Think Progress

Couric Caught On Tape: ‘Democrats Took Money From Abramoff Too, Mr. Dean’»

On this morning’s Today Show, Katie Couric falsely claimed that Democrats took money from Jack Abramoff. Howard Dean tried to set her straight, but she stuck to the right-wing talking points:

Watch it:

    COURIC: Hey, wait a second. Democrats took — Democrats took money from Abramoff too, Mr. Dean.

    DEAN: That is absolutely false. That did not happen. Not one dime of money from Jack Abramoff went to any Democrat at any time.

    Katie then cited a Center for Responsive Politics study as her evidence, but a look at CRP’s website (here and here) show that Democrats accepted no money from Abramoff.

    (HT: CarolynC967)

    Full transcript below:

    COURIC: Hey, wait a second. Democrats took — Democrats took money from Abramoff too, Mr. Dean.

    DEAN: That is absolutely false. That did not happen. Not one dime of money from Jack Abramoff went to any Democrat at any time.

    COURIC: Let me just tell you — According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Abramoff and his associates gave $3 million to Republicans and $1.5 million to Democrats, including Sen. Minority Leader Harry Reid.

    DEAN: Not one dime of Jack Abramoff money ever went to any Democrat. We can show you the FEC reports, we’d be very happy to do it. There’s a lot of stuff in the press that the Republican National Committee’s been spinning that this is a bipartisan scandal. It is a Republican-financed scandal. Not one dime of money from Jack Abramoff ever went to any Democrat, not one dime.

    COURIC: Well, we’ll obviously have to look into that and clarify that for our viewers at a later date. Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Mr. Dean, Governor Dean, thanks so much for talking with us.

    DEAN: Thanks very much.

    237







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    237 Responses to “Couric Caught On Tape: ‘Democrats Took Money From Abramoff Too, Mr. Dean’”


    1. yankeluh Says:

      Ignorant little snot and CBS is going to pay her $20 million to jump ship?


    2. Preznit_Douchebag Says:

      Is it any wonder that I’ve pulled the plug on the teevee (except to watch the occasional video)? The raw sewage that spews forth from the corporate-owned networks simply ain’t “news”.

      Just quit watching it.


    3. Tracy Says:

      It’s the infamous what the definition of “is” is defense for the Democrats. Naive or hypocritial…


    4. SuperEdo Says:

      I suppose a “later date” will be… oh, a few decades from now. Why inform their viewers what the truth is now?

      Where’s the news? If real TV reporting existed, blogs like this one wouldn’t be so useful.


    5. trblmkr Says:

      “COURIC: Well, we’ll obviously have to look into that and clarify that for our viewers at a later date. Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Mr. Dean, Governor Dean, thanks so much for talking with us.”

      Uh, aren’t you supposed to “look into that” BEFORE YOU MAKE DUMBASS ASSERTIONS? Does anybody know how I can contact this vapid b**ch and her producer??

      Does anyone here really think they will “clarify at a later date”?

      Dean does it again! I am so glad I worked for his campaign (but not the outcome, obviously).


    6. Terry Says:

      I agree wholeheartedly–just quit watching it. I did a long time ago after I got disgusted with “news” that consisted of #%*^ like Couric asking the parents of some kid who was raped and murdered, how they felt about it. I usually do not make judgments about our culture, but the morning programs and Couric in particular are evidence of a very sick society


    7. Preznit_Douchebag Says:

      Tracy–show me where the dems have taken any money from Abramoff.

      Note: I am not a democrat. But I’m sick of the repubs trying to sling their excrement.


    8. nik Says:

      She’s a Republican spokesmodel.


    9. chrisfromPA Says:

      Join fellow Democrats at the Today Show tommorrow to protest Katy. Please bring signs that say “Katie Lied”.


    10. Adrift on the Cosmic Sea Says:

      The Washington Post cited some emails from Abramoff that they say “proves” that “Abramoff directed money to Democrats too.” Here is a link:

      Abramoff emails

      Is this evidence of taint? Are we all wet on this?


    11. greg wirth Says:

      Terry,

      I am with you 100% in regards to the morning talking head shows, it simply is a vehicle to brag, preen and lavish praise on one another.


    12. Gus, Cross Country OBGYN Lover Says:

      If it’s TV vs. Internets, TV will win. We should be concerned about this trend. I personally find it EXTREMELY disturbing that a morning shows will talk about cooking tips one moment and lobbying reform the next. Couric needs to just get another anal cleansing.


    13. Dr, Strangelove Says:

      Wide awake and sleeping…


    14. Preznit_Douchebag Says:

      #11–could be that “we” are all wet. Looks like Abramoff suggested that he wanted the tribes to “write checks” to certain organizations and politicians, including dems. But whether or not it actually happened…

      Personally, I’m only slightly less sick of the democrats than I am of the republicans. They are both corporate enablers and when it comes down to it, the DLC brand of “neoliberals” like Lieberman & even Hillary just aren’t a whole lot different than republicans, at least the more moderate variety.

      I don’t fit neatly into the “liberal” or “conservative” categories; I’m kind of an “Eisenhower republican” in many ways. But it’s too bad the republicans have moved so far to the rabid, Christo-fascist right and want to control everyone’s lifestyle (not to mention their desire to loosen all oversight on corporations while eliminating their responsibilities to society). And too bad the democrats have become so soggy & corporate-dominated as well.

      I’m a man without a party, it seems.


    15. katy Says:

      i saw this also - i can’t …well, yes i can…beiieve that after weeks “they” are still trying to throw that lie out there…howard was great, but i don’t know how he kept his cool, relatively…

      about katie’s 20mil to go to CBS - did anyone read andy roony’s column, jan9-ish, about this? it was great…in part: “…(what) a good guy like my boss, Les Moonves, will do…he’ll abandon the idea of getting Katie Kouric for $20 million and take that money and instead add it to the “Cbs Evening News” budget. that would bring the money they have to spend collecting news up closer to what it used to be when Walter Cronkite was the anchor 25 years ago…
      “the CBS audience will be vastly better informed…and she’ll be proud of herself for staying where she is for a piddling little $14 million…viewers will be a better-educated group, and we can all hope these better-informed American voters will go to the polls in 2008 and elect a brilliant president who will lead us out of trouble.”

      Andy’s the greatest.


    16. Paul in Mexico Says:

      I doubt very much that Kouric knows where her “TAINT” is.


    17. Chris Says:

      contact the producers here: today@nbc.com

      here’s what I wrote:

      Katie Couric’s statements this morning about Abramhoff and the democratic party were patently false, and need to be corrected, on the air. Democrats received money from Native American tribes that were clients of Mr. Abramhoff, but no money went to Democratic coffers directly from Abramhoff, or his corporations. There is an enormous difference between the two. Couric is wrong and she needs to correct her statements.


