ABC and CBS opened their Friday morning shows operating as White House publicists, offering gooey praise and skewed reporting on President Biden's COVID relief package and primetime address from Thursday night.
Over at ABC, Good Morning America’s chyron read, “Biden’s Primetime Promise.” Number one fan and ABC White House Correspondent Mary Bruce reported enthusiastically on Biden’s “big moment”:
This is a big moment for the president. Biden using his first primetime address to comfort the nation but also offer hope, setting this new goal saying it Americans stick to the rules, wear your masks, get vaccinated, that fourth of July barbecue with friends and loved ones may be possible.”
Putting her trust in Biden’s promises, she boasted, “President Biden now laying out a road map for a return to something a lot closer to normal,” boasting he was ““Confident in the vaccine rollout.”
Beaming, Bruce fawned over the “monumental” day for President Biden signing the bloated pork-laden “COVID relief” bill:
The remarks capping a monumental day for the administration coming just hours after the president signed his sweeping $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan into law sending $1400 checks to most Americans who could see those payments hit their bank accounts as soon as this weekend.
Like the media did last night, Bruce happily touted how Americans can put their faith in big government’s always reliable promises:
Now, this was also a turning point speech. The President drawing sharp contrast with his predecessor and urging Americans to trust the government to protect them. President Biden will now be hitting the road to promote his stimulus plan. The President making a big push to inform Americans about these benefits and the relief that’s being provided by he and Democrats.
Over at CBS This Morning, co-anchor Gayle King was equally enthusiastic about these promises:
But there really is hope on the way, I believe that. Welcome to CBS This Morning. That's where we're going to begin -- with what President Biden called light in the darkness in the fight against the coronavirus. It's coming. In his first primetime speech to the nation, he says by May 1st, just 50 days from now, every adult American, every adult American, got to say that twice, will be eligible to receive the vaccine. More than 64 million Americans have already had at least one dose, and that's around 25% of the adult population.
CBS had back to back reports on Biden’s speech and COVID bill. Neither CBS nor ABC accurately reported on Republicans’ objections to the massive package passed solely by Democrats, because it was filled with unrelated, wishlist spending and bailouts for blue states. NBC’s Kristen Welker, however, did highlight Republican criticism and detailed some of the unrelated spending in the bill.
CBS touted Democrat arguments for the bill, while completely omitting why Republicans were not on board (click "expand"):
ANTHONY MASON: As Ed also noted, the first major legislation from the Biden administration passed with no Republican support. What do you think the significance of that is, Major, and what does it mean for Biden's agenda down the road?
MAJOR GARRETT: Well, it's a very important moment because partisanship sometimes gives you a window into where politics currently are. The Biden White House and congressional Democrats believe the politics for the American Rescue Plan will be universally positive, that this will boost the economy, accelerate vaccines, and improve testing, contact tracing, and vaccine development in case we need other vaccines to deal with these variants. Republicans are saying, no, we're going to replay the book of 2009 when they all opposed President Obama's stimulus and retook the House in the next midterm election. That's the playbook they're playing. Democrats in the Biden White House believe they're rewriting the playbook with a better plan, more aggressive and more attuned to the needs of the economy and this virus. And that is a very clarifying moment. Now the nation knows who's on which side, Democrats on side of the American Rescue Plan, Republicans against it. They’ll make a decision in the midterm elections.
White House senior correspondent Ed O’Keefe and co-anchor Anthony Mason even sneered at Republicans for not celebrating with Democrats in the Rose Garden over the bill no one from their party signed:
O’KEEFE: We noticed something. There are at least 22 lawmakers invited to attend, and at last check, none are Republicans. Anthony?
MASON: Yes, very conspicuous.
GMA co-anchor George Stephanopoulos also complained to Jen Psaki, after Bruce’s report on ABC: “[I]f you can't get Republican votes for a package with 70% approval, how can you get those votes for anything else?”
ABC’s bias was paid for by Comcast while CBS’s was paid for by Nissan. Contact them at the Conservatives Fight Back page here.
Read the transcripts, below:
Good Morning America
03/12/2021
7:03:50 - 7:07:02 AM ESTMARY BRUCE: Good morning, Cecilia. This is a big moment for the president. Biden using his first prime time address to comfort the nation but also offer hope setting this new goal saying it Americans stick to the rules, wear your masks, get vaccinated, that fourth of July barbecue with your friends and loved ones may be possible.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: We all lost something, a collective suffering but in the loss we saw how much there was to gain and appreciation, respect and gratitude. Finding light in the darkness is a very American thing to do.
