NBC Keeps Hammering Christie Scandal But Ignores Senate Spending Bill
NBC continued hitting the Christie scandal on Thursday evening while
the CBS and ABC evening newscasts have not reported it since Tuesday.
The NBC Nightly News has already given the story a good chunk more
coverage than the other network evening news shows, and while it
devoted a short segment to the bridge scandal it didn't even have time
to report the Senate passing a massive $1.1 trillion spending bill that
would avert a government shutdown – something both CBS and ABC reported
on Thursday night.
"In
New Jersey, there's late word tonight of a widening investigation of
the George Washington Bridge scandal involving the administration of
Governor Chris Christie," began anchor Brian Williams on Thursday.
Correspondent Kelly O'Donnell reported on a special committee that would
subpoena documents and persons involved with the case.
As BiasAlert reported on Wednesday, former Nightly News
anchor Tom Brokaw remarked that the American public is ready for the
media to "move on" from the Christie story. Neither CBS nor ABC thought
the Christie story newsworthy on Thursday.
However, both networks reported the Senate's passing of the budget compromise. As CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley stated:
"Late today, the Senate gave final congressional approval to that compromise $1.1 trillion spending bill to keep the government running past a midnight Saturday night deadline. The measure now goes to the President for his signature."
ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer said, "the Senate has passed a big, new budget deal. The compromise, which effectively avoids another government shutdown."
Below is a transcript of the segment:
NBC
NIGHTLY NEWS
1/16/14
[7:06 p.m. EST]
BRIAN WILLIAMS: In New Jersey, there's late word tonight of a widening
investigation of the George Washington Bridge scandal involving the
administration of Governor Chris Christie. And subpoenas that are coming
out now, almost two dozen people and organizations will be ordered to
provide documents to a legislative committee. We get the latest tonight
from NBC's Kelly O'Donnell. She is in Trenton. Kelly, good evening.
KELLY O'DONNELL: Good evening, Brian. This is a specially formed
committee that has brand new subpoena power and using it, looking for
documents like e-mails from 17 individuals and three organizations. I'm
told expect that to be the governor's office, his re-election campaign,
and the Port Authority. That's more than lawmakers told us to originally
expect. Now the governor himself is not being subpoenaed. No names are
given right now. Governor Christie spent the day out at the Jersey shore
visiting with Hurricane Sandy survivors.
His office has hired a former federal prosecutor. The committee brought
in the prosecutor that tried Illinois governor Blagojevich. Governor
Christie says that he will not be distracted by this bridge scandal and
told constituents nothing will get in the way of his doing his job.
— Matt Hadro is a News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Matt Hadro on Twitter.