    18. Pete Bogs Says:

      she’s got another camera up her ass, apparently…


    19. king f Says:

      She’s been spouting the right-wing talking points for the last few months, I’ve noticed.


    20. Jan Horton Says:

      #11 Adrift on the Cosmis Sea. Check out Firedoglake to see the WaPo’s “proof” of direct money from Abramoff to Democrats. It seems that after hours of saying they were going to post it, they haven’t been able to get around to it yet.


    21. mpower1952 Says:

      11-I read somewhere that what Abramoff did was tell his tribal clients to give less to dems than they did in the past. He directed no new money to dems and he made sure they got less than the tribes had given in the past.


    22. wellstoner Says:

      Dean rocked.

      Pelosi, Reid, Kerry, Biden take note.

      This is how it is done.

      Concise, quick and hard.

      Where do I send money to support this guy!!!

      yes!


    23. matt Says:

      The ‘definition of is’ is the claim that Abramoff money went to Dems. He consistently steered money away from Dems. There is no direct evidence anywhere of Abramoff giving or directing money to be given to Dems in exchange for legislative favors. Once all the indictments come down, all against Republicans, we’ll see this point used to criticize the unfairness of the proceedings, even though it’s based purely on thin air, amplified by the magic of the media. Oh, and the lame unsupported opinions of weak seeds like #4.


    24. hit_escape Says:

      RELEASE THE HOUNDS!

      This seems to be a pattern with Couric these days. Its time to mount a campaign on her irresponsible reporting.


    25. Zwack Says:

      #11 and #15…

      As that was head “Coushatta requests” and without any evidence of where the document originated, it could be that the Coushatta tribe asked for money to be disbursed to these people. I have heard people commenting that Abramoff never gave any money to Democrats but that some of the clients of Abramoff also gave money to Democrats.

      Given that the point of the K street project was in part to starve the Democrats of funds, Abramoff would have either played along, or had to go home empty handed.

      This is not to say that Democrats are free from corruption, just that this scandal is a mostly (completely) Republican scandal.

      Ideally none of our politicians would be corrupt… I’m not holding my breath.

      Z.


    26. Sharon Cox Says:

      Have not watched any of the morning talk shows, pretend new’s programs for years. I’m on C-span in the background while on my computer. They have nothing but style shows, cooking and radical right wing wanna bees showing off. Katy is in many ways like Coulter. Many of the women on these shows act like they are in shouting matches with the men. The son of barbra was on again this morning with more spin and lies….Gees why watch any of it…..Blessings


    27. kindness Says:

      Who else saw the Daily Show’s clip about taint last week. Was that hillarious or what?

      Those of us who read, have known for over a week that Abramoff gave no money to any Democrats. What is up with all these newscasters from the supposubly “liberal media”.

      We don’t deny that some Indian Gaming interests gave money to Democrats. We’ll take their money. We’re legal about it though. That is completely different from the vote buying that republinazi’s engaged in with Abramoff.

      Let’s see, Duke Cunningham, Tom DeLay, Ney, Pombo, even dumbya himself.


    28. matt Says:

      To #11, can you tell me what these redacted images prove and how? All I see is fodder for handwaving.


    29. corneille Says:

      In answer to the question, did Abramoff try to get the tribes to give money to Democrats, too, the simple fact is that after he was hired his tribal clients gave less money to Dems than they were giving before hiring Jack.

      Anyway, giving money isn’t the crime. Giving money in exchange for specific favors and stealing money from the tribes - they are victims here, not coconspirators with Abramoff - is what the crime is. Every time the question of Dems getting money too comes up it entirely misses the point.


    30. E-mart Says:

      The press has been deliberately sloppy with this. Note Couric’s implicit equivalence of “Democrats took money from Abramoff” with “Abramoff and his associates gave… to Democrats.” Dean is careful to clarify the Abramoff part, but I wish he would follow up “Not one dime of Jack Abramoff money ever went to any Democrat” with “and contributions to Democrats from Abramoff’s clients actually decreased once Abramoff started representing them.”


    31. MrTude Says:

      I think THAT should be our battle cry.
      “NOT ONE DIME!”


    32. Boult Says:

      Peachy, don’t forget Wolf from CNN’s situation room too!


    33. Southwest Bob Says:

      The Dems take the bait every time. Be it Swift Boaters, Abramoff, etc. They spend all their energy in attempting to correct the lies rather than focusing on the issue. The issue, I believe, is the corruption of the political process by lobbying interests and politicians, be they repubs or dems. The dems need to focus on getting rid of corrupt politicians regardless of party and then changing system so it allows all Americans access to the political process. If the dems are clean, then the “cleaning” process will not harm them. But, spending time, money, energy on “we’re not like them” efforts will only confuse the issue.


    34. David Says:

      Every time the question of Dems getting money too comes up it entirely misses the point.

      But, every time it comes up, especially in the conservative media (they sure aren’t liberal), someone is making a point. A BS point, but, still a point. Divert, obfuscate, spin, repeat.


    35. Lily Says:

      I’ve already sent an e-mail to MSNBC about Couric’s false claim. I really want to send them one about Chris Matthews’ distortion of a Democrat ad, on last night’s Hardball. But as trblmkr notes, it’s good to do one’s homework first. So, does anyone have a link to the ad? (voice-over pic of Abramoff: Bribery; voice-over pic of Delay: Money laundering) Matthews claimed the word ‘bribery’ accompanied Delay’s pic, and insinuated that the dems are spinning the truth.


    36. Clif Says:

      That is the same e-mail the wapo tried to use, look at the bottom DeLays name on the left is missing(can we say white out) but the trools forgot to white out his name on the right, and Gail Norton’s PAC gets $100,000, why is the right not asking why hasn’t bush called her on the carpet?

      Or the MSM even commented on the fact that Jack is giving money to a cabinet officer of the Bush Adminstration in charge of the programs that he wants action on.


    37. SuperEdo Says:

      You’re right, Southwest Bob. The Democrats waste so much time being the anti-Republicans that they never bother to be their own entity. They’re set to prove it once again by not actively resisting Alito’s nomination. They are a waste of space right now. Our political party system is completely broken.


    38. big papa Says:

      Satan’s grasp takes hold of even the seemingly incorruptible.

      Et tu Katie?

      how sad…


    39. pandapaws Says:

      My “feeling all the love of a democracy in tatters and the media ain’t worth the cost of cable” letter to Katie: Why do you still pretend to let Katie do news? You obviously didn’t even give her a staff to do research and fact checks. Indian tribes historically have given money to Democrats. Indian tribes who became Abramoff clients started giving less money to Democrats than before they became Abramoff’s victims. And oodles of the tribes’ money were funneled to Republicans after the tribes became Abramoff’s victims. And, yes, in court, the tribes are termed victims. Gee, Katie’s almost as accurate as Debbie Howell, running a close second to Judy Miller. Btw, did they ever find those WMDs in Iraq? Do you people enjoy appearing incompetent?