BRUCE: Exactly one year after the pandemic upended life as we knew it, President Biden now laying out a road map for a return to something a lot closer to normal, saying he'll direct all 50 states to make all adults eligible for the vaccine by May 1.
BIDEN: That doesn't mean everyone is going to have that shot immediately, but it means you'll be able to get in line beginning May 1.
BRUCE: Confident in the vaccine rollout, the president laying down a new benchmark saying by the Fourth of July Americans may be free to celebrate together in small groups.
BIDEN: That will make this Independence Day, something truly special where we not only mark our independence as a nation but we begin to mark our independence from this virus.
BRUCE: But Biden with a caveat.
BIDEN: The scientists have made clear that things may get worse again.
BRUCE: According to the White House, the president pored over each line of the speech, his first primetime address, trying to make sure he struck the right tone projecting hope while remembering the lives lost.
BIDEN: I carry a card in my pocket with the number of Americans who have died from COVID to date. As of now, total deaths in America, 527,726.
BRUCE: The remarks capping a monumental day for the administration coming just hours after the president signed his sweeping $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan into law sending $1400 checks to most Americans who could see those payments hit their bank accounts as soon as this weekend. It also extends federal unemployment benefits through early September at $300 a week and provides billions of dollars for vaccine distribution, testing and small businesses. The bill passing without any Republican support. They argued the price tag was just too high. The president touting the law arguing it's the cost of bringing the country through this crisis.
BIDEN: This country will be vaccinated soon. Our economy will be on the mend. Our kids will be back in school. I promise you, we will come out stronger with a renewed faith in ourselves, a renewed commitment to one another, to our communities and to our country.
BRUCE: Now, this was also a turning point speech. The president drawing sharp contrast with his predecessor and urging Americans to trust the government to protect them. President Biden will now be hitting the road to promote his stimulus plan. The president making a big push to inform Americans about these benefits and the relief that’s being provided by he and Democrats.
(....)
CBS This Morning
03/12/21
7:00:30 a.m. [TEASE]
12 seconds[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Accelerating the Vaccine Timeline]
GAYLE KING: In his first primetime address, president Biden says every adult will be eligible for a COVID shot in less than two Mont. Plus, his upbeat message about celebrating Independence Day.
(....)
7:03:20 a.m.
6 minutes and 38 secondsKING: Here we are. There is hope on the way. I believe that. Welcome to CBS This Morning. That's where we're going to begin -- with what president Biden called light in the darkness in the fight against the coronavirus. It's coming. In his first primetime speech to the nation, he says by May 1st, just 50 days from now, every adult American, every adult American, got to say that twice, will be eligible to receive the vaccine. More than 64 million Americans have already had at least one dose, and that's around 25 percent of the adult population.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: President Accelerates Vaccines Timeline; Directs States to Make All Adults Vaccine-Eligible by May 1]
TONY DOKOUPIL: The President also laid out the benefits of what he calls his American Rescue Plan for the U.S. economy and said Americans should remain vigilant against the virus. Ed O’Keefe is at the White House for us. Ed, good morning to you. There was grief in the speech last night but also hope. What stood out with the big message?
ED O’KEEFE: Absolutely, Tony. Good morning. A call for national unity and cooperation. He's optimistic about the coming terms but laid out in stark terms what he thinks Americans need to do to fight the pandemic – keep wearing masks, socially distance, and get a vaccine when you can. And while the country is starting to look to the coming months, the president took time last night to remember the hundreds of thousands of lives lost.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Finding light in the darkness is a very American thing to do. In fact, it may be the most American thing we do.
O’KEEFE: President Biden set two new goals on two key dates.
BIDEN: All adults, people 18 and over, eligible to be vaccinated no later than May 1.
O’KEEFE: And July 4th, Independence Day.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: President Accelerates Vaccines Timeline; Says July 4 Could Mark “Independence From This Virus”]
BIDEN: If we do our part, if we do this together, by July the 4th there's a good chance you, your families, and friends will be able to get together in your yard or in your neighborhood and have a cookout or a barbecue and celebrate Independence Day.
O’KEEFE: The President said he's deploying active duty military, FEMA personnel, and retired doctors to help vaccinate Americans and he outlined what should be possible for most Americans in the coming week.
