howie: politicians in both parties facing sexual harassment allegations as arrayedio host accuses al franken of ungranted sexual harassment. >> the photo of al doing this on my breast and look at the camera and smiling and smirking, hey, look at me. i took that as the final leg, i got the last laugh. is it funny if he does that to your sister and daughter and wife? >> the standards set by the

national media and establishment he should be expelled. >> i think he's trying to apologize and show contrition and be accountable to the ethics committee. >> i don't know if he should resign, but he committed a sexual assault, right? howie: the conservative media turned on roy moore who refuses to quit the senate race despite accusations. >> i tried to open my car door to leave. and he reached over and locked it. i was determined i was not going to allow him to force me to have sex with him. he was trying to pull my shirt off. i thought he was going to rape

me. >> i just want him to stop. >> it is a rush to judgment, an abandonment of due process and reeks just a bit of left-wing hypocrisy. >> we must come up with -- you must come up with a satisfactory explanation for your inconsistencies. he doesn't do that web needs to get out of this race. howie: some liberal pundits say they were too easy on bill clinton when he was battling harassment and assault charges. hillary clinton in the headlines as jeff sessions considers a special counsel to investigate her. what about the media criticism that trump pushed the justice department to go after his

former opponent? this is "mediabuzz." [♪] if there was any doubt leavian tweeden was upset. what franken did to her, it vanished when she spoke to cnn's jake tapper. i don't want to be cliche'. but you know, you talk about trying to leave if the world a better place for your kids. sorry. howie: the bigger media spotlight remains on roy moore. he denies the allegations and is still blaming the press. >> "the washington post" brought scurrilous allegations which i emphatically denied time and time again. they are not only untrue.

but they have no evidence to support them. howie: joining us to analyze the coverage, emily jashinsky. michael tomasky and francesca chambers. emily: the media has reported specific allegations against roy moore an has come back with specific credible defenses. as a conservative i find his blaming of the media sort of exd exploitive of the situation.

howie: when various people tell various reporters moore hung out at a local mall and went after young girls. one girl said he called her out of her hms trig class and asked her on a date. michael: what does stand out about these allegations is how airtight they seem. that first "washington post" story, the one point everybody who read it made, was it seems airtight. howie: but it was four decades ago. michael: we have all read these kinds of stories and have a way of judge how solid it is. howie: what about the woman who said roy moore tried to lock her

in the car when she was 16. the fact thee told her story on television. does that have far more impact? francesca: i think "the washington post" story sent shock waves through the press. whether that is against a conservative or liberal or harvey weinstein. if there is anyone, you have a responsibility to bring them to the public eye. howie: when someone goes on television, you can listen to their voice and make a judgment. conservative commentators say roy moore should quit.

sean hannity issued the ultimatum but he didn't call for roy moore to get out of the race. emily his camp came out and defended it as true. the conservative media responded well to this. i think what's interesting. one comment about beverly nelson speaking directly to cameras. she spoke directly to the camera and gave people around the country a reason to believe a person rather than the press. howie: is it a natural instinct when you are a republican and a republican is under fire, and maybe be hesitant to pass judgment? but it seems the mounting allegations have made people

even who are if sympathetic to judge moore are now sceptical. michael: i think the conservative media have played this straight. i think most of liberals have treated that well, too. i haven't seen any favoritism because he's a democrat. howie: sarah huckabee sanders was careful not to go beyond president trump's original written statement if the allegations against moore are true, he should get out of the race. but ivanka trump said there is a special place in hell for people who prey on children. emily: what happened on the trip is sarah huckabee sanders delivered a statement on behalf of the president. she said she already made a

statement and he needs to do the right thing if it's the truth. but that was the last time he talked about it. every time he was asked about it this week at the white house, he ducked the questions. the fact that the president hasn't taken a side here and he's the leader of the republican party. howie: the president has weighed in on al franken. where do his hands go in pictures two, three, four, five and six while she sleeps? the question then becomes a lot of media including anchors have slammed the president for going after -- going after pal al fran but not roy moore.

