Sarah Palin

Has Sarah Palin's Star Status Dimmed?

David Taintor | April 5, 2012, 11:57AM

Perhaps the "lamestream" media can't be saved after all.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin -- devout aggressor toward the "liberal press" -- co-hosted NBC's Today show this week as ABC's Good Morning America, desperate to edge NBC in the ratings, enlisted Katie Couric's services. But Palin's appearance only widened the gap between Today and Good Morning America by 23,000 viewers, according to Nielsen Co. numbers reported by the Associated Press.

Read more »

The Daily Show

Brian Williams Pranks The Daily Show With Fire Alarm

David Taintor | December 1, 2011, 9:42AM

Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart just couldn't help himself.

The Daily Show on Wednesday dedicated an entire segment having a laugh at NBC Nightly News' expense. On Tuesday, during Brian Williams' broadcast, an incessant fire alarm rang out in the newsroom. Williams -- Mr. Television that he is -- handled the situation gracefully. But Stewart couldn't let it slide.

Read more »

Newt Gingrich

Poll: Gingrich's Support Implodes With GOP Voters

Jon Terbush | June 15, 2011, 2:35PM

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA)

Since formally announcing that he would seek the presidency, Newt Gingrich's support has completely fallen apart among members of his own party, according to a forthcoming NBC/Wall Street Journal poll.

In an early look at that survey published Wednesday afternoon, NBC News said that a plurality of Republicans now have an unfavorable opinion of Gingrich, with 34% viewing the former Speaker of the House unfavorably, compared to 32% who view him favorably. That's a huge shift from just two months ago when 50% of GOPers liked Gingrich, while only 13% did not.

Further, 48% of all Americans now view Gingrich unfavorably according to the poll, an all time high that topped even his worst marks from his days in Congress, during the push for President Clinton's impeachment.

Read more »

Barack Obama

Poll: Despite Rising Approval Rating, Obama Gets Worst Marks Ever On Economic Management

Jon Terbush | May 10, 2011, 1:08PM

Following the killing of Osama bin Laden, President Obama's approval rating received an expected bump. Yet while his overall approval rating ticked up, his marks when it comes to the economy actually fell at the same time, dropping to a record-low in the latest NBC survey released this week.

That finding underscores the old political maxim that, "it's the economy, stupid," as it shows that Obama's overall presidency is still weighed down by the sluggish economy even while enjoying a major national security success.

Read more »

Politico

First Presidential Debate Pushed Back To September Due To Lack Of Candidates

Jillian Rayfield | March 30, 2011, 11:38AM

The Politico/NBC News presidential debate is reluctantly ceding its title of first-in-the-nation to Fox News. The two big media titans announced today that they will push the debate back to the fall because so few candidates have officially announced their plans to run.

Read more »

Scott Walker

Gov. Walker: I'm Still Not Compromising & The Layoffs May Come (VIDEO)

Andrew Jones | February 28, 2011, 12:16PM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

Relentless protests in Madison, AWOL State Senate Democrats, and an embarrassing prank call thrown in for good measure -- still, Gov. Scott Walker (R) isn't yet budging one bit on what he wants.

On Sunday's Meet The Press, Walker reiterated his resistance to the compromises already offered to him by the Democrats and labor unions, repeating that layoffs could come as soon as Tuesday if the still AWOL Democratic Senators don't return.

Read more »

NV-SEN

Angle Camp Bans Two TV Stations From Election Night Party -- For Asking Questions

Eric Kleefeld | October 29, 2010, 5:17PM

Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R)

Republican Sharron Angle's nasty relationship with the press is reaching yet another whole new level, the Associated Press reports: Her Nevada Senate campaign has now banned two local TV stations from her Election Night party. Their offense? Apparently, it was that they asked her questions without permission:

Journalists from the local CBS and NBC news affiliates surprised Angle at McCarran International Airport on Friday to ask her questions about national security and unemployment. Video footage shows the GOP Senate candidate telling the reporters she will answer questions once she is elected.

