CNN is hitting Democrats from the left for not passing an assault weapons ban. Host Piers Morgan had a liberal pout session [1] with filmmaker Michael Moore on Tuesday night's Piers Morgan Live, and then anchor Carol Costello asked on Wednesday morning if Democrats were "weenies."
After quoting the ultra-liberal Moore calling Democrats "weenies,"
Costello called out Democrats from the left: "Michael Moore says
introduce the bill. Let Republicans vote against it. So my question, are Democrats weenies for not bringing an assault weapons ban to the floor?"
[Video below. Audio here [2].]
Costello put up for consideration Moore's insensitive push for parents
to publish, if they so choose, photos of the dead Newtown children,
despite her admitting that no parent of the slain children has offered
to do so.
"Moore suggests the horror of that day has now faded," she aired the
left-winger's lament. "He has an idea, though. If they wish, Moore wants
parents to release pictures of their children after they'd been
slaughtered by the gunman."
She added that "No Newtown parent we know of has offered the public a
picture of their murdered child," before wondering anyway, "Will the Newtown death photos force lawmakers to enact new gun laws?"
Costello followed CNN host Piers Morgan, who on the previous night slapped Democrats for not passing the gun bill. "What is wrong with the Democrats?" he pouted to Michael Moore. "Why are they being so cowardly?"
Morgan wondered how senators would vote if their own family members were massacred at Sandy Hook:
"[H]ow many of these senators who in my view probably do think there should be an assault weapons ban, probably do think there should be universal background checks, but they have decided to go against their principle to protect their political seats. How many would change if one of their kids had been in that Sandy Hook school?
Nowhere in the show did either Moore or Morgan bring up President Obama's culpability in the failure of the gun bill.
A transcript of the segment, which aired on CNN Newsroom on March 20 at 9:28 a.m. EDT, is as follows:
[9:28]
CAROL COSTELLO: The question for you this morning: Will the Newtown
death photos force lawmakers to enact new gun laws? Gun control
Democrats are a frustrated bunch. Despite polls showing a majority of
Americans supporting an assault weapons ban, Democratic lawmakers can't
get it done. The Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid now says such a ban
has zero chance of passing. Here's Michael Moore on Piers Morgan Live.
(Video Clip)
MICHAEL MOORE, filmmaker: This attitude of, well, we're not going to be
able to – we're not going to get – you know, this is why our side -- we
have these we weenies on our side. There's – well, we can't the votes.
That's what I actually admire about Republicans. They have got the
courage of their convictions.
(End Video Clip)
COSTELLO: The NRA's message does seem to be resonating. While a
majority of Americans are in favor of an assault weapons ban, polls also
show support for gun control measures is fading. Moore also cites our
fading memories of Newtown for the deep gun control passion. We know
dozens of children were murdered there, but Moore suggests the horror of
that day has now faded. He has an idea, though. If they wish, Moore
wants parents to release pictures of their children after they'd been
slaughtered by the gunman.
(Video Clip)
MOORE: In my blog last week I talked about a young man by the name of
Emmitt Till, in 1955, he was a young black kid that was murdered down
South simply because he was black. And his mother insisted that there be
an open coffin because she wanted photographers, the news people, to
see what happened to this 14 year-old boy, to see what racism and
bigotry does. That galvanized the country back then. And it was just
three months later that Rosa Parks refused to get up out of her seat on
that bus.
(End Video Clip)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: No Newtown parent we know of has offered
the public a picture of their murdered child. The TalkBack question for
you though: Will the Newtown death photos force lawmakers to enact new
gun laws?
(...)
[9:37]
COSTELLO: Senator Harry Reid, a Democrat, is dropping a proposed ban on
assault weapons from a new gun control bill because he says it has no
chance, zero -- I can't even get it out. It has zero chance of passing,
but Reid says another senator could bring it up as an amendment in the
future. In a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll, 57 percent
of Americans say they support an assault weapons ban. The NRA, of
course, opposes it. Now liberals like Michael Moore are slamming
Democrats.
(Video Clip)
MOORE: This attitude of, well, we're not going to be able to – we're
not going – you know, this is why our side. We have these weenies on our
side. "Well, if we can't get the votes," you know.
(End Video Clip)
COSTELLO: Michael Moore says introduce the bill. Let Republicans vote
against it. So my question, are Democrats weenies for not bringing an
assault weapons ban to the floor?
-- Matt Hadro is a News Analyst at the Media Research Center