NBC's Williams Decries 'People Who Had Never Been to Wisconsin' Donating to Recall Race
Remarking that Wisconsin voters had "decided to leave their governor in office" on Wednesday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams contemptuously declared that "money
flowed into that state from all over the country, from people who had
never been to Wisconsin, had no connection to Wisconsin. Part of the new and unlimited spending that is changing politics in a hurry." [Listen to the audio]
After Williams credited the out-of-state money for "a huge victory for
the Republicans," chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd
breathlessly proclaimed: "Walker and national Republicans responded
aggressively [to the recall], launching an unprecedented fundraising and
TV ad campaign, outspending Barrett and his labor allies by a 3 to 1
margin on the air alone. Overall, nearly as much money was spent in this
one state for one election than Mitt Romney has spent to secure the
Republican presidential nomination."
Wrapping up his report, Todd again hyped the GOP's financial advantage
in the race: "Democrats here, Brian, are shell-shocked in Washington
about how badly labor was outspent in Wisconsin....it is unbelievable.
More money spent in Wisconsin, same amount of money that Bush and Gore
each spent just 12 years ago running for president."
Wednesday's CBS Evening News similarly highlighted the money
issue as the main reason for Walker's victory, with correspondent Dean
Reynold's asking the Governor: "How do you assure people that you are
not beholden to these interests from out of state that poured money into
your campaign?"
After Walker explained that "70% of our donations came from people
giving us 50 bucks or less," Reynolds pressed: "Do you think you could
have won without the financial assistance that you got? You've been
raising money since you took office, really."
Introducing a report that followed on the amount of money spent in the
race, anchor Scott Pelley echoed Williams as he announced: "The
Wisconsin battle also was a preview of how much money is changing
politics these days. Donations flooded into the state on both sides....A
lot of it from wealthy individuals."
While Pelley mentioned money flowing to "both sides," correspondent Nancy Cordes spent much her report focused on Republicans:
Democrats like to say Mayor Barrett didn't stand a chance against Governor Walker's money. His $30 million war chest dwarfed Barrett's $4 million thanks to a 25-year-old Wisconsin law that allows office holders facing a recall to raise unlimited funds. Houston homebuilder Bob Perry and Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who've given millions to Super-PACs, each gave Walker $250,000. Wisconsin billionaire Diane Hendricks gave him $500,000.
Cordes mentioned: "Democratic groups spent $15 million on ads and
get-out-the-vote efforts. $8 million of that came from unions, 4 of it
from the government workers union." But she quickly returned to the GOP
coffers: "And of the $18 million Republican groups spent, 9 of it came
from the Republican Governors Association. $3 million from Americans for
Prosperity, a group backed by the billionaire brothers Charles and
David Koch."
Unlike NBC and CBS, Wednesday's ABC World News covered the results of Wisconsin recall without pushing the money angle.
Earlier Wednesday, all three network morning shows fretted over the "massive spending gap" between Walker and Barrett.
Here is a full transcript of the June 6 Nightly News report:
7:03PM ET
BRIAN WILLIAMS: Also at the polls last night, the voters of Wisconsin
decided to leave their governor in office after a recall election. But
it wasn't just a Wisconsin election, because money flowed into that
state from all over the country, from people who had never been to
Wisconsin, had no connection to Wisconsin. Part of the new and unlimited
spending that is changing politics in a hurry. And at the end of the
day, it was a huge victory for the Republicans. Our report tonight from
our political director Chuck Todd.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Governor, congratulations.
CHUCK TODD: Scott Walker at a steel plant outside Milwaukee basking in
the glow of his victory over Democrat Tom Barrett Tuesday, but striking a
conciliatory tone.
SCOTT WALKER: Today, the election's over. We're no longer political
opponents, we're all Wisconsinites. And I think overwhelmingly, there's
more that unites us than divides us.