emily his response to franken was really quick. people want to believe their own people so they apply nuance. howie: here is what kate baldwin, a cnn news anchor had to say. >> this is officially become the president doesn't get to do this moment. he doesn't get to question al franken and stay silent on roy moore, and no one should allow it. howie: i don't know how we are not suppose to allow it. the president can say what he wants. is that a fair criticism he's speaking out at least on twitter? >> sure, that's open partisan favoritism around charges that are serious. howie: you have seen this more

in the last 48 hours, sexual allegations against donald trump are being resurrected. and bill clinton. >> i didn't see the trump angle being reintroduced until that tweet. once he did that tweet, he opened the door made it fair game. howie: why did he open the door? michael: because it's 5:00 in the morning and he can't help himself. he weighed in on the topic. howie: whenever roy moore talks about this he ripped the liberal media and goes after "the

washington post." there was a robocall, we don't know who was behind it, in alabama where somebody pretended to be a "washington post" reporter. >> i'm a reporter for "the washington post," i'm trying to find out if anyone at this house can make damaging remarks about roy moore can receive a reward between $5,000 and $7,000. howie: what does that tell us? francesca: it's exploitive of the position that this is the media's fault that this is happening to him or that the media is taking to take down roy moore which wasn't the case.

they happened to stumble across these allegations. you have seen it from the "washington post" and local papers as well. emily: it confirms what they want voters to believe. howie: when we come back. al franken apologizes for unwanted kissing and groping a radio talk show host. the media gave bill clinton a pass for his misconduct in the 90s. hello mom. amanda's mom's appointment just got rescheduled - for today. amanda needs right at home. our customized care plans provide as much - or as little help - as her mom requires.

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howie: leanne tweeden says on a

uso tour in 2006, al franken, despite her objections, insist on rehearsing a skit that called for them to kiss. >> he stuck his trunk in my mouth. i walked out and wanted to find a bathroom and rinse my mouth out. howie: he apologized for that and the groping photo. he says he's ashamed. he says it isn't funny. it's completely inappropriate. is the explosion of coverage over al franken, former snl star, that awful photo, is it fueled by the photo? how would this story have played

if there was no picture? emily: it's have much fueled by the photo. if he's in your camp you try to apply nuance. i think msnbc called it mock groping. even al franken hasn't disputed the content of the photo. you get such a visceral reaction to it. it's huge. howie: many liberal outfits have covered the story with not quite the glee you see on the right. francesca: i have also see a lot of covering of this idea of bill clinton whether the affair he had with monica lewinsky and whether he settled out of court with another accuser.

howie: would you agree liberals are not going out of their way to defend al franken because the conduct is indefensible? francesca: you can say the same thing about conservatives. if you don't stand up against what are troubling allegations, it also doesn't play well for you. emily: i think a lot of conservatives have stuck their necks out and said the allegations are serious and look really bad. francesca: liberals said the allegations against al franken should be investigated. howie: would it be such a huge media story if we weren't in the hot house of harvey weinstein, kevin spacey, bill o'reilly, would it have been more than a

two-day embarrassment? michael: i think so because of the photo. that photo was lightning. the weinstein context changed everything. it changed the way we talk about these things and write about these things. i think you will see at least for a while, there will be some backlash of some kind. i think we are going to see people in the media, liberals and conservative opinion people will be careful to ask themselves. would i react the same way if i were a republican or democrat. howie: you have liberal writers saying franken should resign. people on the left maybe like al franken's policies and like him personally. but they are not letting him off the hook.

emily: everyone is learning as the reports are put into the press, we are learning what specific credible patterns look like. there are so many similarities, bill clinton asking women up to his hotel room after meetings. francesca: this is not a story that will go away for this white house. so the president cannot sit back and refuse to get involved because people are looking to this president, the leader of the nation to weigh in on this. but he never personally spoke out and said these allegations are deeply troubling if they are true. he should do the right thing. but this is on a gaggle on a plane, not on camera. i think as the conversations continue people will continue to

look to the president to say this is not okay. howie: ahead, jeff sessions considers a special counsel for hillary clinton. many people slam that as an abuse of power. congress with its own sexual harassment allegations. because i get a safe driving bonus check every six months i'm accident free. and i don't share it with mom! right, mom? righttt. safe driving bonus checks. only from allstate. switching to allstate is worth it. ♪ there's something ♪ for you and me, ♪ and the american road is calling, ♪

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ferrecho *. ferrecho. susan: she hopes it's going to change. this whole me too campaign and the involvement on social media where people are going on twitter and telling their stories. that could bring about change. all these revelations will i think instead of learning more names will perhaps put on notice lawmakers or staffers who might otherwise think they can harass a woman and get away with it. howie: you mention al franken, it doesn't look like they had to chase democratic senators to denounce him. susan: i think what happened was

the juxtaposition to the roy moore situation forced democrats to confront the roy moore issue. these aren't just random accusations. howie: i remember decades ago hearing women shouldn't get in an elevator with strom thurmond. mark foley, bill pack ward and denny hastert. why hasn't there been more media coverage of this? susan: congress isn't subject to the freedom of information laws. what jackie speier revealed, she was able to get. congress is not subjected to open records law.

a lot of this anecdote alice whispered about and not something that's talked about publicly. people worry about the professional risks of talking about what happened to them. we don't know the names of these lawmakers. we said why can't you tell us would who these lawmakers are? she said the victims don't want their names revealed because it will expose them. it is a professional risk once you put your name in and start complaining. howie: susan ferrecho * thanks very much. bill clinton was impeached about his misconduct. a media uproar as the justice department considers a special counsel for hillary clinton. my dad's.

