Ed Henry Heads to Fox

TVNewser broke the news this morning that Ed Henry is leaving CNN and joining Fox News. It's CNN's second big loss to Fox, the first being John Robert's departure in January. Ed's letter to his CNN friends after the jump.

Read more »

A Few Odds & Ends 5/4/11

A few CNN related videos to share with you today. First Soledad O'Brien popped up on TMZ last night. Here's the clip:

Jon Stewart apparently was as taken aback by Piers Morgan's candidness during the Royal Wedding coverage as Anderson Cooper and the rest of us were. Here's that clip:


And this next clip is a radio interview that John King did with Ryan Seacrest the morning after the POTUS announced Bin Ladin's death.


Broadcast&Cable has a most interesting with Sam Feist, CNN VP, about the behind the scenes scramble to get anchors and reporters in place for the President's big announcement.

I called Wolf Blitzer, who was at home in Maryland watching the Washington Capitals game. And I said, "Get in. Now." He said, "What is it?" I said, "I don't know, but it's important." So he grabbed a jacket and a tie and he raced downtown to CNN Washington bureau. At the same time, our chief national correspondent John King was at the hockey game with his daughter, and he raced to the Washington bureau.


Here are some new numbers on CNN’s coverage of the death of Bin Laden.


Fast National data: Monday, May 2 – day two death of bin Laden:

Anderson Cooper 360 tops both FNC and MSNBC in both total viewers and the demo at 10 pm
Piers Morgan and American Morning top MSNBC in total viewers and demo.
In the Arena tops MSNBC in the P25-54 demo.

10:00 pm:
• CNN’s Anderson Cooper tops FNC’s Greta Van Susteren and MSNBC’s Ed Show in both total viewers and demo 25-54
• CNN has 54 % advantage over FNC and a 149% lead over MSNBC in key demo:

CNN: 2.921 million total viewers/1.282 million P25-54 demo
FNC: 2.707 million total viewers/ 830k P25-54 demo
MSNBC: 1.404 million total viewers/ 514k P25-54 demo


9:00 pm:
• CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight tops MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow show in the demo 25-54
• Has second highest demo 25-54 performance since launch (after Japan earthquake) and third highest total viewer number (also after Japan and premiere)
• Morgan has a +21% advantage in total viewers and +27% lead in demo 25-54 over Maddow

CNN: 2.009m total viewers/816k P25-54 demo
MSNBC: 1.665m total viewers/ 643k P25-54 demo
FNC: 3.001 m total viewers/946k P25-54 demo


8:00 pm:
• CNN’s In the Arena topped MSNBC’s Last Word w/ Lawrence O’Donnell show in the demo 25-54
• This represents a +29% advantage in demo 25-54 over O’Donnell

CNN: 1.554m total viewers/ 638k P25-54 demo
MSNBC: 1.593m total viewers/ 494k P25-54 demo
FNC: 4.476m total viewers/ 1.317m P25-54 demo

7:00 pm:
• CNN’s John King, USA topped MSNBC’s Hardball in both total viewers and in the demo
• This represents an +87% advantage in total viewers and a +136% lead in the demo over Hardball

CNN: 2.191m total viewers/877k P25-54
MSNBC: 1.174m total viewers/372k P25-54
FNC: 3.131m total viewers/1.021 P 25-54

6:00 – 9:00 am:
• CNN’s American Morning topped MSNBC’s Morning Joe in both total viewers and the demo 25-54
• Has a +48% advantage in total viewers and +75% lead in demo 25-54 over Morning Joe

CNN: 1.523m total viewers/704k demo 25-54
MSNBC: 1.028m total viewers/402k demo
FNC: 2.244m total viewers/914k demo




All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Real Breaking News!

When the news broke of the impending announcement by President Obama that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by the US military CNN was quick to assemble a team and get on air. Wolf Blitzer anchored from Washington, DC.

CNN contributor Peter Bergen joined Wolf in the CNN DC studios.


Ed Henry reported from the White House lawn.

John King was at the magic wall with a geography lesson on where Osama was hiding out.


Also Fran Townsend, Jason Carroll from Times Square in NYC, Chris Lawrence from the Pentagon, Gloria Borger, Nic Robertson by Skype and David Gergen all spoke with Wolf.

