Mark Shields, the longtime Washington Post political columnist who was a fixture of “PBS NewsHour” and a co-host of CNN’s “Capital Gang,” died on June 18. He was 85.
Shields’ death was confirmed in tweet from “PBS NewsHour” anchor Judy Woodruff. Woofruff praised her colleague “who for decades wowed us with his encyclopedic knowledge of American politics” as well as “his sense of humor and mainly his big heart,” she wrote.
Shields was known on-air for his tact and wit in delivering incisive analysis and commentary about U.S. politics and policy battles in Washington. He predated the shouting-heads era of cable news that came in the mid-1990s with the advent of Fox News Channel and MSNBC.
On CNN’s “Capital Gang,” Shields and fellow host Robert Novak joined panelists and fellow columnists from the Beltway set such as the Wall Street Journal’s Al Hunt, Time’s Margaret Carlson...
Shields’ death was confirmed in tweet from “PBS NewsHour” anchor Judy Woodruff. Woofruff praised her colleague “who for decades wowed us with his encyclopedic knowledge of American politics” as well as “his sense of humor and mainly his big heart,” she wrote.
Shields was known on-air for his tact and wit in delivering incisive analysis and commentary about U.S. politics and policy battles in Washington. He predated the shouting-heads era of cable news that came in the mid-1990s with the advent of Fox News Channel and MSNBC.
On CNN’s “Capital Gang,” Shields and fellow host Robert Novak joined panelists and fellow columnists from the Beltway set such as the Wall Street Journal’s Al Hunt, Time’s Margaret Carlson...
- 6/18/2022
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
It would be somewhat easy to do a straightforward documentary on Frank Zappa: zoom in on some grainy B&W pictures of him as an R&B-loving teen; chart his rise from Sixties avant-rock bandleader to symphonic composer, from antiestablishment iconoclast to anticensorship activist; interview some of the dozens, if not hundreds, of musicians inspired by him; drop in a few nuggets of We're Only In It for the Money or 200 Motels–era concert footage. Of course, Zappa was never one to do anything the easy, or easily comprehensible,...
- 1/26/2016
- Rollingstone.com
Currently in a rebuilding phase after a precipitous slide from its former dominance of the cable-news world, CNN has been adding new on-air talent, such as former ABC News correspondent Jake Tapper, and is also reaching back into its past.
Last week, CNN revived the current-events/debate program "Crossfire," blending a long-running format with a roster of new faces. The daily 30-minute show features two hosts and guests each night, with the co-hosts also appearing across other CNN programming.
From 1982 until 2005, "Crossfire" was a mainstay of the network's daytime lineup, examining the news from the points of view of a politically liberal and a conservative pundit.
The first pairing was journalist and author Tom Braden ("Eight Is Enough") on the liberal side, and commentator, politician and broadcaster Pat Buchanan, as the conservative.
Later rosters for both the daytime show and a Sunday edition included Robert Novak, John Sununu, Tony Snow,...
Last week, CNN revived the current-events/debate program "Crossfire," blending a long-running format with a roster of new faces. The daily 30-minute show features two hosts and guests each night, with the co-hosts also appearing across other CNN programming.
From 1982 until 2005, "Crossfire" was a mainstay of the network's daytime lineup, examining the news from the points of view of a politically liberal and a conservative pundit.
The first pairing was journalist and author Tom Braden ("Eight Is Enough") on the liberal side, and commentator, politician and broadcaster Pat Buchanan, as the conservative.
Later rosters for both the daytime show and a Sunday edition included Robert Novak, John Sununu, Tony Snow,...
- 9/16/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
CNN said Wednesday that it is bringing the political debate show Crossfire back on the air this fall with Newt Gingrich as one of the combatants.
The former House speaker and Republican presidential candidate will be one of the four regular hosts of the program, taking the conservative side along with commentator S.E. Cupp of The Blaze. Stephanie Cutter, a former campaign spokeswoman for President Barack Obama, and Van Jones, a Yale-educated attorney and advocate for green projects, will speak from the left.
“It just feels like the right time for Crossfire to be coming back,” said Sam Feist, CNN...
The former House speaker and Republican presidential candidate will be one of the four regular hosts of the program, taking the conservative side along with commentator S.E. Cupp of The Blaze. Stephanie Cutter, a former campaign spokeswoman for President Barack Obama, and Van Jones, a Yale-educated attorney and advocate for green projects, will speak from the left.
“It just feels like the right time for Crossfire to be coming back,” said Sam Feist, CNN...
- 6/26/2013
- by Associated Press
- EW - Inside TV
Every pundit that has tried to make a point, throw a punch, or declare victory should pause today to salute Christopher Hitchens.
He burst on the U.S. media scene first on William F. Buckley Jr.'s television series Firing Line, then on CNN's Larry King Live and Crossfire in the early Reagan Presidency. He (along with now presidential candidate Newt Gingrich) knew immediately that cable television was the new media play for serious public policy combat. The "disruptors," as our web friends say now. Hitchens didn't talk to the empty chairs each night on C-span as Gingrich did to make his points and show the American people that he was still at work, he just swung for the rafters with every comment on the only two cable shows.
Pat Buchanan, a great verbal brawler in his own right, is the only person I ever saw who could anticipate the blows.
He burst on the U.S. media scene first on William F. Buckley Jr.'s television series Firing Line, then on CNN's Larry King Live and Crossfire in the early Reagan Presidency. He (along with now presidential candidate Newt Gingrich) knew immediately that cable television was the new media play for serious public policy combat. The "disruptors," as our web friends say now. Hitchens didn't talk to the empty chairs each night on C-span as Gingrich did to make his points and show the American people that he was still at work, he just swung for the rafters with every comment on the only two cable shows.
Pat Buchanan, a great verbal brawler in his own right, is the only person I ever saw who could anticipate the blows.
- 12/16/2011
- by Tammy Haddad
- Aol TV.
Chicago – Two of the best living actors shine in Doug Liman’s “Fair Game,” the (mostly) true story of Joe and Valerie Plame Wilson, two people who became symbols of the abuse of power of the Bush administration just as public opinion was turning on the war in Iraq. If you don’t know the name Scooter Libby, “Fair Game” will be educational. If you do know everything about the Wilson case already, it may be a little dry and inconsistent but strong performances still make it worth a rental.
Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0
In July of 2003, Robert Novak wrote an article in the Washington Post that named Valerie Plame Wilson (played in the movie by Naomi Watts) as a CIA operative. Some have claimed, and the film takes this angle for sure, that the leak was maliciously intentional after her husband Joe (Sean Penn) had written an article questioning the well-known...
Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0
In July of 2003, Robert Novak wrote an article in the Washington Post that named Valerie Plame Wilson (played in the movie by Naomi Watts) as a CIA operative. Some have claimed, and the film takes this angle for sure, that the leak was maliciously intentional after her husband Joe (Sean Penn) had written an article questioning the well-known...
- 3/31/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The Republican Party blasted Obama for being slow to open fire on Libya. Matt Latimer on how the Gop has betrayed its roots-and attacks anyone not urging all combat all the time.
The United States military can handle any foe thrown against us, so why not give them a few more? Such is the sentiment of a dominating faction of the Republican Party-a group always eager to deploy America's sons and daughters to war zones, but who never do the fighting themselves.
Recently President Obama instituted a no-fly zone over parts of Libya-a gamble that puts many American pilots at serious risk. Yet this is not nearly enough for the 42 mostly Republican foreign policy "experts" who recently demanded such action from the president. The group's head honcho, magazine columnist and professional opiner Bill Kristol, is quite blunt about what is to come: Young Americans must be deployed into the vast,...
The United States military can handle any foe thrown against us, so why not give them a few more? Such is the sentiment of a dominating faction of the Republican Party-a group always eager to deploy America's sons and daughters to war zones, but who never do the fighting themselves.
Recently President Obama instituted a no-fly zone over parts of Libya-a gamble that puts many American pilots at serious risk. Yet this is not nearly enough for the 42 mostly Republican foreign policy "experts" who recently demanded such action from the president. The group's head honcho, magazine columnist and professional opiner Bill Kristol, is quite blunt about what is to come: Young Americans must be deployed into the vast,...
- 3/23/2011
- by Matt Latimer
- The Daily Beast
Naomi Watts and Sean Penn star in a riveting conspiracy thriller based on the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame in the run-up to the Iraq war
The progressive statesman Senator Hiram Johnson famously remarked on America's entry into the first world war: "The first casualty when war comes is truth." Three hundred years earlier English diplomat Sir Henry Wotton provided a celebrated punning definition of an ambassador: "An honest man sent to lie abroad for the good of his country." Johnson was in his 79th year when he died on the day the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a historical event from which we can trace six decades of international conflict, hot and cold, and lying on an unprecedented scale. Fair Game tells the true story of Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame, an American husband and wife professionally involved in this process, and the disastrous consequences that followed the decision of Joe,...
The progressive statesman Senator Hiram Johnson famously remarked on America's entry into the first world war: "The first casualty when war comes is truth." Three hundred years earlier English diplomat Sir Henry Wotton provided a celebrated punning definition of an ambassador: "An honest man sent to lie abroad for the good of his country." Johnson was in his 79th year when he died on the day the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a historical event from which we can trace six decades of international conflict, hot and cold, and lying on an unprecedented scale. Fair Game tells the true story of Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame, an American husband and wife professionally involved in this process, and the disastrous consequences that followed the decision of Joe,...
- 3/13/2011
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Real-world intrigue is fertile ground for political thriller writers – but dramatising recent history is a dangerous game, warns John Patterson
Is it just me, or does watching the recent past on film always feel really weird?
I circled around Fair Game for a while before watching it, so reluctant was I to relive even a mere 108 fictionalised minutes of the Bush years. I also knew that this political melodrama – about CIA agent Valerie Plame and her husband Joe Wilson's persecution by White House operatives – would not conclude with the same teletyped litany of names, outcomes, convictions and sentences that brought All The President's Men to its deafeningly triumphant conclusion. This time the bad guys walked.
But the weirdness attendant upon seeing recent events on the big or small screen is amplified here by the choice of director for Fair Game. Doug Liman helped reinvent the action-thriller with The Bourne Identity,...
Is it just me, or does watching the recent past on film always feel really weird?
I circled around Fair Game for a while before watching it, so reluctant was I to relive even a mere 108 fictionalised minutes of the Bush years. I also knew that this political melodrama – about CIA agent Valerie Plame and her husband Joe Wilson's persecution by White House operatives – would not conclude with the same teletyped litany of names, outcomes, convictions and sentences that brought All The President's Men to its deafeningly triumphant conclusion. This time the bad guys walked.
But the weirdness attendant upon seeing recent events on the big or small screen is amplified here by the choice of director for Fair Game. Doug Liman helped reinvent the action-thriller with The Bourne Identity,...
- 2/26/2011
- by John Patterson
- The Guardian - Film News
“Deep Vote,” an Oscar winning screenwriter and a member of the Academy, will write this column — exclusively for ScottFeinberg.com — every week until the Academy Awards. He will help to peel back the curtain on the Oscar voting process by sharing his thoughts about the films he sees and, ultimately, his nomination and final ballots, as well. His identity must be protected in order to spare him from repercussions for disclosing the aforementioned information.
Thus far, he has shared his thoughts in column one about his general preferences; column two about “Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer) and “Solitary Man” (Anchor Bay Films, 5/21, R, trailer); column three about “Alice in Wonderland” (Disney, 3/5, PG, trailer), “Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer), and “Mother and Child” (Sony Pictures Classics, 5/7, R, trailer); column four about “Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer), “The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer), and “The Social Network” (Columbia,...
Thus far, he has shared his thoughts in column one about his general preferences; column two about “Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer) and “Solitary Man” (Anchor Bay Films, 5/21, R, trailer); column three about “Alice in Wonderland” (Disney, 3/5, PG, trailer), “Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer), and “Mother and Child” (Sony Pictures Classics, 5/7, R, trailer); column four about “Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer), “The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer), and “The Social Network” (Columbia,...
- 12/16/2010
- by Scott Feinberg
- Scott Feinberg
Fair Game is about the Iraq War: how we got there, why we went there, and what it took to make a public case that such a war was worth fighting. These are questions that historians and citizens will wrestle with for years, but they're given no deeper consideration in Doug Liman's film than you'd find in any mediocre feature in a mid-size newspaper anywhere in America. The film is set between 2001-2003 and is drawn from the memoirs of the two major players, Valerie Plame (Fair Game) and Joseph Wilson (The Politics of Truth), but for all its real-world trappings and consequences, it's staggeringly lifeless on the screen. Liman's desire to be a newshound himself is evident in the execution -- he's said he wanted two sources for every factual claim -- and while that devotion is admirable, it's also what kept him from seeing the larger picture.
