CBS's Bill Plante Minimizes Pro-Gun Rights Voices; Slants 3 to 1 In Favor of Gun Control

Bill Plante apparently couldn't be bothered to find more than one conservative/Republican for his report on Wednesday's CBS This Morning. Plante aired one soundbite from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, but followed it with three straight clips from liberals/gun control supporters - White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, the Brady Campaign's Dan Gross, and Kentucky Rep. John Yarmuth, who attacked the NRA's leadership as "bullies".

The correspondent hyped supposed "public outrage over the massacre [that] has also emboldened members of Congress to challenge the power of the gun lobby." Plante also spotlighted the NRA's multi-million dollar lobbying campaign in 2012:

PLANTE: You know, the NRA is one of Washington's most powerful lobbying groups....[It] spent $17 million this year to influence legislation and public opinion. It will be looking out for its interests long after the outrage subsides.

The CBS morning show aired a promo on the gun control issue just after the top of the 7 am Eastern hour, which featured a clip CNN's Piers Morgan Tuesday night outburst [1] at Larry Pratt of the Gun Owners of America. Morgan slammed Pratt as an "unbelievably stupid man" for his support of the Second Amendment and the right to self defense.

Just over ten minutes later, Plante filed his report from right outside the NRA's headquarters in Virginia. He led with his "most powerful" label of the organization, and soon added that "in a statement, the NRA said it is 'prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again', and that it will offer more details at a news conference on Friday."

Moments later, the CBS veteran played his sole clip from Senator McConnell, but only after noting that "the leader of Senate Republicans joined the chorus of politicians who are suggesting that something needs to be done." So Plante couldn't even find an outspoken supporter of gun rights for the segment.

The correspondent spent the rest of his report on the efforts of gun control advocates. Near its conclusion, he bemoaned how "change doesn't happen quickly in Washington. There have been about a dozen attempts to bring back the assault weapons ban. They've all failed in congressional committee."

Plante's three-to-one slant in soundbites is a slight improvement from his report on Monday's CBS This Morning, which had a four-to-one bias [2] in favor of new firearms regulations. Overall, the morning newscast has displayed a pro-gun control bias over the past two-plus weeks [3], even before the Friday slaughter in Connecticut.

The full transcript of Bill Plante's report from Wednesday's CBS This Morning:

NORAH O'DONNELL: And President Obama announces today that a new White House task force will look at changes in federal gun policy. Also, this morning, for the first time, the National Rifle Association is responding to the Newtown attack.

Bill Plante is at NRA headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia, just outside of Washington. Bill, good morning.

[CBS News Graphic: "Sandy Hook Aftermath: Obama To Unveil Task Force In Wake Of Shooting"]

BILL PLANTE: Good morning, Norah. You know, the NRA is one of Washington's most powerful lobbying groups. But for four days after the killings in Newtown, it had nothing to say - nothing on its website, on Facebook, or on Twitter. But Tuesday, with politicians of every stripe now calling for some kind of action, the NRA broke its silence, saying that it was shocked, saddened, and heartbroken by the murders, and that it had refrained from commenting out of respect for the families.

[CBS News Graphic: "Breaking Its Silence: 'Shocked' NRA Plans Friday News Conference"]

PLANTE (voice-over): In a statement, the NRA said it is 'prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again', and that it will offer more details at a news conference on Friday.

In Congress, the leader of Senate Republicans joined the chorus of politicians who are suggesting that something needs to be done.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL, (R), MINORITY LEADER (from press conference): As we continue to learn the facts, Congress will examine whether there is an appropriate and constitutional response that would better protect our citizens.

PLANTE: The White House spokesman says President Obama is ready to now actively support a renewal of the ban on assault weapons, as well as other limits.

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY (from press briefing): People have talked about high-capacity gun – ammunition clips, for example, and that is something, certainly, that he would be interested in looking at.

PLANTE: That came as victims of gun violence and their families demonstrated on Capitol Hill, urging lawmakers to take action to help curb the carnage.

DAN GROSS, BRADY CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE (from press conference): We're here from Tucson, from Aurora [Colorado], from Columbine  – Trolley Square [Salt Lake City, Utah], Seal Beach [California], Virginia Tech, and Newtown, Connecticut - names that have become iconic in America's bizarre and shameful epidemic of gun violence.

PLANTE: Public outrage over the massacre has also emboldened members of Congress to challenge the power of the gun lobby.

REP. JOHN YARMUTH, (D), KENTUCKY: Their political power is much like the Wizard of Oz. They're bullies, and what's most important is they really don't represent their membership. The members are overwhelmingly in – in favor of responsible use of guns and responsible rules.

PLANTE (on-camera): Feelings are running very high after this tragedy, and, of course, there's been a lot of talk of a turning point. The President today will announce that he's putting Vice President Biden in charge of a process to look at possible new legislation. But, look, change doesn't happen quickly in Washington. There have been about a dozen attempts to bring back the assault weapons ban. They've all failed in congressional committee. The National Rifle Association spent $17 million this year to influence legislation and public opinion. It will be looking out for its interests long after the outrage subsides. Charlie, Norah?

ROSE: Bill Plante, thanks.