Employing sanctimonious rhetoric to paint Senate Republicans as cruel
and heartless for opposing a U.N. treaty on disabled rights completely
redundant [1] to the Americans With Disabilities Act, on Tuesday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams lectured: "If
you want to know how broken, how partisan our Congress and our
government has become, all you need to look at is this one day in
Washington....Senator John Kerry called this one of the saddest days
he's seen in close to three decades in the U.S. Senate." [Listen to the audio [2]]
In the report that followed, correspondent Kelly O'Donnell pointed to
the GOP as the source of the sorrow: "For those looking for cooperation
tonight, only disappointment, even real sadness over what happened with
this treaty intended to help the disabled....Five Republican votes short
of the 66 needed....it's unusual to see tears shed in the
Senate chamber, I witnessed that today....I saw a woman in a wheelchair,
leaving with tears rolling down her face."
Williams solemnly lamented Republicans resisting lobbying by former
Senator Bob Dole: "Dole, one of the lions of the Senate in the modern
era, appeared in the chamber, a visual powerful reminder of a time when
lawmakers got along and compromised and made laws. But there was no such
outcome today....that momentous vote in the Senate that died, a victim
of politics. And failed despite a personal plea from a very senior
statesman."
O'Donnell blamed conservatives for failure to pass the treaty:
"Conservative and Tea Party opponents say countries like China, with a
poor human rights record, would get a pass....And for some no votes,
politics, the risk of a GOP primary challenge got in the way."
The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza exclaimed: "To vote for
anything that is even perceived to be granting the U.N. power, is a
dangerous game for a Republican senator. Because the U.N. is so
unpopular among the Republican base, they could be asking for a
challenge from their ideological right come 2014."
O'Donnell added: "And that was the complaint we heard most often from
conservatives. A worry about the U.N. getting more power. Proponents of
the treaty said that just isn't the case."
NBC had failed to cover the treaty at all prior to it being voted down,
and in the report itself, the most explanation given to viewers as to
what was actually in it was O'Donnell vaguely stating: "Advocates say
the United Nations treaty, approved by 126 countries, would promote
equal rights and better treatment for the disabled, inspired by U.S.
law, the Americans With Disabilities Act."
Here is a full transcript of the December 4 report:
7:00PM ET TEASE:
BRIAN WILLIAMS: High drama on the Hill as a frail Bob Dole returns to
the chamber he once controlled to add the full weight of his name to a
highly-charged vote.
7:01PM ET TEASE:
WILLIAMS: If you want to know how broken, how partisan our Congress and
our government has become, all you need to look at is this one day in
Washington, where tonight we're no closer to compromise on a deal to
avoid that so-called fiscal cliff. And where today in the Senate
chamber, when a big vote was on the line, there was a big emotional
moment. Bob Dole, one of the lions of the Senate in the modern era,
appeared in the chamber, a visual powerful reminder of a time when
lawmakers got along and compromised and made laws. But there was no such
outcome today. Senator John Kerry called this one of the saddest days
he's seen in close to three decades in the U.S. Senate.
7:04PM ET SEGMENT:
WILLIAMS:
The fiscal cliff was not the only aspect of disagreement on display
today in Washington. As we said, there was that momentous vote in the
Senate that died, a victim of politics. And failed despite a personal
plea from a very senior statesman. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell covers the Hill
for us. She's there tonight on Capitol Hill. Kelly, good evening.
KELLY O'DONNELL: Good evening, Brian. For those looking for cooperation
tonight, only disappointment, even real sadness over what happened with
this treaty intended to help the disabled. The appeal brought together
three former presidential candidates, and the unusual site of a former
senate majority leader back on the floor he once ran in the moments
leading up to the vote. Once a giant of the Senate, visible in the
corner of the C-SPAN camera, today, though, frail and rarely seen in
public, Bob Dole, the war hero, presidential candidate, champion of
disabled rights, tried to change the contentious spirit of this Senate
for disabled people around the world.
JOHN KERRY [SEN. R-MA]: That's why an 89-year-old veteran, one week
removed from Bethesda Naval Hospital, comes back to the Senate on an
early December day, because it matters.
O'DONNELL: Matters to people like disabled veteran Dan Berschinski, who lost both legs in Afghanistan.
DAN BERSCHINSKI: Only by voting in favor of the disabilities treaty are
we truly honoring the sacrifice of those disabled while answering
America's call.
O'DONNELL: Advocates say the United Nations treaty, approved by 126
countries, would promote equal rights and better treatment for the
disabled, inspired by U.S. law, the Americans With Disabilities Act.
JOHN MCCAIN [SEN. R-AZ]: Mr. President, I come to the floor with a bit of a heavy heart today.
O'DONNELL: Like Dole, John Kerry and John McCain are combat veterans
who once aspired to the White House. Today they fell short again. Dole's
own party failed him. Five Republican votes short of the 66 needed.
Conservative and Tea Party opponents say countries like China, with a
poor human rights record, would get a pass.
JON KYL [SEN. R-AZ]: What it does do is allow their leaders to falsely
present themselves as forward-leaning on disabled rights.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Mr. Chambliss, no.
O'DONNELL: And for some no votes, politics, the risk of a GOP primary challenge got in the way.
CHRIS CILLIZZA: To vote for anything that is even perceived to be
granting the U.N. power, is a dangerous game for a Republican senator.
Because the U.N. is so unpopular among the Republican base, they could
be asking for a challenge from their ideological right come 2014.
O'DONNELL: And that was the complaint we heard most often from
conservatives. A worry about the U.N. getting more power. Proponents of
the treaty said that just isn't the case. Now Brian, it's unusual to see
tears shed in the Senate chamber, I witnessed that today. And after the
vote, many disabled people did attend, I saw a woman in a wheelchair,
leaving with tears rolling down her face. Brian.
WILLIAMS: Kelly O'Donnell with today on Capitol Hill. Kelly, thanks for that.