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Lehrer on Defensive Over Biased Questioning
News Max.com ^ | October 1, 2004 | News Max Staff

Posted on 10/01/2004 12:31:54 PM PDT by yoe

PBS host Jim Lehrer was challenged Friday morning on claims that he went easy on Sen. John Kerry during Thursday night's presidential debate, while tossing verbal hand grenades in President Bush's direction designed to keep him on the defensive.

PBS host Jim Lehrer was challenged Friday morning on claims that he went easy on Sen. John Kerry during Thursday night's presidential debate, while tossing verbal hand grenades in President Bush's direction designed to keep him on the defensive.

"I don't know what in the world you're talking about," Lehrer told radio host Don Imus, in his only post-debate interview.

"I would argue that my questions were right down the middle. There were some hardball questions for each candidate. There were some softball questions for each candidate. But for the most part they were just terrific."

The bias complaint, said Lehrer, was more of a commentary on his critics than a valid criticism of his own debate performance.

Still, some observers noted that Lehrer's questions largely focused on negative aspects of Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq - while avoiding Sen. Kerry's waffling on the issue, not to mention the top Democrat's long record of opposing measures to strengthen U.S. intelligence and national security.

At one point Lehrer claimed that over ten thousand U.S. soldiers had been killed in Iraq, before quickly revising that number to 1,052.

At the end of the debate, the PBS anchorman shook Sen. Kerry's hand - with some debate watchers claiming he gave the top Democrat a knowing wink.

In 1999, the president of Lehrer's network had to resign after admitting that 53 PBS affiliates had been sharing their donor lists with the Democratic National Committee for years.

In 1997, then-White House aide George Stephanopoulos revealed that President Clinton's reelection team thought it was a major coup when Lehrer was chosen to host one of the presidential debates, boasting that "our moderator" had been picked.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: danscam; firstdebate; jimlehrer; lehrergate; napalminthemorning; pbs; rathergate
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1 posted on 10/01/2004 12:31:55 PM PDT by yoe
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To: yoe
Do you think Lehrer (they were terrific questions) would admit to being biased?????????

Seee Beee Esss still doesn't admit theirs.

2 posted on 10/01/2004 12:34:05 PM PDT by Freedom'sWorthIt
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To: yoe

Kerry said last night that he wouldn't take his eye off the ball, except he missed about three softballs that Leher threw him. I sure am glad that my tax dollars support PBS / NPR and other unbiased news sources.....


3 posted on 10/01/2004 12:34:06 PM PDT by conrad metcalf 42
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To: yoe
As Bias goes, Leher's work wasn't incredibly biased.  My chief complaint is that he didn't make either candidate answer any of his questions.
Owl_Eagle

" I didn't like it when he compared our troops to Jen-jis Khan.
I don't like his stance on jun control.
And I think John Kerry is jonna jet me killed.
"


4 posted on 10/01/2004 12:35:25 PM PDT by End Times Sentinel (I came, I saw, I FReeped.)
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To: yoe

When you edit out the answers and just look at the questions in succession, the bias is obvious. The only opening Lehrer gave President Bush was to personally assassinate Kerry's character...which would have been a big mistake. For President Bush to escape that barrage without a major error is a success.


5 posted on 10/01/2004 12:36:19 PM PDT by blanknoone (Red + Yellow = Orange)
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To: yoe

Already posted this morning. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1232516/posts


6 posted on 10/01/2004 12:37:44 PM PDT by Unknown Freeper
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To: yoe
Back a few years ago, Jim Lehrer wrote a (pretty good) book titled The Last Debate, wherein a group of journalists comprising the panel for a debate conspire to take out one of the candidates by asking a bunch of really pointed questions about one of the candidates (very sordid, but covered up until then) past.
7 posted on 10/01/2004 12:38:44 PM PDT by Fixit (comedian.blogspot.com)
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To: yoe; All
"I don't know what in the world you're talking about," Lehrer told radio host Don Imus, in his only post-debate interview. "I would argue that my questions were right down the middle. There were some hardball questions for each candidate. There were some softball questions for each candidate. But for the most part they were just terrific."

i love Ann Coulter's comparison of a leftist who does not notice his own bias with a fish in the ocean:

One fish to another fish: "Water? What Water?"

