The Press, The Polls and Terri Schiavo

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ABC News had to go and ruin everything by commissioning a poll to find out exactly what Americans think about Congress' unprecedented intervention into the Terri Schiavo saga. Up until Monday morning, reporters and pundits, always nervous about labeling the GOP Congress as being out of the mainstream, had done their best to tip toe around existing polling data that showed Americans supported, by an overwhelming majority, Michael Schiavo in his attempt to remove the feeding tube from his wife.
But the ABC poll laid everything bare: By the wide margin of 63 percent to 28 percent, Americans support removing the feeding tube. Even more telling, 70 percent thought congressional intervention was inappropriate, while 67 percent said that Congress acted "more for political advantage than out of concern for her or for the principles involved."
It's just possible that right after midnight on Sunday, Congress passed the most unpopular piece of legislation in modern times -- not that Republicans had to worry about any bad press. Even with the ABC polling data on the table, notice how the Beltway press did its best to ignore the elephant in the room. On Monday, ABC's The Note, which relishes its ability to mirror, in pitch-perfect tone, the conventional wisdom of the Beltway media establishment, took things to comical extremes when it noted that Congress' intervention had been met with "some public opposition." Only in today's Beltway media environment, where the Republican administration is treated with kid gloves, could a GOP measure panned by a broad, bipartisan swath of Americans -- including 58 percent of self-identified "conservative Republicans"-- be described, with a straight face, as having been met with "some public opposition."
The rest of the press has done a half-hearted job of relaying ABC's slam-dunk poll results. Since they were released Monday morning, they have garnered approximately 24 mentions, combined, on ABC, CBS, CNN, CNN Headline News, Fox News, MSNBC, and NBC. To put that in context, during that same time span those same outlets mentioned "Schiavo" 1,823 times, according to TVEyes, the digital, around-the-clock television monitoring service. Last night's telecast of ABC's "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings," which covered the Schiavo story extensively, made no mention of the poll results. If ABC News itself puts such little stock in the poll, why should others?
Meanwhile, the New York Times continues it news blackout regarding polling data on the Schiavo case. Since the story crashed page one late last week, the Times, according to a search of the Nexis electronic database, has not yet reported on a single poll indicating just how strongly the American public supports the idea of removing Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. The most Times readers got today was a mention on the editorial page about how "polls show that the public recoiled at the sight of elected officials racing to make hay of this family's private pain." Times reporters though, have yet to print the results of any of those polls.
At least the Washington Post finally ended its silence on the polling issue, with today's A6 article, "Analysts: GOP May Be Out of Step With Public." Notice two things about that story, though. First, the Post reports in the lead that Americans are "divided" about the Schiavo case, suggesting some kind of public opinion tug-of-war. Not true. To date, every single poll commissioned has come back with the same result: Americans, by margins that range from 20 to 30 to even 40 percent, support Michael Schiavo's decision to remove his wife's feeding tube. How is that "divided?" Second, notice how the Post has to rely on "analysts" to read the polling data. The Post's reporters shouldn't need an analyst to tell them the obvious: When nearly 70 percent of the American public disagrees with you, you're out of step with the mainstream.

Police Restrain 'Good Morning America' Booker During 'Today' Interview

First on TVNewser: Atlanta police handcuffed Good Morning America booker Mike Nagel this morning after complaints about his disorderly conduct, TVNewser has learned. Nagel was trying to interrupt NBC's interview with Atlanta hostage Ashley Smith this morning. (And some of it happened on-air: does anyone have screen grabs from 'Today?') Here's how the incident unfolded, according to sources at both networks:ABC, really, really wanted an exclusive interview with Smith. And they thought they had it: They were under the impression that they were the only network morning show with the Smith interview. But Smith's attorney had arranged for NBC's 'Today' show to pre-tape an interview with her prior to 7am. Then she would walk around the corner to ABC's bureau for a live chat on GMA.NBC and Smith's attorney planned to pick the guest up at her mother's house, where she spent the night. But ABC beat them to it, sending a limo to pick Smith up -- against the attorney's request, according to NBC. (A rumor floating around 30 Rock says that Nagel pretended to work for NBC.) Smith hopped in the car and rode over to the ABC bureau. Needless to say, Smith's attorney wasn't thrilled. (ABCers believe it was a case of miscommunication between attorney and client.)"When everyone figured out what happened, the guest's lawyer was furious and banned the interview from GMA," a tipster says. Eventually Smith made it to NBC's remote location around the corner from ABC's bureau. While Lauer was pre-taping his interviewing with Smith, "Nagel was doing whatever he could to get this interview to stop," according to an insider. Smith's attorney tried to calm him down, but the police had to get involved. He was not arrested or charged, though.Nagel was released shortly thereafter. When an NBC camera crew asked if Nagel was a producer for GMA, he flippantly said he was with NBC. Watch for this story on the entertainment shows tonight..."'Good Morning America' is blessed to have a top-notch staff of aggressive producers," a statement from the network said this afternoon. "Unfortunately, things got heated over a misunderstanding this morning. It has been resolved and we are moving forward to tomorrow's show." > Mar. 10: "Good Morning America posted its best February sweeps ratings since 1991 and 'slashed the gap' with NBC by 65%." > Update: 3:38pm: From an e-mailer: "I saw the 'Today Show' interview this morning with guy on cell phone in background clearly being disruptive and eventually being led away by police. I just thought it was some psycho wanting to get on TV..." You can pull the video off MSNBC.com's Videos page.> Update: 6:40pm: Derek Rose has the play-by-play, based on 'Today' screen grabs.


I just love a good fight!!---- TheAntiMedia