    40. big papa Says:

      The thing that really gets my goad is that were Bushiva any other gender or race, he’d be in prison right now!

      Presidency be dam*ed…


    41. Ron Says:

      Hooray for the Republicans, President Bush, all of their talking points and their ability to stick it to the average joe out there in murka.

      tar and feathers soon to follow.


    42. Litz Says:

      Is this the price NBC pays for “The Book of Daniel”??


    43. crocodility Says:

      Anyone promoting the literally false statement that “Democrats took money from Abramoff” at this point has to be considered deceitful or uninformed. Ms. Couric should really clarify which attribute applies.


    44. Janie Says:

      Matt,

      The pictures ARE important. There’s one pic of Bush with Abramoff, and a group of his clients, all meeting together nice and cozy. The members of that tribe say they paid $25,000 grand just for that meeting with Bush! That’s proves he’s involved.

      Now let me ask you this… if the pictures WEREN’T damning, why in the world would the administration go to such lengths as to make sure they never see the light of day??

      I just think it’s HILARIOUS Abramoff is the one shopping these pictures around to papers! I guess it’s all for the love of money.


    45. StealthBadger Says:

      From the way she phrased it, and the way she looked, seemed like she was happy to have given Dean a chance to make that case.


    46. Suburban Guerrilla » Cute Katie Incompetent Says:

      […] Katie Couric on today’s Today Show: […]


    47. Tracy Says:

      How about an Open Letter to Katie Couric: “It’s Day xxx, and you still haven’t clarified the Abramoff donations for your viewers.”


    48. Butterfly Says:

      #11

      Is this all you got? You trolls are really reaching.


    49. Bill Says:

      Yes - the democrats never do anything wrong. Of course they took no money from Abhramoff. Please, just how stupid do you think we are. Tell me then, why is Jim Traficant in jail? You’ll probably tell me he was framed or part of some rightwing conspiracy, but none-the-less there is corruption on both sides of the aisle and it needs to be cleaned up.

      http://www.npr.org/ templates/ story/ story.php?storyId=5161722


    50. Jesus Christ God of WAR Says:

      Katie, Katie… all tits and ass… and no substance… I might watch if you did your show topless… or not… you’re probably sagging by this age in life…

      I gotta say: I like Dean. He would have made a fine President. Much much better than the bozo we have now. Fine job, Dean!


    51. David Says:

      50- Yes, there is corruption on both sides, but what does that have to do with the topic, or with whom Abramoff gave money? Bueller?


    52. MNW Says:

      I think it’s absolutely pathetic that so many Americans in this country know more of the facts than the “stars” of the “news” shows.

      It’s exemplary of the state of the current “news” in this country.

      They’re either all completely uninformed morons, or they’re purposely shilling for the GOP.

      While many will claim the latter, I’m beginning to believe that it’s the former…and thus, they refuse to retract their ill-informed statements for fear of admitting their complete ignorance of the facts.


    53. linda Says:

      general electric’s news outlets are in full prop up the regime mode. afterall, bush’s policies, while disastrous for millions, are putting billions in g.e.’s coffers. do you think jeff immelt would be sitting down to lunch with the indian prime minister and bush, celebrating india’s push for nuclear power, if g.e. wasn’t giving something back to bush.

      deceiving the public is what couricrussertmatthews’ they get paid to do.


    54. Zookeeper Says:

      Katie is such a twit, but people just love her — go figure.

      Kindness, I saw the “taint” sketch on the Daily Show and laughed myself silly. I especially loved the graphic.

      Also kindness, from a few threads back, I was a Navy brat and graduated high school in Alameda, moved around some more on my own, then left a bad marriage in Oregon and landed in Idaho with my two sons. Lived in Orofino (Sharon Cox, you might know where that is) for a few years, and now am in Moscow. Think I’m pretty much settled now, although Montana calls to me.

      Sorry, everyone else, don’t know many libs who used to live in Idaho!


    55. Democrat Soldier Says:

      Tell a lie often enough, Ms. Couric, and you’ll eventually be believed.

      This is more misdirection by the radical-right-wing to try and spread the blame. No taking of personal responsibility for the Republicans, no sir! Can’t do it! Wouldn’t be prudent! Not at this juncture!

      Unfortunately for the taking heads, this lie is easily discovered by the “Open Secrets” .org website. All you have to do is put in the name of the donor “Abramoff” and you’ll see that he never gave money to Democrats. Not once.

      Too bad, so sad, for the Republicans. Take responsibility for your actions and lack of ethics, GOP’ers!


    56. eLad Says:

      “…Abramoff and his associates gave $3 million to Republicans and $1.5 million to Democrats.”

      That’s the same as, “Didn’t Bush and your mother raise you as a child?” Two completely different entities. Opposite ends of the spectrum, thank you very much.


    57. Zookeeper Says:

      Oh, and I’m absolutely sure Katie will go on-air and clear up this whole misunderstanding, after she does the research she should have done before she put her stupid face on television. Not.


    58. Robert Says:

      It’s not that Couric is simply incorrect, it is that she is purposely using language to obfuscate the issue. To say that Democrats received money from “Abramoff and his associates”, in my opinion, is being purposely misleading. She knows exactly what she is doing, and what pisses me off is that Democrats like Dean don’t call her on it.


    59. crocodility Says:

      From the way she phrased it, and the way she looked, seemed like she was happy…

      One would hope she enjoys her work…


    60. stewart Says:

      See, now I thought that I had heard that in fact Hillary and Reid as well as others had recieved 3k and would not return those monies? See, now I dont know what the truth is? Well one thing is for sure Mr Dean and Mz Couric are at opposite ends of the matter and we’ll see how this one plays out?


    61. Bill Says:

      Since the 1970’s, 11 congressmen have served time in jail for corruption and other charges. Ten were democrats. Now, tell me again, who is known as the party with a culture of corruption?

      http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/725590/posts


    62. MagnumDB Says:

      In response to a few posts above… Please, do NOT stop watching TV. You people here are the sane, and the intellegent. America needs people like you to keep an eye on shows like this so you are aware of what is being said. This way you can counter their arguments. You can step up and make sure that for every lie spewed from the TV, you guys here can come back with truth. That is one of the reasons I love News Hounds (http://www.newshounds.us/) and Media Matters (http://mediamatters.org/). SOMEONE has to watch to know what battle we have to fight next.

      If we ignore what is being said on TV, we are simply allowing this crap to enter the minds of countless Americans who may not know any better. I don’t want that to happen. We can watch, and we can write in and express anger and convern.

      If we weren’t watching the filth, the Chris Matthews open letter blog (http://openlettertochrismatthews.blogspot.com/) would never have happened.

