Media Matters: GOP talking point echoed during ABC coverage of NFL season

[dennis4868]

GOP talking point echoed during ABC coverage of NFL season opener

http://mediamatters.org/items/200409100009

During ABC's coverage of the National Football League's (NFL) season opening game, which pitted the New England Patriots against the Indianapolis Colts, play-by-play announcer Al Michaels echoed a popular Bush-Cheney '04 talking point: that Senator John Kerry (D-MA) flip-flops on the issues.

Following two consecutive turnovers in the September 9 game, which took place in Foxboro, Massachusetts, Michaels and "expert analyst" John Madden had the following exchange:

MICHAELS: What a wacky series.

MADDEN: This is what you call a flip-flop.

MICHAELS: You're in the right state for that.

Center for Responsive Politics records show that Michaels contributed $2,000 to the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign in June 2003.

Michaels has a history of pro-conservative comments. According to the conservative Media Research Center (MRC), during a 2002 Monday Night Football broadcast, Michaels awarded CNN Crossfire co-host Paul Begala a "lifetime achievement award" for what Dennis Miller (fellow conservative, former Monday Night Football commentator, and current CNBC host) deemed "the biggest fake of the year, Paul Begala's last smile." And in 2000, Michaels described then-Florida Secretary of State and current U.S. Representative Katherine Harris (R-FL) (who played a critical role in the disputed 2000 presidential election) as an "American heroine." Also in 2000, Michaels said Peggy Noonan's writing gave him "goose bumps." Noonan is a conservative columnist, Wall Street Journal contributing editor, and former speechwriter under President Ronald Reagan.

Michaels's name appears on a list of "conservative celebrities" on the right-wing online forum Free Republic.

[dennis4868]

1. Thanks goodness.....

i dont like football and dont have to put up with this shit.....

[chieftain]

2. Michaels Made A Snide Allusion To Sandy Berger Pilfering

documents long after the bogus story was debunked .

[wndycty]

3. You know I am reluctant to call someone a right wing shill, but. . .

. . .Michaels is.

[RevCheesehead]

4. Yeah, but the Packers are on next Monday.

I love Madden, but dislike Michaels. I think I'll turn down the sound and listen to the radio.

[tmooses]

5. If memory serves

He made some anti Gore comment during a game broadcast during the 2000 election-repeating the right-wing lie machine's line, i.e., the stupid internet invention thing. I emailed abcsports to complain before the game was over but had to turn down the volume for the rest of the game. I, too, like Madden, but Michaels turns my stomach with his cute right wing remarks interjected in the middle of a game.

[newyawker99]

7. Hi tmooses!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[AmandaRuth]

6. l love football and i would really

hope that it can remain non-political. We should organize a contact campaign, with all the sports lovers on this board, or its going to be a long season with all the snarky comments to come. After all, Democrats spend money on tickets and related merchandise as well as rethugs.

[ochazuke]

8. Obvious fodder for Saturday Night Live

A sketch with Madden trying to give insighful commentary while Michaels can't stop working a right-wing jab into every play.

"Hoe! Vearing left, left, left, just like the Democrat party!!! And it is working for the Niners just about as well as they trail 24 to zip."

"Wow, Kastapian is playing like a real Girly Man! Maybe he'll be the next Democrat nominee after Kerry goes down like a sack of dirt!"

I'll leave the rest to the SNL writers, but seriously guys, DO IT. Or are you guys a bunch of fascists these days?

[DeepModem Mom]

9. kick