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howie: the sexual harassment allegations against roy moore, harvey weinstein, and others has caused people to look back at bill clinton two decades ago. another accusers of bill clinton were never treated with the same respect these women are being treated. >> bill clinton has been a great violator of women in private. he has been impeached and he paid the price. howie: joining us, lynn sherr. the bill clinton scandals were covered around the clock for a year and many of those stories were broken by "the washington

post." but don't some of these writers say the allegations were as bad or worse than what roy moore is being accused of. lynn: we are seeing the effects of political climate change. here is this flood of sexual abusers. you can no longer deny this raising truth. we are in a climate where women are being believed. some of the women who came out against bill clinton and told their stories were not believed for a variety of reasons. it may have been politics or class issues. now there is a kind of reckoning which i think is very healthy and i think it's about time. howie: the atlantic has a piece saying the feminist movement saved bill clinton.

gloria steinem wrote this people in 1998 saying well at most of bill clinton is a candidate for sex therapy. paula jones, clumsy past. monica lewinsky was consensual. kind of embarrassing to read today. >> gloria can speak for herself. i don't think it's always helpful to talk about the liberal media turning around. it was jackie judd who broke the story about monica lewinsky's blue dress. it was the libra media that had the interview with juanita broader i can and the liberal press that had the interview with kathleen willy. but the truth is, i think it was less about politics and more

about a class issue. there were a sense that these women did not represent what some people thought they were, including the current president of the united states who referred to that trio in 1998 as a group of -- an unattractive group. howie: i remember interviewing nina burkes rlee. she said i will gladdie give bill clinton oral sex for keeping abortion legal. they thought he was good on women's issues and didn't care about his misconduct. >> i'm not disputing anything you are saying, but the sexual abuse. it's not political. this is something that goes on

on both sides of the aisle. and might i add, at least jimmy carter only had lust in his heart. howie: the famous 1976 "ploy boy" interview. kristen gillibrand who holds hillary's seat saying he should have resigned. michelle goldberg said i believe juanita broaddrick. people say it's easy to could -o that now because bill clinton is out of politics. >> i think this is one issue where president trump's both sides argument might hold some water. both sides are equally guilty in standing up for their own. what rear learning is believing credible stories is the right way to go.

i don't think -- i think there are going to be more stories like this. it was a harvey weinstein moment. but by the way, i go back even further. why didn't people believe in juanita hill? -- anita hill. some people did believe her and maybe the supreme court sought on changed. howie: when you were on last time you talked about how when you were a young woman you had to sometimes fight off sexual harassment with people like nelson rockefeller. final thoughts? >> i have been noticing "time" magazine is putting out to the public who they think their entity or cover should be, person of the year. let me read the criteria. the person or thing that most of influenced the events of the year. i don't think it should be a

person. shall we say a group of organs? i would nominate female genitalia. howie: you will make news with that one. i'm sure tweeters will be firing up now. howie: lynn sherr, thanks for coming in. jeff sessions taking flack for his testimony on the russia investigation.

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how report justice department said it's considering tapping a special counsel to investigate hillary clinton and the our rain yumple one deal. she called that an abuse of power. >> i regret deeply this appears to be the politicization of the justice department and our justice system. this uranium one story has been debunked countless times by members of the press. howie: joining us, amy holmes, leslie marshall.

he said he will appoint a special counsel if the facts support it. but some question that by president trump speak out publicly and tweeting he pushed the doj into it. amy: the media loves to focus on that instead what happened with the uranium one deal. but i think it was more interesting that it seems a lot of high-ranging democrats are more interested in investigating uranium one that the mainstream media. you have dianne feinstein saying she wants to look into what does the fbi know about criminal activity by a russian firm trying to influence the american our cranium market.