      Part of the fight for us is to keep watching these shows.


    63. Adrift on the Cosmic Sea Says:

      #11 and the responses. I agree that those redacted emails indicate very little. And as posted on firedoglake, the evidence the Post was going to post never got posted. The link that I posted in #11 came from an on-line interview with one of the Washington Post editors (here’s the link).

      There is clearly not enough public info for either side to make definitive claims. And yet, repubs and traditional media continue to do it. And that puts us on the defensive, which is a bad place to be! Hell, the other day the Newshour with Jim Lehrer had a story about the Washington Post getting flooded with comments–the protesting commenters became the story, rather than Howell’s misleading words! I don’t see how the public debate will change until more info is released.


    64. Democrat Soldier Says:

      #50 - We are not saying the Democrats are pure as the driven snow, just that it’s only the Republicans who got money from Abramoff.

      Don’t take my word for it, prove it to yourself if you’re man enough to face facts!

      http://www.opensecrets.org/

      After you’re done, I’m sure you’ll come back here and say “Oh, I was wrong. Abramoff didn’t give money to the Democrats like I claimed.” It’s the only correct thing for the so-called party of “personal responsibility” to do, right?



    65. Bill Says:

      #65 Reid and other democrats are every bit as guilty as Republicans when it comes to taking money. They will all go down once this investigation gets underway. Be careful of what you wish for next time.

      http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1557626/posts


    66. kindness Says:

      Jesus bill, update you’re timeframe. Why don’t you tell us about the last 5 years?

      Cause they’re 99% republicans then. Douchebag.


    67. Ron Says:

      The establishment media is very, very lazy. It has become a national disgrace.


    68. Democrat Soldier Says:

      #62 - Intersting that you choose a non-partisan web site to back up your claims. (I just laughed myself sore from that one!)

      In the interests of fair information, why don’t you take a look at these web sites to see how “pure” the Republicans aren’t:

      http://liberalslikechrist.org/about/gopcorruption.html

      http://www.badgerblues.org/ category/ republican-corruption/

      http://www.watchblog.com/ democrats/ archives/ 002781.html

      Don’t be fooled by the Democrats who have been jailed as prrof of corruption. Ask yourself: How many people were ‘pardoned’ by Republican presidents so as not to have to serve time in jail? Oliver North is a name that comes to mind. So is Richard Nixon.

      Don’t get on your high horse if you’re not ready to take a tumble! I’m sure you’ll survive this fall, try again!


    69. Democrat Soldier Says:

      #68 - Please, Don’t expect William to impartially hold both parties to the same standard. It wouldn’t be ‘hypocrisy’ if he didn’t!

      Don’t forget, the so-called party of “personal responsibility” won’t take personal responsibility for their actions!


    70. Zwack Says:

      Well I checked and in 2002 Dashpac received a $5,000 donation from a Greenberg Truarig partner… But that doesn’t mean that it was bribe from Abramoff but instead that the lobbying firm were doing their part. I thought that the line below was much more revealing…

      $5,000 for DASHPAC
      $20,000 (5,000 hard/15,000 soft) DeLay’s Leadership PAC
      We also have
      $100,000 to the “Council for Republican Advocacy (Norton)”
      and
      $25,000 (5,000 hard/20,000 soft) for Conrad Burns (R MT)

      In fact out of that list the only democrats are
      DASHPAC ($5,000), Jean Carnahan ($2,000) and Max Cleland ($2,000)

      So $155,000 to $9,000. Yup, that seems like an unbiassed set of donations. Particularly given that $35,000 of that was soft money earmarked for specific candidates (Delay and Burns).

      Of course there is nothing illegal in any of this… It’s only illegal if it was in breach of ethics rules, or if the contribution was a specific bribe. Given that the Democrats received a tiny fraction, and received more funding from elsewhere, this seems less like a potential bribe than some of the Republican donations.

      Z.


    71. eLad Says:

      Oops #62, your obfuscation is showing. Now let’s see, what’s the topic again? Oh yeah, Katie Couric framed a half true question to the DNC leader by repeating a known lie on national television that mimics the RNC talking points. And your response is “The Dems are just as bad as us”? I can dig it.


    72. Oleary25 Says:

      I think it’s naive to believe that by ignoring the big media distortions, the pain will go away. This is what most people watch and if they’re distorting, then we must speak out to correct them. We can’t do that if we simply stick our head in the sand and don’t watch.

      That’s why I don’t think it’s right to tell complainers to stop watching this swill…It’s real and it’s there, whether we watch or not, just like the world is still here even though the ostrich sticks it’s head in the sand and to the ostrich, it appears the world has “gone away.”


    73. Comte de Sainte Germain Says:

      DIE YOU ZOMBIES!
      Media celebrities spouting Republican talking points can only be killed if you shoot them in the head.
      Or in Katie Couric’s case, shove another camera up her ass to find her brains.


    74. Tracy Says:

      #8

      The Democrats that take money from lobbyists know or should know where the money is comming from and how it was obtained in order to keep their noses clean. The information is avaliable to them before they accept donations. Due dilligence…

      I agree that the Republican’s are mostly the ones at fault here but for the Democrats to attempt to act like saints is pathetic.


    75. a 55yo UPstate NY iNDEPENDENT Says:

      I’m just watching & listening to:

      NPR - online
      PBS (The News Hour, NOW, Frontline)
      AirAmerica - online

      that’s it… they are the only ones I think are really giving me the actual NEWS.

      & forgive me … Keith Olbermann on MSNBC & The Daily Show


    76. Tracy Says:

      #48

      What’s up with you guys in this blog signing other people’s name to something they didn’t write?..which is exactly what the person who wrote #48 did. Why?


    77. william warner Says:

      Chris, comment # 18, thanks for spurring me to respond to NBC as well. I used your email as a template and added a few points.

      Here is what I sent:
      Katie Couric’s statements this morning about Jack Abramoff and the Democratic Party were patently false, and need to be corrected, on the air, in this evening’s Nightly News, and on tomorrow morning’s Today show. Failure to state such a correction will demonstrate to me that your once-proud news network of Huntley-Brinkley and the Four Horsemen has become nothing but an entertainment machine serving the Bush administration’s political agenda.

      If your network is going to have Ms. Couric performing anything that remotely resembles true journalism, she must get her facts straight—and not straight from the Republican talking points—before going on the air and making accusations.

      Democrats received money from Native American tribes that were clients of Mr. Abramoff, but no money went to Democratic coffers directly from Abramoff or from his corporations. Some of those Democrats who received money from Native American tribes had already been receiving it legally before the involvement of Jack Abramoff and his cronies.