BIDEN: You can drive up to a stadium or large parking lot, get your shot, never leave your car, and drive home in less than an hour.
O’KEEFE: But he was also reverential as he paid tribute to lives lost, reading the exact death toll —
BIDEN: I carry a card in my pocket.
O’KEEFE: 527,526, off a card from his pocket.
BIDEN: They leave behind loved ones unable truly grieve or heal, even to have a funeral.
O’KEEFE: The President made a point to denounce an uptick in attacks against Asian Americans since the start of the pandemic.
BIDEN: So many of them, our fellow Americans, they're on the front lines of this pandemic trying to save lives, and still — still they're forced to live in fear for their lives just walking down streets in America. It's wrong. It's un-American, and it must stop.
O’KEEFE: The speech came just hours after Mr. Biden signed the nearly $2 trillion American Rescue Plan into law.
BIDEN: Got it. Thank you all. Appreciate it.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Pres. Biden’s “Light in the Darkness”; Hopeful Primetime Speech Comes Hours After Signing of Rescue Plan]
O’KEEFE: And now he, the Vice President, and their spouses plan to travel to at least six states in the coming days to sell the plan. One of the states that the President and Vice President will visit together is Georgia next Friday. That state's two new Democratic senators were key to getting the American Rescue Plan passed. And as you saw there, he officially signed the bill yesterday but will hold a ceremonial swearing — not swearing-in — signing ceremony for the bill today in the rose garden. It’ll be a smaller event to adhere to social distancing amid the pandemic, but we noticed something: There are at least 22 lawmakers invited to attend, and at last check, none of them are Republicans. Anthony?
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Pres. Biden’s “Light in the Darkness”; Major Garrett on Big Promises in the President’s Primetime Address]
ANTHONY MASON: Yes, very conspicuous, Ed. Thank you. For more on the President’s primetime address, let’s bring in CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett. Major, good morning. As Ed said, the President, the Vice President, key officials are set to hit the road to sell this plan. Why do they feel the need to do this?
MAJOR GARRETT: To maximize the meaning of the money, really. To let everyone know that there is real money to benefit American lives right now in the American Rescue Plan. Now, there's kind of a narrative going on that President Obama back in 2009 when the stimulus was passed didn't go out and sell the plan. We all remember the term — or may remember the term shovel-ready projects. Well, they weren't really shovel ready and President Obama didn't go out across the nation to aggressively out to the potential benefits. Well, this President is to counter what he believes was a mistake from his former boss, President Obama. And the real difference is, Anthony, a stimulus check is not a shovel-ready project. A tax credit for your child is not a shovel-ready project. That's real money that's going to land in your bank account, in the case of a stimulus check, in a matter of days, a tax credit for your child as early as July. And this is something that will give the Biden White House the ability to say not only am I traveling, but the money's real, and you can see it.
MASON: As Ed also noted, the first major legislation from the Biden administration passed with no Republican support. What do you think the significance of that is, Major, and what does it mean for Biden's agenda down the road?
GARRETT: Well, it's a very important moment because partisanship sometimes gives you a window into where politics currently are. The Biden White House and congressional Democrats believe the politics for the American Rescue Plan will be universally positive, that this will boost the economy, accelerate vaccines, and improve testing, contact tracing, and vaccine development in case we need other vaccines to deal with these variants. Republicans are saying, no, we're going to replay the book of 2009 when they all opposed President Obama's stimulus and retook the House in the next midterm election. That's the playbook they're playing. Democrats in the Biden White House believe they're rewriting the playbook with a better plan, more aggressive and more attuned to the needs of the economy and this virus. And that is a very clarifying moment. Now the nation knows who's on which side, Democrats on side of the American Rescue Plan, Republicans against it. They’ll make a decision in the midterm elections.
MASON: As we saw, the President made a point of calling out attacks on Asian-Americans and saying they must stop, Major. Why is that important? And why did he put this in the speech?
GARRETT: Because the numbers are an epidemic and that is not an exaggeration. The statistical numbers of the incidents, not only violent ones, but shunning, screaming, spitting at people, fellow Americans being attacked by their own Americans, people who don't have any other country but America. But look Asian or have an Asian ethnicity in their background, maybe two or three generations ago, are being attacked in this country. They're suffering psychologically in addition to the other suffering we’re doing because of the pandemic. It is a real problem, and the president wanted himself, he wrote the speech to include this highlighted.
MASON: Major Garrett, thank you, Major.
