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WARNING: Viewing the accompanying video could cause a dangerous rise in blood-sugar levels. When Clarence Thomas was approaching his confirmation hearings, we all remember the touching, sentimental segments the networks ran on his challenging childhood. Or not. On today's GMA ABC's Claire Shipman took a sentimental stroll down memory lane with Juan Sotomayor, Sonia's likable younger brother. At one point, viewing a display about his sister in their old high school in the Bronx, Juan gets choked up. And there's Claire, shown not once but twice reaching out a comforting arm to console the Sotomayor sibling. View video here.

Who cares if we're like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, careening in his pickup toward the brink of the rock quarry? At least we're moving fast! That seemed to be Claire Shipman's logic in urging speed in the implementation of the stimulus plan. The ABC correspondent made her curious comment today during the roundtable segment of This Week. CLAIRE SHIPMAN: I think that, I mean as George [Will] said, given that nobody knows the outcome, it seems as though the most important thing is speed here. Will made the logical response. View video.

Thanks to Sarah Palin, the culture war has now become a civil war—on the left. Mika Brzezinski bravely opened a new front in the conflict during today's Morning Joe, repeatedly going after two women MSMers for their column suggesting Palin is taking the working-mom thing too far. And, mirabile dictu, Mika even admitted to sensing MSM unfairness to Republicans. View video here.

Worst job in America this morning: Clinton campaign staffer assigned to inform Hillary of her treatment at the hands of ABC's "This Week" panel. From moderator George Stephanopoulos to former Gore campaign manager Donna Brazile, to the husband-wife duo of Jay Carney of Time and Elaine Shipman of ABC, to conservative sage George Will, it was a decidedly downbeat take on Hillary's fortunes. View video here.

Wait a second. Isn't the rap on Hillary that she succeeds despite her weak communication skills? That she's substance over a decided lack of style? But GMA managed this morning to find two body language and communication experts to declare that Hillary is particularly gifted in non-verbal communication. In a segment beginning at 7:40 A.M. EDT today, ABC's Claire Shipman first interviewed body-language expert Janine Driver. Shipman rolled tape of Hillary giving her classic head nod.View video here. ABC CORRESPONDENT CLAIRE SHIPMAN: What's the nodding?BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT JANINE DRIVER: It's a non-verbal clue that says "I'm listening, I'm paying attention."...

Don't ever play poker against Claire Shipman. Anyone who can keep a straight face while claiming, as she did, that 'Women's Voices. Women Vote' is "non-partisan," can surely bluff you out of a pot while sitting on a busted flush.On this morning's Good Morning America, ABC's Shipman narrated a segment spotlighting WVWV's efforts to get single women voters to the polls. Since it is obvious that single women lean heavily Dem, voting for Democrats by a more than 2/3 margin as Dem pollster Celinda Lake acknowledged, my BS-detector started screeching when I heard Shipman slip in her "non-partisan" claim. I...

by Mark Finkelstein September 20, 2006 - 10:07 Far be it from ABC to take sides in the fight against nuclear terrorism. As portrayed by Good Morning America today, yesterday's UN speeches by Pres. Bush and Iran's Ahmadinejad were simply a battle of equals. And if anything, the guy who wants to wipe Israel off the map came off looking better. Host Chris Cuomo [son of Mario, brother of current New York AG candidate Andrew] set the tone: "We begin with the showdown at the United Nations, pitting President Bush against Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The philosophical battlefield: Iran's nuclear...

by Mark Finkelstein September 2, 2006 - 14:36 Republican? Want to make a "remarkable political comeback"? Become the functional equivalent of a Democrat. At least that would seem to be Good Morning America's advice. A segment of the ABC show focused this morning on the transmogrification of Arnold Schwarzenegger from a Republican who muscularly confronted the Democrats in Sacramento to one working hand-in-glove with them. The spark for the segment was the deal Arnold has worked out with the Dem-dominated legislature to cut carbon emissions 25% over the next 15 years. Co-host Kate Snow hailed it as "a bold move...

Been Dreamin' 'Bout Bin Laden 03/18/2002 Last Monday morning, President Bush gave a somber speech on the South Lawn. He explained that the war on terrorism was far from over and warned of the serious consequences of nuclear weapons getting into the hands of terrorists and terrorist states. He told the nation that more sacrifice lay ahead. The networks reported the story just that way with one exception - ABC. On World News Tonight, March 11, Claire Shipman focused her report on what didn't come up in the speech - Osama bin Laden: "The President offered a progress report...