8 posted on 10/01/2004 12:40:01 PM PDT by tame (Are you willing to do for the truth what leftist are willing to do for a lie?)
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To: Freedom'sWorthIt

We cant expect Lehrer to do W's work for him. The President did a poor job of putting Kerry on the defensive (he didnt) and pointing out his deficiencies (not good enough).


9 posted on 10/01/2004 12:40:32 PM PDT by LongsforReagan (Democrats =Girly Men)
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To: conrad metcalf 42

I will go a step further, I think Kerry had the questions before hand.


10 posted on 10/01/2004 12:41:17 PM PDT by stockpirate (Kerry; supported by, financed by, trained by, guided by, revered by, in favor of, Communists.)
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To: yoe; blanknoone; Owl_Eagle; conrad metcalf 42; Freedom'sWorthIt
And the whole world is learning about Kerry's major statement:

Thread here:

"Kerry's pre-emptive Global Test" CARTOON featuring Kerry's REAL Band of Bros...

I want to let everyone know about this great resource:

The ultimate John kerry Ad

Contains John Kerry's actual statements in his own voice covering both sides of major issues!

Turn your speakers up!

Just outstanding!!!


11 posted on 10/01/2004 12:41:59 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)
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To: yoe

How come Lehrer didn't ask a single question about Waffles'
20-year anti-defense, anti-intelligence voting record in the U.S. Senate?


12 posted on 10/01/2004 12:42:08 PM PDT by trentk (trentk)
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To: Freedom'sWorthIt

Lehrer to Imus, "Gosh I think I'm great and not biased at all. If you do, you must be one of those bitter partisans."


13 posted on 10/01/2004 12:42:13 PM PDT by zerosix
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To: yoe
"I would argue that my questions were right down the middle. There were some hardball questions for each candidate. There were some softball questions for each candidate. But for the most part they were just terrific."

LOL!

14 posted on 10/01/2004 12:42:21 PM PDT by gilliam
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To: yoe
"I don't know what in the world you're talking about," Lehrer told radio host Don Imus

You haven't a clue about anything, you liberal, beady-eyes liberal (Lehrer).

Quit faking it, you lying weasel!

At one point Lehrer claimed that over ten thousand U.S. soldiers had been killed in Iraq, before quickly revising that number to 1,052.

Just a little slip there.....eh, Lehrer? You're just a lying RAT sycophant!

15 posted on 10/01/2004 12:43:17 PM PDT by beyond the sea (ab9usa4uandme)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Great!


16 posted on 10/01/2004 12:44:56 PM PDT by Veto! (Kerry wears a tutu, TeRAYza wears the pants)
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To: yoe
When will we ever learn? I think agreeing to a debate with a candidate who is a clear underdog is a tactical mistake in the first place, but for Republicans to further agree to THESE debates, hosted by THESE SOBs, would be like FDR agreeing to an invitation from Goebbels to debate Hitler in Munich.

Dubya did great. No denying that. But these are the wrong debates at the wrong place at the wrong time.

17 posted on 10/01/2004 12:45:01 PM PDT by LibWhacker (It is the black heart of Islam, not its black face, to which millions object)
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To: yoe

How in the world could any honest questioner not ask about Kerry's record of voting against just about everything intended to keep America strong and secure? I guess bias can be pretty nuanced too.


18 posted on 10/01/2004 12:46:44 PM PDT by Continental Soldier
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To: yoe

How in the world could any honest questioner not ask about Kerry's record of voting against just about everything intended to keep America strong and secure? I guess bias can be pretty nuanced too.


19 posted on 10/01/2004 12:50:32 PM PDT by Continental Soldier
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To: LibWhacker
Without the debate we might not have the great GLOBAL TESTgaffe!
20 posted on 10/01/2004 12:51:18 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)
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