      Receiving money from Abramoff directly differs vastly from receiving money from organizations that Abramoff may or may not have directed to send money – in far smaller amounts – to Democratic members of Congress. If you don’t believe there is an important distinction here, please contact the ombudsman at the Washington Post, Deborah Howell, about the firestorm of protest she encountered after carelessly making the same false assertion.

      Couric is wrong and she needs to correct her statements.

      William Warner, Ph.D.
      Portland, Oregon


    78. Comte de Sainte Germain Says:

      #76:
      DIE YOU ZOMBIE!


    79. Upper West Says:

      Why every Dem, including Dean isn’t saying the following is beyond me:

      The Abramoff scandal is unquestionably a Republican scandal. Beyond the red herring of client contributions, it is beyond doubt that the whole raison d’etre of the Abramoff/Rove/Delay/Reed/Norquist axis was to destroy the Democrats (while making a few bucks in the process). Just to name a few:

      Indian money was directed to NH for phone jamming to kill Democratic chances.

      Corporations were told by the K Street Project to fire their Democratic lobbyists.

      Choctaw money was donated to TRM PAC for Texas redistricting to kill Democratic seats.

      HOW CAN A SCANDAL BE BIPARTISAN WHEN THE POINT OF THE SCANDAL IS TO KILL ONE OF THE PARTIES?


    80. timetolive Says:

      Hey ThinkProgress, why not include contact info for the Today Show?

      All postings should have relevant contact information to the media establishment so we can reach them easily and correct their misinformation.


    81. Mitch Cumsteen Says:

      Katy “the Joker” Couric is part of the establishment and just a little applied leverage will have the desired result. Her God is the greenback and the right knows where she and her kind live. The elite left will jump ship (back and forth)pretty easily.


    82. Nick Says:

      Look, i think it’s wrong of us to say “Democrats took no money from Jack Abrahamoff.” That is of course technically true, because Jack didn’t, as the man, give money to Democrats, people in association did . Of course, there are reasonable arguments to kill that argument as well, but to just say “Jack Abramoff didn’t give any money to Democrats” doesn’t really address the issue.



    83. Jane Says:

      Give Colbert Report a shot, he’s right up there with
      Keith Olbermann & the Daily Show.



    84. Zookeeper Says:

      #86 - True re Colbert Report. I love it when he cracks himself up — doesn’t happen often, but it’s great when he does.


    85. Zappatero Says:

      trolls + drool = trools

      me likey.


    86. Planet B Says:

      #76: Are you really that stupid? Where are any Dems acting as if they are saints? Simply by pointing out that they are not involved in THIS scandal makes them evil in your pea-brained head? Should they be required to list all their sins every time they list Bush’s?


    87. Geeno Says:

      The BIG difference I’ve seen between dems and pugs online in reacting to the whole corruption issue is that pugs say “Well you’re dirty, too. Be careful what you wish for.” and the dems generally say “If they’re dirty, boot ‘em, regardless of party”.


    88. AkaDad Says:

      Not only is it bad business for the media to get stories consistently wrong, but when the media reports stories that are false, which rarely get corrected immediately, or not at all, Americans are left with a false impression of the story, and therefore misinformed. They ultimately take this misinformation into the voting booth with them, which disturbs me immensely. I strongly believe, this has a horrific and negative effect, on the way one would vote, and on Democracy itself. The media need to realize the influential power they have on society, and the reasoning behind our outrage. How does a voter make a proper decison in the voting booth, based on misinformation?

      The Jack Abramoff corruption scandal, is a perfect example, of why getting the story correct, is so important, as opposed to reporting incorrectly, on matters of no consequence, that have no effect on which direction our country moves politically. The majority of the media, gave the impression by guilt of association, that the Democrats were involved in the corruption scandal, by reporting that Abramoff, and/or his clients, gave many Democrats campaign contributions. The blogosphere went ballistic, and refuted the story with government documents, clearly showing, that Abramoff had not donated any money, to any Democrat. Only Republicans received money from Abramoff. If this was a Demorat only scandal, and not the Republican scandal that this is, I would be saying the exact same thing. Corruption is a breach of the public trust, and I would like to believe, that most people would denounce this, regardless of political affiliation.


    89. timetolive Says:

      These people are disgraceful. Is it that difficult to fact-check this case?

      Couric makes $10 million per year. For doing what?


    90. Jesus Christ God of WAR Says:

      Couric makes $10 million per year. For doing what?

      For making White America believe she’s really cute.


    91. tiredofthiscrap Says:

      Contact her show, and let them have it.

      TODAY
      NBC News, RM 1022 W
      30 Rockefeller Plaza
      New York, NY 10112

      NBC News Phone: (212) 664-4444
      NBC News Fax: (212) 664-5705;

      Today Show Phone: (212) 664-4249 or (202) 885-4231
      Today Show Fax: (212) 664-4426

      Email: today@nbc.com
      Margaret Pergler Today Show Producer
      30 Rockefeller Plaza, Room 568E-2
      New York, NY 10112


    92. Ron Says:

      She’s a hottie too!


    93. Michael Says:

      40 of 45 Democratic senators received gifts, tickets, skybox tickets and money from Abramoff. To deny it, as Howard Dean has is simply dishonest. So are those who keep repeating his lies.


    94. Tracy Says:

      #90

      LOL!


    95. Gray Lensman Says:

      Turn off the teevee; it’s bad for you physically and mentally. It takes about a month to break the adddiction.

      Use the time to read interesting books to the whole family (not just kiddy books). Your little ones will acquire the love of reading and books early. School will be easier.

      One subtle advantage of not watching teevee is that everyone will sleep better. Teevee is bad for your brain waves. Look it up.

      Try it….


    96. truepatriot Says:

      Perhaps I am missing something, but this site itself lists “The House that Jack Built” with three Democratic congressmen??

      For example:

      Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)

      CONTRIBUTIONS — DORGAN RECEIVED NEARLY $95,000 FROM ABRAMOFF’S CLIENTS: “In all, Dorgan got nearly $95,000 in Abramoff-related money between 2001 and 2004.” In Dec. 2005, Dorgan announced he will return $67,000 received from Abramoff’s tribal clients. [AP, 11/24/05; Washington Post, 12/14/05]

      SAGINAW FUNDING — BURNS AND DORGAN WROTE LETTER ON BEHALF OF ABRAMOFF CLIENTS: “Senator Conrad Burns, a Montana Republican [who oversees the budget of the Bureau of Indian Affairs], helped win a $3 million government award for the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan to build a school.” The federal funds were intended for “impoverished Indian tribal schools” and in 2003, the Interior Department ruled the Saginaw tribe, an Abramoff client, too rich to participate. On February 11, 2002, Burns and Dorgan sent a letter to the Interior Department benefiting the Saginaws. “Nine days later, Dorgan’s campaign got $2,000 from the Choctaw and by late spring Dorgan’s political action committee had received $17,000 more from three other Abramoff tribes and his firm.” But Dorgan had also initially expressed support for the program in “six months earlier” than the February letter. [Bloomberg, 11/21/05]; Washington Post, 3/1/05; AP, 11/24/05; Statement, 11/28/05]

      Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)

      CONTRIBUTIONS — HARKIN RECEIVED $21,000 FROM ABRAMOFF’S PARTNERS AND CLIENTS: Harkin received $22,000 in 2003 and 2004 from Abramoff’s partners and his clients. [USA Today, 12/3/05]

      GIFTS — HARKIN USED ABRAMOFF SKYBOX: “Harkin twice used Abramoff’s skybox for fundraisers — once in 2002 and again in 2003 — without reimbursing.” Harkin reimbursed Abramoff’s clients in fall 2005. [USA Today, 12/3/05]

      Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

      Senate Democratic Leader

      CONTRIBUTIONS — REID RECEIVED $66,000 FROM ABRAMOFF’S CLIENTS: “Reid ultimately received more than $66,000 in Abramoff-related donations from 2001 to 2004.” [Washington Post, 11/18/05]

      COUSHATTA CAMPAIGN — ENSIGN AND REID WROTE LETTER ON BEHALF OF ABRAMOFF CLIENT: One of Abramoff’s tribal clients, the Coushattas, “opposed a plan by the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians to open a casino at a non-reservation site, expected at the time to be outside Shreveport, La., not far from a casino owned by the Coushattas.” Ensign and Reid sent a letter to Norton on behalf of the Coushatta tribe on March 5, 2002. “The next day, the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana issued a $5,000 check to Reid’s tax-exempt political group, the Searchlight Leadership Fund. A second Abramoff tribe also sent $5,000 to Reid’s group.” [Washington Post, 9/28/04; Washington Post, 11/18/05]

      Just wondering how all of that squares with what Dean is saying and what this post apparently finds objectionable. Let’s be honest at least…


    97. Jesus Christ God of WAR Says:

      …That’s right, Libby was trying to get Mark Rich ‘off’ through a plea bargain. The Republican machine was directly involved. Of course it might have something to do with the fact that they had their own illegal backroom deals with Iran that were made treasonously while Carter was still president…

      This, in part, involved three containers of F14 parts. The ReichWingNutWackJobs promised the Ayatollah he could fly his Grumman F14s again if they held on to the “hostages” until after the election.

      It was such a sweet deal for the Iranians. The Republicans were able to use the “hostage” issue along side a huge economic inflation issue (due to the costs incurred during the Vietnam war) to drive Dr. Carter from office.

      Two weeks after the election, three container’s filled with F14 parts were airlifted out of Riverhead, Long Island from Grumman’s F14/A6 test facility. Several months later, a diplomat (sorry, I can’t recall who) was quite surprised to look out his window and see Iranian owned F14’s shadowing his aircraft through Iranian airspace.

      Not that it matters to this dicussion, but it was the same Long Island facility that the Shah of Iran flew into when he and his family were airlifted out of Iran when the Ayatollah took over.

      Of course the Repigs have no defense for their work with the Ayatollah, except to claim the Democrats are weak on defense. Sad, really.


    98. Ron Says:

      It’s just a sexed-up smear campaign against the Democrats because the Republicans can’t shake the the scandal.

      They’ve gots to do something to smear the Democrats before the selections this fall.

      Be sure to cast your vote come November so it won’t be counted again.


    99. Jesus Christ God of WAR Says:

      Here’s the automated response I just received from NBC Today:

      Thank you for contacting TODAY with Katie Couric and Matt Lauer.

      We receive hundreds of E-mail messages a day, and while we read them
      all, we might not be able to reply to each one directly. We do want
      you to know that we appreciate the mail you have sent and the
      comments you are making about our show. We created this automated
      response to answer many of the frequently-asked-questions as quickly
      as possible. We will try to answer all other questions directly when
      we can. For immediate help you can always call us at (212) 664-4249.
      For information regarding the WEEKEND TODAY show, please call (212)
      664-2937.


    100. mynewsbot Says:

      he got caught and she is right wing … must be LOL


    101. Butterfly Says:

      Trolls, I have two questions for you.

      1. Did the Dems break the law by accepting money from Indian Tribes.

      2. Did Repubs break the law for accepting money from Abramoff.


    102. Redleg Says:

      Kudos to Dean for trying to set the record straight and for being informed on this subject.


    103. Butterfly Says:

      #99

      I guess you have the facts to back it up, please show us were we can get this info.

      #102
      last time I check, it is not illegal to accpet money from cilents, it is illegal to accept money from someone who lobbys. Show us were they broke the law.


    104. rseman Says:

      Abramoff’s clients gave money to Dems. Yet, they gave more money to dems before they became Abramoff’s clients. So if anything, he directed his client’s to give less than they previously did.

      Abramoff himself didn’t give any money. This isn’t an “is” definition argument. That would be the AG’s use of half the 4th Amendment to justify his plans…what happened to the second half of the 4th Amendment? Did that get thrown away with personal responsibility and accountability?


    105. Eric D Says:

      I never liked her, she always seemed like a tool which is most of the press to me now days.


    106. patrick Says:

      This is just sad. Next Republicans will be claiming that Democrats are just as guilty because they took donations from someone who once passed Abramoff on the street or shared an elevator with him for two floors.


    107. Jonathan Says:

      Who needs a state owned media when the media does what they are told to do?


    108. Chris MattPukes Says:

      Oh Boy, a New talking ‘Head on a Stick’ the ‘Colonies of Blogger’ ants can set their pincers into.


    109. Judith Says:

      Couric is just a highly paid script reader with personality. If one forgets that General Electric Owns NBC and MSNBC one misses that a major defense contractor ( one of the top ten) has control of major media markets) war is profitable to them on two levels cheap news and lots of heavy duty government contracts.

      Judith


    110. Lawstsoul Says:

      Prior to her Abramoff comments, Couric also characterized the debate over Bush’s illegal, domestic spying as partisan mudslinging & questioned Democrats commitment to fighting terrorism. In fact, it was during Dean’s response to those comments that he mentioned the Republican corruption. Frankly, Couric’s dismissal of the spying issue bothered me far more than the Abramoff exchange. I wish a clip of that segment would be posted as well.


    111. Democrat Soldier Says:

      #110 - The Republicans turned their back on taking personal responsibility for their actions years ago, so I would have to say: Yes, the idea of taking “personal responsibility” has been ignored by the current administration and the elected Republicans.



    112. MLDB Says:

      #102 Go to this TP Post and scroll down to comment #52.

      Read the list…Find the (D) and get back to us. That is “how it squares” with what Dean was saying.


