Un-Fit to Print?

And now the most intriguing two minutes in television, the latest from the political grapevine:

To Run or Not To Run?
The New York Times, whose motto is "all the news that's fit to print," never published a report from its award-winning London correspondent just before 9/11, which told of the threatening contents of a newly released Usama bin Laden videotape. Correspondent John Burns wrote that bin Laden "declares his purpose — killing Americans and Jews — more starkly than ever. Proudly he salutes the suicide bombing of the American destroyer Cole and promises more attacks." But the Times never ran the story and when it appeared on the paper's Web site two days before the 9/11 attacks, it was removed and never reappeared. Times editors told the Washington Post the story was held for space reasons and that the removal from the Web site was "a major screw up."

No Specifics, and No Questions
Former Vice President Gore is accusing President Bush of playing politics with the war on terrorism. Speaking at the democratic state convention in Madison, Wisc., Gore said, "He ought to stop using the war as a political wedge. It is not the right thing to do and it hurts our country." Gore mentioned no specifics and the Wisconsin State Journal said he would not answer questions after his speech.

Gun Control Controlled?
A new poll from Zogby International may help explain why democrats have abandoned their emphasis on gun control. The survey found that 75 percent of Americans agree with the new Justice Department's position that the Second Amendment to the Constitution guarantees individual citizens the right to keep and bear arms. From 1973 until just recently, Justice had contended that the Second Amendment protected only the rights of state militias to own guns, but only 22 percent in this poll said they agree with that position.

Liberal Viewers Almost Equal
And speaking of polls, the Pew Center has taken one on the media and found that FOX News and CNN are in a virtual tie for viewers who say they are liberals. Eighteen percent of CNN viewers said they are liberals, while 16 percent of FOX News channel viewers said they are. Meanwhile FOX News led in the number of conservative viewers 46 percent to 40 percent for CNN. Thirty-two percent of FOX Viewers said they are moderates, while 38 percent of CNN viewers described themselves that way.