Politics

President Obama will be making his second appearance on ABC in as many weeks next Tuesday, though this time it won’t be for ABC News. Obama will be a guest on the ABC daytime program “The View.” The interview will be taped Monday as part of the show’s “Red, White & View” campaign. Also, it’s sweeps.

We are honored to have President Obama visit ‘The View’ for the fourth time, and we promise to let him get a word in edgewise,” said host Barbara Walters in a statement.

ABC says that topics of discussion will include “his administration’s accomplishments, jobs, the economy and family life inside the White House,” but given the news he made yesterday, look for gay marriage to be a hot topic as well.

Incidentally, President Obama’s last visit to “The View” back in July, 2010 was the show’s most-watched episode ever.

CNN reports that Obama originally intended to make his announcement on gay marriage during his appearance on “The View.”

It started Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” with VP Joe Biden affirming his support of gay marriage. Then on Monday, Education Secretary Arne Duncan went on “Morning Joe” and said “Yes, I do” when TIME’s Mark Halperin asked if he believes in same-sex marriage. Then it all culminated yesterday as ABC’s Robin Roberts got the exclusive with President Obama affirming his support of gay marriage.

But today on “CBS This Morning,” “Will & Grace” creator Max Mutchnick said Pres. Obama should not have been surprised by Biden opening the can of gay worms, because Biden “was testing the material out of town” two weeks earlier at an fundraiser in Los Angeles.

Mutchnick says Biden spoke at the private function and his remarks were recorded by a White House camera crew. “It says to me that this was all very choreographed,” Mutchnick told CBS. “I mean, look, I’m just a man who experienced this, but Vice President Biden made it very clear that day these were his views and so much so that they wanted to record him.”

“The sum total is the White House should not have been surprised by what he said on ‘Meet the Press,’” said Mutchnick.

Video after the jump…

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A handful of stories attempt to speculate as to why the White House chose ABC News and Robin Roberts to interview President Obama yesterday.

Talking Points Memo’s David Taintor confirmed that the White House called ABC News and requested Roberts.

For background: most news organizations have standing interview requests with the President, so the White House can effectively choose which outlets to grant them to.

Politico’s Dylan Byers goes further, and cites sources inside ABC News:

“The White House went with Robin because of her personal rapport, their friendship, the past interviews — but also her race [African-American], even her age,” one producer at ABC said to POLITICO of the 51-year-old Roberts. “There is a very strong, very basic connection there.”

Meanwhile, executives at NBC are said to be furious that ABC landed the interview. In his NBC News special report, Brian Williams referred to the interview as “hastily organized,” which, in fairness, was true.

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During his exclusive interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts, President Obama changed his position on gay marriage, arguing that same-sex couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples.

I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,” Obama tells Roberts. (Video is after the jump.)

ABC News will air a special report on affiliates at 2:58 PM ET with the news. Update: Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos anchored from New York, with Roberts down in Washington.

The announcement is something of a coup for ABC News, which is now being cited by just about every American media outlet. It will also likely translate to a boost in ratings for “ABC World News” and “Nightline” tonight, as well as “Good Morning America” tomorrow, when Roberts will be able to debrief viewers on what happened at The White House.

The fact that ABC was able to keep the announcement quiet is a testament to the news organization. In today’s media environment, it seems nearly everything leaks ahead of time.

Update: NBC News is airing a special report of its own, with Chuck Todd providing analysis of the decision, while Fox News anchor Shepard Smith opened his program by saying “The President of the United States, now in the 21st century.”

Leading up to the interview, the cable news channels were all trumpeting banners that hyped up what the president may or not say.

On Twitter, TV news pundits and journalists speculated seriously, and also cracked wise, about what the President would say:
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TV political pundit Margaret Hoover has found a new home on cable news, TVNewser has learned.

The great-granddaughter of President Herbert Hoover has joined CNN as a political contributor. Her first appearance was this morning on “Starting Point.” Hoover’s husband is John Avlon, and is already a political contributor with CNN.

