ABC, the same network that provided softball interviews with Barack
Obama on such subjects as singing and Abraham Lincoln, featured an
aggressive, hard-hitting segment with Mitt and Ann Romney, recycling the
President's talking points. On Monday's World News, Diane Sawyer parroted, "President Obama threw down a kind of gauntlet to you over the weekend. And he said, release 12 years of your tax returns." [MP3 audio here.]
After the Republican presidential candidate refused, Sawyer pushed,
"Release 12 years. If you have nothing to hide, why not release 12 years
as your father [Governor George Romney] did?"
Sawyer brought up
Romney's Mormon faith, prompting, "Would you sit down sometime and
really talk the two of you about something that holds a lot of curiosity
for people?"
Signaling that this would be a campaign issue, she continued, "So, do
the people think you're reluctant to talk about being Mormon?"
A version of the interview aired on Monday's Nightline. In
that segment, the journalist hectored the Republican about abortion,
lecturing, "...But to the women who said we've had the legal right for
40 years what do you say to them about no longer having that legal right
if you repeal Roe v. Wade?"
In contrast, when Sawyer interviewed Obama on March 30, 2011,
she found time for softball subjects, cooing, "What about the famous
quote from another beleaguered President, Abraham Lincoln, who said he
had been driven many times to his knees because his own wisdom and that
around him 'was insufficient for the day'?"
On January 26, 2012,
Sawyer quizzed the President on his singing ability and the Super Bowl:
"And speaking of sports teams, we asked the fan-in-chief, what is it,
Giants/Pats?"
The
reporter on Monday needled Romney on whether he has a "relatability
problem" with average Americans. She highlighted his "speaking fees, the
Cadillac, the story out now that there's an elevator for your cars in
the new house you're planning in La Jolla."
The full transcript of the interview can be found on ABC News.com.
Although it didn't make either World News or Nightline (but
is in the ABC transcript), Sawyer still made sure to ask about a
favorite liberal attack: Romney putting his dog in a crate on the roof
of the family car.
She pressed, "...First about Seamus-- which as you know is out there forever-- would you do it again?"
The contrast is clear in another way. Despite ABC touting this "exclusive," the interview didn't air until ten minutes into World News and ten minutes into Nightline.
A partial transcript of the March 16 World News segment, which aired at 6:37pm EDT, follows:
DIANE SAWYER: And now, Governor Mitt Romney and his wife Ann. In a
sense, this week is the first week in their 204 day journey towards
November, facing President and Mrs. Obama. Today, by the way, is Mrs.
Romney's birthday, a milestone they've been celebrating together since
she was 16 years old. Though recently, and perhaps for the first time
in their marriage, this mother of five has emerged in center stage in
the political campaign, as he gets his shot at the White House. It is
Patriot's Day at Fenway Park and I had a chance to ask the Romneys what
message they would send to the President and Mrs. Obama about November.
MITT ROMNEY: Start packing. [Laughs] That's what I'd like to say.
Obviously, we have a very different view. The President, I'm sure wants
another four years, but the first years didn't go so well and they've
added trillions of dollars of debt because he doesn't understand the
economy. He doesn't understand what it takes to get jobs for the
American people.
ANN ROMNEY: You know, I got to know Michelle. She's a lovely person.
I've never met Barack Obama, but I believe it's Mitt's time. I believe
that the country needs the kind of leadership that he is going to be
able to offer and I believe that he is the person who can turn around
the economy. So, I think it's our turn now.
SAWYER: But, there are problems to surmount, like the gender gap with women, though Mrs. Romney is now moving center stage.
HILARY ROSEN: His wife has actually never worked a day in her life.
She's never really dealt with the kinds of economic issues.
SAWYER: She was overheard last night at a fund-raiser saying it was a kind of birthday gift, the attack on her as a mom.
ANN ROMNEY: That wasn't how I meant it. It was a birthday gift to me
because I love the fact that we're talking about this. I love the fact
that women are talking about deficit spending and the economy. I love
that.
SAWYER: Do you think President and Mrs. Obama are biased against mothers who work at home?
ANN ROMNEY: You know, I don't. I think there was a comment that was
made. It was an unfortunate comment and I believe a lot of women are
responding to that because it was an unfortunate comment.
SAWYER: But, she, of course, said what she meant was that the
circumstances in which you were able to stay at home were a lot
different from so many.
ANN ROMNEY: Of course they were. And I will say, for me, financial
security has not been a huge issue. But that does not mean I'm not
compassionate. That does not mean that I have not had different
challenges.
SAWYER: As for the Governor, the Obama campaign is working overtime to
paint the portrait of a man whose riches have put him out of touch. The
speaking fees, the Cadillacs, the story out now that there's an
elevator for your cars in the new house you're planning in La Jolla. Are
you too rich to relate?
MITT ROMNEY: You know, we don't divide America based upon success and
wealth and other dimensions of that nature. We're one nation under God.
We come together. This is a time when people of different backgrounds
and experiences need to come together.
SAWYER: Do you think the fairness question is about envy? Is the fairness concern about envy?
MITT ROMNEY: Well, I think it's unfair that this President has been in
office three and a half years and 93 percent of the people who lost
their jobs have been women.
SAWYER: President Obama threw down a kind of gauntlet to you over the
weekend. And he said, release 12 years of your tax returns.
BARACK OBAMA: Be as transparent as possible.
SAWYER: Release 12 years. If you have nothing to hide, why not release 12 years as your father did?
MITT ROMNEY: Well, The President is going to try and do everything
possible to divert from the attention being focused upon his record as
president. He wants to be able to get all the details on each year and
how much money I made this year and that year, I'm not going to get into
that.
SAWYER: But John McCain disclosed that his vice presidential search
committee had seen 23 years of tax returns. Governor Romney says there's
other way he's disclosing information. For transparency sake, the rest
of the American public get 23 years?
MITT ROMNEY: Well, actually, the American public has through
legislation determined that we need an extraordinary set of disclosure
of financial records of people running for president. And I've complied
with all that. And then in addition, put out two more years of tax
returns. But, I understand that the Democrats are going to try and do
everything in their power to keep this election from being about the
failure of President Obama to turn around our economy.
-- Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
