Morning Show Wrap, by ABC News Political Unit
N E W Y O R K, August 3, 2004 —<br> -- A product of Noted Now and The Note
Evening Newscasts Wrap
News Wrap Archives
Opening Headlines
ABC's opening headlines started with the arrest in the Hacking case, NBC and CBS started with Hurricane Alex.
Gen. Tommy Franks Interview on GMA
On "Good Morning America," Gen. Tommy Franks said he was surprised that weapons of mass destruction were not found in Iraq. In fact, he said he was surprised they were not used on US troops. Asked if he would be at the Republican convention, Franks said he didn't know and that no one in authority has asked him to attend.
Homeland Security Advisor Says If Bush Had Made Intel Director a Cabinet Member, He Would Have Been Accused of Politicizing the Position
On "Good Morning America," ABC's Bill Ritter pressed Homeland Security advisor Fran Townsend about Sen. John Kerry's charge that President Bush has been too slow to act on intel reform. Townsend vehemently denied these charges calling the President's reorganization of the government and intelligence the "biggest since World War II." In addition, Townsend said that if President Bush had supported making the new National Intelligence Director a cabinet position, "We would have been accused of playing politics," adding in her close that "he really did fully embrace the report."
On NBC's "Today Show," Townsend repeated her contention about politicization. When NBC's Matt Lauer skeptically asked if she really thought that given the 9/11 panel's recommendations, Townsend pointed to a Monday comment by Republican 9/11 Commissioner John Lehman who, in Townsend's words, "didn't seem to feel that strongly about that person being a member of the Cabinet." During the course of the interview, "Today" put the New York Times' editorial criticizing Bush up on the screen. Asked about Kerry's call for a Special Session of Congress, Townsend noted, "The fact is Congress is beginning to hold hearings last Friday."
On CNN's "American Morning," Townsend was again made her politicization argument, "If we had put this in the White House, we would be accused of politicizing this position." Townsend called Howard Dean's weekend comments on CNN "outrageous and irresponsible" and noted that Sen. John Kerry and Sen. John Edwards, who received intelligence briefings, did not share Dean's views.