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

CNN in the News

Just a few links pertaining to CNN to start your day:

Dr. Laura points the finger of blame directly at CNN concerning her 'N' word controversy on this morning's Today Show.

Mixed reviews for Piers Morgan Tonight are being reported on TVNewswer and Mediaite.

DC Fishbowl is reporting that Ed Henry is teaching an 'off the record' class at George Washington University called "Both Sides of the Podium”.

And we'll leave you with two Tweets former CNN president Jon Klein made last night about Piers Morgan Tonight.

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Tuesday August 31, 2010

CNN Plans Special Coverage of President’s Prime Time Oval Office Address on Iraq

CNN anchors Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper will lead live, global coverage of President Barack Obama’s address on Iraq at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, August 31. Anchors Candy Crowley, John King and Fareed Zakaria will join other members of the Best Political Team on Television to discuss and analyze the political and national security implications of the president’s speech and his decision for Iraq. In addition, CNN correspondents will be part of the conversation from around the world, including Ed Henry from the White House, Arwa Damon and Chris Lawrence from Iraq, and chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta from Pakistan.

Special coverage begins on The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer at 5 p.m., midnight in Iraq which is the exact time when the United States combat mission there is scheduled to officially end. John King, USA at 7 p.m. will have a preview show with top guests on the issue; Larry King Live and Anderson Cooper 360º will have in-depth analysis following the 8 p.m. address.

CNN.com will live stream Pres. Obama’s address at CNN.com/live and on the CNN App for the iPhone and iPod touch, featuring coverage from CNN’s correspondents in Iraq. CNN.com will also have opinion pieces, picture galleries showcasing Iraq in the past, present and future and up to the minute updates on the Political Ticker. CNN iReport, the network's user-generated news community, is asking users to weigh-in on how Iraq has impacted their lives by following this link.

All Times Eastern

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

President Ed Henry

Earlier this month, CNN's Ed Henry won an election...

CNN Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry was elected president of the White House Correspondents Association board Thursday.

Henry garnered 86.9% of the votes to win the honor.

The WHCA board is perhaps most in the spotlight at the moment as it will decide which news organization will inherit Helen Thomas' front row seat in the White House Briefing Room.

Henry came out in support of Fox News, which is seen as the frontrunner along with Bloomberg News.

"When CNN bid for the front row in 2007, Fox could have challenged it and had a knock-down, drag-out fight like the one we might have this time," Henry said. "But they did the gentlemanly thing and said CNN had more seniority. I've got to honor that commitment."

Source: The Huffington Post, July 16, 2010

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Ed Henry: WHCA Board Member

Last month, Politico spoke with the Board Members of the White House Correspondents' Association about why they took on the responsibility.

...

Ed Henry, CNN

CNN’s Ed Henry began shooting his stand-ups in front of the White House in 2006. And he ran for the board’s TV seat a year later. “I wanted to give something back, not just show up and punch the clock,” he said.

Henry jokes that, like a good politician, he listens to his constituents. He’s fought the White House press office for more access, questioning a recent decision to bar cameras from a critical foreign policy meeting.

But he also succeeded in replacing the microwave — which had stains dating back to the first Bush administration — in the press break room. As chairman of the microwave subcommittee, Henry navigated the perplexing process of ordering a new appliance through the General Services Administration and getting it through White House security. “Nothing is easy in government,” he said.

... to read the full article: Urge to 'give back' drives WHCA leadership

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

What's Happening......

Former Fox Business anchor Alexis Glick of Money for Breakfast and The Opening Bell, as well as the channel's former Vice President of Business News may just be headed to CNN. She's rumored to be the replacement for Gerri Willis, watch for an announcement soon.*




Jeffrey Toobin was in court last Wednesday, this time it was Manhattan Family Court, where he and Casey Greenfield, daughter of former CNN'er Jeff Greenfield, tried to reach an agreement over child support. Greenfield alleges that Toobin is the father of her son born last year. We first brought this story to your attention here at ATC almost a year ago, and it's sad that there still seems to be no resolution for the child's sake. *



We knew that Ed Henry was taking some well deserved R & R this week in Nevada and now we hear congratulations are in order. Henry popped the question to CNN weekend producer Shirley Hung while on a romantic snowmobile ride at Lake Tahoe on Sunday. The newly engaged couple took in Don Rickles Saturday's show at The Orleans in Las Vegas where Rickles cracked "He (Henry) gets better seats at an Obama news conference than at my show''. Last night the happy couple were spotted in a booth at the Imperial Palace in Vegas. *

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Ed Henry Interviewed by Mediaite

CNN's Ed Henry was recently interviewed by Mediaite as part of their Inside the White House Press Corp series. Henry talks about his time covering the White House, media bias, Twitter, his favorite TV shows, and the Apple iPad.

