CBS's Rose Filibusters Barbour's Attack on Obama 'Ripping' Constitution
Charlie Rose seemingly can't handle a Republican attacking President
Obama, as he interrupted Haley Barbour on Monday's CBS This Morning.
Rose took Rick Santorum's criticism of JFK out of context in a question
to Barbour. When the former RNC head accused Obama of "forcing...abortion pills" on the Catholic Church, the anchor replied, "Wait...he [Santorum] was talking about...Kennedy, not...Obama" [audio available here ].
Just over a month earlier, Rose took issue with Senator Marco Rubio
accusing the chief executive of being "divisive." Rubio tried to use
the President's State of the Union as an example, but the journalist
also interrupted the Florida Republican, and touted that "I saw
him honoring the military of America and a lot other things where we
should be coming together. That doesn't seem to be divisive."
The CBS morning show anchor led his interview of the former Mississippi
governor by highlighting a Politico/George Washington University poll
that, in his words, "suggests that while the Republicans are
fighting each other, the President's poll numbers are going up both on
job approval, as well as right track." However, three out of five polls taken since February 14 on Obama's job approval (including the Politico one) have it dropping by two to eight points.
Barbour replied that "the economy is being ballyhooed by the administration and a lot of people in the media, as if there's this great surge in the economy....this is not a real recovery....the attention is being taken away from Obama's policies and the results of those policies, which are mighty poor."
Later in the interview, Rose raised Santorum's comments on President
Kennedy. The former Pennsylvania senator explained his criticism of the
sole Catholic president on ABC's This Week on Sunday: "Kennedy for the
first time articulated the vision saying, no, faith is not allowed in
the public square. I will keep it separate....To say that people of faith have no role in the public square, you bet, that makes you throw up." But the anchor oversimplified the remark as "Santorum suggesting that he wanted to throw up when he heard President Kennedy's speech to the Baptists in Texas."
This led to Barbour's attack on Obama over the controversial federal
contraception mandate, as well as the anchor's interruption:
BARBOUR: Well, when the President rips the Constitution to shreds, in
terms of the rights of the Catholic Church- religious constitutional
rights by forcing on them- not contraception, but abortion pills. I
mean, what we're talking about here-
ROSE: No, I mean about President Kennedy- wait, Governor, you know, he was talking about President Kennedy, not President Obama.
BARBOUR Well, I was taking your question to be when the campaign turns
to these issues, people are not going to ignore what the administration
did. As far as the speech on President Kennedy- candidly, I didn't even
know it happened until I saw the little clip just a minute ago. We
believe in separation of church and state. But we don't believe in
freedom from religion. We believe in freedom of religion. We don't
believe that if you're a Christian, you can't be involved in politics.
That's the Soviet Union, where that used to be the law. In our country,
remember, the civil rights movement was led by Catholic priests, by
Jewish rabbis, by Protestant clergymen. And I assume- because I didn't
hear it- but I assume that's all that Rick Santorum was saying.
Barbour apparently didn't even need to hear all of Santorum's speech to know what he was talking about, but Rose was too busy running to the President's defense to care.
The full transcript of Charlie Rose's interview of former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, which aired eight minutes into the 7 am Eastern hour of Monday's CBS This Morning:
CHARLIE ROSE: Former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour is with us now.
He's a former chairman of the Republican National Committee. Governor,
good morning.
HALEY BARBOUR, (R), FORMER MISSISSIPPI GOVERNOR: Good morning, Charlie. Thanks for having me.
[CBS News Graphic: "Race For The White House: Barbour On Race For GOP Nom"]
ROSE: Governor, there's a- the latest poll out suggests that while the
Republicans are fighting each other, the President's poll numbers are
going up both on job approval, as well as right track. What's going on?
[CBS News Graphic: "Politico/George Washington University Battleground
Poll: Obama's Overall Job Approval: Approve, 53%; Disapprove, 45%;
Believe America Is On The Right Track: Today, 35%, November, 18%; Margin
of Error: +/- 3.1%"]
BARBOUR: Well, first of all, the economy is being ballyhooed by the
administration and a lot of people in the media, as if there's this
great surge in the economy. Fortunately, there is a little improvement
in the economy, but it's anemic. I mean, this is not a real recovery,
and you can still tell it on Main Street.
