Escape the Okie Zone

The 1,853rd CyberAlert. Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996
10:20am EST, Tuesday November 2, 2004 (Vol. Nine; No. 216)

Bush Aides in Kerry-Mocking Halloween
Costumes Not Amusing to CNN

"The Bush campaign team had a little fun at Halloween," ABC's Charlie Gibson noted Monday morning over video of top Bush aides dressed for Halloween in hunting outfits which matched what John Kerry donned when he had his goose-hunting phot-op. But CNN anchor Carol Lin was not amused. On CNN Sunday Night, she demanded of a Bush campaign spokesman: "Was this a cheap shot at the Kerry campaign?" She then lectured him that if "you're a technologist who has seen your job outsourced to India, or you're a father or a mother with a son or daughter in Iraq and you see the lead characters, Karen Hughes, Karl Rove, no less, coming out in these outfits to make fun of John Kerry, how do you think those undecided voters are going, going to read these pictures?" MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, on Monday night, sarcastically opined: "No truth to rumors that they found these outfits at the same costume shop where they found President Bush's flight suit for the big 'Mission Accomplished' landing."

Lin's rebuke came during an October 31 session, on the 10pm EST CNN Sunday Night, with Phil Singer of the Kerry/Edwards campaign and Reed Dickens with Bush/Cheney campaign, both of whom appeared via satellite. The MRC's Rich Noyes caught the exchange.

Over video of Karl Rove, wearing a camouflage jacket and hunting hat with flaps hanging down over the ears, going down the steps of an airplane,

(I'm sure that Karl looked like Elmer Fudd with his rifle, "Silly wabbit!")

and a clip of an identically-attired Karen Hughes, Scott McClellan and Dan Bartlett at the bottom of the stairs at the Northern Kentucky Airport, Lin, in Atlanta, announced:
"Reed, I've got to show you some pictures that came into the CNN Center tonight. I think you'll be able to see them in your monitor. This is, these are the most senior people of the Bush campaign, de-planing tonight in duck hunting outfits, Kerry pumpkins. It is Halloween. Was this just to be funny, or was this a cheap shot at the Kerry campaign?"
Dickens: "I think out on the road they have a lot of fun. I traveled with the President for three years, and I think it was all in good fun. Look, this is a very -- we're very excited about what's happening tomorrow. The American people are going to have a very clear choice between a President who's provided consistent leadership and led this country through some very difficult times-"
Lin cut him off: "Wait a second, Reed. If you're, if you're an unemployed steel worker out there, or you're technologist who has seen your job outsourced to India, or you're a father or a mother with a son or daughter in Iraq and you see the lead characters, Karen Hughes, Karl Rove, no less, coming out in these outfits to make fun of John Kerry, how do you think those undecided voters are going, going to read these pictures?"
Dickens: "I think you're being a little unfair. It's Halloween night, and these people travel all the time..."

For a picture and bio of Lin: www.cnn.com

On Monday night, the MRC's Brad Wilmouth observed, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann showed the video during Countdown's "Oddball" segment. Olbermann, who incorrectly referred to the video as from "today," asserted: "It's Halloween time on Air Force One, and today Bush aides Scott McClellan, Karen Hughes, Dan Bartlett and Karl Rove got into the spirit by dressing up in hunting outfits. Camo, a none-to-subtle swipe at John Kerry's getup last week during his goose-shooting expedition/'I'm-a-regular-guy' photo-op. No truth to rumors that they found these outfits at the same costume shop where they found President Bush's flight suit for the big 'Mission Accomplished' landing. Mmmmm."

ABC refrained from using the Halloween costume video to take political shots at one candidate. Good Morning America on Monday morning made the Bush aides in the hunting outfits its "Picture of the Morning" toward the end of the 7am half hour. Charles Gibson explained over ABC's video, which showed the group with their hands raised to form W's:
"Picture of the Morning. Two candidates can slam one another. The campaigns can also have a little fun. Even the Bush campaign team had a little fun at Halloween. They didn't miss a chance to poke fun at their opponent. This is Dan Bartlett, Karl Rove, Karen Hughes and Scott McClellan coming off Air Force One Sunday evening dressed in the same jackets Senator Kerry wore to go duck hunting in Ohio last week. Dan Bartlett still had his, hat still had the tag on it from when he bought it because the day Kerry went hunting Dick Cheney mocked him for buying a new jacket."

For an AP photo of the Halloween-outfitted Bush aides: story.news.yahoo.com

For a photo from Reuters: story.news.yahoo.com

The posted version of this CyberAlert will feature a still shot from what CNN played.