After Tuesday’s CBS This Morning fretted about the “distractions” facing Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, CBS and NBC continued parroting the Clinton campaign’s rhetoric on Tuesday and touted their “counteroffensive” that was launched to thwart “the litany of distractions” that include the book Clinton Cash and Benghazi.
On the CBS Evening News, correspondent Julianna Goldman touted clips of Clinton Press Secretary Brian Fallon denouncing the accusations being leveled at Clinton as “the latest attempt to push back against the litany of distractions hanging over Clinton's presidential bid” ranging from her private e-mails to the Clinton Foundation.
Allotting no time for a Republican soundbite on Clinton, Goldman later pointed out that “[t]he campaign's efforts are timed to today's official release of the book, Clinton Cash” because:
Over the last several weeks, it and other articles have raised questions about Bill Clinton's paid speeches and his relationship with wealthy donors on the Clinton Foundation, many of them foreign, and whether they expected anything in return from then-Secretary of State Clinton. Bill Clinton said yesterday that they've done nothing knowingly inappropriate.
She wrapped up her report by adding that Clinton “has largely avoided addressing the controversies, and that's likely to continue” at a campaign stop on immigration in Nevada Tuesday night.
Despite giving a soundbite to Republican candidate Mike Huckabee going after Clinton, the pro-Clinton campaign language was similarly deployed over on NBC Nightly News. Interim anchor Lester Holt reported that: “[T]he Clinton campaign is working overtime tonight to hit back at allegations being made in a highly anticipated new book out today called Clinton Cash, about her family foundation, her money and where it all came from.”
Filing from Las Vegas, correspondent and MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell gushed that Clinton was “courting Hispanic voters at a Las Vegas high school today, while her campaign launched a counteroffensive, a new website, a Twitter account and a campaign video.”
After a soundbite from Fallon, Mitchell chalked it up to being “[a] war of words with the author of Clinton Cash, leaked in advance but officially published today.”
Later on, Mitchell fretted the “pounding” of Clinton with criticism by her Republican opponents “is taking its toll” and then confronted the Clinton campaign’s national political director Amanda Renteria with the results of the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showing that only 25 percent of Americans as believing that Clinton is honest and trustworthy.
While CBS and NBC mentioned Clinton’s trip to Nevada and the campaign’s response to Clinton Cash, ABC’s World News Tonight spent 12 seconds highlighting Clinton’s stop in the Silver State and her agreement to participate in all six Democratic presidential primary debates.
As part of a 29-second news brief on Mike Huckabee’s 2016 presidential announcement, anchor David Muir reported the following:
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton is confirming she will participate in all six Democratic debates. Clinton is in Nevada tonight, where she’s expected to call for a full and equal path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
The transcript of the segment from the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley on May 5 can be found below.
CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley
May 5, 2015
6:43 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Matter of Trust]
SCOTT PELLEY: Our poll also exposes a liability for the Democratic front-runner, Hillary Clinton. When asked if Clinton is honest and trustworthy, 48 percent of Americans said yes, 45 percent said no. Julianna Goldman reports from Las Vegas.
CLINTON PRESS SECRETARY BRIAN FALLON: As secretary of state.
JULIANNA GOLDMAN: This video featuring Clinton's press secretary Brian Fallon is the latest attempt to push back against the litany of distractions hanging over Clinton's presidential bid from questions about her response to the 2012 Benghazi attacks, use of private e-mail while secretary of state, and allegations of improper donations to her family's foundation.
FALLON: So while Republicans are latching on to the most far-fetched theories in an attempt to cut Hillary Clinton down, she's going to stay focused on helping everyday Americans get ahead and stay ahead.
GOLDMAN: The campaign's efforts are timed to today's official release of the book, Clinton Cash. Over the last several weeks, it and other articles have raised questions about Bill Clinton's paid speeches and his relationship with wealthy donors on the Clinton Foundation, many of them foreign, and whether they expected anything in return from then-Secretary of State Clinton. Bill Clinton said yesterday that they've done nothing knowingly inappropriate. Scott, Hillary Clinton has largely avoided addressing the controversies, and that's likely to continue here at her one event, a roundtable discussion on immigration reform.
PELLEY: Juliana, thank you.
The relevant portions of the transcript from May 5's NBC Nightly News can be found below.
NBC Nightly News
May 5, 2015
7:08 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: On the Trail]
LESTER HOLT: Meantime, the Clinton campaign is working overtime tonight to hit back at allegations being made in a highly anticipated new book out today called Clinton Cash, about her family foundation, her money and where it all came from. NBC's Andrea Mitchell is on the trail in Las Vegas.
ANDREA MITCHELL: Hillary Clinton courting Hispanic voters at a Las Vegas high school today, while her campaign launched a counteroffensive, a new website, a Twitter account and a campaign video.
CLINTON PRESS SECRETARY BRIAN FALLON: The book is already being debunked far and wide.
MITCHELL: A war of words with the author of Clinton Cash, leaked in advance but officially published today.
(....)
MITCHELL: But when that other former Arkansas Governor, Republican Mike Huckabee, announced he was running for president today, he did it with a dig at Clinton.
(....)
MITCHELL: But Clinton's polls are holding up against potential Republicans. She remains ahead of all of them. The Democratic Party announced today it will hold six primary debates. Hillary Clinton tweeted she looks forward to a real conversation, but so far, not about money.
