CBS Continues Network Obsession With Clinton Baby, Declares Her ‘Political Royalty’
While ABC and NBC have moved on from their over-the-top gushing over Chelsea Clinton’s baby, CBS felt the need to continue to obsess over the announcement on Monday’s CBS This Morning.
Reporter Bill Plante offered up a healthy dose of Clinton cheerleading when he proclaimed the baby to be the “newest member of a family of political royalty.”
Co-host Norah O’Donnell introduced the segment by playing up “the speculation over a famous former Secretary of State's next job title can be put to rest this morning. Hillary Clinton is now being called grandmother. Chelsea Clinton gave birth to a girl Friday evening in New York City and Bill Plante is in Washington with the arrival shared on social media. ”
Bill Plante then proceeded to hype how “little Charlotte became an instant celebrity. Her proud grandparents just like any others quickly shared pictures with Grandma Hillary tweeting that they were over the moon and Grandpa Bill saying they couldn't be happier.”
After playing soundbites of all three members of the Clinton family expressing their joy over the newest Clinton, Plante predictably brought up how the baby might impact Hillary’s 2016 presidential ambitions:
And as the Clinton family embraces the joy of its new edition, the inevitable speculation has already begun. Will Hillary Clinton be content with being a grandmother or will she be looking for another job as well.
Unsurprisingly, CBS was not the first network to declare Chelsea Clinton’s baby to be part of a political dynasty. Last week, CNN’s Don Lemon claimed the Clinton baby was “our version of a royal baby.” During a segment on Saturday’s NBC Nightly News, reporter Kristen Welker spoke to liberal historian Michael Beschloss who eagerly declared “Chelsea Clinton has been famous, world famous since she was about 12 years old. So it's almost like the British royal family.
See relevant transcript below.
CBS This Morning
September 29, 2014
NORAH O’DONNELL: The speculation over a famous former Secretary of State's next job title can be put to rest this morning. Hillary Clinton is now being called grandmother. Chelsea Clinton gave birth to a girl Friday evening in New York City and Bill Plante is in Washington with the arrival shared on social media. Bill, good morning.
BILL PLANTE: Good morning Norah. That's right. The announcement came via Twitter just after midnight on Saturday morning in a tweet from Chelsea Clinton announcing the birth of the newest member of a family of political royalty. “Marc and I are full of love, awe, and gratitude” she wrote “as we celebrate the birth of our daughter Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky.” Little Charlotte became an instant celebrity. Her proud grandparents just like any others quickly shared pictures with Grandma Hillary tweeting that they were over the moon and Grandpa Bill saying they couldn't be happier.
BILL CLINTON: I hope get an excused absence.
PLANTE: Bill Clinton canceled an appearance at a Colorado fund-raiser to greet his new granddaughter, apologizing to the crowd over speaker phone.
CLINTON: I really would love to be there in person but you all know my family just got a little bigger and I thought I better stay home where I'm needed.
PLANTE: The newest Clinton was eagerly anticipated as Hillary Clinton told Charlie Rose back in July.
HILLARY CLINTON: You know, I'm about to have my first grandchild which I'm thrilled about. I can't wait. I want to see what that feels like. I'm not going to skip over it. I want to really be present as I meet this new person in our family.
PLANTE: And Bill Clinton got some high-profile advice from another grandfather in chief.
GEORGE W. BUSH: Be prepared to fall completely in love again. You're not going to believe it. You're just not going to believe the joy and the fun. Get ready also to be like the lowest person in the pecking order in your family.
PLANTE: Chelsea who turned 13 just after her father became president was kept very much out of the spotlight growing up but she gradually assumed a very public role, even giving an interview in the final weeks of her pregnancy explaining why she decided to keep her baby's gender a secret.
CHELSEA CLINTON: My husband and I decided that we would enjoy this mystery for the nine-plus months that we were granted and we are eager to find out what God will have given us.
PLANTE: And as the Clinton family embraces the joy of its new edition, the inevitable speculation has already begun. Will Hillary Clinton be content with being a grandmother or will she be looking for another job as well. Gayle?
GAYLE KING: Yes, thank you Bill Plante. That's what I was thinking too Charlie.O’DONNELL: No greater joy than being a parent and certainly a grandparent. As my parents always say, it's always good when you can say good-bye at the end of the night to the kids. Love you, mom, love you, mom.
— Jeffrey Meyer is a News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Jeffrey Meyer on Twitter.