elijah cummings says he wants to look into it. howie: while he made his feeling clear there should be a special independent prosecutor. leslie: i think his constant comments to the press and his tweets made it clear jeff sessions will have to make a decision in my opinion. dose uphold the rule of law and justice in his position or dose save his job. that's a real question coming down. the president with his tweets made it clear his disdain for the justice department. howie: when you say uphold the rule of law, you are prejudging the notion that there isn't any circumstance under which a special prosecutor should be warranted. leslie: if the facts are there.

even sessions said that. you have to have evidence. you can't just waste taxpayer money other time in that's position. that would be an abuse of tour by sessions. since watergate this has been an independent office and is run that way. do we wanted to change that now in 2017? absolutely not. i don't think sessions is in a tough position. i think it's clear. howie: shepard smith took a look at this uranium one deal. >> the accusation is predicated on the charge that secretary clinton approved the sale. she did not. a committee of nine eve valuated the sale, the president approved the sale. howie: shep went on to say most of of the clinton foundation

issues came from a canadian owner who sold his stake three years before hillary clinton was secretary of state. amy: i think shep is making his arguments from what he read. but when need an investigation and those investigation are under way to understand better how this went down. the more you read about it the thornier it gets. "the washington post" erroneously reported no pure rain yum left the united states of america. now we have if the nuclear regulatory commission saying it . all this money flowing to the

clinton foundation and bill clinton getting the timeline and the fact hoi -- the fact that hy clinton was not seated at table of:nine. i know some people have said if it walks like a duck -- i have said that. but i don't see the duck here. if you look at benghazi to waste taxpayers' time and money to find no there there. so be it. howie: how much of this is driven by media suspicion of jeff sessions himself?

amy: i think it's driven in part by that because he's a long-serving republican senator and a conservative one. but i would like to get back to leslie already prejudging this case. a lot of conservatives including myself who said when it comes to whether there is collusion. i don't hear that open mindedness and curiosity coming from the left. howie: thanks for joining us. after the break, the house passes tax reform but the press says it will hurt the middle class. could that argument derail the bill? patrick woke up with a sore back.

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howie: jeff sessions mass been hammered by the press after saying he does remember speaking to george papadopoulos about his request to set up a trump-putin meeting. >> i had no recollection of this meeting nil saw these news report. but i will not accept and reject accusations that i ever lied. that is a lie. howie: joining us, mara liasson. sessions previously said he never remembered talking to papadopoulos. a low-level campaign advisor. is this a big story or media nitpicking. mara: i think this is neither. in fact this is what happens in the grinding process of these kinds of investigations, a lot of which are happening in public in front of the senate hearing and people's memories get

refreshed. i wasn't lying, i just didn't remember. but when you are covering this kind of investigation every little twist and turn and refreshed memory becomes aha. howie: the senate judiciary committee said jared kushner hadn't turned over all relevant documents, his attorney says he has. then this one about russian back door overture. that was rejected but kushner. mara: how could you possibly not put that in your report. howie: that has gotten a lot of play. the white hot media focus on the russian investigation or is it not such a deal. mara: in some places this is a

big deal. jared curb they are has forgotten to disclose certain things on his form. his lawyer said it didn't seem relevant to the investigation. i think it's both a big deal and nitpicky thing. but that's what happens in investigations. you only hear one tidbit at a time. at the end someone will put this together in a big package to tell us what they mean. howie: the house passed the tax reform, a big win for the president. but does it have an impact on the debate when "the washington post" and other outlets say this would raise taxes for many middle class families. this is a huge win for the senate and republicans who said in one loud voice, if we don't

do this, we are toast. but this is a tax bill. you can look at the distribution charts and see whose taxes go up, whose go down, whose tax cuts are permanent, whose are temporary. can middle class people are going to pay more. corporations will get permanent tax cuts. still to come, russia's r.t. network forced to register as a foreign agent and vladimir putin doesn't like it. hi...so i just got off the phone with our allstate agent, and i know that we have accident forgiveness. so the incredibly minor accident that i had tonight- four weeks without the car.

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any deal. but they have approached murdoch on the purchase of the 21st century fox studio. sometimes negotiations fizzle and the feds could raise anti-trust issues. but 21st century fox is in play. rt is considered a kremlin organization. vladimir putin denied any election meddling by rt. he said an attack on our media is an attack on free speech. that's rich since there is very limited free speech in russia.

let us know what you think @howardkurtz on twitter. we'll be back next week with the latest buzz. [♪] arthel: washington focusing on the future of embattled alabama candidate roy moore. fresh calls for moore to end his campaign amid a slew of sexual misconduct allegations. welcome to "america's news headquarters." eric: much of the opposition is coming from fellow republicans on capitol hill. including south carolina senator tim scott. here is senator scott earlier. >> the