With the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, many of the 2008 Presidential candidates have used the 24-hour cablers as a platform to comment on the assassination as well as lay out their plans to fight the war on terror.
Clips from candidates discussing the assassination during speeches at campaign stops played throughout the day, with some candidates making news with their responses (Sen. John Edwards calling Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Bill Richardson calling on Musharraf to resign).
The networks also assembled panels talking about which candidates the news will help or hurt. But as prime time approaches, the candidates will make a push to get their terrorism policies out on the airwaves.
• On the O’Reilly Factor, sub host Laura Ingraham will talk with Sen. John McCain and Mike Huckabee. Hannity & Colmes will have on Fred Thompson and Rudy Guiliani. Earlier tonight, Mitt Romney appeared on Big Story (in what was labeled “exclusive”).
• CNN had Sen. Joe Biden and Rep. Ron Paul in The Situation Room. Larry King talks with Sen. Barack Obama as well as Edwards and Guiliani. Romney and McCain will talk with Anderson Cooper during the 10pmET hour.
• MSNBC also had Biden and Edwards (on Hardball) and Paul (on Tucker). Sen. Chris Dodd will appear tonight on Countdown.
One notable candidate not scheduled for any interviews is Sen. Hillary Clinton. She mentioned the assassination in a campaign stop speech (which FNC picked up live around 11amET), but as Fox News’ Major Garrett reported, she has known Bhutto personally for 12 years and does not want to “appear to be exploiting the situation.”