Source: Inside the White House Press Corps: CNN’s Ed Henry

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Candy Crowley: CNN DC Holiday Party

The Washington Times, Stephanie Green and Elizabeth Glover, spoke to Candy Crowley days after CNN's Washington bureau holiday party.

The CNN Washington bureau held its holiday soiree at Nationals Park Friday night, but the network's formidable senior political correspondent, Candy Crowley, told us she's trying to be good and steer clear of the usual culinary delights that tempt partygoers this time of year.

"I am carbohydrates girl," she explains of her most vexing vice. "Bagels, pasta."

Not anymore.

Thanks to disciplined diet and exercise, Ms. Crowley has dropped nearly five dress sizes this year, she says, and hopes to lose another three to reach her ultimate personal best.

Her weight loss has been grist for blogosphere chatter, and Miss Crowley set the record straight in the Los Angeles Times on Nov. 18 by confirming to writer James Rainey that she did not undergo gastric bypass surgery.

Speaking to us in her office on Friday, she says she's been motivated by the "outside support" from even "total strangers" who have noticed her new look.

Her new look may be just in time for a new job. Sources tell us that Ms. Crowley has "been talked to" by CNN executives about taking the reins of Sunday morning's "State of the Union" program.

The current host, John King, will be moving soon to a new 7 p.m. weekday show to fill the void left by Lou Dobbs, the feisty former host of "Lou Dobbs Tonight."

If Ms. Crowley takes the new gig, she will be the only woman to anchor a Sunday morning public affairs program, a proposition she finds "lovely," considering she started as a journalist at a time when women reporters were scant, especially on the political beat.

David Bohrman, the CNN Washington bureau chief and senior vice president, tells us that internal and external candidates likely will be considered, but that it is "relatively" early in the process and there are "no front-runners."

For now, team CNN is focusing on more pressing matters. A little elf at the CNN holiday bash tells us that the usually restrained Wolf Blitzer, host of CNN's "The Situation Room," and political strategist and CNN commentator Donna Brazile provided the backup vocals on a karaoke rendition of the Temptations' classic "My Girl."

Source: The Washington Times, Green & Glover

Thanks to Ed Henry's tweets and Twitpics, here are a few pictures from the holiday party:

Donna Brazile at home plate

Inside the Nats' dugout

CNN's @johnking batter up at Nationals Park

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Join Anderson Cooper for New Year's Eve

Anderson Cooper will host CNN's live coverage of the New Year's Eve celebration in New York City's Times Square on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. (ET). For "New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin," which will air in HD, CNN anchors and correspondents will provide reports from celebrations across the country and around the world.

Entertainer Lance Bass will also be part of the show this year, joining Cooper and Griffin from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. CNN anchor Don Lemon will report from the crowd in Times Square along with CNNMoney.com’s Poppy Harlow. Correspondent Gary Tuchman will report live from New York City's Central Park for the annual Midnight Run. Senior White House correspondent Ed Henry will report from Honolulu and correspondent John Zarrella from Key West, Florida. The show will simulcast on CNN International.

Leading up to “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin” will be “All the Best, All the Worst of 2009”, an Anderson Cooper 360° special which will air at 10pm ET. The special will count down to the new year by reviewing the old one with humor, insight, and fun. CNN correspondent Tom Foreman will shine a spotlight on the highlights and lowlights of the past twelve months in politics, pop culture, the economy, entertainment, and much more. Joining Foreman will be a lineup including: host of “The Joy Behar Show” on HLN and co-host of ABC's The View" Joy Behar; economist and actor, Ben Stein; MTV’s Sway Calloway; AC360’s own Jack Gray; Time Magazine and LA Times columnist, Joel Stein; comedian and actress, Margaret Cho; the Daily Beast’s Tina Brown; and conservative author and strategist, Leslie Sanchez. CNN International will simulcast.

