By daring to stand up for herself in recent exchange with President Obama, the media quickly labeled Arizona Governor Jan Brewer a villain. On Thursday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams was aghast: "Who have you ever seen talking to the president like this?....The governor of Arizona with her finger in the face of the President of the United States. You don't see that often or maybe ever." [Listen to the audio [1]]
In the report that followed, White House correspondent Kristen Welker piled on with nasty sound bites attacking Brewer. A clip of left-wing MSNBC host Martin Bashir echoing Williams: "Is that really how we're supposed to behave towards the President of the United States?" Followed by NBC News presidential historian Michael Beschloss proclaiming: "She may feel this will score some points with Obama-haters in Arizona, but nationally, this is unusual enough that I'm not sure it's going to help her."
Sound bites were also included from Brewer herself explaining: "I welcomed him and thanked him for being here....He immediately took umbrage, if you will, with my book that I wrote, "Scorpions for Breakfast," and was somewhat disgruntled..."
Welker countered Brewer with White House statements: "Today the White House described the incident as 'overblown,' but said, 'The president did note that after their last meeting, a cordial discussion in the Oval Office, the Governor inaccurately described the meeting.'"
Concluding her report, Welker added: "President Obama weighed in during an interview with ABC News, saying the whole thing was really not a big deal. He also said, and this is a direct quote, Brian, 'I think it's always good publicity for a Republican if they're in an argument with me.'"
Thursday's CBS Evening News was even worse in its coverage [2] of the incident, as Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer denounced "such public rudeness" by Brewer.
Here is a full transcript of the January 26 segment:
7:00PM ET TEASE:
BRIAN WILLIAMS: Also, finger pointing. That photo everybody was talking about today. Who have you ever seen talking to the president like this and what was this all about?
7:06PM ET SEGMENT:
WILLIAMS: All of this takes us to the photo everybody's been talking about today. The governor of Arizona with her finger in the face of the President of the United States. You don't see that often or maybe ever. So what was this all about? For more on that and the president's ongoing road trip, White House correspondent Kristen Welker in Aurora, Colorado.
KRISTEN WELKER: On the road to sell his State of the Union message, this image of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer pointing at President Obama has taken center stage.
JAN BREWER: I welcomed him and thanked him for being here.
WELKER: On Wednesday, Governor Brewer met the president at the airport in Mesa, Arizona. Brewer said she handed him an envelope requesting a meeting to discuss border issues, and that's when, she says, things got tense.
BREWER: He immediately took umbrage, if you will, with my book that I wrote, "Scorpions for Breakfast," and was somewhat disgruntled, if you will, about the way he was portrayed in the book.
WELKER: In the book, Brewer describes two meetings with the president, including one at the White House in 2010, in which she says the president was, quote, "condescending," and lectured her over immigration issues.
BREWER: I don't know why he was surprised by my book, but he evidently is. And he's very thin-skinned in regards to it.
WELKER: Today the White House described the incident as "overblown," but said, "The president did note that after their last meeting, a cordial discussion in the Oval Office, the Governor inaccurately described the meeting." The incident was fodder for cable news.
STEVE DOOCEY [CO-HOST, FOX & FRIENDS]: It's the tiff on the tarmac.
MARTIN BASHIR [HOST, MSNBC'S MARTIN BASHIR]: Is that really how we're supposed to behave towards the President of the United States?
MICHAEL BESCHLOSS [NBC NEWS PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN]: She may feel this will score some points with Obama-haters in Arizona, but nationally, this is unusual enough that I'm not sure it's going to help her.
WELKER: Now this afternoon, President Obama weighed in during an interview with ABC News, saying the whole thing was really not a big deal. He also said, and this is a direct quote, Brian, "I think it's always good publicity for a Republican if they're in an argument with me." President Obama now heads to Michigan, where he will discuss new education policies tomorrow. Brian.
WILLIAMS: Kristen Welker, traveling with the President in Colorado tonight. Kristen, thanks.
- Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. Click here [3] to follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.