Morning Show Wrap, by ABC News Political Unit

N E W Y O R K, July 9, 2004 —
-- A product of Noted Now and The Note

Evening Newscasts Wrap

News Wrap Archives

Leads

The morning shows led with the "scathing" report on pre-war intelligence, the election terror threat, and the abducted Marine who has turned up in Lebanon.

The Kerry and Edwards children appeared on ABC and NBC to discuss what their fathers are like when they let their hair down.

Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge granted interviews on all three networks and made no news.

Dem Children on ABC and NBC

Two Heinzes, two Kerrys and an Edwards sat down with ABC's Claire Shipman on "Good Morning America" and with NBC's Katie Couric on the "Today Show" to speak about the personal side of their fathers.

Asked on ABC if the two families have been drawn together by a sense of shared tragedy, Cate Edwards said that she and Chris Heinz have discussed those losses with each other but that the losses are "private" and that they have bonded "regardless of that."

The Heinz-Kerry clan then chimed in to say that when Jack, Cate's little brother, "talks about Oreos … that's what bonds us."

Andre Heinz recounted his joy at seeing "the two little ones," Jack and Emma Claire, in the pool at the Heinz family estate, saying it reminded him of his childhood.

"They are great," said Andre Heinz, "and Cate as you can see is fantastic."

Asked about his "quirky" mother, Teresa Heinz Kerry, on NBC's "Today Show," Chris Heinz said "quirkiness runs in the (Heinz) family which insulates these fine women."

Chris called his mother a hard worker who speaks what's on her mind and said of his mother, who was born in Africa, that he looks "forward to the day when there is a first generation American in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue."

Vanessa Kerry said on "Today" that the two biggest misconceptions about her father are that he's aloof and that he doesn't know his own mind. Vanessa said she's proud that her father doesn't look at issues as "black and white" but rather that he considers all sides of an issue.

During their appearance on the "Today," Katie Couric played a "new ad" cooked up by Jay Leno for the Kerry-Edwards campaign which aired last night on the "Tonight Show." It shows Kerry and Edwards touching, holding and looking fondly at each other to the strains of "You are So Beautiful to Me."

Intelligence Report

ABC's Linda Douglass reported that those who have read the report on pre-war intelligence on Iraq say the "picture it paints of US intelligence gathering operations is devastating."

NBC's Andrea Mitchell reported that the administration's effort to find a quick replacement for Tenet is meeting with "no success." She also reported that the Senate Intelligence Committee is "divided along partisan lines over whom to blame for the failure of pre-war intelligence but all agree on the need to reform the CIA."

CBS reported that "the report criticizes the (CIA) as being careless in its analysis as they estimated the threat posed by Iraq."

Terror Threat

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge appeared on all three networks and made no news.

Former counterterrorism tsar Richard Clarke discounted Ridge's warnings on ABC's "Good Morning America," saying, "There is nothing new in this message from Tom Ridge."

CBS' Bob Orr looked at the terror threat for the "Early Show."

Homeland Security

Homeland security got a critical look through the prism of the near shoot-down of the plane of Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher.

Charlie Gibson interviewed Gov. Fletcher for GMA.

Thalia Assuras looked at the close call for the CBS "Early Show."

Fahrenheit 911

On NBC's "Today Show," Yeslam Bin Laden, the half-brother of Osama Bin Laden's, called Michael Moore's charge that the Bin Laden family received "special treatment" following 911 "a complete fallacy."

"This is completely untrue," he said. "US airspace was closed for 48 to 72 hours. My family only left on the 20th of September."

Asked if he would turn in his half brother, Yeslam said he doesn't think of it before turning the tables on Matt Lauer and asking him if he would turn in his brother.

Lauer said, "I guess if he were accused of murdering thousands of people, you would have to let him have his day in court."

To which Bin Laden's half brother agreed that his half-brother should "have his day in court," before skeptically asking, "which court?" and telling Lauer that the two will continue to "go in circles" if Lauer insisted on pursuing this line of questioning.

Politics of culture

Bill Cosby's tough words for African-Americans received favorable treatment on ABC's "Good Morning America."

"Seventy percent of teenage pregnancies happen to be African-American girls," Cosby was shown on tape saying. "Don't ask me to soften my message."

GMA interviewed two African-Americans that Cosby has helped to send to college as evidence that Cosby is "putting his money where his mouth is."