CBS Promotes Politico's 'Dysfunctional' Jab of Congress for Rejecting Farm Bill
Norah O'Donnell boosted Politico's slam of the Republican-led House of Representatives on Friday's CBS This Morning,
after the body voted down a proposed farm bill. The anchor made the
attack in a question to CBS News political director John Dickerson:
"John, one more sign of dysfunction in Congress and Washington – the farm bill, which, for two years straight, has failed to pass the House. Explain why this matters to people."
Dickerson hyped how the rejected bill "affects all kinds of different parts of the economy", and asserted that the vote "shows that basically, the House leadership is weak."
O'Donnell
raised the failed legislation towards the end of a segment with the
former Time magazine journalist. An on-screen graphic trumpeted, "Uphill
Battles: Capitol Friction Over Immigration & Farm Bill". Earlier,
substitute anchor Anthony Mason emphasized that the "vote in the House
[on the farm bill] shows just how difficult it will be to reach the
finish line" on passing an immigration reform bill.
This isn't the first time that the liberal CBS on-air personality has
targeted congressional Republicans on the morning show. Back in April
2013, O'Donnell shamelessly promoted President Obama's talking points on gun control during an interview with GOP Senator Johnny Isakson: "Do you think your fellow Republicans owe the families of these Newtown victims a vote?"
During a February 2013 segment with Rep. Eric Cantor, the anchor lobbied the House majority leader
to sign onto immigration reform: "So on policy and on immigration
reform, will you today endorse the proposal put forward by Senator
Rubio?"
The transcript of the relevant portion of the John Dickerson segment from Friday's CBS This Morning:
NORAH O'DONNELL: And John, one more sign of dysfunction in Congress and
Washington – the farm bill, which, for two years straight, has failed
to pass the House. Explain why this matters to people.
JOHN DICKERSON: Well, it matters, of course, to – to farmers, and it
matters because the – this bill, which sets in place policies for five
years, affects all kinds of different parts of the economy. The existing
measures are very, very outdated, in terms of – what it matters,
though, politically, though, is it shows that basically, the House
leadership is weak, that they, in this case, needed – you know, it's not
a dictatorship over there. They need Democratic help. In this case,
there was a coalition of Democrats who didn't like the cuts to food
stamps; Republicans who didn't like the subsidies; and that's why the
bill died.