- 11/5/2010
- by Daniel Carlson
Chicago – The key line in “Fair Game,” a distillation of Valerie Plame’s outing as a CIA operative in 2003, is intoned by character actor Bruce McGill, in a scene reminiscent of the “Mr. X” moment in the “JFK” movie. Pointing to the White House and the Bush Administration, he simply says, “there are the most powerful men in the history of the world.”
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Naomi Watts gives an electric performance in the true story as Valerie Plame, a pawn in a political game where the truth is countered by the destruction of career and reputations. Sean Penn is her husband Joseph Wilson, a former ambassador who dares to take on the prickly Bush Administration by countering the president’s State of the Union Address and his infamous words, “The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.”
Plame is a life-long CIA operative,...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Naomi Watts gives an electric performance in the true story as Valerie Plame, a pawn in a political game where the truth is countered by the destruction of career and reputations. Sean Penn is her husband Joseph Wilson, a former ambassador who dares to take on the prickly Bush Administration by countering the president’s State of the Union Address and his infamous words, “The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.”
Plame is a life-long CIA operative,...
- 11/5/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Fair Game
Directed by: Doug Liman
Cast: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, David Andrews, Ty Burrell, Sam Shepard
Running Time: 1 hr 48 mins
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: November 5, 2010
Plot: Based on the books, “Fair Game” and “Politics of Truth” this tells the story of Valerie Plame (Watts), a CIA operative whose identity was revealed during America’s decision to invade Iraq.
Who’S It For? Like good movies? That should be enough. Plus, we’ve all lived through the headlines of Plame’s story, now is a chance to understand it even better.
Expectations: The brilliance of me, Jeff Bayer, is that I have a very short-term memory. When I sat down to watch this film I only new Watts, Penn and Liman were involved. Based on the title Fair Game I assumed it was a drama/thriller. After a couple of minutes, I knew exactly what “based on a true story” I was about to see.
Directed by: Doug Liman
Cast: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, David Andrews, Ty Burrell, Sam Shepard
Running Time: 1 hr 48 mins
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: November 5, 2010
Plot: Based on the books, “Fair Game” and “Politics of Truth” this tells the story of Valerie Plame (Watts), a CIA operative whose identity was revealed during America’s decision to invade Iraq.
Who’S It For? Like good movies? That should be enough. Plus, we’ve all lived through the headlines of Plame’s story, now is a chance to understand it even better.
Expectations: The brilliance of me, Jeff Bayer, is that I have a very short-term memory. When I sat down to watch this film I only new Watts, Penn and Liman were involved. Based on the title Fair Game I assumed it was a drama/thriller. After a couple of minutes, I knew exactly what “based on a true story” I was about to see.
- 11/5/2010
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, New Releases
Former CIA agent Valerie Plame was hung out to dry when journalist Robert Novak revealed her identity in 2003. Novak later admitted his information was from a government source, and many suspect this leak and her forced retirement was retaliation by the Bush administration for the New York Times editorial her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, wrote about the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
The revelation and its effect on the couple's lives and marriage is the basis of Doug Liman's new drama, 'Fair Game.' Naomi Watts plays Plame, a private woman whose life as an active CIA agent surprised her closest friends. Sean Penn plays her husband Joe Wilson, the outspoken former ambassador whose dedication to justice is only rivaled by his love for his wronged wife.
What was it like reuniting with Sean Penn again ('21 Grams'), especially on a movie...
Former CIA agent Valerie Plame was hung out to dry when journalist Robert Novak revealed her identity in 2003. Novak later admitted his information was from a government source, and many suspect this leak and her forced retirement was retaliation by the Bush administration for the New York Times editorial her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, wrote about the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
The revelation and its effect on the couple's lives and marriage is the basis of Doug Liman's new drama, 'Fair Game.' Naomi Watts plays Plame, a private woman whose life as an active CIA agent surprised her closest friends. Sean Penn plays her husband Joe Wilson, the outspoken former ambassador whose dedication to justice is only rivaled by his love for his wronged wife.
What was it like reuniting with Sean Penn again ('21 Grams'), especially on a movie...
- 11/5/2010
- by Jenni Miller
- Moviefone
Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Cinematical
Although director-producer Doug Liman began his career with indie fare like 'Swingers' and 'Go,' it could be said that spy movies are his true love. He's most famous for kick-starting 'The Bourne' series with Matt Damon, as well as directing the movie that introduced Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith.'
His latest foray into espionage,'Fair Game,' is based on the Valerie Plame scandal. Plame was a CIA agent whose career ended when her identity was leaked to journalist Robert Novak by a government official. (Richard Armitage later admitted he was the source of the leak.) 'Fair Game' is about this betrayal and how this revelation ended Plame's career in the CIA and changed her life irrevocably; it's also about the ripple effects it had on her marriage with outspoken former Ambassador Joseph Wilson.
Although director-producer Doug Liman began his career with indie fare like 'Swingers' and 'Go,' it could be said that spy movies are his true love. He's most famous for kick-starting 'The Bourne' series with Matt Damon, as well as directing the movie that introduced Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith.'
His latest foray into espionage,'Fair Game,' is based on the Valerie Plame scandal. Plame was a CIA agent whose career ended when her identity was leaked to journalist Robert Novak by a government official. (Richard Armitage later admitted he was the source of the leak.) 'Fair Game' is about this betrayal and how this revelation ended Plame's career in the CIA and changed her life irrevocably; it's also about the ripple effects it had on her marriage with outspoken former Ambassador Joseph Wilson.
- 11/4/2010
- by Jenni Miller
- Moviefone
Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Cinematical
Although director-producer Doug Liman began his career with indie fare like 'Swingers' and 'Go,' it could be said that spy movies are his true love. He's most famous for kick-starting 'The Bourne' series with Matt Damon, as well as directing the movie that introduced Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith.'
His latest foray into espionage,'Fair Game,' is based on the Valerie Plame scandal. Plame was a CIA agent whose career ended when her identity was leaked to journalist Robert Novak by a government official. (Richard Armitage later admitted he was the source of the leak.) 'Fair Game' is about this betrayal and how this revelation ended Plame's career in the CIA and changed her life irrevocably; it's also about the ripple effects it had on her marriage with outspoken former Ambassador Joseph Wilson.
Although director-producer Doug Liman began his career with indie fare like 'Swingers' and 'Go,' it could be said that spy movies are his true love. He's most famous for kick-starting 'The Bourne' series with Matt Damon, as well as directing the movie that introduced Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith.'