Hoover has been a contributor to Fox News Channel for a number of years, though the two parted ways earlier this year after failing to come to terms on a new contract. She last appeared on FNC in March.

ABC “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts will interview President Obama today at the White House. The interview will air tonight on “ABC World News,” “Nightline” and tomorrow morning on “GMA.”

The interview comes as the general election campaign heats up between President Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney. In addition, yesterday there was a pair of big news stories to come out of statewide elections, with GOP Senator Dick Lugar losing his primary in Indiana, and the state of North Carolina voting to ban gay marriage.

Related: “GMA” senior EP Tom Cibrowski talks to AdWeek about beating the “Today” show:

What’s going to change now that you’re in charge?

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What if Fox News, CNN or MSNBC had a Playboy model as part of the GOP debates?

That’s what Mexican voters were treated to last night at a presidential debate among four candidates running for office.

Julia Orayen, who posed for the Mexican edition of Playboy in 2008, was hired to work as an assistant. At the start of the debate — for a total of 24 seconds — Orayen walked across the stage and in front of the cameras in a tight-fitting, cleavage-bearing white dress, handing out cards to the candidates. Orayen’s appearance caused a social media stir and began trending on Twitter. But the stunt had elections officials apologizing, the debate’s producer explaining, and Mexican news anchors talking all day today.

Lorenzo Cordona, a counselor of the IFE, the Federal Electoral Institute apologized, saying, “it was lamentable that this stellar event was contaminated with an unfortunate stereotype.”

The president of the IFE blamed the independent producer they hired. The producer, Jesus Tapia, has “assumed all responsibility,” but says he was in the production truck “checking out the satellites” and not checking out Orayen. “We did not supervise her,” he says.

Mexico’s presidential election is July 1.

At the end of her show today, Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly apologized for FNC analyst Jehmu Greene who, during a debate about democratic Massachusetts senate candidate Elizabeth Warren, referred to Tucker Carlson as a a “bow-tyin’ white boy.” Greene and Carlson were going at it over how Warren’s claims of Cherokee ancestry have become a campaign issue. Greene, a democratic strategist, said, “To question this woman on her qualifications is going to be something that does appeal to folks like you, voters like you bow-tyin’ white boys, but at the end of the day….”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Tucker jumped in, “You can use name-calling all you like, but you’re ignoring the truth.” Carlson was known for donning bow ties during his CNN days. Not so much anymore. But he is white, and not at all Cherokee.

(h/t J$P)

Rocker Ted Nugent spoke to “CBS This Morning” today, his first interview since he was visited by the Secret Service following comments he made regarding President Obama.

Jeff Glor conducted the interview.

GLOR: Tell me about that [your meeting with the Secret Service] – how serious was it?

NUGENT: I feel sorry for liberals who can be that brain dead as to take a clear statement of fear on my part and turn it into a threat against somebody else.

GLOR: What did they say to you? How does that all take place?

NUGENT: “Hey Ted, good to meet you. Thanks for giving us the time. We appreciate you responding to our request.” And I said, “I appreciate it back because you guys are following up on your professional responsibilities even though you’re reporting to complete idiots who should probably be investigated.”

HuffPost’s Michael Calderone has the lowdown on a meeting GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney had with as many as 60 conservative bloggers, reporters and columnists Wednesday. The two-hour, off-the-record gathering was held at Capitol Hill club in Washington, D.C.

During a Q&A period, attendees brought up Fast and Furious, the botched U.S. gunrunning sting that conservative outlets have given more attention than the national media, along with concerns that the Romney campaign will continue leaking to establishment outlets, including ABC News and Politico, rather than conservative ones.

Calderone reports the attendees came from conservative and “right-of-center publications,” including National Review, DailyCaller.com, American Spectator, and Washington Examiner. RNC chairman Reince Preibus also attended.