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Ed Henry Interviews Education Secretary Arne Duncan

CNN's Sr. White House Correspondent
interviews Ed. Secretary Arne Duncan

CNN’s Ed Henry, Sr. White House Correspondent, sat down for an interview with Ed. Secretary Arne Duncan to talk education on Friday, December 11th’s CNN Student News broadcast. The show asked their student and teacher audience to submit their questions to the show’s blog and Facebook fan page. A snippet of the interview can be seen on www.CNNStudentNews.com, by clicking the link for the day’s show or the full interview can be heard at Ed Henry’s 44 podcast, http://podcasts.cnn.net/cnn/services/podcasting/audio/44EdHenry1210.mp3.

Ed Henry had this to say about the questions he received from the students, “I thought what better way to cover these substantive education issues -- which affect every family -- than by highlighting the fine work of CNN's Student News. It was important to put the questions of real students and real teachers directly to Secretary Duncan. Plus THEIR questions were better than mine!”

CNN Student News provides educators, parents and students with a 10-minute news program anchored by Carl Azuz. In addition to airing on HLN each Monday through Friday at 4 a.m. ET, the newscast can be viewed on-demand at www.CNNStudentNews.com and is available for free download in the video podcast section of the iTunes store.

Source: CNN Press Release, December 11, 2009

Here's the CNN Student News from Friday. In addition to Ed Henry, it also includes a report from Jim Acosta.

Talking Education

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: CNN's Ed Henry sat down with Secretary Duncan to talk about some of these educational issues and answer some of the questions that you posted on our blog. Here's part of their conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: CNN Student News put the fact that we were going to do this interview on their blog and on Facebook, and we got a lot of questions from students and teachers. So, I wanted to jump right in, because a lot of people wanted to ask about year-round education as an initiative. And in fact, there was one student named Fern who wanted to know if students have to go to school for more days per year under your vision, under the President's vision, would this mean you would compensate by having them go to school for less hours each day?

U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION ARNE DUNCAN: When I talk to students, this isn't the line that gets the most applause. Actually, I get booed occasionally. Let me explain, Ed, what I think. I've said repeatedly our current academic calendar is based upon the agrarian economy. The vast majority of students in our country aren't working the fields anymore. So, it's really an outdated, outmoded model. The biggest thing though is I'm worried that our students are at a competitive disadvantage with their peers in India and China. Students in those other countries are going to school 210, 220, 230 days a year. Our students are going to school 180 days a year, generally. And I think our students are absolutely smart, absolutely committed, can do extraordinary things. But we have to level the playing field. And if in a sports contest, one team is practicing three days a week and one team is practicing five days a week, the team that is practicing more is going to do better.

HENRY: Most of the people who wrote into our blog for CNN Student News, teachers and students, said that they were against this proposal, at least as they've currently heard it, and that's why I want to give you a chance to talk about it and address their concerns. Another student named Elizabeth wrote in, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to go to school in a longer day? It's hard enough to muster up enough motivation to go to school now." You can't deal with every student's motivation, but obviously it's part of what you want. How do you address that, when there are going to be some students out there saying, "I can't do it."

DUNCAN: Again, it's a different concept of what going to school means. If you talk about an extended day, I've been arguing, Ed, that I think schools should be open 12, 13, 14 hours a day. And not just more of the same, but in the after school hours: drama and art, some sports and music and chess, and debate, and academic decathalon. So, it's about a very different conception of what our schools can offer to our children and to the broader community.

HENRY: Something that we don't hear a lot about is special education. And Todd wrote in on CNN Student News something that I wanted to raise with you, because you're obviously very powerful and it's an issue that not a lot of people get your ear on. He said, "I see a lack of funding in special education. Our school is well-funded but the special ed" -- and he said he's a special ed student himself -- "department lacks funding. We're given second-hand items. I believe we deserve an equal opportunity to have equal standards as if it were like the rest of the students. How are you going to help us?"

