CBS’s Rodriguez Asks Fla. Gov. Charlie Crist About RINO Label

February 4th, 2010 12:36 PM
In an interview with Florida Governor Charlie Crist on Thursday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez turned to the hotly contested Senate race: “your opponent in the primary, fellow Republican Marco Rubio, and you...are in a dead heat in this race. Critics say that it’s because he is a true conservative and you are...a RINO, a ‘Republican In Name Only.’ How do you respond to that criticism…

CBS ‘Early Show’: ‘Cute and Cuddly’ Animals Threatened by Clim

February 2nd, 2010 2:44 PM
In the 8:30AM ET half hour on Tuesday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez teased an upcoming animal segment: “...we have some visitors to the studio of the animal variety. Some of them are cute and cuddly....But they’re all in trouble due to climate change and you’re going to see these animals from the San Diego Zoo and hear about their precarious situation ahead this morning.” Rodriguez…

CBS’s Smith: Can Military ‘Handle the Truth’ on ‘Don’t Ask

February 2nd, 2010 11:50 AM
Quoting from the film A Few Good Men, on Tuesday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith asked openly gay Army Lieutenant Dan Choi if the U.S. military was prepared for the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy to be overturned by the Obama administration: “Older members of the military are not very interested in seeing this policy changed at all....Do you think the military can handle the truth?” The…

CBS ‘Early Show’ Touts Woman Willing to Marry For Health Insurance

February 1st, 2010 3:30 PM
On Monday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith introduced a bizarre story designed to show how desperate the situation is for people lacking health insurance: “A California woman has launched a unique online search for a husband. Not for love, but for health care.” Earlier, co-host Maggie Rodriguez teased the story by proclaiming: “I don’t know if you would think it’s sad or if you would think…

CBS: GOP A ‘Tough Crowd’ For Obama; No Mention of President’s Pa

January 29th, 2010 1:29 PM
At the top of Friday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith declared: “President Obama meets with GOP leaders as he tries to tackle the growing employment problem. Will it be a monologue or a dialogue?” White House correspondent Bill Plante later reported: “The President is also reaching out to Republicans today, speaking to the GOP House retreat. But it could be a tough crowd.”In Plante’s report…

Today Show Skips Any Mention of Bob McDonnell’s GOP Response to Stat

January 28th, 2010 12:36 PM
Of the three morning shows on Thursday, only NBC’s Today show skipped any mention of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s Republican response to the President’s State of the Union address. Both ABC’s Good Morning America and CBS’s Early Show gave McDonnell’s rebuttal at least minor attention. On the Early Show, Chip Reid explained, "Virginia's newly inaugurated governor Bob McDonnell gave the…

Morning Shows Tout Risk to Republicans for ‘Continuing to Say No

January 28th, 2010 9:28 AM
The three morning shows on Thursday reacted to Barack Obama’s State of the Union address by highlighting the risk Republicans run in continuing to oppose the President’s agenda. On NBC’s Today, Meredith Vieira fretted to Joe Biden, "What risk do the Republicans run by continuing to say no, by being the party of no?" NBC put the happiest spin on the speech, featuring a graphic that trumpeted, "‘…

CBS’s Smith Calls Out Fmr. Obama Comm. Director As Not ‘Honest

January 27th, 2010 1:03 PM
Previewing the State of the Union on Wednesday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith spoke with former White House Communications Director Anita Dunn, who claimed the GOP “made a decision a year ago that they weren’t going to cooperate on anything.” Smith replied: “I don’t think you can say what you just said and look at what happened with health care, especially in the last month, and be honest…

Networks Pounce on ‘Louisiana Watergate’ Story After Only 17 Hours

January 27th, 2010 12:08 PM
All three morning shows on Wednesday highlighted the revelation that a conservative activist had been arrested in connection to an attempt to tamper with the phones of Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu. Despite jumping on the "Louisiana Watergate" story only 17 hours after it was first reported, the networks took five days to file full reports on the same James O’Keefe and his undercover footage…

CBS Touts Obama’s ‘Big Spending Freeze;’ Focus On Middle Class

January 26th, 2010 12:58 PM
At the top of Tuesday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez highlighted the latest attempt at populism by the Obama administration: “President Obama calls for a big spending freeze and focuses on plans to help the struggling middle class, but does he have the political support he needs?” Moments later, co-host Harry Smith introduced the story with a similar declaration: “President Obama will…

CBS’s Smith: Some Are ‘One Medical Catastrophe Away From Bankruptc

January 22nd, 2010 3:48 PM
Speaking to former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean on Friday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith repeated standard liberal talking points as he urged Republicans and Democrats to quickly pass some form of health care reform: “...to help the 40 some million that don’t have insurance or the vast majority of other folks who are one medical catastrophe away from bankruptcy.”Dean…

Politico Reporter on CBS: Scott Brown May Be ‘Gaffe-Prone

January 21st, 2010 6:32 PM
Appearing on Thursday’s CBS Early Show, Politico.com White House reporter Nia-Malika Henderson argued to co-host Harry Smith that Senator-elect Scott Brown’s humorous remark that his daughters were “available” during his Tuesday night victory speech showed that: “this might be a senator who is gaffe-prone, who has to kind of walk back from remarks that he – that he makes.”However, Henderson…

CBS: ‘Capitol Hill Chaos’ In Wake of Scott Brown Win

January 21st, 2010 7:34 AM
On Thursday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith introduced a segment on the future of ObamaCare in the wake of Scott Brown becoming the 41st Republican senator: “Democrats are trying to figure out their next move after Tuesday’s stunning loss of Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat. The big question continues to be what will it mean for President Obama’s agenda? Especially health care reform.” In the…

CBS’s Rodriguez: Scott Brown Will ‘Derail’ Ted Kennedy’s ‘Pa

January 20th, 2010 1:01 PM
Speaking to political analyst John Dickerson on Wednesday’s CBS Early Show about Republican Scott Brown winning the Massachusetts Senate race, co-host Maggie Rodriguez lamented: “When it comes to health care, I think it’s so ironic that the late Ted Kennedy’s passion was health care. He dedicated his career to it. And the man who will replace him could be the one to derail it.”Rodriguez wondered…