The Sisters are Steamed

"This deceitful editing to further a media-manufactured storyline is utterly misleading and irresponsible and I hereby request in the interest of fairness and accuracy that the network air the President's responses to both initial questions in full on the two programs that used the excerpts."

NBC News President Steve Capus responded thusly:

"We appreciated President Bush's decision to do the interview with NBC News, and believe Mr. Engel's reporting accurately reflects the discussion with the President.

"Let me assure you, there was no effort to be 'deceptive,' as you suggest. Furthermore, the notion this was, 'deceitful editing to further a media-manufactured storyline,' is a gross misrepresentation of the facts.

"In fact, the entire interview was posted Sunday on our website, MSNBC.com, thus allowing everyone to draw their own conclusions about it, the subject matter and our editing. In addition, the entire section in dispute has already aired, unedited, on NBC's Today program and in edited form on other NBC News broadcasts. Editing is a part of journalism."

Remember Vito Fossella, the congressman with the love child? He's been hanging tough, but not for long, says the New York Post:

"Staten Island Rep. Vito Fossella has decided not to seek re-election in the wake of his DWI bust and revelations about his long-term extramarital affair with a woman who bore his child, sources told The Post."

I'm sure his chances would have been great. He could have campaigned with both families and reached more voters!

Plenty of bloggers weighing in on my piece yesterday about how Bill O'Reilly has escalated his feud with Keith Olbermann to attack Jeffrey Immelt, the chief executive of NBC parent General Electric, and how Rupert Murdoch, Roger Ailes, Jeff Zucker, Steve Capus and Immelt have all had talks about a possible cease-fire. Some pointed out that while Fox disputes the notion that Ailes suggested he would could call in the Murdoch-owned New York Post for backup artillery, Page Six just happened to run a grab-bag negative item on him yesterday. Mostly, though, liberals and conservatives are choosing up sides depending on which cable commentator they like.

Blogger Gary Fouse isn't a Keith fan:

"This is clearly a man with issues. Aside from Bush, almost every night, Olbermann engages in attacks against Bill O'Reilly and Fox News. How [unseemly] and unprofessional is that? What is it that O'Reilly did to you in the past, Mr Olbermann? There is clearly bad blood between the two. Why it has to be dragged onto the airwaves is beyond me."

Firedog's Attaturk challenges O'Reilly charge that Immelt and GE are responsible for U.S. deaths in Iraq (because they did business in Iran before a phaseout that is about to end):