DUNCAN: First of all, I just appreciate his passion and what he is asking for he shouldn't have to ask for. For him to be getting second-hand anything is unacceptable. These are our students. It doesn't matter; race, class, doesn't matter; special ed, non special ed, doesn't matter. English language learner or not. Every child deserves a world-class education. While it's never enough, thanks to the president's leadership and the bipartisan support of Congress, we have put more than $10 billion this year into increases specifically for special education students. Obviously, long way to go, historic levels of new revenue, new funding going into special education to try and address some of those unmet needs.

Source: CNN Student News Transcript, December 11, 2009

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Ed Henry Interviews President Obama in Beijing

CNN's Senior White House Correspondent, Ed Henry interviewed President Barack Obama in Beijing. Henry asked the President about:

• his half brother's new book
• visiting 20 countries in the first year of his Presidency
• being able to get things done (domestically & abroad)
• the 9/11 civil prosecutions
• troop levels in Afghanistan
• does he trust President Hamid Karzai
• why isn't the President more like LBJ?
• the bank bailouts *ireport question*
• Palin's book & whether the President plans on running for re-election

Beijing, China (CNN) -- A little more than a year after his election, President Obama said his administration has laid the groundwork for success on global and domestic matters.

"I think that we've restored America's standing in the world, and that's confirmed by polls," he told CNN's Ed Henry in a wide-ranging interview this week during his trip to China.

"I think a recent one indicated that around the world, before my election, less than half the people -- maybe less than 40 percent of the people -- thought that you could count on America to do to the right thing. Now it's up to 75 percent."

The president said that makes it easier for world leaders to cooperate with the United States, noting Chinese and Russia involvement in nuclear talks with Iran.

Obama has visited 20 countries during his first year in office, more than any other U.S. president.

... to continue reading CNN.com, Obama: 'We've restored America's standing'

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Larry King, Rick Sanchez, and Ed Henry Appearances

Larry King will be the host of the 10th annual American Friends of Rabin Medical Center 'Broadway on the Hudson' Gala on 11/2.

This year'sAmerican Friends of Rabin Medical Center "Broadway on the Hudson" Gala is shaping up to be an unforgettable evening. With Larry Kinghosting for his 8th year, the annual fundraising gala is being held on the historic Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on Monday, November 2, 2009. Over 600 people will be in attendance, including diplomats, civic, business, medical and philanthropic leaders of their respective industries. William S. Marth, President & CEO of Teva Pharmaceuticals North America, is joining the gala as the dinner honoree.

Rick Sanchez will be the keynote speaker at the NY T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conference on 10/27.

"CNN news anchor Rick Sanchez has been chosen to deliver the keynote address at theT.R.A.F.F.I.C. New York conference October 27th (the show runs Oct. 26-29 at theBrooklyn Bridge Marriott). There is a connection between CNN and T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Co-Founder Rick Schwartz who sold the domain name iReport.com to the cable news network for $750,000. In reference to that transaction, Schwartz noted "It was a sale that could be pointed to for many years to come by every domainer and every time a domainer watched CNN and saw iReport.com it would give them the fuel to keep going." Sanchez has already decided to donate his fee for speaking to charity."

Ed Henry at the 10/8 opening of W Hotel.

"The uber-fab fete for last night's opening of the W Hotel ranks as one of the most exciting events this year. The old Hotel Washington wore subtle pinstripes and bold lace.

"Everyone thinks of Washington power as pinstripes, but the truth is -- the real power is in a lacy negligee," said Jayne Sandman while explaining the hotel's decor to Joe Curl and Ed Henry."

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

State of the Union October 4, 2009

National Security Advisor General James Jones (Retired) was John King's first guest this morning on State of the Union. King asked Gen. Jones about war in Afghanistan: new strategy and troop levels. Many of King's questions focuses on Gen. McChrystal's actions and public comments. In response to Sen. McCain's criticism that he is playing politics with decisions regarding Afghanistan and the troops, Jones responded that McCain knows that he doesn't play politics (period). Neither he nor the President is playing to any sort of base with decisions regarding the troops.

In the second segment of the interview, they discussed Iran and the new nuclear facility that Iran has built. The General stated that they are still working towards meeting the January 2010 deadline of closing Guantanamo Bay. When asked about the "don't ask; don't tell" policy, the General said that the President has a lot on his "desk" right now, but he intends to do something about this "when the time is right." What keeps Gen. Jones up at night? Weapons proliferation.