Hours later, Angle spokeswoman Ciara Matthews told the news stations they are no longer invited to the election night party.

The incident referred to here is outlined in this post, when Angle said she would answer questions on national security and diplomacy "when I'm the Senator" -- that is, after she is elected. During that same interview of sorts, Angle answered a question about the two wars the country is fighting: "You know, the two wars that we're in right now, is exactly what we're in."

The TPM Poll Average gives angle a lead of 49.7%-46.4% over Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

FL-22

Florida Tea Party Favorite Spoke To, Defended Criminal Biker Gang (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 15, 2010, 10:40PM

FL-22 candidate Allen West (R)

Allen West, a national tea party favorite and the Republican nominee for Congress in Florida's 22nd Congressional District, has (to put it mildly) some controversial friends. According to a new report from NBC News, West has been a fan and defender of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, a national group targeted by the FBI for involvement in racketeering, "violent crimes" and "attempted murder."

As NBC reported tonight, West has had personal dealings with the Florida chapter of the Outlaws, which lists on its website "Brothers In Prison," which NBC correspondent Lisa Meyers says includes "many" who "were convicted of violent crimes, including murder."

Meyers reports on email correspondence between West and a supporter nervous about his interactions with the group that appears to show West defending the group against a characterization that it's "criminal."

Read more »

WV-SEN

One GOPer's Proposal To Save The World: '1,000 Lasers' (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 13, 2010, 3:14PM

Senate candidate John Raese (R-WV)

West Virginia's Republican nominee for Senate, John Raese, has a plan. And that plan is to put 1,000 lasers in orbit to save us all.

Not 999. Not 1,001. 1,000 frickin' lasers.

"If there is a rogue missile aimed at our country, we have 33 minutes to figure out what we're going to do," Raese said told the crowd at a recent campaign stop, according to NBC's Shawna Thomas and Carrie Dann. "We are sitting with the only technology in the world that works and it's laser technology. We need 1,000 laser systems put in the sky and we need it right now. That is [of] paramount importance."

The cost of such a program? A cool "$20 billion," according to Raese.

Read more »

Barack Obama

Obama: 'I Can't Spend All My Time With My Birth Certificate Plastered On My Forehead' (VIDEO)

Eric Lach | August 30, 2010, 11:50AM

In an interview with NBC's Brian Williams that aired yesterday, President Obama addressed the lingering rumors about his birth and religion, condemning what he calls a "network of misinformation" and taking a swipe at the birther movement.

Read more »

Rand Paul

Ron Paul Appeared On Meet The Press In '07 And Spoke Out Against Civil Rights Act (VIDEO)

Justin Elliott | May 21, 2010, 5:57PM

Ron Paul

This is fun: In light of Rand Paul's decision today to back out of his scheduled appearance on Meet the Press, it's worth looking back to his father Rep. Ron Paul's appearance on the show in 2007 -- in which Ron Paul came out against the 1964 Civil Rights Act on the very same grounds that have gotten Rand Paul into such a mess this week.

Asked by then-host Tim Russert if he would have voted for the landmark legislation, Paul said he would have opposed it "If it were written the same way, where the federal government's taken over property--has nothing to do with race relations." He continued: "it has nothing to do with racism, it has to do with the Constitution and private property rights."

Read more »

KY-SEN

Paul Backs Out Of Meet The Press Appearance

Christina Bellantoni | May 21, 2010, 4:45PM

Rand Paul

At the end of a rocky week, newly chosen Senate nominee Rand Paul (R-KY) has canceled a planned interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" citing exhaustion. It's only the third cancellation from a major guest in 62 years, the show's Executive Producer Betsy Fischer said in an interview this afternoon.

"It is a big deal when somebody cancels an appearance," she said.

Fischer and host David Gregory have been attempting to convince Paul's press secretary and campaign manager since the Paul camp scrapped the interview this afternoon. They first arranged the Sunday show interview on Wednesday after he won the party nomination Tuesday night. Fischer said Paul's press secretary said he was exhausted.

Read more »