His latest foray into espionage,'Fair Game,' is based on the Valerie Plame scandal. Plame was a CIA agent whose career ended when her identity was leaked to journalist Robert Novak by a government official. (Richard Armitage later admitted he was the source of the leak.) 'Fair Game' is about this betrayal and how this revelation ended Plame's career in the CIA and changed her life irrevocably; it's also about the ripple effects it had on her marriage with outspoken former Ambassador Joseph Wilson.
- 11/4/2010
- by Jenni Miller
- Cinematical
Director: Doug Liman Writer(s): Jez Butterworth (screenplay), John-Henry Butterworth (screenplay), Joseph Wilson (book "The Politics of Truth"), Valerie Plame (book "Fair Game") Starring: Naomi Watts, Sean Pean, Ty Burrell, Sam Shepard, Louis Ozawa Changchien, Bruce McGill Unless you have been living under a rock for the last seven years, you will probably recognize the name Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts). As an undercover CIA Operations Officer specializing in the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, Plame became an internationally renowned celebrity when the White House leaked her identity to the Washington Post’s Robert Novak in retaliation to a scathing op-ed authored by her husband Joe Wilson (Sean Penn). What on earth could Wilson have written to get the White House so damn infuriated with him that they would put his wife and all of her past associates’ lives at risk? (To quote the clever wordsmith Karl Rove: “Wilson’s wife is fair game.
- 10/31/2010
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
It's a lot easier to anger up the blood than it is to dramatize politically motivated federal tort claims. (I’m pretty sure that’s straight out of Aristotle.)
Doug Liman’s Fair Game will make you want to take a time machine back to 2004 to try and prevent the Bush Administration’s reelection, but will a novice wonk really understand what the heck is going on? More importantly, will the film’s heart and soul, the marriage between Naomi Watts’ Valerie Plame and Sean Penn’s Joseph Wilson, have any dramatic weight? The answer, and I consider it a good one considering the difficulty of the project, is “for the most part.”
The first half of Fair Game is absolutely rock solid, and Watts is spectacular as a real life spook, zipping around the globe under false identities. Sean Penn lets his guard down a bit and plays Wilson...
Doug Liman’s Fair Game will make you want to take a time machine back to 2004 to try and prevent the Bush Administration’s reelection, but will a novice wonk really understand what the heck is going on? More importantly, will the film’s heart and soul, the marriage between Naomi Watts’ Valerie Plame and Sean Penn’s Joseph Wilson, have any dramatic weight? The answer, and I consider it a good one considering the difficulty of the project, is “for the most part.”
The first half of Fair Game is absolutely rock solid, and Watts is spectacular as a real life spook, zipping around the globe under false identities. Sean Penn lets his guard down a bit and plays Wilson...
- 10/29/2010
- UGO Movies
I'd forgotten that this will be the third time Naomi Watts and Sean Penn have appeared in the same film together. The first was 21 Grams, and Watts and Benicio Del Toro both received Oscar nominations for that. The second movie, the trivia answer, is The Assassination of Richard Nixon by the Coward Robert Ford or something close to that.
This fall, they'll re-team for Fair Game, Doug Liman's dramatization of the events in the middle of the decade involving Valerie Plame, her husband Joseph Wilson, the Bush administration, the late journalist Robert Novak, and eventually, a courtroom. Curiously, Novak, who leaked Plame's name and occupation as a CIA agent, isn't in the film. Kind of important. Well, maybe it's Philip Baker Hall in a cameo or something.
Here's the latest trailer for Fair Game, which opens in limited release on November 5th in the Us, and round about then...
This fall, they'll re-team for Fair Game, Doug Liman's dramatization of the events in the middle of the decade involving Valerie Plame, her husband Joseph Wilson, the Bush administration, the late journalist Robert Novak, and eventually, a courtroom. Curiously, Novak, who leaked Plame's name and occupation as a CIA agent, isn't in the film. Kind of important. Well, maybe it's Philip Baker Hall in a cameo or something.
Here's the latest trailer for Fair Game, which opens in limited release on November 5th in the Us, and round about then...
- 8/20/2010
- by Colin
- GetTheBigPicture.net
You may remember Plamegate a few years back. If you were alive, and of age, there was really no way not to hear about it. Boiled down to the essentials, Plamegate involved Douchebag journalist Robert Novak (R.I.P.) leaking the identity of Valerie Wilson, a covert CIA operative, in his newspaper column, effectively ending her career. He learned of Wilson's identity from Scooter Libby (probably on the orders of Dick Cheney), who released the name because former Amassador Joseph Wilson (Valerie's husband) wrote a series of op-eds in the New York Times disputing George Bush's stated reasons for going to war in Iraq. The leak was in retaliation.
Fine. It could make for a compelling drama with lots of yelling, walking, court-room scenes, and Congressional testimony. Aaron Sorkin would be an ideal screenwriter.
What it shouldn't make for, however, is a Bourne-style action-thriller, but at least that's what the trailer portends.
Fine. It could make for a compelling drama with lots of yelling, walking, court-room scenes, and Congressional testimony. Aaron Sorkin would be an ideal screenwriter.
What it shouldn't make for, however, is a Bourne-style action-thriller, but at least that's what the trailer portends.
- 8/19/2010
- by Dustin Rowles
Before jetting back to Britain, the last film I saw on the Croisette was the early morning screening of Doug Liman’s political biopic Fair Game, which I had billed as one of the highlights of the whole schedule when it was first announced.
Fair Game is ostensibly an amalgamation of the lengthily-titled memoirs of Valerie Plame (Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House )and Joseph C Wilson (The Politics of Truth: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Betrayed My Wife’s CIA Identity: A Diplomat’s Memoir). Both books chronicle the events surrounding the Plame Affair (or Plamegate as the media came to call it): the identification of Plame as a covert CIA field officer, which had formerly been classified information. The disclosure was made in a newspaper column written by Robert Novak in 2003, supposedly leaked by members of...
Fair Game is ostensibly an amalgamation of the lengthily-titled memoirs of Valerie Plame (Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House )and Joseph C Wilson (The Politics of Truth: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Betrayed My Wife’s CIA Identity: A Diplomat’s Memoir). Both books chronicle the events surrounding the Plame Affair (or Plamegate as the media came to call it): the identification of Plame as a covert CIA field officer, which had formerly been classified information. The disclosure was made in a newspaper column written by Robert Novak in 2003, supposedly leaked by members of...
