1. NBC and CBS See IRS Investigation Hitting ‘Dead End’ After Democratic Outburst; ABC Still Ignores
Both NBC’s Today and CBS This Morning on Thursday saw the beginning of the end of an investigation into the Obama administration’s IRS scandal following tirade by Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings at the conclusion of a Wednesday hearing on the topic. On Today, news reader Natalie Morales proclaimed: “Well, after a shouting match on Capitol Hill, California Republican Darrell Issa says his probe of alleged IRS abuses may have hit a dead end.” The headline on screen read: “IRS Hearing Showdown; Probe In Danger After Chaotic Hearing.” CBS This Morning co-host Charlie Rose similarly declared: “A congressional investigation into the IRS may be stalled this morning because of partisan bickering.”

2. Chris Matthews Bizarrely Compares CPAC to Star Wars Cantina
MSNBC’s Chris Matthews compared the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) to the cantina from Star Wars in a bizarre rant on Thursday’s Hardball. Matthews trashed the gathering and took aim at “the Joe McCarthy imitator” Sen. Ted Cruz. Matthews couldn’t get the event name right, though: “Do you remember the bar scene in Star Wars with all those wild-eyed creatures from every part of the solar system? Well today here in Washington the whole tapestry of weirdness was reenacted at the annual convention of something called CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Committee [sic].” The disparaging on-screen identifier for his subsequent first guest segment: “Clown Car Conference.”

3. CNN’s Erin Burnett Asks Democrat If Darryl Issa Should Lose His Chairmanship
On Thursday’s OutFront, CNN’s Erin Burnett teed up Democrat Rep. Elijah Cummings to call for Rep. Darryl Issa’s ouster as chairman of the House Oversight Committee. After a hearing where former IRS chief Lois Lerner dodged questions on the scandal she is at the center of, CNN joined NBC in focusing its outrage instead on Issa, who cut Cummings’ microphone when the latter began railing against the proceeding. “Calls tonight for the removal of a powerful congressman from his leadership post. So Democrats are demanding House Speaker John Boehner remove Republican congressman Darrell Issa. He’s the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee.” Burnett played right into the Democratic playbook. Here was her first question to Cummings: “Should Congressman Issa lose his chairmanship because of that?”

4. ABC Frets Over Pro-American Cadillac Ad: ‘Arrogant’ and Xenophobic?
The journalists at Good Morning America were sufficiently provoked by a new pro-American Cadillac commercial that they devoted a whole segment to wondering if the spot was “arrogant” and “xenophobic.” GMA’s reporters, who couldn’t find any time to cover former IRS head Lois Lerner pleading the Fifth on Capitol Hill, devoted almost three minutes to the “backlash” against the car commercial. The ad features a man strolling around his large house, praising the free enterprise system and the work ethic of Americans: “Other countries, they work. They stroll home. They stop by the café. They take August off. Off!” Co-host George Stephanopoulos worried, “Is it selling a confident take on America with a sense of humor or showing off an arrogant caricature that is just plain obnoxious?”

5. Robin Roberts Fawns Over ‘Passionate,’ Caring Michelle Obama
Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts has repeatedly been awarded interviews with Michelle and Barack Obama. There’s a good reason for this: She doesn’t ask tough questions. On Thursday, the co-host promised a “revealing, one-on-one conversation” with Mrs. Obama. Roberts did bring up ObamaCare, but offered no tough questions about the repeated delays. Talking to the First Lady at a Black Entertainment Television conference, Roberts vaguely began: “[The health care law] has not been without its critics who question whether or not this will work.” The journalist continued, “How do you see that and being able to close the gap for those people who have not been given that opportunity to have quality health care?”

6. NBC’s Lauer Sees GOP More Hostile to Obama Than Russia: Why Hasn’t ‘Politics Ended at Water’s Edge’?
Talking to MSNBC Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough on Thursday’s NBC Today about the Ukranian crisis, co-host Matt Lauer saw the Republican Party, not Russia, as President Obama’s fiercest adversary: “We’re six days into this crisis now, the rhetoric seems to be heating up. Not between Russia and the United States, but between Republicans in Congress and the administration.” Lauer pressed Scarborough: “You heard John McCain say it was a massive intelligence failure and a misreading of Vladimir Putin’s intentions. Lindsay Graham weighed in, saying, ‘What we’re seeing in the Ukraine right now is a result of failed policies in Syria and Benghazi.’ Do you agree with those assessments?” Scarborough immediately dismissed the GOP criticism: “No, absolutely not….Barack Obama didn’t lose Ukraine any more than George W. Bush lost Georgia in 2008, anymore than Ike lost Hungary in 1956.”