Networks Offer Skimpy Coverage of the President's Call for Higher Taxes, CBS Parrots Obama
The President on Tuesday made a major campaign offensive against his
likely Republican opponent, but four out of the six network evening news and
morning shows ignored it. Barack Obama's call to raise taxes only
appeared on Tuesday's CBS Evening News and a brief sentence on Wednesday's Today.
CBS reporter Norah O'Donnell parroted, "Mr. Obama says making wealthier Americans pay more in taxes is an issue of fundamental fairness."
At no point in the Evening News segment did O'Donnell feature any clips of someone opposing the so-called Buffett rule. She didn't even try to summerize opposition to the bill.
In the Florida speech, the President called for an increase on taxes on stock and bond dividends from 15 to 30 percent for anyone making at least one million dollars.
However, at least the Washington Post, in a Wednesday write-up, took the time to explain:
Republicans charged that the White House is playing pure politics, engaging in “class warfare” with the rule to win middle-class votes. They said the legislation would raise $47 billion in revenue, barely making a dent in helping pay down the burgeoning national debt of $15.6 trillion.
Instead of noting this, O'Donnell summarized that 15 percent is "about
what Mitt Romney paid in 2010." "Billionaire investor Warren Buffet says
it's unfair and wealthier Americans should pay more," she added.
NBC's Nightly News and ABC's World News both skipped Obama's speech, as did CBS This Morning.
One has to wonder, if the liberal journalists at these networks thought the speech would be helpful to the President, why didn't they cover it?
NBC's Today only briefly covered it. Natalie Morales explained
that "the President is intensifying his push for the so-called Buffett
Rule, named for billionaire Warren Buffet. The measure argues that
wealthy Americans should not pay taxes at a lower rate than middle-class
taxpayers pay."
[Thanks to intern Josh St. Louis for the transcript.]
A transcript of the April 10 Evening News segment, which aired at 6:33pm EDT, follows:
SCOTT
PELLEY: For his part, the President took his re-election campaign to
Florida today. He hammered away at what will be one of his main themes
against Governor Romney, that high-income earners should pay more in
taxes. Norah O'Donnell is at the White House tonight. Norah?
