One obvious way the Sunday morning shows betray a partisan bias is how many times Republicans get interrupted and debated. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy appeared on CBS's Face the Nation, and host Margaret Brennan was constantly interrupting him and challenging his premises.
The questions can be designed to embarrass: in January, Brennan hit McCarthy with how his GOP caucus was full of "election deniers." (McCarthy came right back at that.)
Compare that to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in May, where the Democrat was allowed to offer 100-word answers without interruption.
On Sunday, the top story was the averted shutdown. Brennan didn't see any achievement by McCarthy, projecting that it would just lead to failure in a few weeks, and the House Republicans were the problem.
CBS’s @MargBrennan: “The House hasn’t passed anything about the border that could actually become law.” House @SpeakerMcCarthy: “Yes we have.” Brennan: “Not that could become law.” McCarthy: “That’s your opinion.” #FTN pic.twitter.com/N71WnLK8iI
— Brent Baker 🇺🇦 (@BrentHBaker) October 1, 2023
KEVIN McCARTHY: Well, it all comes down to the Senate. The Senate hasn't done one thing.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But, in the House, are we going to be facing another shutdown November 17?
McCARTHY: No, because the House is doing their work. We've already done more than 70 percent of it. So compare this to the Senate. The Senate hasn't passed one bill. The Senate didn't pass anything about the shutdown. The Senate hasn't passed anything about securing the border. The Senate hasn't passed anything about $100 a barrel.
BRENNAN: The House hasn't passed anything about the border that could actually could become law.
McCARTHY: Yes, we have.
BRENNAN: Not that could become law.
Brennan is somehow suggesting that the Senate could pass something that "could actually become law" whether the Republicans liked it or not. McCarthy suggested that Brennan should ask her next guest, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) about how bad the border crisis is. Notice Brennan asked anodyne questions -- "What do you want?" -- not challenging questions about her sanctuary-state hypocrisy. The Democrat gets to talk in paragraphs, not half-sentences:
BRENNAN: I want to ask you as well about the other crisis you've been raising alarms about, and that is the strain due to migrants. There were no border provisions in this congressional bill that just passed. And I know you've said you've had to manage without help from Washington. What would you ask Congress to get done in the next 45 days?
GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL: Well, shame on Speaker McCarthy and the Republicans in Congress, including the nine from New York state who are complaining like crazy about the migrants, but refuse to work with President Biden and come up with a sensible border strategy. It can be done. This can be done in a bipartisan way, comprehensive immigration reform, whether it's quotas, certain numbers…
BRENNAN: What specifically do you want?
HOCHUL: Well, we want them to have a limit on who can come across the border. It is too open right now. People coming from all over the world are finding their way through, simply saying they need asylum, and the majority of them seem to be ending up in the streets of New York. And that is a real problem for New York City, 125,000 newly arrived individuals. And we are being taxed.
Now, we are always so proud of the fact that New York has the Statue of Liberty in our harbor. We are one of the most diverse places on Earth because of our welcoming nature and our – it's in our DNA to welcome immigrants. But there has to be some limits in place. And Congress has to put more controls at the border, and not in this budget threat…
BRENNAN: Right.
HOCHUL: … shutdown threat talk about eliminating positions for Border Patrol, while we actually need to double or quadruple those numbers. So, get back to work and do your jobs.
The Democrat gets to shame Republicans, like that's what CBS invited her to do. Democrats are not responsible for a porous border.
