Networks Pile On Cain: Will 'Bizarre' Response to Harassment Claims 'Derail' His Campaign?

Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996
Wednesday November 02, 2011 @ 10:06 AM ET

1. Networks Pile On Cain: Will 'Bizarre' Response to Harassment Claims 'Derail' His Campaign?
All three network morning shows on Tuesday led with Herman Cain's response to allegations of sexual harassment in the 1990s and even speculated the scandal could end his candidacy, with NBC Today co-host Ann Curry proclaiming: "Damage control. Herman Cain changes his story....Will the controversy and his reaction to it derail his presidential campaign?" On ABC's Good Morning America, co-host George Stephanopoulos announced: "24-hour flip-flop. Republican front-runner Herman Cain now admits he's been accused of sexual harassment and settlements were paid. His bizarre series of conflicting interviews.... what will it mean for his campaign?"

2. NYT Quickly Fronts Vague Cain Charges, Ignored John Edwards Adultery Allegations Almost a Year
While the Times put 15-year-old anonymous accusations of sexual harassment against GOP candidate Herman Cain on the front page just one full day after they surfaced, it waited 10 months before covering allegations of adultery against Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards - after the candidate himself was compelled to confess. Republican John McCain was also the victim of the paper's partisan double standard on "sex scandals."

3. NYT Editor 'Alarmed' at 'Right Wing' Pushback on Cain Story, Whines About Willie Horton Ad
Andrew Rosenthal, another liberal still whining about the Willie Horton ad: "...it was the Republicans who perfected the art of injecting racial fears into modern-day politics (remember Willie Horton in 1988?) and have conducted an unrelenting personal attack on President Obama that sometimes has not-so-subtle racial overtones." He even sees racism in a Herman Cain ad that dares call Obama a (gasp!) "community organizer."

4. CNN Segment Hypes 'Diversity' of Occupy Seattle
CNN used an "In Depth" segment on Tuesday to emphasize the diversity among protesters at Occupy Seattle, featuring a rapper, a group of "Raging Grannies," drummers and more. The report during the 12 p.m. hour was one of multiple segments that ran on Tuesday afternoon giving viewers a close-up look at the Wall Street protests. "Gives you just a feel for how diverse the protesters are," anchor Suzanne Malveaux noted preceding the report. The rosy headline touted "Diversity at 'Occupy' Seattle."

5. Big Three Nets Omit Corzine's Party ID as Feds Investigate His Firm
On Tuesday, the morning shows of the Big Three networks omitted the party affiliation of Jon Corzine as they reported on the federal investigation into his brokerage firm, something that even the liberal New York Times did in their coverage of the story. ABC's Good Morning America also failed to include Corzine's name during their news brief on the investigation.