Morning Show Wrap, by ABC News Political Unit

N E W Y O R K, August 3, 2004 —
-- 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.

On "Fox & Friends," Democratic Rep. Jim Turner criticized Bush's design of the new National Intelligence Directory, saying, "If you do not have control over the intelligence budget, you cannot be held accountable."

Teresa Heinz Kerry: "They Want Four More Years of Hell."

NBC's "Today" did a tell on Teresa Heinz Kerry saying: "They want four more years of hell."

"Fox and Friends" titled its Heinz Kerry segment, "Teresa Unplugged." Surprisingly, Heinz Kerry's comments sparked some dissension among the "Fox and Friends" anchors with E.D. Hill saying, "You know what, good for her" for standing up to a heckler. Steve Doocy, by contrast, was aghast.

The Don Imus show also had fun with the comment.

Laura Bush Visits Citicorps

Laura Bush's visit to the Citicorps building was included in the CBS "Early Morning Show" terror threat package. On Fox-5 local in New York, a woman who worked in the building said she would have preferred it if the First Lady had stayed away from the building, fearing that her presence actually increased the threat level.

Bloomberg Makes Case for More Homeland Security Funds

New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg reiterated his case for directing homeland security funds to New York and Washington on NBC's "Today." "When you catch a terrorist with a map in his pocket. It's not a map of a cornfield in the Midwest. We have to make Congress realize that," Bloomberg said.

Interior Secretary Gale Norton was interviewed about the reopening of the Statue of Liberty on the CBS' "Early Show."