Next on the program were Senator Barbara Boxer (D) and Senator Jon Kyl (R). King asked the Senators about General Jones comments; the troops in Afghanistan; and the New York Times article stating that Iran has the ability to make a bomb.

The second part of the interview with the Senators turned to the ethics investigations of Senator John Ensign (R) (an affair, a possible cover up, and possible improper lobbying). Neither Senator would comment on the investigation. They then turned to the economy and job creation. Senator Boxer defended the climate bill that is currently being looked at in the Senate. King asked for a yes/no answer on the Senate health care bill and (surprise) didn't get it from Sen. Boxer (he did get a much longer answer). Sen. Kyl isn't happy that the Republican amendments to the bill have not been included.

In the American Dispatch, King went to North Dakota: the place that has the lowest unemployment rate at just 4.3% (compared to 15.2% in Michigan). King visited a Bobcat plant which is still in business, but has not been immune to the economic turn down.

A taped Reliable Sources with Howard Kurtz this morning. Kurtz started the hour with a discussion about David Letterman's blackmail and sex scandal. The panel included Lisa Bloom, Amy Argetsinger, and Ben Mankiewicz.

Continuing the sex scandal theme, the next topic: the capture of Roman Polanski and the celebrity outcry over it.

The next panel included: Byron Pitts, Amanda Carpenter, and Joan Walsh. They discussed Obama's trip to back the US bid for the Olympic games and the harsh criticism that the President received when the US didn't win. The discussion then moved to the extreme language being used against politicians (the President) and made by politicians.

Kurtz then spoke with (Baltimore native) Byron Pitts about his book Step Out On Nothing: How Faith & Family Helped Me Conquer Life's Challengees. Pitts was illiterate at age 12 and stuttered until he was in college.

John King was back at the top of the hour for the Sound of Sunday.

The hour started off with James Carville and Mary Matalin. (I believe that in the above screen cap, Carville is laughing at King's tag line: we've been watching all the other Sunday shows, so maybe you don't have to.) King asked them about Gen. Jones' response to Gen. McCrystal's comments, McCain's comments about Gen. Jones playing politics, and who will the President listen to.

In the second part of the panel discussion, they covered the ethics investigation of Senator Ensign, other ethical issues facing both parties and the health reform bill.

King then mentioned that he moderated a panel at the First Draft of History event that was held at the Newseum in Washington on October 2, 2009. Steve Schmidt and Bob Shrum were the panelists and King asked Schmidt about Gov. Palin's book. Schmidt, who was McCain's campaign manager, did not have favorable views of the former Governor. Clips from the panel are available at the Atlantic's website.

King asked Carville and Matalin to respond to Schmidt's comments. To wrap up the discussion, King asked them about comments Senator Graham made on Fox News this morning about Glenn Beck not representing the Republican party. Carville's opinion of Beck: He wouldn't know the difference between a football, a bat and a hockey court. This guy is not -- he's just all -- he's just all weeping. (Source: CNN Transcript, State of the Union with John King October 4, 2009)

And my completely frivolous comment for the week: I loved Carville's shoes.

The CNN Diner segment this week came from TNT's Diner in West Fargo, North Dakota. King spoke with Craig Olsen, Jamie Higensen, John Stratman about health care reform legislation, why is the unemployment rate so low in North Dakota, and the troop levels in Afghanistan.

The hour continued with Ed Henry, Gloria Borger, and Joe Johns joining King in the studio.

They discussed the comments that Gen. Jones made about Gen. McCrystal's comments about the troop levels in Afghanistan as well as would leaving the Taliban in Afghanistan leave the US vulnerable to future al Qaeda attacks.

The second segment focused on domestic issues: unemployment/ economy and Gen. Jones' "punt" when asked about changing the "don't ask; don't tell" policy. King saved the topic of the President and the Olympics for the Lightening Round where Ed Henry summed it up by referring to it as the "Audacity of Nope."

