I like Matt Lauer. Okay, I’ve never met the guy, but I do enjoy watching him co-anchor NBC’s “Today” show. I especially enjoyed watching him sheepishly admit to a mistake he made during a recent story.
For you non-“Today” viewers, this week the morning show is running a series called “Today on the Trail,” in which show anchors follow presidential contenders on the campaign trail. Yesterday, the show aired a piece that featured Lauer sitting in the back seat of a SUV interviewing Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. Both men were taped with their seat belts unbuckled as the vehicle sped along a local New Hampshire highway en route to a meet and greet.
According to NBC executives, “Today” show producers noticed the oversight before the segment aired and decided to have Lauer address it. But, before the anchor had the chance to say a word about his mistake the show got more than 100 e-mails about Lauer and Romney’s oversights while the segment was being telecast. As soon as the piece ended Lauer admitted his error.
“I should have set a better example,” he said.
Romney also released a statement in which he said he needed to keep reminding himself to buckle up.
Ironically, just a few weeks ago it was Lauer who interviewed New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine about the politician’s near-fatal car crash while riding without wearing a safety belt. You’ll recall Corzine suffered a broken leg, 11 broken ribs and sustained injuries to his collarbone and sternum when the State Police-driven SUV he was riding in while unbuckled in the front seat crashed going 91 mph on April 12th along the Garden State Parkway.
Apparently, Lauer didn’t learn a lesson from the interview… then again, as he pointed out New Hampshire (the state he and Romney were traveling in) doesn’t have a law in place regarding seat belt use. Still, soon after Lauer issued his apology NBC political analyst Tim Russert admonished him. “Click it, Matt, click it,” chided Russert.
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