ABC on Saturday fawned over the growing "bromance" between Bill Clinton and Chris Christie, hyping the relationship as like "Clooney and Pitt" and, oddly, "Han Solo and Chewbacca." Good Morning America reporter Reena Ninan touted the New Jersey Governor's appearance last week at the Clinton Global Initiative, enthusing, "There was Clooney and Pitt. Han Solo and Chewbacca." (Ninan didn't explain who is Chewbacca in this example.)
ABC clearly seemed pleased at Christie's relationship with the Democratic politician. A graphic touted, "Clinton & Christie's 'Bromance." Ninan repeatedly gushed, "It's a bromance...But a political bromance?" [MP3 audio here [1].]
Ninan pushed Hillary Clinton talking points: "Hillary Clinton told conference-goers her next big endeavor, focusing on the plight of women and children." On December 18, 2012, [2] Ninan extolled:
Rest is hard for Clinton. In the last four years, she's amassed more than 950,000 travel miles, while visiting 112 different countries. And as it looks more and more likely, Senator John Kerry, who will replace Clinton as Secretary of State, all of that jet setting may finally be coming to an end.
On Friday, NBC's Today touted Christie's appearance, noting that other Republicans chose to go talk to "religious conservatives. [3]"
A transcript of the June 15 segment is below:
7:14 ET
ABC GRAPHIC: The Odd Couple: Clinton & Christie's 'Bromance'; Republican Governor Take Stage at Clinton Event
BIANNA GOLODRYGA: We're going to turn politics now, the 2016 run for the White House. Too early. Well, not if you were in Chicago this week. That's where New Jersey Governor Chris Christie shared the stage with Bill Clinton for the Clinton Global Initiative meeting. But while everyone was talking about the show of bipartisanship, they were also wondering what if Christie faces off against another Clinton in three years? ABC's Reena Ninan has more from Chicago. Good morning, Reena.
REENA NINAN: Hi, Bianna. Good morning to you. It was billed as a non-political event, the two men talking about the lessons learned after super storm Sandy, but it was sure hard to ignore the politics in the air.
BILL CLINTON: Now, we're going to have a little fun.
NINAN: It's a bromance.
BILL CLINTON: A man whose reputation I have virtually ruined more than once.
NINAN: There was Clooney and Pitt. Han Solo and Chewbacca.
HARRISON FORD: Laugh it up, fuzz ball.
NINAN: But a political bromance?
BILL CLINTON: If you could make federal policy just by fiat, how would you–
CHRIS CHRISTIE: How great would that be?
BILL CLINTON: It looks better to me all the time.
NINAN: Crossing party lines and touting his work in the wake of super storm Sandy,
CHRISTIE: When this kind of thing happens, Republican, independent, Democrat, no matter who you are, what you are, you turn to government.
NINAN: If Christie runs in 2016, he might end up facing off against another Clinton.
HILLARY CLINTON: After visiting 112 nations over four years, I'm still jet-lagged.
NINAN: Hillary Clinton told conference-goers her next big endeavor, focusing on the plight of women and children.
HILLARY CLINTON: When women participate in politics, the effects ripple out across society.
NINAN: Was that a hint about 2016? We found her childhood girlfriends at the conference and asked. Is she going to run?
PATSY HENDERSON BOWLES: I don't know. I honestly don't know and I'm not sure she does either at this point.
KATHY CATRON: Yeah, I think she would run.
NINAN: You think she would?
CATRON: Yeah. Hope so. Hope so.
NINAN: She did join Twitter this week, highlighting herself as a pants suit aficionado and the rest? TBD. Meanwhile, the conservatives Christie would need to win a potential GOP nomination were meeting in Washington and potential rival Jeb Bush had this slip of the tongue when talking about immigration reform.
JEB BUSH: Immigrants are more fertile and they families they have more intact families and they have more intact families and they bring a younger population.
NINAN: Republicans may have a harder time forgiving Christie for lavishing praise on President Obama just week before the election for his help with Hurricane Sandy. But either way, from Washington to Chicago, the race to 2016 is on, Dan.
-- Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here [4] to follow him on Twitter.