- 5/25/2010
- by Simon Gallagher
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The days dwindle down to a precious few. At 6 p.m.on Friday, Cannes is oddly silent. The tumult on the streets a week ago today is forgotten. There are empty seats at some screenings. The locals of Cannes know this is the time to stand in the ticket lines. The daily editions of Varsity and Hollywood Reporter ceased Thursday. Friends are in Paris, or London, or home. Some few diehards stay for the award ceremony Sunday night.
As we walked over to the Palais Friday morning, there were crowds in the streets, to be sure: Crowds of uniformed officers of the national gendarmerie. Their ominous black buses, the windows covered with grates, were lined up along the curbs. Hundreds of cops.
One of the day's official entires was "Hors la Loi" ("Above the Law"), a film by Rachid Bouchareb about the Algerian War. It included footage of massacres in Algeria by the French,...
As we walked over to the Palais Friday morning, there were crowds in the streets, to be sure: Crowds of uniformed officers of the national gendarmerie. Their ominous black buses, the windows covered with grates, were lined up along the curbs. Hundreds of cops.
One of the day's official entires was "Hors la Loi" ("Above the Law"), a film by Rachid Bouchareb about the Algerian War. It included footage of massacres in Algeria by the French,...
- 5/22/2010
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
Naomi Watts and Sean Penn in Fair Game
Photo: Summit Entertainment With ten Oscar nominees for Best Picture I think it's pretty safe to say that Summit's Fair Game will be one of them. I don't say this because it completely bowled me over, but because it's not an overly aggressive political feature, but one that sticks pretty much to the facts of the case as detailed by outed CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson in her 2007 book of the same name, which derived from a statement Karl Rove made to MSNBC's Chris Matthews in July of 2003 saying, "Wilson's wife is fair game."
The "Wilson" Rove was referring to is Joe Wilson, played here by Sean Penn, looking awfully disheveled for most of the feature as his wife, Valerie (Naomi Watts), has gone from being a covert CIA agent investigating the existence of WMDs in the Middle East to being outed...
Photo: Summit Entertainment With ten Oscar nominees for Best Picture I think it's pretty safe to say that Summit's Fair Game will be one of them. I don't say this because it completely bowled me over, but because it's not an overly aggressive political feature, but one that sticks pretty much to the facts of the case as detailed by outed CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson in her 2007 book of the same name, which derived from a statement Karl Rove made to MSNBC's Chris Matthews in July of 2003 saying, "Wilson's wife is fair game."
The "Wilson" Rove was referring to is Joe Wilson, played here by Sean Penn, looking awfully disheveled for most of the feature as his wife, Valerie (Naomi Watts), has gone from being a covert CIA agent investigating the existence of WMDs in the Middle East to being outed...
- 5/20/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
One of the few American films in competition at Cannes this year is "Fair Game." Directed by Doug Liman and starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, it tells the story of Valerie Plame. Plame, a CIA officer, had her covert identity leaked to the press by the Bush-era White House. Her identity was leaked in part because her husband, Un ambassador and journalist Joe Wilson, wrote articles critical of the Bush administration's rationale for the war in Iraq.
Watts plays Plame; Penn is Wilson.
The entire Plame saga (including the trial and conviction of former White House aide Lewis "Scotter" Libby) is extremely interesting, however, it was largely reported on in the context of the secondary players. With vibrant secondary characters like Judith Miller and Robert Novak, the impact the leak had on Plame, her career, her family and her life was relatively ignored.
Plame's book, also called "Fair Game,...
Watts plays Plame; Penn is Wilson.
The entire Plame saga (including the trial and conviction of former White House aide Lewis "Scotter" Libby) is extremely interesting, however, it was largely reported on in the context of the secondary players. With vibrant secondary characters like Judith Miller and Robert Novak, the impact the leak had on Plame, her career, her family and her life was relatively ignored.
Plame's book, also called "Fair Game,...
- 5/13/2010
- by amcsts@gmail.com
- AMC - Script to Screen
A couple of Cannes Film Festival related news items to discuss, beginning with the news Summit Entertainment has acquired the rights to Doug Liman's Fair Game starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn. The independent film was hoping to gain a distributor before it hit the Croisette in Cannes where it will make its debut on May 20.
Fair Game is based on the story of Valerie Plame, whose status with the CIA was compromised by leaks from Bush Administration insiders to journalists. The synopsis I've been using on the site goes as follows: On July 6, 2003, four months after the United States invaded Iraq, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson's now historic op-ed, "What I Didn't Find in Africa," appeared in The New York Times. A week later, conservative pundit Robert Novak revealed in his newspaper column that Ambassador Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame Wilson (Naomi Watts), was a covert CIA agent. The...
Fair Game is based on the story of Valerie Plame, whose status with the CIA was compromised by leaks from Bush Administration insiders to journalists. The synopsis I've been using on the site goes as follows: On July 6, 2003, four months after the United States invaded Iraq, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson's now historic op-ed, "What I Didn't Find in Africa," appeared in The New York Times. A week later, conservative pundit Robert Novak revealed in his newspaper column that Ambassador Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame Wilson (Naomi Watts), was a covert CIA agent. The...
- 4/30/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
By Roger Friedman
Valerie Plame Wilson: you remember her. She was outed as an undercover CIA agent by now-deceased journalist Robert Novak. He’s in jail. Valerie was married (and still is) to diplomat Joseph Wilson, who was critical of Bush/Cheney. The reveal was said to be retribution against Wilson. This all happened in the beloved Cheney administration.
Now Plame has a lot going on. The Doug Liman directed film about her life, called “Fair Game,” will debut in Cannes next month. Expect a lot of heat.
[Thank you for visiting HollywoodNews.com. Scroll down to keep on reading. The Pulse of New Hollywood]
Plame and Liman were guests last night at a screening of a new documentary about nuclear disarmament called “Countdown to Zero.” It’s directed by Lucy Walker and produced by Lawrence Bender, who’s mounting a massive online and college campus campaign akin to his “Inconvenient Truth.” This gang is going all out to spread the word about the scary realities of nuclear war.
Valerie Plame Wilson: you remember her. She was outed as an undercover CIA agent by now-deceased journalist Robert Novak. He’s in jail. Valerie was married (and still is) to diplomat Joseph Wilson, who was critical of Bush/Cheney. The reveal was said to be retribution against Wilson. This all happened in the beloved Cheney administration.
Now Plame has a lot going on. The Doug Liman directed film about her life, called “Fair Game,” will debut in Cannes next month. Expect a lot of heat.
[Thank you for visiting HollywoodNews.com. Scroll down to keep on reading. The Pulse of New Hollywood]
Plame and Liman were guests last night at a screening of a new documentary about nuclear disarmament called “Countdown to Zero.” It’s directed by Lucy Walker and produced by Lawrence Bender, who’s mounting a massive online and college campus campaign akin to his “Inconvenient Truth.” This gang is going all out to spread the word about the scary realities of nuclear war.
- 4/22/2010
- by Roger Friedman
- Hollywoodnews.com
I was trying to figure out a way to do a 2010 Preview that wouldn't simply be an overwhelming list of films that you would have to tirelessly slog through day-after-day so I sat down with a list of every single film set to be released in 2010 and trimmed it down to 50 total films. I think this list offers up a good mix of films from a couple of horror films, plenty of drama, some blockbusters and a selection of indies.
As a result some films had to be cut from the proceedings and hopefully some you may not have expected will be introduced. Today I give you the first 24 films of the preview and they are listed in alphabetical order with cast and director information, a look at the synopsis and a quick comment or two from yours truly. Tomorrow I will be here with another 26 (accidentally forgot to add...
As a result some films had to be cut from the proceedings and hopefully some you may not have expected will be introduced. Today I give you the first 24 films of the preview and they are listed in alphabetical order with cast and director information, a look at the synopsis and a quick comment or two from yours truly. Tomorrow I will be here with another 26 (accidentally forgot to add...
- 1/6/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Thanks to our longtime friend Adam54 of Coming Attractions' message forums, we've landed an exclusive in the form of an early review for Fair Game, the upcoming thriller-drama starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts. The actors play Joseph Wilson and Valerie Plame, the married couple who were at the centerstorm of a Washington, D.C. scandal over Plame's outing as an undercover CIA operative by Washington Post journalist Robert Novak. The scandal, known in the press as "Plamegate", destroyed her career and rocked the White House as accusations were leveled against the Bush administration and its allies. Ambassador Wilson made the charge that the Bush administration had knowingly leaked his wife's covert status as a direct response for his public statements that the administration played up or outright lied that Iraq had uranium in its possession to make nuclear bombs. While Bush used the uranium scare to build his case...
- 10/27/2009
- by Patrick Sauriol
- Corona's Coming Attractions
Political commentator and U.S. journalist Robert Novak has died at the age of 78.
The conservative debater, who often appeared on American television and was the co-host of CNN's Crossfire, passed away at his home in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday after battling brain cancer.
The longtime Chicago Sun-Times columnist was involved in the Valerie Plame CIA leak case scandal in recent years after publishing the name of the CIA employee in his column in 2003.
Although it is illegal for anyone to distribute classified information under U.S. law, Novak was never charged with the crime.
Novak, who received heavy criticism for the article, described it as the start of "a long and difficult episode" in his career.
The conservative debater, who often appeared on American television and was the co-host of CNN's Crossfire, passed away at his home in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday after battling brain cancer.
The longtime Chicago Sun-Times columnist was involved in the Valerie Plame CIA leak case scandal in recent years after publishing the name of the CIA employee in his column in 2003.
Although it is illegal for anyone to distribute classified information under U.S. law, Novak was never charged with the crime.
Novak, who received heavy criticism for the article, described it as the start of "a long and difficult episode" in his career.
- 8/19/2009
- WENN
By Wrap Staff
Longtime political columnist Robert Novak, known for his conservative views and for being the first to publish Valerie Plame’s name in the CIA leak case, died at his home in Washington, D.C., Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer.
Known as the “prince of darkness” – a label he was so proud of that he used it as the title of his 2007 memoir -- Novak, was co-host of CNN's ''Crossfire'' and, with his partner of three decades, Rowland Evans, was autho...
Longtime political columnist Robert Novak, known for his conservative views and for being the first to publish Valerie Plame’s name in the CIA leak case, died at his home in Washington, D.C., Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer.
Known as the “prince of darkness” – a label he was so proud of that he used it as the title of his 2007 memoir -- Novak, was co-host of CNN's ''Crossfire'' and, with his partner of three decades, Rowland Evans, was autho...
- 8/19/2009
- by Lew Harris
- The Wrap
The TV talking head and former right side of CNN's political cluster#*$& Crossfire has passed away.
Robert Novak died Tuesday morning at the age of 78 from his bout with brain cancer.
The right-wing pundit was a journalist first as evidenced by his long stint in the ink stained world of newspaper reporting from his days as an Illinois sports stringer to his columns for the Chicago Sun-Times. But he's probably best remembered by audiences' eyeballs for his work as a TV pundit and his uncanny ability to make news as he reported it.Continue reading Political commentator Robert Novak dead at 78
Filed under: News, Obituaries, Reality-Free
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Robert Novak died Tuesday morning at the age of 78 from his bout with brain cancer.
The right-wing pundit was a journalist first as evidenced by his long stint in the ink stained world of newspaper reporting from his days as an Illinois sports stringer to his columns for the Chicago Sun-Times. But he's probably best remembered by audiences' eyeballs for his work as a TV pundit and his uncanny ability to make news as he reported it.Continue reading Political commentator Robert Novak dead at 78
Filed under: News, Obituaries, Reality-Free
Permalink | Email this | | Comments...
- 8/18/2009
- by Danny Gallagher
- Aol TV.
Robert Novak, the conservative political commentator who sparked one of the biggest scandals of George W. Bush’s presidency by outing C.I.A. agent Valerie Plame in a 2003 column, has died of brain cancer at the age of 78. David Margolick profiled Novak in Vanity Fair's April 2005 issue, as U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s investigation into the Plame affair was deepening and becoming a major story. Responding to critics who described him as a cranky cynic who reveled in mudslinging, Novak explained his mission thus: “I’m trying to tell the truth and taking positions that I hope are godly positions, positions that I hope are helpful to my fellow man. And I don’t think there’s any law against enjoying myself in the process." Whether you loved him or hated him, you had to admit that Bob Novak had his own signature style. Vf Daily will remember...
- 8/18/2009
- Vanity Fair
Robert Novak, the conservative political columnist and CNN commentator who played a key role in the Valerie Plame CIA case, has died. He was 78.
Novak succumbed to brain cancer at his Washington home on Tuesday, his wife, Geraldine, told the Chicago Sun-Times. "He was someone who loved being a journalist, loved journalism and loved his country and loved ...
Read More >...
Novak succumbed to brain cancer at his Washington home on Tuesday, his wife, Geraldine, told the Chicago Sun-Times. "He was someone who loved being a journalist, loved journalism and loved his country and loved ...
Read More >...
