CBS News Nabs New Political Director (Molly Levinson CNN Producer "NewsNight with Aaron Brown")

TVWEEK.com ^ | August 9, 2006 | By Michele Greppi

[fight_truth_decay]

Molly Levinson is leaving CNN to take the newly retitled position of CBS News political director, effective Aug. 22. She will oversee all political coverage and report to Paul Friedman, the CBS News VP who oversees hard news coverage.

Ms. Levinson has spent several years at CNN, where a number of political assignments led to her serving most recently as acting political director for the news network. Before CNN she worked for GQR Research as an analyst of opinion research and as a development assistant at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs.

[fight_truth_decay]

Greenberg, Quinlan, and Rosner (GQR) Research - promo indicates it "is a highly respected and objective polling firm - the same firm that conducts polls for Bill Richardson, Bill Clinton, and many other prominent politicians".

The Work of the National Democratic Institute

"NDI works with democrats in every region of the world to build political
and civic organizations, safeguard elections,
and to promote citizen participation,
openness and accountability in government."

"The past half-century provides ample proof that democracy
is more than just another form of government;
it is also a powerful generator of
international security, prosperity and peace."
— Madeleine K. Albright, NDI Chairman

"Having worked closely with NDI in Panama, Nicaragua, Haiti,
the Dominican Republic, Zambia and elsewhere,
I have been impressed not only with the
Institute's dedication,
but with its innovative and effective democratic development programs."
— President Jimmy Carter

Molly Levinson graduated cum laude from Wellesley.Levinson married Joshua Wachs at the Bar Lev Ranch in Moran, Wyo in July of this year. Wachs was until February 2005 the chief operating officer of the Democratic National Committee in Washington becoming the new VP for community relations for the National Basketball Association in New York.

Levinson, then a producer for "NewsNight with Aaron Brown" on CNN , had arrived in Phoenix to help arrange a debate between the Democratic candidates for the presidential nomination. As the "soft news" goes, there she met Jenny Backus, a Democratic political strategist who was then CNN's liaison to the Democratic National Committee. Backus introduced her to her best friend, Josh Wachs, then the chief operating officer of the organization. Ms. Levinson declined. Again, Backus sprang into action. Levinson agreed to meet Wachs for a "safe compromise — dessert". The rest is history.

However, track back to the yearly MRC's Dishonor Awards with one in particular rightly named the 2005 Aaron Brown Memorial Award for the Stupidest Analysis". Remember, Brown on his "hard news" pulpit expressed support for Rather and CBS by refusing to condemn CBS for sacrificing its' professional ethics in pursuit of a political agenda. "CNN anchor Aaron Brown was the most condescending," The Ten Worst Media Distortions of Campaign 2004-- reported Brent Baker at MRC, by " sniffing that those who linked the memo scandal with liberal bias lack brainpower."
Brown: “Some partisans...will see willful deception on the part of CBS,” Brown lectured on the September 20, NewsNight. “Smarter and more reasoned heads know better.”

[samadams2000]

Geez just shut it down already!!!

[Admin Moderator]

The Announcements sidebar is reserved for Notifications of Activism events, FR business

Not this.

Once again - please read the following for FR's posting rules for further guidelines.

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AM

[fight_truth_decay]

oops!

[demkicker]

Surprise, surprise, CBS News snatches another lefty democrat. They've really got a shake-up going on over there. < / sarcasm>

[GeronL]

Molly Levinson is leaving CNN to take the newly retitled position of CBS News political director, effective Aug. 22

This is what the leader of Iran warned us about.

[jdm]

I don't get a channel(?) called C-B-S(?), but I wish these people good luck in whatever it is they're doing for this C-B-S.

*playing dumb*

[fight_truth_decay]

I don't get a channel(?) called C-B-S(?)

Actually, I do not, as fall under this CBS local station, directv "thing", unless I switch to antennae; so seldom bother! The rest of the MSM alphabet soup channels East and West, no problem.

[CedarDave]

Original Titanic Deck Chair

[litehaus]

"She will oversee all political coverage and report to Paul Friedman, the CBS News VP who oversees hard news coverage."

---

She will re-write all political coverage to resemble Molly Ivins (levinson minus L,E,O,N)and report to Paul Friedman who oversees Dan Rather type news coverage.......Better now....

[llevrok]

I 'googled" Molly Levinson for a photo and this is what I got. (she looks tough in a scrum)

[bybybill]

Ms. Levinson`s next position will be to work directly for Howard Dean.

[razorback-bert]

Gay Day Games?

[Enchante]

I well remember Jenny Backus because during the aftermath of the 2000 election she was Algore's press lackey and proved to be one of the most repugnant commenators ever seen on national TV. Every time the cameras went to her she was ranting and raving about stolen elections, etc. I formed a very low opinion of her character, intellect, and judgment, for good reasons. I know that personal life can be very different from politics (just look at Carville and Matalin), but still I have to think that anyone who could be close to Jenny Backus is a vicious left-wing imbecile.....

"...there she met Jenny Backus, a Democratic political strategist who was then CNN's liaison to the Democratic National Committee. Backus introduced her to her best friend, Josh Wachs"

[TeaDumper]

With that "new" title seems like she's head of ALL CBS news and the hard-news is a subdivision of political news. I don't think they know how to do anything but political news. Don't shut it down, I want to see how well this works with their viewship.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Might as well have named Molly Ivins.

I love when the left rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.

[Prost1]

The Headline says it all...

"Nabs"....

and that is something good? She was caught in the act of doing what?