Couric Pushes 'Out of Touch' GOP to Be 'More Supportive' of Obama

Obama senior adviser David Axelrod made the rounds of the broadcast network evening newscast anchors on Tuesday to discuss President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress, but CBS's Katie Couric, in uniquely offering some balance by matching Axelrod with a segment featuring House Minority Leader John Boehner, only served to expose her impatience toward GOP opposition. With Axelrod, she cued him up to expound on the administration's policies, pressed him about nationalizing banks and empathized with the terrible conditions inherited by Obama's team. In contrast, with Boehner she wondered if Republicans are "out of touch," suggested they are stuck between having either the country or their base "hate" them and asked: "Do you think the Republicans are digging themselves in a hole by not being more supportive of the President's proposals?"

Couric prompted Axelrod to explain how the administration will overcome criticism of the mortgage plan: "How do you explain that this is not going to be helping out somebody's brother-in-law who put down no money, spent too much money on his house and basically cut corners while other families feel like, 'listen, we did everything right.'?" She soon lamented what Bush left behind: "When you were running this campaign did you ever envision inheriting this job at a time when the country is in such deep trouble?"

Interviewing Boehner, Couric cited some poll numbers and then demanded: "Are you out of touch with the American people?" She made Boehner react to an Obama operative's formulation of how not doing what President Obama wants means "the country will hate" Republicans: "One high-ranking White House official told me today: When it comes to Republicans on Capitol Hill the administration plans to hug them until it hurts. If you hug back your base will hate you and if you don't hug back the country will hate you. What's your reaction?"

[This item, by the MRC's Brent Baker, was posted Tuesday night on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]

Couric's questions to Axelrod, as aired on the Tuesday, February 24 CBS Evening News, after she set up the segment: "This afternoon I asked him how Mr. Obama will underscore the gravity of the situation and yet make Americans optimistic about the future?"

- There seems to be some trepidation, even anger, about the mortgage bailout plan. How do you explain that this is not going to be helping out somebody's brother-in-law who put down no money, spent too much money on his house and basically cut corners while other families feel like, 'listen, we did everything right.'?"

- But what about people who just cut corners and put no money down and spent way too much money?

- What about nationalizing some of the banks? Have you ruled that out?

- Isn't owning shares of CitiBank technically nationalization?

- When you were running this campaign did you even envision inheriting this job at a time when the country is in such deep trouble?

Couric's questions to Boehner:

- Leader Boehner, how do you think President Obama's speech will be received tonight by members of your party?

- A recent CBS News poll shows that 53 percent of the American people fully backs the stimulus package, 63 percent of people we polled thought the Republican opposition to the stimulus package was for political reasons. So, are you out of touch with the American people?

- President Obama says he wants to cut the deficit in half in four years. Do you believe that's realistic?

- One high-ranking White House official told me today: When it comes to Republicans on Capitol Hill the administration plans to hug them until it hurts. If you hug back your base will hate you and if you don't hug back the country will hate you. What's your reaction?

- Do you think the Republicans are digging themselves in a hole by not being more supportive of the President's proposals?

From www.mediaresearch.org , Media Research Center

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We HAVE to find a way to combat the media

Saw this post on the Read My Lipstick Network earlier:

Time to Rumble with CNN; They Lump Palin with Criminals

CNN Places Sarah Palin With 2008's Criminals, Sex Addicts, and the Corrupt
By Warner Todd Huston
January 4, 2009 - 07:06 ET
Showing they have no sense of morality, no grasp of corruption and no understanding of what defines a criminal, CNN gives us another one of those ubiquitous year…

Day after day I see subtle and not-so-subtle attacks on conservatism in the media.

This morning I watched the talk that has the humor at the end? The Sunday funnies is what they call it. It's a compilation of their choice of humorous comments by the late-night shows. They demean President Bush continually. He's leaving office now and they still can't resist showing their nastiness and lack of class by attacking him. Without merit I might say.

I'm waiting to see them start attacking Barack Obama in the same way. Do you think David Letterman will have Presidential Moments showing Obama's propensity for "uh uh uh'ing"??? Bet they don't.

But that's not really the worst. It's just a symptom and it's petty stuff, not the real deal that runs rampant through the media.

You know, it's not just the so-called "news" that is undermining our values. Look at the recent commercials by Levi. They're kiddie porn.

What about all the shows you watch on a regular basis? Sit back and really think about what is being said and portrayed in the movies and on those weekly sitcoms. Even worse is the messages being taught in the programs our kids are watching. Sit and watch some of those cartoons and really think about the values woven into humorous dialog.

It's a problem and boycotts just don't seem to work.

For instance, in my household I rarely, if ever watch TV. I'll watch the talks on Sunday mornings and maybe an occasional movie just to be sociable with my spouse (although I'm not sure how sitting in front of a screen without talking is considered 'sociable'). My spouse however, will watch anything. So, how much good does it do for ME to boycott programs? The TV is still on. The networks don't know that only one person is watching. Although we're both in agreement as to how horrible the brainwashing is on television, I'm the only one willing to give it up.

If I can't control the TV here, I can't see enough families being able to turn off the television for hours on end.

We have to do something. I saw another post on here or maybe on our Facebook group page advocating for a media blackout for three hours on Friday evening. I think that might be doable for almost everyone. Take the family out to eat or to a play. Go to a concert. Plan some activity during that time frame... maybe set up a weekly card game with friends.

We have to do something.

If we don't, we're going to lose this country even faster than we're doing now. Don't let CNN get away with that story that included Sarah Palin in with criminals and low-life types. They're scared of Sarah Palin and they're doing a GWBush on her. We let them get away with trashing President Bush, don't let them do the same to any more conservatives. Even if you don't care for Sarah Palin she's "one of us" and we should be supporting her. Remember that old saying or poem about "they came for the Jews and I did nothing because I wasn't a Jew" (I know that's not exact)? They came for George W. Bush and we did nothing. They came for Sarah Palin and it looks like many are doing nothing. Sooner or later they'll come for you.