The Last Word went to Michigan's Governor Jennifer Granholm (D). The Governor's state has the highest unemployment rate in the country. What can the federal government do to help with job creation? Auto suppliers in her state are having a hard time finding capital in order to diversify their production lines into parts that support the solar and wind industry. Fuel efficient vehicles are going to be more expensive and the Governor is looking for federal government incentives. And of course, King couldn't help asking her about the playoff spot still in the question for the Detroit Tigers. The Governor expects to see the Tigers playing the Yankees for the division playoffs. Boston native, King took a bit offense that answer.

The Behind The Scenes preview of State of the Union returned this week. Taped at TNT's Diner in West Fargo, North Dakota, King talked about the upcoming program.

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Saturday's Scoop 10/3/09

Congratulations to Suzanne Malveaux who was named Journalist of the Year at an awards reception hosted by ESSENCE & Southern Company as part of the 2009 Congressional Black Caucus.

Ed Henry is mentioned in the latest issue of Capitol File magazine. Amy Holmes is in the issue as well.

James Carville has an article in bestofneworleans.com about how he would run for mayor of New Orleans if he could. Because Carville has only lived in New Orleans for a little over a year the city's current charter doesn't allow him to run, requiring at least five years of residence.

The Commercial Dispatch has an article on Mary Matalin and James Carville's speaking event last Tuesday, 9/29, at Mississippi State University.

Next week you will see a few changes to the week's line up of posts. Out of the Box and Saturday's Scoop will be combined into one post on Wednesday and Where in the World which had been on Mondays will now be on Saturday. Thanks to Tedi B for all her work on Out of the Box!


All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

State of the Union September 27, 2009

State of the Union with John King started off on Sunday morning at the magic map with John King comparing satellite images of the area in Iran where a secret nuclear facility has been constructed.

King's first interview (pre-recorded) was with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. King asked Gates about the nuclear facility in Iran, about military options concerning Iran, the impact this new facility has on Israel, and whether additional sanctions would make a difference.

Gates lays out non-military options to deal with Iran

The second segment with the Gates focused on potential increased troop levels in Afghanistan, the unresolved election in Afghanistan. Gates had some harsh criticism for the prior administration's handling of the war:

KING: General McChrystal, in an interview that will air on "60 Minutes" tonight, talks about the breadth and the geographic spread of the violence in Afghanistan. He says, "It's a little more than I would have gathered."

We've been at this nearly eight years. Why are we still surprised?

GATES: Well, I will tell you, I think that the strategy that the president put forward in late March is the first real strategy we have had for Afghanistan since the early 1980s. And that strategy was more about the Soviet Union than it was about Afghanistan.

KING: You served in the Bush administration. That's a pretty broad damnation of the Bush strategy.

GATES: Well, the reality is, we were fighting a holding action. We were very deeply engaged in Iraq. I increased -- I extended the 10th Mountain Division the first month I was on this job in January of '07. I extended -- I put another brigade into Afghanistan in the spring of 2007. And that's all we had to put in there. Every -- we were -- we were too stretched to do more. And I think we did not have the kind of comprehensive strategy that we have now.

KING: And if it comes to the point of sending more, this time, if the president agrees and General McChrystal gets -- maybe it's 20,000, 30,000, or 40,000, do we have the troops now? If you needed 40,000, could you find it?

GATES: Well, I think, if the president were to decide to approve additional combat forces, they really probably could not begin to flow until some time in January.

Source: CNN Transcript, State of the Union with John King September 27, 2009

The interview wrapped up with questions about whether closing Gitmo will occur on time and what makes working for President Obama different.

Gates, McCain say delay likely in closing Guantanamo facility

'I very much enjoy working for' Obama, Gates says

Gates: Any new troops to Afghanistan wouldn't 'flow' til early 2010

Next on the program was a live interview with Senator Evan Bayh (D) and Senator Bob Corker (R). King began by asking Sen. Bayh about whether the US should go into the 6 party talks with Iran using "carrots" or "sticks". King asked whether the sanctions should be imposed now or in January; the Chinese are going to be key to making any additional sanctions work. King questioned how an intelligence report (available to the public) that was released during the Bush administration states that Iran wasn't pursuing their nuclear program and yet this new facility is clearly setup for use with a weapons program.

Next, the Senators were asked about troop levels in Afghanistan and health care reform.

In this week's American Dispatch, King visited Jefferson County, Mississippi to report on unemployment in this community that is 90% African American and has the highest unemployment rate in the state.