TODD: Walker first defeated Barrett for the job in 2010, then led a
successful Republican effort to strip away most collective bargaining
rights for the state's public employees in March 2011, prompting labor
unions and Democrats to target him for recall. Walker and national
Republicans responded aggressively, launching an unprecedented
fundraising and TV ad campaign, outspending Barrett and his labor allies
by a 3 to 1 margin on the air alone. Overall, nearly as much money was
spent in this one state for one election than Mitt Romney has spent to
secure the Republican presidential nomination. National Republicans were
quick today to use Walker's victory as a rallying cry for November.
JOHN BOEHNER: The American people have had it with big government and high taxes and a regulatory system that knows no bounds.
TODD: But Walker himself seemed hesitant to draw national conclusions,
noting Mitt Romney trails the President in his home state.
WALKER: I think he is an underdog. I think he'd acknowledge he's an underdog, particularly here in Wisconsin.
TODD: Walker benefitted from the fact that Wisconsin voters seemed
conflicted about the recall process. In exit rolls, 60% said the recall
should only be used against office holders who commit official
misconduct. That sentiment was clear today.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN A: It just seems like some people were mad they
didn't get their way and it was kind of sour grapes and just kind of
really took things to a whole other level.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN B: I don't think all the money was worth it. I mean in the end, he still won. What was the point?
TODD: You know, Democrats here, Brian, are shell-shocked in Washington
about how badly labor was outspent in Wisconsin. In fact, one party
leader used his Wisconsin press release here as a plea in search of
their own big Democratic personal donors trying to kick in more money
there. Brian, it is unbelievable. More money spent in Wisconsin, same
amount of money that Bush and Gore each spent just 12 years ago running
for president.
WILLIAMS: Alright, Chuck Todd from our D.C. newsroom tonight on what happened last night. Chuck, thanks.
Here is a full transcript of the June 6 Evening News report:
6:34PM ET
SCOTT
PELLEY: Unions were evaluating this loss today. Gerald McEntee,
president of the leading public employees union said quote, "Even with
this loss, Wisconsin's voters have sent a clear message that attacks on
workers' rights will not go unchallenged. Working families may not win
every fight but this struggle is far from over."
The Wisconsin battle also was a preview of how much money is changing
politics these days. Donations flooded into the state on both sides. The
recall election may have cost more than $75 million, and about half of
that came from outside Wisconsin. A lot of it from wealthy individuals.
We asked Nancy Cordes to look into that.
NANCY CORDES: Democrats like to say Mayor Barrett didn't stand a chance
against Governor Walker's money. His $30 million war chest dwarfed
Barrett's $4 million thanks to a 25-year-old Wisconsin law that allows
office holders facing a recall to raise unlimited funds. Houston
homebuilder Bob Perry and Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who've
given millions to Super-PACs, each gave Walker $250,000. Wisconsin
billionaire Diane Hendricks gave him $500,000.
But money from outside groups helped both candidates. Democratic groups
spent $15 million on ads and get-out-the-vote efforts. $8 million of
that came from unions, 4 of it from the government workers union. And of
the $18 million Republican groups spent, 9 of it came from the
Republican Governors Association. $3 million from Americans for
Prosperity, a group backed by the billionaire brothers Charles and David
Koch.
TIM PHILLIPS [PRESIDENT, AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY]: You have to have a
ground game that matches the Left door to door, neighborhood to
neighborhood.
CORDES: Tim Phillips runs Americans for Prosperity. Beyond paying for
ads, his group sent 75 staffers into Wisconsin to knock on doors.
PHILLIPS: They're now going back to states like Florida and Ohio and
Michigan and Colorado, and they're going to keep doing the same
grassroots work, educating folks candidly on President Obama's
disastrous economic record and what folks can do about it.
CORDES: The heavy spending in this race shows that these large outside
groups from both parties are increasingly interested in investing, not
just in the presidential race, but in state races and congressional
races, Scott, where a few million dollars can make a big difference.
PELLEY: Thanks for the insight, Nancy.
-- Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.
