Several networks have asked the Mitt Romney campaign to stop airing an ad in Florida called “Mr. Washington Insider” which targets Newt Gingrich. The ad includes various news clips both current, and from Gingrich’s days as House Speaker. NBC News has asked that the ad be pulled from Florida TV stations as it includes a clip from “NBC Nightly News” when it was anchored by Tom Brokaw. In a statement, Browkaw says, “I am extremely uncomfortable with the extended use of my personal image in this political ad. I do no want my role as a journalist compromised for political gain by any campaign.”

In a longer version of the ad, below, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, CBS’s Jan Crawford, and even Carole Simpson, who hasn’t been with ABC News since 2003, are included. CNN executives have asked the Romney campaign to remove the Cooper clips from the spot.

Today’s debut of “CBS This Morning” was worth the price of admission just for the pleasure of watching 70-year-old Charlie Rose look into the camera and say: “It’s a huge Twitter topic that Twitter friends have been Tweeting.”

PBS’s cerebral late-night host was probably thinking: #WTF?

As the producers no doubt instantly realized, Rose’s comfort zone does not extend seamlessly to pop-culture stories like Beyonce and Jay-Z’s new baby. Still, he gets an A for effort, and so does the show.

Given CBS’s unbroken record of failure dating back to the launch of its first morning broadcast in 1954, executive producer Chris Licht made good on his promise to break the mold. There was no goofy weatherguy, no raucous fans outside the studio and, most important, no phony chit-chat among anchors.

In fact, unlike Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski on MSNBC’s hit ‘Morning Joe,’ (Licht’s previous credit), Rose and Gayle King rarely appeared together on set. He fronted the hard news-driven 7 a.m. hour, with the affable King on the lighter stuff from 8 to 9. Erica Hill, lone holdover from CBS’s ‘Early Show,’ crossed over both hours.

Instead of the traditional couch, they sat around a round glass table – perhaps an homage to Rose’s wood model on PBS. The glass-walled Green Room, which does have a couch, is also on set, which may well turn out to be a short-lived experiment.

There were several live shots of rocker Melissa Etheridge and Julianna Margulies, star of CBS’s ‘The Good Wife,’ chatting on said couch. They may or may not have been noshing on bagels. Don’t be surprised if this novelty wears off quickly. Many celebs, particularly those outside the CBS family, are not eager to be seen behind the curtain.

Read more

Quite a turnout last night at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington, DC, as Bob Schieffer was honored on his 20th anniversary anchoring CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

More than 500 people turned out to honor Schieffer, including the man who’s guested more times than anyone else: “I gotta say one word about the person who has been on ‘Face the Nation’ more than any other person in the history of the broadcast,” said Schieffer. “He’s actually older than me, not by much: John McCain over here.”

CBS News chairman Jeff Fager and president David Rhodes threw the party which was attended by elected officials, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), below, and current and former administration reps, including Donald Rumsfeld, below, as well as Schieffer’s CBS colleagues including Jan Crawford, Chip Reid, Lara Logan, Bill Plante, and Nancy Cordes and from other networks, FNC’s Ed Henry, CNN’s Gloria Borger, NBC’s David Gregory and Betsy Fischer and PBS’s Gwen Ifill, Judy Woodruff, and Jim Lehrer. Also on hand Carin Pratt, who helmed the show for 18 years.

“We just love Carin,” said Schieffer. “I really appreciate your coming back and being with us tonight.”

“Mary Hager … is now the [executive] producer. And Senator McCain remembers Mary Hager when the two of us were chasing up and down the halls of Congress. And Mary has actually worked with me, I guess, more than 20 years. And she started very, very young — she asked me to say that.”

(H/T Playbook / Photos for CBS News: Chris Usher)

On last night’s “CBS Evening News” political correspondent Jan Crawford seemed to have a brief flashback to her days at ABC News.  While discussing John Edwards and Sarah Palin with anchor Harry Smith, Crawford called Smith “Charlie,” harking back to her days of talking legal issues with Charles Gibson at “ABC World News.”

Crawford’s comment comes just after 1:00 in the clip below.

Gibson, like Crawford, left ABC News in 2009.

CBS News president David Rhodes has upped Jan Crawford to political correspondent leading up to the 2012 presidential election. In an email to staff, obtained by TVNewser (and sent in the midst of Friday night’s budget wrangling), Rhodes writes, “I know Jan will keep us honest on the candidates as the primary process unfolds.”

Crawford joined CBS News from ABC News in 2009. After sitting out a non-compete she went on the air in January, 2010 as CBS’ Chief Legal Correspondent. Crawford’s appointment to the politics beat comes days after the departure of political reporter/analyst Jeff Greenfield. Rhodes writes that he’ll also be “discussing a new political director, new contributors, and other new assignments as we gear up for the presidential cycle.”

Memo after the jump…

Read more

Now that Labor Day is here, Campaign 2010 kicks in to high gear.

CBS News has announced its multi-platform plans for coverage leading up to the November midterms. Chief Political Consultant Marc Ambinder and Political Analyst and Contributor John Dickerson will join a veteran group led by CBS Evening News Anchor and Managing Editor Katie Couric that includes Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer, Senior Political Correspondent Jeff Greenfield and Correspondents Wyatt Andrews, Sharyl Attkisson, Jan Crawford, Nancy Cordes, Byron Pitts, Chip Reid, Dean Reynolds and Political Analyst Dan Bartlett.

“This already is one of the most-anticipated midterm elections in a generation, and CBS News is adding exceptional talent to offer our audiences comprehensive coverage in a complex and exciting political environment,” said News and Sports president Sean McManus.

CBSNews.com also has assembled insiders to report and analyze key races online. New features include the Hot Races Interactive Map, Hot Race of the Week and Hot Ads of the Week

Former ABC News legal correspondent Jan Crawford, who has dropped the Greenburg from her name, will be making her first appearance on CBS News tomorrow on “Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer.” Crawford will join CBS News congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes and national security correspondent David Martin with a look ahead to 2010.

Crawford left ABC in the fall, but a non compete kept her off the air until now. Before joining ABC, Schieffer had been a mentor to Crawford.