[See NewsBusters for more.] During ABC's Wednesday breaking news coverage that Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer plans to retire, senior national correspondent Terry Moran reacted to the news by hailing Breyer's "moderate tone" and downplaying his liberal ideology and portraying him as a "pragmatic liberal." Moran argued that Breyer relied more on political rather than legal arguments in his opinions.
Anchor Kyra Phillips got the special-report coverage going by introducing Moran and also minimizing Breyer's ideology: "Breyer is the oldest justice on the conservative 6-3 court and the most senior member of its liberal wing. We’d like to bring in, with bringing in our senior national correspondent Terry Moran. Terry, definitely known as the court's most famous pragmatist."