Posted by
Mike Bates on Sunday, June 29, 2008 12:57:01 PM
Gerri Willis co-hosts CNN's daily
"Issue Number One," a program devoted to the economy. For her, it
appears almost every day is a struggle.
Last Thursday,
she spoke of "high gas prices, one of the many cost Americans struggles
with in this economy." She took a break from the struggle on
Wednesday, when a CNN anchor filled in for her and co-host Ali Velshi.
The previous day,
however, her question to CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow was: "So what do
you have to say to folks out there who are struggling to pay those
(energy) bills?" Willis also employed another of her favorite words,
tough. "There are," she noted, "all kinds of programs across the
country to make sure that doesn't happen, but times are so tough."
Later on the show, she observed: "These tough economic times can be
especially hard on retirees."
On Monday,
Gerri experienced multiple struggles. One was "And students struggle
to make ends meet. We'll show you where they're turning to for hope."
In the other, "Faced with rising gas prices and lower donations, the
Red Cross itself is struggling to make ends meet." Of course, she had
to fit "tough" in again: "But the organization hasn't been immune to
the tough economy." After the video on the story, Willis commented:
"Tough times all around." Just in case dull-witted viewers weren't
picking up on the theme, Gerri followed up on the struggling student
story with another "Tough times" remark.
On Friday,
June 20, she introduced a story with: "Families across the country are
struggling with rising gas prices and subsequently higher food prices."
The other day a realtor told me that the economy in general and the
housing market in particular are not as bad as portrayed in the media.
I should have asked her if she watched CNN's Gerri Willis. For Gerri,
the struggle continues.