212-456-7777
Also: dial 818-460-7477 press 2 then 6 then 639
ABC NEW YORK NEWSROOM: (212) 456-5100 newsradio@abc.com Newsroom Fax Machine 212.456.5150
Peter Salinger (THE MAN IN CHARGE OF ELECTION COVERAGE) Director, Special Events & Sports 212.456.5105 peter.salinger@abc.com
Cristi LandesManager, Programming 212.456.5107 cristi.d.landes@abc.com
Wayne Fisk Director, Programming 212.456.5327 wayne.fisk@abc.com
Jeff Fitzgerald Executive Director, Operations 212.456.5554 jeffrey.t.fitzgerald@abc.com
Heidi Oringer Executive Director, Entertainment 212.456.5541 heidi.b.oringer@abc.com
Jon Newman News Coverage 212.456.5100 jonathan.m.newman@abc.com
Joyce Alcantara Assignment Manager 212.456.5106 joyce.a.alcantara@abc.com
Jim Kane Deputy D.C. Bureau Chief 212.222. 6604 james.f.kane@abc.com
Andrew Kalb Executive Director, Programming 05.567.2269 andrew.l.kalb@abc.com
Robert Garcia Executive Director, News & Sports 212.456.5103 robert.garcia@abc.com
h/t la urracca
Thank you, every one of you, even the one's who laughed during the day, for reading and rec'in. Though we didn't have an impact on the debate, the Record has been recorded and those in the media know what went down today.
Below is the history of how we saw the Okie-Dokie coming a mile away and how a network Subverted Democracy. President Barack should pull their Broadcasting License.
Tonight's debate will be moderated in part by ABC News Political Director, and former Clinton War Room lieutenant, George Stephanopoulos. Yesterday, George was documented conspiring with TWO Right Wing Blowhards against Obama. Expect a GOTCHA tonight, and ahead of that, We need to let ABC News know we are watching ... If this is his standard, why not let Cheney Moderate the debate, or McCain even!
To put it bluntly, should a Former Clinton Official be the one asking GOP questions to Barack Tonight?!?
George spent time yesterday taking Notes on Sean Hannity's Show
MAJOR UPDATE
ABC contacted UIC for a photo of Ayers to be used tonight. Granted, this may be simply for the sake of having it on hand, but it seemed pretty clear that it IS going to be coming up in the debate.
You know what to do! /end update
When Hannity asked about the first question below about Ayers and whether George had plans to ask such a question, George replied, "Well, I'm taking notes now Sean." It did actually sound like he was pausing to take notes. And Hannity continued to feed him more:
- Ask Obama about his relationship with Ayers and WeatherUnderground and Axelrod's comments, "They're friendly"
- Ask Obama why he attended the Million Man March
Later Steph went on a lesser known show (at least to me) and was asked these questions. Here's the Audio
Same Question
[For Obama] William Ayers is a man who was head of the Weather Underground, a radical group in the 60s and 70s, set bombs at the Capitol, set bombs at the Pentagon, and was quoted in the New York Times oddly enough, ironically on September 11 before obviously the events of that day, saying that he didn't go far enough, and he doesn't regret it at all, and he wished he could have done more. Your campaign has described your relationship with William Ayers as "friendly." How could a man running for the presidency of the United States possibly have anything to do with, or have anything but disdain for a man who did what he has done to this country?
Stephanopoulos responsed to the last query: "It's a damn good question."
Steve Malzberg's Bio
You will also find Steve regularly stopping by Fox & Friends and "Heartland" with John Kasich on the Fox News Channel. He has also appeared on Hannity & Colmes, Cavuto, The O’Reilly Factor, Dayside, and other shows on Fox, CNN and Court TV.
Steve is also a sought after speaker and a columnist for Newsmax.com. You can read his work and sign up for his free e-mail updates at www.newsmax.com/malzberg
So George Stephanopoulos is out there chatting with Newsmax columnists and Sean Hannity...
The Same George Stephanopoulos who is the Political Director of ABC, whose Good Morning America was the first National Network Program to break the Reverend Wright Story. And the Very Same ABC that's owned by the Disney Corporation, whose other network, ESPN is in the news for Canceling not one but TWO Obama Exclusive Interviews at the executive level (edited with clarification by jethropaleorobber)
Let ABC Know what you think about this Garbage! We Expect Objectivity, not force fed conspiracy guilt by association Gotcha Controversies (and Hannity wet dreams)
We expect Objectivity George! We're Watching you! Put ABC On Notice
UPDATES From the Comments, some great points:
Pym finds a glaring bias
To date, neither the Rev. Jeremiah Wright nor the "bitter" comment has broken Obama's stride (what can slow this guy?). (Maybe people ARE bitter -- and maybe they're not digesting the rest of what Obama said.)
kararay Aces the Exam, take note:
It is important that the viewing public hear from the two Democratic candidates on the pressing issues of the Iraq war and reducing the budget surplus. Please do not ask questions about their associations past or present with persons who have no bearing on this campaign. Thank you.