- 8/18/2009
- by Joyce Eng
- TVGuide - Breaking News
Washington - Long-time columnist and television commentator Robert Novak, known affectionately as the 'prince of darkness' for his skepticism and tenacity on the job, died Tuesday morning at the age of 78, according to his home paper the Chicago Sun-Times. Novak, one of the country's most influential conservative commentators, was most known for his work since the 1960s as a syndicated columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times in Washington and hosting popular television debate shows on CNN. He died at his home in Washington after a year-long battle with brain cancer, the paper said. He is survived by his wife, Geraldine, and two children.
- 8/18/2009
- Monsters and Critics
By Josef Adalian
Some sad news today from the worlds of Washington and cable news: Robert Novak has died.
Novak passed away Tuesday morning, ending a bout with brain cancer, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. He was 78.
Novak-- a Sun-Times columnist who became nationally known through his TV work on CNN ("The Capitol Gang," "Evans & Novak") -- was known in DC as the "Prince of Darkness," a reference to his hard-right philosophy and no-bull demeanor.
In the age of Fox News, it's hard to believe someone as relatively...
Some sad news today from the worlds of Washington and cable news: Robert Novak has died.
Novak passed away Tuesday morning, ending a bout with brain cancer, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. He was 78.
Novak-- a Sun-Times columnist who became nationally known through his TV work on CNN ("The Capitol Gang," "Evans & Novak") -- was known in DC as the "Prince of Darkness," a reference to his hard-right philosophy and no-bull demeanor.
In the age of Fox News, it's hard to believe someone as relatively...
- 8/18/2009
- by Adalian
- The Wrap
Robert Novak, the former CNN controversy magnet and favorite Jon Stewart target, died today of brain cancer. He was 78. The longtime Washington Post columnist turned political pundit was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in July 2008. Aside from his nearly five-decade career in print, the "Prince of Darkness" was a TV talking-head fixture, holding down the right on such CNN shows as Evans and Novak, Capitol Gang and Crossfire. Novak became a punching bag for The Daily Show's Stewart after outing covert CIA agent Valerie Plame in a 2003 column. The fallout eventually ended his 25-year career at CNN in 2005, when Novak dropped an S-bomb and stormed off the set...
- 8/18/2009
- E! Online
Chicago Sun-Times columnist also known for CNN's "Crossfire."
By Lew Harris
Longtime political columnist Robert Novak, known for his conservative views and for being the first to publish Valerie Plame’s name in the CIA leak case, died at his home in Washington, D.C., Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. Known as the “prince of darkness” – a label he was so proud of that he used it as the title of his 2007 memoir -- Novak, was co-host of CNN's ''Crossfire'' and, with his partner of three decades, Rowland Evans, was auth...
By Lew Harris
Longtime political columnist Robert Novak, known for his conservative views and for being the first to publish Valerie Plame’s name in the CIA leak case, died at his home in Washington, D.C., Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. Known as the “prince of darkness” – a label he was so proud of that he used it as the title of his 2007 memoir -- Novak, was co-host of CNN's ''Crossfire'' and, with his partner of three decades, Rowland Evans, was auth...
- 8/18/2009
- by Michael Speier
- The Wrap
Known for CNN's "Crossfire" and Chicago Sun-Times column.
By Associated Press
Political columnist Robert Novak, who was a central figure in the Valerie Plame CIA leak case, has died after a battle with brain cancer.
His wife of 47 years, Geraldine Novak, tells The Associated Press that he died at his home in Washington, D.C. early Tuesday. He was 78.
Novak was long known as the co-host of CNN's ''Crossfire'' and had been a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times for decades.
He was diagnosed with a brain tumor in July 2008, less than a week after he struck a pedestrian in downtown Washington with his Corvette...
By Associated Press
Political columnist Robert Novak, who was a central figure in the Valerie Plame CIA leak case, has died after a battle with brain cancer.
His wife of 47 years, Geraldine Novak, tells The Associated Press that he died at his home in Washington, D.C. early Tuesday. He was 78.
Novak was long known as the co-host of CNN's ''Crossfire'' and had been a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times for decades.
He was diagnosed with a brain tumor in July 2008, less than a week after he struck a pedestrian in downtown Washington with his Corvette...
- 8/18/2009
- by Michael Speier
- The Wrap
I was born at the center of the universe, and have had good fortune for all of my days. The center was located at the corner of Washington and Maple streets in Urbana, Illinois, a two-bedroom white stucco house with green canvas awnings, evergreens and geraniums in front and a white picket fence enclosing the back yard. Hollyhocks clustered thickly by the fence. There was a barbeque grill back there made by my father with stone and mortar, a dime embedded in its smokestack to mark the year of its completion.
There was a mountain ash tree in the front yard, and three more down the parking on the side of the house. These remarkable trees had white bark that could be peeled loose, and their branches were weighed down by clusters of red-orange berries. "People are always driving up and asking me about those trees," my father said. He had planted them himself,...
There was a mountain ash tree in the front yard, and three more down the parking on the side of the house. These remarkable trees had white bark that could be peeled loose, and their branches were weighed down by clusters of red-orange berries. "People are always driving up and asking me about those trees," my father said. He had planted them himself,...
- 4/22/2009
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
As always seems to be the case following the Oscars we get news of Oscar winners and their upcoming big roles. Perhaps that's why Mickey Rourke lost to Sean Penn last night as he was lining up projects over a month prior to the big show. Earlier today we learned Slumdog Millionaire cutie Freida Pinto had been employed by Woody Allen for his next film and now Variety tells us Sean Penn may have found his next project with none other than Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs. Smith) and it's not a sequel to Jumper. The film is called Fair Game and Liman is set to direct from a script by Jez and John Butterworth based on Valerie Plame Wilson's memoir "Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House". Wilson retired from the CIA in January 2006 and the description...
- 2/24/2009
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
New York -- It was a busy Monday at the intersection of TV and politics.
The day began with the announcement that NBC News senior vp Mark Whitaker will take over duties as the network's Washington bureau chief in the post held by Tim Russert, who died in June.
Hours later, veteran conservative political commentator Robert Novak issued a statement revealing that he is being treated for a brain tumor and will suspend his journalistic duties.
And soon after that, CBS News became the first network unit to announce its coverage plans for the Republican and Democratic conventions.
CBS News will provide an hour of coverage on three of the four nights of each of the party nominating conventions, with plans to skip the opening nights. All the broadcast networks have gone back and forth with convention organizers in terms of how much coverage they would give. In recent years, the broadcast nets have carved out an hour a night, beginning with the second day of the convention.
