Good Morning America on Monday hyped the liberal "barrage" on Bain Capital and the push to get Mitt Romney to release more tax records. Over the span of three minutes, ABC featured Barack Obama's attacks three separate times for 35 seconds. Reporter Jake Tapper showcased two more right-leaning talking heads chiding Romney. That's a total of five voices piling on the candidate. Only a single clip of conservative Mary Matalin appeared as a rebuttal.
Former Democratic operative turned journalist George Stephanopoulos probed for weakness from Romney, telling Tapper that "conservatives like George Will, Bill Kristol" are "saying he has to do more on these tax returns. You sensing any give on the Romney team?" Informed by Tapper that only the last two years will be released, Stephanopoulos lamented, "But no more than those first two years?"
BARACK OBAMA: No. We won't be apologizing. Mr. Romney claims that he's Mr. Fix It for the economy because of his business experience. And so, I think voters entirely, legitimately want to know, well, what exactly what is that business experience?
...
OBAMA: Are you in fact responsible for this company that you say is one of your primary calling cards for wanting to be president?
...
OBAMA: We invest in companies that have been called pioneers of outsourcing. I don't want a pioneer in outsourcing. I want some insourcing.
Tapper made a point of noting that Romney "boated and attended church services" this weekend while the President was in the "battleground state of Virginia" and "braved a downpour."
Of course, Romney gave several interviews on Friday, any one of which could have been used for the segment.
A follow-up news brief in the 8am hour noted that Romney called the overall attacks on his record "dishonest and misdirected." But ABC, again, failed to play any clips of the former governor.
A transcript of the July 16 segment can be found below:
7am tease
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: After that barrage on Bain Capital, Mitt Romney demanding an apology from President Obama. President laughed that one off. We're going to see brand new attacks from both sides today.
7:08
JAKE TAPPER: Good morning, George. That's right, later this morning, President Obama in Cincinnati at a town hall will attack Mitt Romney's tax proposal, saying it could lead to up to 800,000 jobs being created overseas, likely at the expense of jobs here. It's just the latest in an aggressive President Obama launching attacks against Romney in the most intense period of this campaign yet. Bad June jobs numbers, high unemployment, a stagnating economy. For now, President Obama and his team have managed to change the subject from those crucial issues to Mitt Romney's tenure at Bain Capital. A brutal barrage Mitt Romney has demanded an apology for.
BARACK OBAMA: No. We won't be apologizing. Mr. Romney claims that he's Mr. Fix It for the economy because of his business experience. And so, I think voters entirely, legitimately want to know, well, what exactly what is that business experience?
TAPPER: President Obama demonstrated unusually detailed knowledge, about the fact that though Romney says he ceased involvement with Bain in 1999, government findings after that list him as CEO, chairman and president of the company.
OBAMA: Are you in fact responsible for this company that you say is one of your primary calling cards for wanting to be president?
TAPPER: And now even conservative commentators and veterans of Republican campaigns are questioning his refusal to release more than the recent year of his tax returns.
GOV. ROBERT BENTLEY (R-Alabama): I just believe that people should release their tax returns.
MATT DOWD: There's obviously something there, because if there was nothing there, he would say have at it.
TAPPER: Though many Romney supporters believe President Obama and the economy are the only real issue.
MARY MATALIN: People don't care where his bank accounts are, they care they don't have much left in their bank accounts.
TAPPER: The President has been the aggressor. Romney, this weekend, boated and attended church services while in battle ground states of Virginia, President Obama braved a downpour.
OBAMA: We invest in companies that have been called pioneers of outsourcing. I don't want a pioneer in outsourcing. I want some insourcing.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And Jake, Mitt Romney going to accuse the President of crony capitalism today. But he's also facing that incoming. You also reported it as well from conservatives like George Will, Bill Kristol. Saying he has to do more on these tax returns. You sensing any give on the Romney team?
TAPPER: Well, he's released his 2010 tax returns. We were told that he would release 2011 as late as October. But now, I'm be told by the Romney campaign that, actually, the release of the 2011 returns would come within the next month or so. So, here does appear to be some give on that front.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But no more than those first two years?
TAPPER: No. No more than those two years.