And another perfect 4 Letter, this is the tone and sentiment I think any democrat can agree with (and will drive Sean hannity nutz)
I hope that George Stephanopoulos will conduct tonight's debate in a professional manner and not spend time trying to trap the two democratic candidates in a "gotcha" moment. The candidates' personal acquaintances should be off the table--that includes Monica Lewinsky, William Ayers, or Jeremiah Wright. The voters have spoken, and they're not interested in these things. They want to know who is best suited to set this country back on right path.
and Just below boatsie posts a Telephone Connection with Instructions to make Calls. Another one Here via DJShay
Remember: Be Civil & Be Like Barack
baudelairien has a great point:
George Stephanopoulos and James Carville ran Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign. He's one of the two main subjects of the "War Room" documentary about that campaign, and he's widely believed to have inspired the Henry Burton character who is the protagonist of Joe Klein's "Primary Colors". When Clinton reached the White House, Stephanopoulos served as communications director and conducted briefings of the White House press corps, even though Dee Dee Myers was the actual press secretary.
Given the depth of Stephanopoulos' experience in shaping Bill Clinton's public image, appointing him as a moderator in a debate including Hillary Clinton is an egregious violation of balance. CNN sidelined Stephanopoulos' "War Room" partner James Carville due to his conflict of interest. What's ABC's problem?
And another great Letter
My Simple letter
Its come to my attention that tonight there will be a conflict of interest on stage in Pennsylvania. As a voter, there is little I can do about your placing George on stage, but I can assure you as a viewer and vocal blogger (I'm the one who started this little letter writting campaign on dKos) we can certainly turn up the heat, including a straight up boycott of DISNEY if you include the Weather Underground/Hannity Question in tonight's Debate.
Do what's right. Stick to the issues and be fair.
pikkel on the ABC Pre-Debate Spin
The pressure once again is on Sen. Barack Obama to exceed expectations Wednesday night at 8 pm ET at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center
chelle in mo reminds us that ABC Was the Network that originally broke the Dean Scream minus applause Track.
And biscobosco reminds us that it was ABC who brought us the Path to 9/11
For those in the comments who are critical of this conflict, allow me a moment.
- In a debate on the eve of a very important and much hyped primary, for a Former Clinton Cabinet Official to openly take questions from the opposing party, primarily directed at a single candidate, is simply unacceptable. This is how the Media works it self up. If they ask the Weather Underground question, expect to see it the story-du-jour the rest of the week, regardless of Obama's Answer. We know it's a non-story, but the media loves non-stories and loves to dig it out there.
- I'm not asking for people to complain to ABC, I'm telling people to put ABC on notice, we see the connection, the dots are in a row and if they go there, we have certain proof that ABC has conspired with an opposing party's surrogates to play "gotcha" with a candidate in a primary, and at the very least, they owe America 90 minutes of a dKos inspired Forum with John McSame
- It's absolutely shameful they couldn't find someone else to run this debate and Charlie Gibson + Local Reporter should be the panel, just as they did in New Hampsire.
- I know and realize and trust that Obama will have a good solid answer to any of these Gotcha Questions; the circumstances of the matter are laughably bad, which is why it's always gone no where, but to have it come up in a debate setting, well, see #1 above. Pre-emptive Back Story:
Both Obama and Ayers were members of the board of an anti-poverty group, the Woods Fund of Chicago, between 1999 and 2002. In addition, Ayers contributed $200 to Obama's re-election fund to the Illinois State Senate in April 2001.
Bill Burton: Senator Obama strongly condemns the violent actions of the Weathermen group, as he does all acts of violence. But he was an eight-year-old child when Ayers and the Weathermen were active, and any attempt to connect Obama with events of almost forty years ago is ridiculous.
As Newsday pointed out, Clinton has her own, also tenuous, Weatherman connection. Her husband commuted the sentences of a couple of convicted Weather Underground members, Susan Rosenberg and Linda Sue Evans, shortly before leaving office in January 2001. Which is worse: pardoning a convicted terrorist or accepting a campaign contribution from a former Weatherman who was never convicted?
Whatever his past, Ayers is now a respected member of the Chicago intelligentsia, and still a member of the Woods Fund Board. The president of the Woods Fund, Deborah Harrington, said he had been selected for the board because of his solid academic credentials and "passion for social justice."
"This whole connection is a stretch," Harrington told me. "Barack was very well known in Chicago, and a highly respected legislator. It would be difficult to find people round here who never volunteered or contributed money to one of his campaigns."
Now, thanks for those Tips, please, post your emails to ABC Below, I've only found 2-3 and a ton of Hand wringing about Objectivity in the middle of a week filled with a Media Hyped Creation such as "bitter-gate"... I'll be Blunt, Obama's about 4-5% right now of locking up the nomination, and when he does that, John McCain is toast... The Media has been in overdrive the last few weeks trying to tarnish Obama weekly and this is just another controversy bubbling up... and this time, we have ties that bind their hands.