That means the Democratic convention in Denver will have an hour of coverage from 10-11 p.m. Aug. 26-28. Barack Obama's acceptance speech will be in that 10 p.m. window on the final night.
The next week, CBS will televise an hour of Republican coverage from St. Paul, Minn., on Sept. 2-4, including John McCain's acceptance speech at 10 p.m. Sept. 4.
"CBS Evening News" anchor Katie Couric will anchor the coverage, assisted by "Face the Nation" moderator Bob Schieffer and political analyst Jeff Greenfield. Harry Smith will cover for "The Early Show" in Denver, and Maggie Rodriguez will do likewise in St. Paul.
News of Novak's diagnosis came in a statement released by his publisher, Eagle Publishing. Novak said he will begin treatment at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
"I will be suspending my journalistic work for an indefinite but, God willing, not too lengthy period," the statement said.
The editor of the Evans-Novak Political Report was a longtime co-host of CNN's "Crossfire" and after leaving that network began to work as a contributor at Fox News Channel. Novak last appeared on Fox News on July 23 on "Fox & Friends."
At NBC, Whitaker, who had been No. 2 to NBC News president Steve Capus, will continue to report to Capus and remain a senior vp when he takes over for Russert.
"Mark's got all of the components that will assure his success: a commitment to journalistic integrity, political savvy, a keen eye for the future and a management style that is inclusive and fair," Capus said. There was no word on who would take Whitaker's job in New York.
The chief job will include management of the D.C. bureau plus oversight of "Meet the Press" and election and political coverage. NBC News said Whitaker will work closely with political director Chuck Todd as well as Russert's deputies, Wendy Wilkinson and Brady Daniels. Whitaker was the editor of Newsweek from 1998-2006.
"I recognize how important it was to NBC. Tim was an incredible loss and this bureau is incredibly important to NBC, to everything we do on the network," said Whitaker, who already was overseeing political and election coverage from New York.
The other part of Russert's job, moderator of "Meet the Press," won't be filled permanently until after the November election. Tom Brokaw has been the moderator in the interim.
The day began with the announcement that NBC News senior vp Mark Whitaker will take over duties as the network's Washington bureau chief in the post held by Tim Russert, who died in June.
Hours later, veteran conservative political commentator Robert Novak issued a statement revealing that he is being treated for a brain tumor and will suspend his journalistic duties.
And soon after that, CBS News became the first network unit to announce its coverage plans for the Republican and Democratic conventions.
CBS News will provide an hour of coverage on three of the four nights of each of the party nominating conventions, with plans to skip the opening nights. All the broadcast networks have gone back and forth with convention organizers in terms of how much coverage they would give. In recent years, the broadcast nets have carved out an hour a night, beginning with the second day of the convention.
That means the Democratic convention in Denver will have an hour of coverage from 10-11 p.m. Aug. 26-28. Barack Obama's acceptance speech will be in that 10 p.m. window on the final night.
The next week, CBS will televise an hour of Republican coverage from St. Paul, Minn., on Sept. 2-4, including John McCain's acceptance speech at 10 p.m. Sept. 4.
"CBS Evening News" anchor Katie Couric will anchor the coverage, assisted by "Face the Nation" moderator Bob Schieffer and political analyst Jeff Greenfield. Harry Smith will cover for "The Early Show" in Denver, and Maggie Rodriguez will do likewise in St. Paul.
News of Novak's diagnosis came in a statement released by his publisher, Eagle Publishing. Novak said he will begin treatment at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
"I will be suspending my journalistic work for an indefinite but, God willing, not too lengthy period," the statement said.
The editor of the Evans-Novak Political Report was a longtime co-host of CNN's "Crossfire" and after leaving that network began to work as a contributor at Fox News Channel. Novak last appeared on Fox News on July 23 on "Fox & Friends."
At NBC, Whitaker, who had been No. 2 to NBC News president Steve Capus, will continue to report to Capus and remain a senior vp when he takes over for Russert.
"Mark's got all of the components that will assure his success: a commitment to journalistic integrity, political savvy, a keen eye for the future and a management style that is inclusive and fair," Capus said. There was no word on who would take Whitaker's job in New York.
The chief job will include management of the D.C. bureau plus oversight of "Meet the Press" and election and political coverage. NBC News said Whitaker will work closely with political director Chuck Todd as well as Russert's deputies, Wendy Wilkinson and Brady Daniels. Whitaker was the editor of Newsweek from 1998-2006.
"I recognize how important it was to NBC. Tim was an incredible loss and this bureau is incredibly important to NBC, to everything we do on the network," said Whitaker, who already was overseeing political and election coverage from New York.
The other part of Russert's job, moderator of "Meet the Press," won't be filled permanently until after the November election. Tom Brokaw has been the moderator in the interim.
- 7/28/2008
- by By Paul J. Gough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- Robert Novak apologized Friday for swearing on the air and walking off a CNN set, but said it had nothing to do with the federal probe sparked by his revelation of a CIA officer's name in a 2003 column. "I apologize for my conduct and I'm sorry I did it," he said in an interview. CNN has pulled him off the air indefinitely. Novak said, "I'll follow their guidance" on when he returns. Inside Politics anchor Ed Henry said afterward that he had been about to ask Novak about his role in the investigation of the leak of Valerie Plame's identity, which Novak has repeatedly refused to comment on aside from some references in his column. "That had nothing to do with it, absolutely nothing," Novak said. "I was sorry he said that".
NEW YORK -- CNN took veteran political columnist Robert Novak off the air late Thursday after he uttered an expletive and walked off the set of Inside Politics while it was still on the air. Novak's outburst happened 10 minutes before the end of the show in the midst of an exchange between Novak, fellow analyst James Carville and Inside Politics anchor Ed Henry. They were talking about the possible Senate candidacy of Florida congresswoman Katherine Harris when Carville needled Novak and tried to interrupt. "He's got to show the right-wingers that he's got backbone," Carville said. "Go ahead, the Wall Street Journal editorial page is watching. Show them you're tough."...
NEW YORK -- Like Crossfire before it, Capital Gang will leave CNN's schedule this week. The political roundtable -- featuring Robert Novak, Mark Shields and others -- has been on the air for 16 years. But like Novak's other show, Crossfire, it has reached the end of the road as CNN attempts to retool itself in content and ratings under the leadership of CNN/U.S. president Jon Klein. Its last show will be Saturday. In its place is an expanded version of On The Story, a one-hour weekend show originally launched to provide the news channel's female correspondents with a platform to talk about the major stories of the week.
- 6/23/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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