    113. chuck Says:

      the pictures are probably of bush and abramoff in bed with their hands busy…


    114. joe Says:

      Trying to falsely claim current Democrats share equally in this revolting behavior doesn’t change the fact that Republicans have taken traditional corruption to fantastic, convoluted, undreamed of depths.

      Who wouldn’t lie and mislead for 20 mill a year?

      Representatives of voters should represent voters.

      Is that so obvious as to be redundant?

      That is their sole purpose for being there.

      Washington is now a sick, criminal, lobbying cesspit.

      Lobbyists should be outlawed from anything other than sending/mailing accurate and not-misleading fact sheets to representatives.

      Tradition should not stop the outlawing of corruption.


    115. Prizgar Says:

      Matthews, Russert, Couric. They do it because Democrats are too spineless to fight back the way they should.

      Why hasn’t ONE Democrat turn the question back to them, viz: Did your bosses at GE suggest you use these Republican talking points to spread lies about the Democrats?

      How about THAT, Mr. Fung?


    116. WTF!! Says:

      Dumbsh*t Katie apparently was in the bathroom when Wolf Blitzer tried to pin the same claim on Dean. Wat asses these million dollar corporate RW stenographers make of themselves when they open their pieholes.


    117. WC Says:

      #7

      I agree wholeheartedly–just quit watching it. I did a long time ago after I got disgusted with “news” that consisted of #%*^ like Couric asking the parents of some kid who was raped and murdered, how they felt about it.

      Comment by Terry — January 26, 2006 @ 10:56 am

      She’s been known to ask that kind of question before when interviewing someone who has lost a loved one. It was asked of some elderly gentlman (I think he was a composer or author) whose wife had recently died.

      Same type of asinine questions goes for Wolfie Blitzer’s interview several weeks ago of John Kerry. The interview was rather short, but all Wolfie wanted to focus on was Kerry’s failed presidential bid and what he would have done differently. He then asked Kerry if he was running in 2008, and Kerry said it was too early to make a decision. What did Wolfie ask next? “Why is it too early?” And I thought, “My God, man. The last election was only 14 months ago. Do you really expect him to make a decision now?”


    118. WC Says:

      Oh, and #7, I love these talking heads who have a double standard. Was watching Fox and Friends one morning years ago and they showed a clip of actor Tim Robbins, and were talking about some political comments he made in public against the War in Iraq. Their reaction was like “He’s an actor. Who does he think he is to give an opinion on politics?”

      A few days, or weeks, later, they interviewed, I believe, Charlie Daniels who had written a song that supported the War on Terror. What was one of the first questions they asked? “So, what do you think about the war?”


    119. ziggy Says:

      what’s up with katie calling Gov. Dean “Mr” Dean? She’s not even extending him the courtesy of calling him “Dr Dean.” weak reporting by a talentless hack-katie should not be on the air.


    120. Bob Huddy Says:

      NBC equals GE equals big military contracts. GE “brings good things to life”……


    121. Tracy Says:

      #97

      “That’s right, Libby was trying to get Mark Rich ‘off’ through a plea bargain.

      Old news dude. Any comment on Clinton pardoning Rich or is that irrelevant to you?

      “The Republican machine was directly involved.”

      How do you figure?

      “Just remember that wherever there’s corruption or criminality there’s likely to be a rightwing republican nearby”

      Same for Democrats especially when the Clintons are around.


    122. WORFEUS Says:

      Oh looky, its Katie “Navy seals rock” Couric.

      Dean talks the talk! We need a muscular democrat, and Dean is it.

      If the damn Democrats (thats right, damnded Democrats) would just get behind their leader, we would have a single unified voice.

      We would knock the repubs socks off. But instead everyone wants to worry about their own agendas, and ignore the true leader of the Democratic party, Howard Dean.

      If Dean runs again, hes got my vote.


    123. Hank Essay Says:

      Goddammit, Jack Abramoff was a REPUBLICAN OPERATIVE. He had been since his days as a College REPUBLICAN, along with Norquist and Reed. THESE ARE FACTS. What is so damn hard to understand about that?

      -


    124. Amazed Says:

      It’s unacceptable to let this just pass by and hope things just magically get better tomorrow.

      It’s takes about 5 minutes or less to write a simple letter, telling the “Today Show” and NBC that regurgitating misinformation and outright right-wing talking points, especially on a situation where cold, hard factual evidence is easy enough for anyone to find with Internet access, is unacceptable.

      If this behavior by the “news readers” continues to go unpunished, it will only get worse. It’s called hectoring the limits, seeing what they can get away with to help the republican power grab, and then going a little bit farther next time, until every single news outlet is Fox News Lite.


    125. loriestories » Zip It, Katie Says:

      […] It doesn’t matter if Katie’s interviewing someone about a pair of shoes, or about heart disease, or about criminal corporate lobbyists (thanks, Mike) - I can pretty much bet my morning Diet Coke that she’s going to do any or all of the following: […]


    126. oldtree Says:

      she’ll tell you ’bout a plane crash, with a gleam in her eye
      it’s interesting when people die
      give us dirty laundry
      would you really expect a dumb ass like this not to be a tool of the shrubs?
      get real and please wake up


    127. Bill Moore Says:

      Dean finally experienced what all conservatives experience on the Today Show. Networks moved from reporting news to making news.


    128. DAS Says:

      Dean is careful to clarify the Abramoff part, but I wish he would follow up “Not one dime of Jack Abramoff money ever went to any Democrat” with “and contributions to Democrats from Abramoff’s clients actually decreased once Abramoff started representing them.”

      Dean also needed to ask Couric — “given that what you say the CRP study says and what it actually says are so different, may I ask you did you actually read the CRP study? And if you did not, who told you what that study said?”


    129. Melissa Says:

      Actually there is real news available on TV. You can watch Democracy Now and INN report. Just check out Free Speech TV and Link TV. You can get both on Dish but only Link on Direct TV. Rupert Murdoch won’t allow Free Speech TV


    130. Me Says:

      I know you aren’t typically interested in reality and the truth but:

      http://www.washingtontimes.com/ national/ 20060110-112524-8296r.htm


    131. dano347 Says:

      An exerpt from Me’s “reality and truth”: But Mr. Noble said Abramoff may have had a hand in who received money from the tribes he represented.
      We assume that Abramoff gave the tribes a list of names of members [of Congress] who should receive contributions,” Mr. Noble said.

      “May have”

      “We assume?

      So this is your proof? Try harder.


