Anchor Deja Vu: Anderson Cooper Mimics Wolf Blitzer's Scott McClellan Interview (VIDEO)

Dan Abrams highlights media foibles on a nightly basis in his segment "Beat the Press." The other night was a brilliant piece highlighting Anderson Copper's "in depth" and "like no other" (Cooper's words) interview with Scott McClellan. The only problem? It was often a replication of his CNN colleague Wolf Blitzer's interview.

Watch:

Comments

[Hagrid]

Dan Abrams rides awfully high on his horse. Mocking REAL journalists and reporters.

He was conspicuously absent at all the Russert dedications this past weekend....and rightly so, he like that 'ball of fluff' Contessa Brewer are NOT journalists and are not even deserving of carrying water for Brokaw, Mitchell, Matthews, Olbermann, et al

Where the heck does Contessa Brewer get the gumption to call herself a colleague of Brokaw's??

MSNBC has great evening political chat shows, but the mornings???? Too fluffy!

[LoRiseAntlers]

It's not news,it's CNN.

Or Fox.

Or MSNBC.

Or ABC.

Or NBC.

Or CBS.

Or Bloomberg.

Or HuffPo.

It goes on and on and on and roundabout.We're all fed a steady stream of puffery and bullshiat,designed to prop a particular out let's view(which is more often than right-wing),and nothing like real news.Facts are inconveniences.

[Wishb0ne]

How come no one's talking about his excellent work on The Mole? He was really great there, and I wish he'd never replaced Aaron Brown.

[nyc251]

I'm GLAD Anderson replaced Aaron Brown, who couldn't even be bothered to come off a GOLF GAME to report on the space shuttle tragedy. There's your so-called respectable news man for you.

[EvgenyLibek]

Cooper went from heroic heir newsman to another CNN flatfooted flatliner.

For a good interview of Scotty McClellan, see Amy G's interview: http://www.democracynow.org

This was even better than KO's interview (essentially the first -- since morning shows are a joke, even on NBC), which has not been improved upon until yesterday.

There still remains many questions about Scotty McClellan's role in Bush's completely scripted "impromptu" meeting with the troops (oct 13, 2005), and SMcC outright lies which followed.

Hopefully the US Congress will ask these questions (but I highly doubt it).

The full video of Allison Barber (DoD's spokeswoman who briefed the troops on what to say, and more...) seems to have disappeared -- if somebody has a copy of it, please please please post it on youtube and give an address.

FYI: Barber was promoted it seems, and now heads a program to spin the realities of war, from the pentagon, thru a vast array of media, and into the American voter's decision making brain.

Meanwhile, Scotty is chased out of DC, with his cred destroyed -- did he have another recourse but to write a tell-all (which is really a tell-some about Rove and LIbby, while praising the Crawford joker) about GWBush?

[NuAgeDok]

Anderson Cooper is amateurish and superficial. His envirionmental pieces are particularly galling and he relies on Michael Ware totally for every word he reports when he goes to the Middle East.

CNN loves him because he does so well with the 24-38 year old male demographic in the Bay Area. I am not surprised his interview of McClellan was totally ripped from the Woofman, whose interviews have been rather insipid lately anyway.

[SiberianRat]

I turned off AC long ago--his "hard-hitting" image (at least the one he tries to portray on his show) has very little substance behind it.

[thecanadian]

His "keeping them honest" has become a very big JOKE!

A blabbering head - nothing more.

[nyc251]

Anderson actually did a great job with the McClellan interview, he knocked him off his talking points and got him to address some of the nagging questions about why he didn't just resign instead of continuing to participate in the deception of the American people by the Bush Administration. Anderson never gets any love here, but some of the criticism of him is unfair, he's a good reporter and tries to run a balanced and civilized program.

Those of you who miss Aaron Brown and are still holding a grudge against Anderson about that should be happy to know that Aaron will be back on the air soon and strangely enough, Dan Abrams recently said on his show that he was a fan of, you guessed it, Anderson Cooper.

[Cos1]

Dan Abrams can't do what Anderson does. This story should show that Anderson is constantly winning ratings in his 10 pm time slot. His show wins awards. He's in command to speak all over the country at benefits and other functions. Every time MSNBC gets a crumb, they go after Anderson. Keith O won just one night's ratings against Bill O and now MSNBC thinks they rule cable. Problem is they had to share that win with Anderson's win in the 10 pm slot. Simmer down boys and try getting out in the field and covering a real story or just leaving the desk before you attempt to pass judgement on another anchor/reporter. Dan doesn't have an original thought for his show. He just repeats what was on all other news shows then takes cheap shots at them. This isn't news. Dan your insecurities are showing again.

[boston2008]

LMAO!!

[newpotusplease]

I would like to know who at HP is f*)*ing someone at MSNBC and giving them so many glowing reviews and coverage... it is ridiculous!
It is important to include in the story that Anderson Cooper is direct competition for Dan Abrams. That might be a reason why Dan Abrams is picking on AC.
Also, the AC interview was different from Blitzer's : the initial questions were similar but the follow up AC did was more in depth, check it out at CNN or on Youtube for yourself.
Dan Abrams is obnoxious.

[iggy06]

I've read about 3 dozen comments and no one even mentions the fact that Anderson was trained and takes his marching papers from the CIA. It was in the alternative news within the past year.

[jukesgrrl]

Does his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, know about that? I have trouble imagining the CIA recruiting her only living child.

[Axolotl]

HE may be living, but she is dead. so she doesn't care.

[DIAGER]

Anderson Cooper really should consider jumping ship from CNN. He's the only thing close to a genuine news commentator on that network.

Campbell Brown is a great talk show HOST, as is Wolf Blitzer, but dismal failures even on the selectively restricted news they do attempt.

[zacher2005]

Also what is with Huffington Post always pumping MSNBC?

[4mikeryan]

I saw Anderson Cooper walking arm and arm with another guy the other day in NYC. Not a runour and fact. Not that there is anything wrong with that!

[Maxie69]

Not a rumor and fact you say? Anderson's been in Africa for the past week to work on the next installment of Planet in Peril. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[zacher2005]

Is it just me, or is MSNBC just being pricks about everyone they are going against?

I dig Mathews, I actualy enjoy his show, but after that, I change the channel.

I mean come on, this is getting pretty childish. Is that all Abrams is for? To mock the other competition?

This type of stuff pushes me away from the channel.

[Deparis]

Well, when you proclaim yourself the "best political team on television", you've got to be fair play when you're sometimes shown how stupid you are.

[zacher2005]

MSNBC does it to everyone, like they know that's the only weigh they can show they are better, which is sad.

I mean, if anyone decided to do that to MSBC, you know, cut and paste and edit what people say, then the whole "Olbermann said toops were cold blooded killers' woudl be all over CNN.


The thing is, I am getting slowly disgusted with MSNBC.