CNN redfaced over DNC balloon tirade

BOSTON, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- CNN has apologized for airing Democratic convention producer Don Mischer's frantic and crass orders for balloons to fall after John Kerry's acceptance speech.

While viewers watched the senator from Massachusetts and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, bask in the spotlight at Boston's FleetCenter moments after accepting the Democratic Party's presidential nomination Thursday, Mischer's voice suddenly overwhelmed the audio feed with several stressful calls of "Go balloons."

Mischer's panicky pleas soon crescendoed into an outright barrage of barked orders: "Go balloons. I don't see anything happening. Jesus, we need more balloons. I want all balloons to go, goddamn. No confetti. No confetti. No confetti. I want more balloons. What's happening to the balloons?"

Later, Judy Woodruff, host of CNN's "Inside Politics," expressed regret for Mischer's word choices.

Washington Post TV columnist Tom Shales wrote Friday: "The failure of the balloons to fall was not nearly as big a fiasco as CNN foolishly fixating on them as if they were the story of the century and letting Mischer's shouting take up so much air time."