and, in particular, the author's assertion that Reagan was a great president but an airhead.

___________________________________________________________

It yesterdays Today show stint with Coulter and Couric, this is exactly what Ann referred to. She even clarified to Couric that she had led the show with that hit on Reagan, and Matt Lauer the next day.

Couric wanted to "move on" and asserted that Coulter was wrong; then promised a transcript (of coarse later, off the air, when the audience could not see that Coulter has spoken the truth, as you can re-read above).

The Today show proved Coulter's point by doing what they always do: lash out at anyone who questions their self-appointed clutch on the truth.

264 posted on 06/26/2002 9:24:25 PM PDT by SkyPilot
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