Following President Bush's January 10 prime-time address announcing his decision to deploy more than 20,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq, Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) delivered a brief Democratic response from Capitol Hill in which he stated, "Escalation of this war is not the change the American people called for in the last election. Instead of a new direction, the president's plan moves the American commitment in Iraq in the wrong direction." But ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox Broadcasting Co. all declined to air Durbin's remarks. ABC, NBC, and CBS returned to their regular programming. Fox, meanwhile, held a post-speech discussion with National Review editor Rich Lowry and Democratic strategist Kirsten Powers, followed by an interview with Fox News military analyst retired Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney, instead of cutting to Durbin.

PBS and cable news networks CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News all aired Durbin's response.

Commentary: