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A busy day of news saw the Supreme Court give the green light to Death Row for executions to resume…the Democrats prepare for their Presidential candidates' debate in Philadelphia…the mothers of the Yearning for Zion ranch bracing for the loss of custody of their children at a mass hearing in Texas. None of those was the Story of the Day. That honor belonged to Pope Benedict XVI, for the second straight day, as he was feted at the White House. CBS and ABC both led with the Pope, even though ABC anchor Charles Gibson was in Philadelphia, ready to moderate that Democratic debate in primetime. Even though NBC had Brian Williams anchor from Washington DC he did not lead with the Pope and the President. Instead he chose the grocery aisle, where the cost of food continues to climb.

The 13,000-or-so faithful who crowded the south lawn to hear the Holy Father formed the "largest White House crowd in the history of the Bush Administration," announced ABC's Dan Harris (embargoed link) somewhat grandiosely. He contrasted this Pope's "modest majesty" with his predecessor's charisma. There really was not much news to be made. It happened to be the pontiff's 81st birthday so he was serenaded. When Bush finished listening to Benedict's remarks, NBC's Natalie Morales played his response: "Awesome speech" and when First Lady Laura Bush wore a light-colored suit behind His Holiness, Morales muttered that that was "not in keeping with papal protocol--only the Pope is supposed to wear white."

On CBS, Byron Pitts made an effort to treat the visit as serious Vatican diplomacy. Pitts cited areas where the two heads of state see eye to eye--issues such as stem cell research, abortion, homosexual marriages--and a key topic on which they differ, the war in Iraq. Yet in all, "the Pope's comments were more pastoral than political."


Andrew Tyndall 4/17/08 9:26:46 pm

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