Morning Briefing - 1.12.05

Good morning . . .

The reaction to the report on Rathergate is quite interesting. While giving the story a little play on the evening news, CNN, NBC, and ABC virtually ignored the story on their morning shows. The Today show relegated the story to a 15-second reader well into the program.

MSNBC and Fox are the only networks, thus far, that have interviewed at length media analysts and consultants. Bill O'Reilly, however, continues to defend Rather as a victim. Very strange indeed.

Dan Rather has issues a statement to CBS News colleagues. In the memo Rather is more concerned about the firing of his co-conspirators than his role in the debacle. Rather accepts no culpability for his role in the destruction of CBS News' credibility.
Rather responds
MSNBC - The 'Media Party' is over
Morning Shows Give Short Shrift to CBS Hoax -- 01/11/2005 - Media Research Center - Media Reality Check

Has anyone noticed the proliferation of airline ads on the Internet? Since Delta announced its reduction in fares, banner ads for airlines including Delta and Southwest have been dominant for several days.

A Supreme Court ruling issued in the last hour has struck down some of the provisions of the Federal sentencing guidelines. The guidelines were developed to provide consistent sentencing to those convicted of Federal crimes. Every crime from embezzlement to drug dealing to fraud were covered by the guidelines.

The 5-4 ruling was a blow to the Justice Department who has defended the guidelines that apply to thousands of criminal defendants. Thousands of sentences have been on hold pending the outcome of today's ruling.

In essence the Court said that the rules could not be mandatory, but only advisory to passing sentence on a defendant. According to the Court the judges were giving out sentences based on information that was not presented to the jury at trial. These included past crimes and other evidence not available to the jury.

By using the guidelines in an advisory capacity, the Court said that it would be up to the Appeals Courts to decide whether the sentence is reasonable.

Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the opinion and said that Congress could enact " national legislature is equipped to devise and install, long-term, the sentencing system compatible with the Constitution that Congress judges best for the federal system of justice."
Yahoo! News - Supreme Court: Sentencing Rules Not Mandatory

While this is no surprise, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean is officially running to become the Chair of the Democratic National Committee.
CNN.com - Dean�announces bid for DNC chair - Jan 11, 2005

A former Federal Prosecutor and Clinton nemesis was named as President Bush's newest nominee for the Secretary of Homeland Security position.

Michael Chertoff a long time Federal Prosecutor and chief counsel of the Whitewater Investigation was named as the President's new choice for the post. The nomination was made in the wake of the Bernard Kerik debacle and resignation of current Homeland Security boss Tom Ridge.

Since Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) sits on the committee that will review the nomination, it will be an interesting hearing.
Chertoff Named as Homeland Security Nominee

More in the Afternoon Update.