Non-Partisan? CNN Uses Dem Talking Point to 'Fact-Check' Romney Ad
For a network claiming to be non-partisan, CNN was quite partisan on
Thursday when it used a Democratic talking point to fact-check a claim
made by many conservatives. Anchor Brooke Baldwin focused on a Romney
campaign ad claiming, as many conservatives are, that the Obama
administration is infringing on religious liberty with its contraception
mandate.
"One, this article is an opinion piece," Baldwin said of a headline in
the ad accusing Obama of waging "war on religion," adding that "it came
out actually before the President made this compromise back in February
when he compromised putting birth control mandates on insurance
companies and not on religious employers, right?" That was enough for
her to ask if the ad was "misleading."
Of
course, what Obama called a "compromise" still led to dozens of
Catholic institutions launching a massive lawsuit against the Obama
administration, so Romney and conservatives still have quite a valid
point when they argue that religious freedom is threatened by Obama --
despite liberal claims to the contrary.
Also, just because a headline in the ad is from an op-ed
does not mean that it is misleading or wrong, and Michael Gergen's
piece that Romney cited was not the only case of someone crying "war on
religion." Baldwin can't simply ask if this "war on religion" claim is "misleading" just
because it's an opinion that many conservatives strongly agree
with.
"You don't think this ad's fair?" Baldwin pressed her guest, Rep.
Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). Shortly afterward, she asked the
congresswoman about another Romney campaign ad on welfare that CNN found
dishonest. The fact that CNN lumped together a conservative opinion
with an ad it found dishonest made its "fact-check" even more partisan.
A transcript of the segment, which aired on August 9 on Starting Point at 7:07 a.m. EDT, is as follows:
BROOKE BALDWIN: Politics, here we go. President Obama continues his
campaign through Colorado today as Mitt Romney swings through both New
York and New Jersey. And this morning Romney's campaign is unleashing
this tough new attack here against the President in this new ad. What it
does is it accuses him of trampling on religious freedoms with his
newly-enacted birth control mandate. Roll the clip.
(Video Clip)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who shares your values?
[HEADLINE: "'Obama's Insurance Decision Declares War on Religion': San Antonio Express-News, 02.01.2012"]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Obama used his health care plan to declare
war on religion, forcing religious institutions to go against their
faith. Mitt Romney believes that's wrong. When religious freedom is
threatened, who do you want to stand with?
MITT ROMNEY, Republican presidential candidate: I am Mitt Romney and I approve this message.
(End Video Clip)
BALDWIN: That ad slams the President for requiring insurance companies
to cover birth control even for employees of religious institutions, and
Republican Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn is a Romney supporter. She is
out and about in Virginia campaigning for him today. She is also a
member of the "Women for Mitt" coalition. Congresswoman Blackburn,
welcome and good morning to you.
Rep. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R-Tenn.), Romney campaign surrogate: Good morning to you. Good to be with you.
BALDWIN: Good to have you with us. Let's just begin as we started with
that ad, sort of the news of the day. And so this ad that's out today
really hinges upon this headline in this San Antonio newspaper, so let
me just read the headline for you. This is from the San Antonio
Express-News, the headline is "Obama Insurance Decision Declares War on
Religion." But I have to point out two things here. One, this article is
an opinion piece. It is an op-ed in this paper, and, number two, it
came out actually before the President made this compromise back in
February when he compromised putting birth control mandates on insurance
companies and not on religious employers, right? So given those two,
we'll call them caveats, do you find this ad misleading, congresswoman?
BLACKBURN: Well, no. I think that when you look at what has transpired
through HHS and the Secretary, and the steps that they have taken
progressively through the ObamaCare debate – and let's go back to '09
and look at the conversations that were taking place around that bill.
What they were trying to do was give more power to HHS and take it away
from the states and from Congress, the elected representatives of the
people.
BALDWIN: But, Congresswoman, we're talking --
BLACKBURN: – as they did this, they came up -- no, no, no, let me –
well let me give you – establish the predicate. Let's establish the
predicate on this. Because what you have is over 2,400 new mandates that
are found in the ObamaCare bill. One of these, and it was the subject
of debate in Health Care Subcommittee, in Energy and Commerce Committee,
both where I sit, where I hold a seat on those committees. This was the
subject of debate, great discussion. This was not going to trample on
any of our religious freedoms –
(Crosstalk)
BALDWIN: But Congresswoman, forgive me, but we're –
BLACKBURN: It wasn't going to force – and you were supposed to be able to keep the insurance that you liked.
BALDWIN: I know, but we're talking 2012 and we're talking about this
compromise and the ad that is out today – today – this was an opinion
piece. You don't think this ad's fair?
BLACKBURN: I understand that you are. But in order to look at the ad,
you have to go back and look what transpired through the process and the
fact that this has all been, you know, it's just like so many other
things, whether it is cost of insurance going up over $2,300, whether
it's cramping the access to health care, whether it is forcing religious
institutions – what you've got is the federal government and the
ObamaCare bill trying to limit your freedoms. It is going to increase
your taxes. The Supreme Court even says it's (Inaudible). It is going to
increase costs.
(Crosstalk)
BALDWIN: I understand. But let me just jump in, because I hear you when
you're saying it's misleading, but – I only have so much time, and I
just want to get to another ad.
-- Matt Hadro is a News Analyst at the Media Research Center
