During a report on Friday’s Situation Room, CNN correspondent Susan Roesgen failed to mention the left-wing affiliation of the “activists” who were protesting near the Chicago home of President-elect Barack Obama. She only labeled them as “pro-Obama” and that they “promote a list of campaign promises they want Obama to remember -- promises to bring the troops home, to stop foreclosures, to make a plan for universal health care.”
Roesgen’s short report, which began 36 minutes into the 5 pm Eastern hour of the CNN program, began with a description of the tight security outside Obama’s home, and how “anyone who wants to make a political statement is pretty much pushed off to the side.” She described the group of people making the demonstration as “small in number, big in spirit.”
The CNN correspondent went on to describe the “activists” and their agenda:
ROESGEN: These activists represent various local and national groups, like Veterans for Peace and Democracy Now, and they’ve joined forces to promote a list of campaign promises they want Obama to remember -- promises to bring the troops home, to stop foreclosures, to make a plan for universal health care.
Actually, Democracy Now not an “activist” group, but a radio program syndicated by the left-wing Pacifica Radio network. While Roesgen doesn’t mention any other organizations by name, a protesters’ banner displayed briefly on screen gave away the informal name for their campaign, which is “Camp Hope.” The campaign’s website has a list of participating organizations, which includes the Chicago and northwest Indiana chapters of Code Pink, the Great Lakes regional office for the American Friends Service Committee, Oxfam International, and an organization called “Movimiento 10 de Marzo,” which advocates amnesty for illegal immigrants.
The full transcript of Susan Roesgen’s report from Friday’s Situation Room:
SUZANNE MALVEAUX: ...Susan, tell us about demonstrations that are now against Barack Obama, as well, that are taking place in Chicago.
SUSAN ROESGEN: Well, actually, Suzanne, these folks are pro-Obama -- they’re pro-the-president. But they’re activists and they want some things done, and when Barack Obama says ‘yes, we can,’ they say, ‘yeah, you better.’
(CNN GRAPHIC: ‘Activists Targeting Obama: Demonstrators pressuring president-elect to keep his promises’)
ROESGEN (voice-over): This is about as close as you can get to Barack Obama’s Chicago home these days -- there’s a cop car on every corner. So anyone who wants to make a political statement is pretty much pushed off to the side -- like this group -- small in number, big in spirit.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I’m sure he knows we’re here, and he can come out and talk to us.
ROESGEN: These activists represent various local and national groups, like Veterans for Peace and Democracy Now, and they’ve joined forces to promote a list of campaign promises they want Obama to remember -- promises to bring the troops home, to stop foreclosures, to make a plan for universal health care.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: This campaign was to build bridges across the issues. We’re working both on the domestic issues, as well as globally.
ROESGEN (on-camera): You know, once again, these are activists, Suzanne, who supported President-elect Obama, who voted for him in the election. They just don’t want him to forget his campaign promises to pull the troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, to stop home foreclosures, and they’re going to stay out there, even in this bitterly cold weather -- they say, in eight-hour shifts every day up to Inauguration Day. Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Susan.
