FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 12, 2006

CONTACT: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider 202-226-7616

Pelosi and Reid Urge Networks to Devote Fair Coverage to House and Senate Democrats

Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid sent the following letter today to the presidents of network news companies calling on them to devote more coverage to House and Senate Democrats if they continue to give extensive coverage to President Bush’s national security speeches.

Below is the text of the letter:

September 12, 2006

Steve Capus

President

NBC News

30 Rockefeller Plaza

New York, NY 10112

Dear Mr. Capus:

No subject is more critical to the American people than our national security.  Yet as the press has widely reported, the issue of national security has regularly been politicized and exploited for partisan gain by the Bush Administration and Republicans in Congress.  The President’s recent speaking schedule and his nationally televised prime time speech last night strongly suggest that similar tactics will be employed in the coming weeks leading up to Election Day to heighten public anxiety and promote partisanship.

Over the weekend, The New York Times reported that Republicans intend to use a series of national security speeches in what The Times has characterized as a “carefully calibrated strategy” to win the midterm elections.  The issue of national security should not be politicized.  The security of our nation surely deserves a thorough public discussion, and different viewpoints deserve similar coverage so that the American people hear alternative ideas.  We write to you today to request that if you plan to continue to devote extensive live coverage to the President’s national security speeches over the next few weeks, you similarly provide substantial coverage to the national security events and statements of House and Senate Democrats.

Until now, there has been a complete absence of balance in the news coverage of national security issues.  Over the last month as campaign efforts have begun in earnest, according to Media Matters, there have been 64 percent more conservatives appearing on the Sunday news shows than Democrats.  In a speech that was supposed to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the September 11 tragedy, last night President Bush was given almost 20 minutes of primetime coverage on all major networks for a speech that continued to inaccurately link 9/11 to the war in Iraq. 

Congressional Democrats have a wealth of experience, authority, and the ideas as to how we could better secure our nation, combat terrorism, and ensure a significant transition in Iraq.  House and Senate leaders hold frequent press conferences and briefings on a wide variety of national security issues ranging from Iraq to border security to the state of our military readiness.  Most of these receive scant coverage, even when offering specific alternatives to Administration policies.

In order to provide the American people with complete information to make the best choices come Election Day, we ask that you commit your network to providing fair and equitable coverage to the viewpoints of both Republicans and Democrats on these crucial national security debates.     

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

NANCY PELOSI                                                        HARRY REID

House Democratic Leader                                            Senate Democratic Leader

cc:        David Westin, ABC News

            Sean McManus, CBS News

            Jim Walton, CNN

            Roger Ailes, FOX News Channel

“ Democrats are united in presenting a New Direction for America, one that will make our nation as strong as its people, one that brings opportunity, security, and prosperity to all Americans. ”

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi