Blurring The Lines Between Press and Politics

NEW YORK: Susan Molinari is trading her position as one of the most promising women in the Republican party to anchor a new Saturday morning CBS News program. The 39-year-old Staten Island congresswoman, who delivered last year's keynote address at the Republican convention, says she's not going to provide political commentary. Instead, she describes her new program as a cross between "60 Minutes" and Rosie O'Donnell's talk show -- whatever that combination might look like in a timeslot better known for cartoons and bass-fishing shows. TIME's Elaine Rivera notes that Molinari's move continues the dangerous trend of blurring media and politics, mostly recently seen in the shift of George Stephanopoulus from Clinton spinmeister to ABC News analyst. Says Rivera: "She may be leaving because she feels that there is really no room for her point of view in the party, or trying to position herself for other political opportunities, like the New York Senate race in the year 2000."