Howard Kurtz was on at 10AM with Reliable Sources.

Kurtz's first panel included Ed Henry, Margaret Carlson, Jim Geraghty, and Lauren Ashburn. The panel discussed President Obama's relationship with the press. Henry spent a good portion of the discussion defending CNN in comparison to other cable news networks.

The second segment with the panel discussed Bob Woodward's article in the Washington Post about the plans in Afghanistan and an article the New York Times ran about the Obama asking NY's Governor Patterson not to run for re-election.

The program continued with Kurtz's pre-recorded interview with Joy Behar. Behar's new program, The Joy Behar Show, premieres at 9PM Tuesday night on CNN's sister network HLN.

Kurtz interviewed Christopher Andersen, the author of a new book about the Obamas entitled: Barack and Michelle: Portrait of an American Marriage. Andersen took issue with Kurtz's characterization of the book as "dirt digging". Kurtz took issue with Andersen "quoting" conversations that the Obama's had based on information from third parties.

The Sounds of Sunday hour started off with John King talking to James Carville and Mary Matalin in the DC studio. They discussed the war in Afghanistan and Iran's nuclear program. The second segment included the closing of Gitmo and President Clinton's comments about the GOP and the "vast right wing conspiracy".

The CNN Diner segment this week was from Jackson, Mississippi at the Coffee Roastery with Dr. David Cole, Nikdra Ford (owner of the Coffee Roastery), and Ted Duckworth. King asked them about Obama's performance so far, the economy and health care reform.

Barbara Starr, Gloria Borger, and Dana Bash joined King in the studio. King started the segment at the Magic Wall reviewing the satellite images of the Iranian nuclear site. The first part of the discussion centered around the policies surrounding the revelation that Iran has concealed this latest nuclear facility.

The second segment with the group included discussing the war in Afghanistan and President Clinton's change of opinion on gay marriage.

The Last Word went to Merrilee Carlson, a gold star mother and the President of Families United. Her son, Army Sergeant Michael Carlson died serving his country in Iraq. Her organization supports the troops.

One bonus clip tonight... while John King was in Portland, Maine earlier this month, he was interviewed on WCSH6's 207

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

State of the Union September 13, 2009

John King was in Maine this week when he taped the preview for this week's State of the Union.

On this morning's program, we got see updated music and graphics for the program. The first guest was Press Secretary Robert Gibbs to discuss the tea party protests in DC, health care, and Representative Wilson's outburst during the President's speech. Gibbs was also asked about the House Democrats who have taken money from health care PACs and whether or not the attacks on the President's policies are because of his race.

Next, Senator Susan Collins (R), Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D), Senator Dianne Feinstein (D) talked with King about health care reform and the war in Afghanistan.

The American Dispatch was from Maine. King took a look at the impact of the large number of independent voters in the state. (And demonstrated this with lobsters- watch the video for details of his lobster bucket math.)

Reliable Sources with Howard Kurtz started at 10AM. His first panel included Sam Tanenhaus, David Brody, and Ceci Connolly and they discussed political pundits and the coverage of Obama's health care plan as well as the President's speech to students.

Next was Ana Marie Cox and Chris Stirewalt to discuss the Beck vs Olbermann battle and the Van Jones controversy

Gail Shister and James Poniewozik discussed CNN's coverage of the Coast Guard's exercise on the Potomac and Jay Leno's debut at 10PM.

The 11 AM Sounds of Sunday started off with a discussion with Ed Gillespie & Donna Brazile. King asked them about Rep. Wilson's "you lie!" outburst, the protests in Washington, the health care public option, and the public's concern about the cost of health care reform.

This week's CNN Diner segment was from Portland, Maine. King talked with Judy Colby George, Bob Gregoire, & David Unger about health care reform and their thoughts on 9/11 – eight years later.

The next panel included Ed Henry, Gloria Borger, and Dana Bash. They covered the health care reform legislation, swine flu vaccinations, Rep. Wilson's outburst, and the war in Afghanistan.

The Last Word went to Rep. Eric Cantor (R). King asked Cantor about health care reform, troops in Afghanistan, Rep Wilson's outburst, and whether Rep. Cantor was disrespectful during the President's speech by working on his blackberry.

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.