And, the other thing, of course, is when four Republican candidates are
contesting each other for the nomination in a hard-fought race, the
attention is being taken away from Obama's policies and the results of
those policies, which are mighty poor. And any time we're not talking
about Obama's policies and the results of those policies, we're not
talking about what's the best thing for Republicans in the election.
ROSE: What happens if Rick Santorum wins Michigan? Does that mean it goes all the way to the convention?
BARBOUR: Oh, I'm not sure you could say that, but it would certainly be
bad for Romney. I mean, this is Romney's home state- he won it last
time- so it would be a real setback. And if he were to lose in Michigan,
and then, Santorum or Gingrich or both have a big day on Super Tuesday,
then you could see an election that goes all the way to the convention.
That's up to the Republican voters, Charlie. I can't predict what's
going to happen or not. But the fact that there is an outside
possibility- and I think that's the most that there is, an outside
possibility- is unusual in American politics. Usually, the primary
voters come to a conclusion, and thus far, they haven't. But I would
remind you, Charlie, since you and I have been around a long time,
normally-
[CBS News Graphic: "Politico/George Washington University Battleground
Poll: Most Electable Candidate: Romney, 56%; Santorum 28%; Gingrich, 6%;
Paul, 2%; Margin of Error: +/- 3.1%"]
ROSE: Thanks, Governor- (Rose and Hill laugh)
BARBOUR: Historically, these nomination contests don't start until
February. You know, I can remember when the New Hampshire primary was
up- way up in February-
ROSE: Right-
BARBOUR: So it's still mighty early in the game.
ROSE: What do you think of the rise of, sort of- of social conservative
issues and Rick Santorum suggesting that he wanted to throw up when he
heard President Kennedy's speech to the Baptists in Texas?
BARBOUR: Well, when the President rips the Constitution to shreds, in
terms of the rights of the Catholic Church- religious constitutional
rights by forcing on them- not contraception, but abortion pills. I
mean, what we're talking about here-
ROSE: No, I mean about President Kennedy- wait, Governor, you know, he
was talking about President Kennedy, not President Obama.
BARBOUR Well, I was taking your question to be when the campaign turns
to these issues, people are not going to ignore what the administration
did. As far as the speech on President Kennedy- candidly, I didn't even
know it happened until I saw the little clip just a minute ago. We
believe in separation of church and state. But we don't believe in
freedom from religion. We believe in freedom of religion. We don't
believe that if you're a Christian, you can't be involved in politics.
That's the Soviet Union, where that used to be the law. In our country,
remember, the civil rights movement was led by Catholic priests, by
Jewish rabbis, by Protestant clergymen. And I assume- because I didn't
hear it- but I assume that's all that Rick Santorum was saying.
ROSE: One last question before we go to Erica here- this notion of
electability. It says that voters still want to vote for the republican,
send the Republican nomination to the person they think is most likely,
and polls continue to show that's Mitt Romney. Why haven't you endorsed
Mitt Romney?
BARBOUR: Well, I didn't endorse anybody in 2008, and I'm not going to
endorse anybody this time. But I will say, this is my 12th presidential
campaign, and I have heard much, much more often than ever before that
issue. Who's got the best chance to beat obama? I want to be for the one
who's got the best chance to beat obama, and let's face it-
ROSE: Who do you think that is?
BARBOUR: Well, the Republican primary voters are going to decide that.
(Hill laughs) But I will tell you this: whoever we nominate, Barack
Obama is the great uniter of Republicans.
ROSE: Thank you, Governor.
BARBOUR: Thank you, Charlie.
[CBS News Graphic: "Politico/George Washington University Battleground
Poll: Who Would You Vote For President? Obama, 53%; Romney, 43%; Margin
of Error: +/- 3.1%"]
