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07/30/2001
And according to co-host, Diane Sawyer, George Stephanopoulos has "been completely non-partisan in covering the news". How is this possible? Isn't this the same guy who spent two years working to unseat the previous President Bush and then four more years as Clinton's spin doctor?

Let's consider a few of his "non-partisan" comments since coming to ABC as a political analyst:

• "Gore dominated the debate. Even the way that he would interupt Jim Lehrer and say, 'Listen, I want one more word.' He looked like he was dominating and, then again, the issues that the time was spent on - prescription drugs, education, Social Security, even the RU-486 and abortion issue - all of those favor Gore." (comments following first presidential debate, ABC post-debate coverage, 10/03/00)
• "Gore exaggerated a little bit. You saw him backtrack on whether or not he was really with James Lee Witt in Texas last night. . . . but there were no big, big lies or distortions." (demonstration of his spinning talents as a member the the ABC "truth squad", 10/04/00)
• "Democrats are pretty happy right now. . . . They had decided they would rather run against George W. Bush, especially because he's had to move so far to the right. He's now the kamikaze conservative, with all the positions he's had to take here in South Carolina - against choice, going to Bob Jones University, really locking himself in on that huge tax cut." (This Week, 02/20/00)

Sorry, Diane! To the rest of us, it sounds like George Stephanopoulos is still shilling for the Democrats!

Insidiously, ABC trotted him out (along with his fiance - Alexandra Wentworth) during "wedding-planning week" on Good Morning America. They undoubtly were using the occasion to give Stephanopoulos a non-partisan backdrop!

Oh, look, dear! Why, he's not a leftist spinmeister any more! He's a cute little teddy bear in love!

According to USA Today, 07/23/01, Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer may be looking to move on from Good Morning America and ABC has been trying out different personalities for the morning host job.

Who could help but find the idea of George Stephanopoulos packaged as a "serious non-partisan news journalist" somewhat disconcerting?

"As a liberal Democratic "spin doctor," Stephanopoulos recognized that the best spin combines a few factual statements to establish credibility with self-serving analysis and labels like "kamikaze conservative" that shove your opponents into an ideological drawer. ABC has labored to transform his image from Democratic boy wonder to an allegedly neutral journalist, but their efforts - and Sawyer's shameless claim that he's completely non-partisan are belied by his incessant liberal spin. (Rich Noyes, Media Reality Check, 07/25/01)

Let's put ABC News on notice. Let them know that we cannot accept the "repackaged" George Stephanopoulos as host of Good Morning America, or for any other news position that requires serious, balanced reporting. Here is the contact information:

ABC
77 West 66th Street
New York, NY 10023

Phone: 212-456-7777
Fax: 212-456-4292
Contact page

Walt Disney Company (owner of ABC)
500 S. Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521

Phone: 919-560-1000
Contact page

Read more here:

MRC CyberAlert, 07/26/2001