    132. JBK Says:

      TO:
      Margaret Pergler Today Show Producer
      30 Rockefeller Plaza, Room 568E-2
      New York, NY 10112
      Email: today@nbc.com
      Dear Ms. Pergler:
      In re the DNC Chair Howard Dean’s appearance this a.m. on “Today Show.” Specifically:
      COURIC: Hey, wait a second. Democrats took — Democrats took money from Abramoff too, Mr. Dean.
      DEAN: That is absolutely false. That did not happen. Not one dime of money from Jack Abramoff went to any Democrat at any time.
      COURIC: Let me just tell you — According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Abramoff and his associates gave $3 million to Republicans and $1.5 million to Democrats, including Sen. Minority Leader Harry Reid.
      DEAN: Not one dime of Jack Abramoff money ever went to any Democrat. We can show you the FEC reports, we’d be very happy to do it. There’s a lot of stuff in the press that the Republican National Committee’s been spinning that this is a bipartisan scandal. It is a Republican-financed scandal. Not one dime of money from Jack Abramoff ever went to any Democrat, not one dime.
      COURIC: Well, we’ll obviously have to look into that and clarify that for our viewers at a later date. Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Mr. Dean, Governor Dean, thanks so much for talking with us.
      I trust we will see a timely follow up to Ms. Couric on the air promise to viewers, as her assertion (who does her research?) that Democrats “took money” from Republican, as in GOP activist, Jack Abramoff , has been universally debunked all day by bloggers everywhere. NBC has a responsibility to give its “viewers” more than just talking points from the opposing party in question, please. Is that too much to ask these days? Does GE really control your News content?
      If yes, then DISCLOSE IT TO THE VIEWING PUBLIC WHICH PAYS FOR YOUR ACCESS TO THE AIRWAVES!!!
      Sincerely,
      James B. Kane
      Cc: Federal Communications Commission
      NYS Attorney General Elliot Spitzer


    133. Lev Raphael Says:

      I stopped watching anything but BBC news for more than a few minutes at a time because the level of inanity and duplicity is Nixonian.

      As for Today? This is merely infotainment, only a bit more substantial than Bungee Jumping with The Stars. Matt Lauer is one of the worst interviewers in the business (nice manicure and suits, though). Hostile and sneering, he treated Kitty Kelly as if he were a Bush-appointed prosecutor. He’s just a faux-tougher version of witless Katie Couric who once leaned forward to a shrink and said, “Now, schizophrenia, that’s a pretty serious disease, isn’t it?” as if talking to and for morons.


    134. Powell Gammill Says:

      Perky Katie (looking a lot less perky) is correct, over a dozen Democrats took Abramoff money according to their own FEC filings. This generally was in the $1,000 to $2,500 range, but Sen. Clinton and Reid took large amounts. As one would expect, the vast bulk of the bribes, er’ donations, went to the Republicans who are in charge of all three branches of government. Denial just defeats your credibility. Dean is being Dean. The Democrats should have a cake walk in 2006. Instead, it is interesting to watch them blow it … the gutless weasels.


    135. Karl Rove Says:

      This is why ALL of NBC, and not just MSNBC must be boycotted.

      In response to Powell Gammill: you are 100% incorrect and probably lying. There is ZERO evidence that any Democrat received any money from Abramoff. TO date, only Republicans have been shown to have received Abramoff money. Abramoff = Republican. Abramoff scandal = Republican scandal. End of story.


    136. Marie Says:

      #18 and #79, I followed your lead and I, too, wrote a letter to NBC/Today regarding Couric.
      We will continue to monitor the news media and we will launch our own letter-writing campaigns to them, in our effort to force them to do their jobs as journalists, rather than continue as parrots.


    137. amydemiceli Says:

      Katie is nothing close to a journalist, but unfortunatly every morning before work millions of people grab their information from her and that yutz, the “glib” matt lauer.

      They are paid to do the job of manipulating information, or manufacturing a news story, and thats what these millions of dollars are for, people trust her, and lauer. they are the perfect TOOLS. Every program on television, is there to deliver the cash to the network, its all about money.

      no one will on TV will dispute these outright lies, and

      NBC, MSNBC, FOX, and CNN, are not to be trusted.

      TV viewing should be treated as a form of entertainment.


    138. Better Dead than Red...state Says:

      #137

      The “truth” from the Moonie paper? From the man who declared himself a monarch (moonarch bwahahahahaha). A paper that wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the millions thrown at it be right wing zealots?

      THAT TRUTH?

      That is sooooo funny.

      You’re a passenger on the troll train, aren’t you.


    139. crusader bunnypants Says:

      I find it amazing that the right and left can’t come together to agree to disagree to form a coalition to protest the US Corporate State Controlled Media! THEY ARE IN GLASS HOUSES! LIVE 24/7! They should be surrounded by millions of pissed of American Citizens, Nevermind, USA! USA! USA!

      The Today Show 1-212-664-4602
      NBC Nightly News 1-212-664-4971


    140. Confused Says:

      Can someone point me to the information that shows Dean is correct? Is the distinction that Abramoff’s clients donated to Dems, but not Abramoff/his wife/his company/etc.? Because the WP has been reporting both Dems and Republicans have been returning money received from him. I admit I read the stories quickly, and it was awhile ago…


    141. Sonicist » Howard Dean on The Today Show, Jack Abramoff Says:

      […] Today Howard Dean told Katie Couric (video here ) that she was wrong about the Dems getting money from Jack Abramoff. […]


    142. The WB42 5:30 Report With Doug Krile Says:

      Couric vs Dean…

      Some days you just HAVE to wonder. Did you watch the Today Show this morning? The bloggers caught Katie trying to get Howard Dean to buy into some GOP talking points….


    143. RightPunch Says:

      Couric is such a mental lightweight. It’s like watching Ali take down a school nurse. It’s really sad to watch. Poor thing, she really needs to get a career that’s more suited to her rather limited school set. Maybe a housecleaner or personal shopper would be a more appropriate career for her. If she were the journalist she ‘claimed’ at the end of this exchanged, she would have done the simple fact checking necessary not to embarrass herself. Poor thing.


    144. Just Kick Katie Says:

      I friggin hate Katie Couric, I don’t care if she is supposedly liberal, I think today showed that. I just think she is a ho. Friggin Matt “I cut my hair because I’m losing it” L….Loser sucks too. I can’t put my finger on why I hate katie, maybe cause I was raised on Jane Pauley and never adjusted to the perked up perkyness of KC, I just think she’s bitchy, probably because she is a bitch…hrmph….that’s probably why….


    145. Stuart Says:

      Dean is the best gift the Democratic Party ever gave to the Republicans. He’s nothing if not consistent (consistently wrong). He mumbles because he constantly has his foot in his mouth, and he will eat his words spoken today on the Today Show. You can cheer all you want, but the more Dean speaks the better off the Republicans are.

      A DEMOCRATIC SOUP SANDWICH!!


    146. Stuart Says:

      Dean got beaned in the head by an inside fastball and started babbling like an idiot. Katie grew a pair and played hardball. ABOUT TIME!


    147. chillwill Says:

      Don’t care much for either side of the aisle and didn’t see The Daily Show…Mr. Show with Bob and Dave was the trailblazer in explaining “The Taint.”