Networks Ignore Harry Reid's Refusal to Call Vote on Tax Cut Extension; NBC's Viquiera Raised Question in WH Briefing
As I noted yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) yesterday refused to call a vote on extending the Bush tax cuts, even though President Barack Obama days earlier urged passage of such tax cuts as soon as possible. Predictably, however, the July 11 editions of the network evening newscasts -- ABC's World News, the CBS Evening News, and NBC's Nightly News -- all ignored the development. Ditto with the network morning shows today.
Each evening newscast did, however, note the House vote to repeal ObamaCare, the first such vote after the Supreme Court upheld the individual mandate as a tax.
"For the 33rd time," an exasperated Diane Sawyer noted, "the House of Representatives voted to repeal the president's health care law. It was mainly on partisan lines," the ABC anchor sniffed, adding that, "As ever, the vote now goes to the Senate, where it will almost certainly, once again, be voted down, if it's even voted on at all."
Curiously absent, of course, was any mention that Reid is now not only blocking Republican measures but also ones favored by a Democratic president.
"With so much urgent business before the House, why spend so much time voting to repeal the law over and over again?" CBS anchor Scott Pelley complained on the July 11 Evening News. Hmm, urgent business like passing an extension of the Bush middle class tax cuts?
To his credit, NBC News White House correspondent Mike Viquiera noted Reid's refusal to call a vote in a question posed to White House press secretary Jay Carney in the July 11 briefing (emphasis mine):
Both sides continue to talk past each other. The House vote today that you've already decried; Senator Reid blocked bringing up the President's tax cut proposal in the Senate -- you can call it gamesmanship, political posturing, whatever -- both sides talking past each other, but the President is speaking only to Democrats today. Why not get Republicans up here and get the ball rolling on this?
In other words, it's one thing to slam Republicans alone for gridlock, but Democrats, including President Obama share the blame. Viquiera, however, was not featured on the July 11 Nightly News.
Two stories were filed on Nightly News last night from Washington, by Andrea Mitchell and Kelly O'Donnell regarding Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s (D-Ill.) strange medically-related absence from Congress and the ObamaCare repeal vote respectively.
Neither Mitchell nor O'Donnell noted Reid's refusal to "get the ball rolling" on a tax cut extension debate.
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Comments
H.R. Is the most inept Leader
Submitted by pilgrim4jc on Thu, 07/12/2012 - 12:47pm.
H.R. Is the most inept Leader that we have ever had running the senate! Thanks NV for screwing the rest of us.
No action will be taken until after the election
Submitted by c5then on Thu, 07/12/2012 - 12:52pm.
This is a campaign issue for the divisive and negative democrats. They do not want this to be a done deal and therefore a non-issue in November. They want to use this to spin up their calss-warfare socialist base.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
Why isn't the media pointing
Submitted by LAM SON 719 on Thu, 07/12/2012 - 3:03pm.
Why isn't the media pointing out that Reid is a mormon cultist? Could it be he is considered to be one of the " moderate moromons".
An open letter to Colorados slimy senators
Submitted by Willis_Leon_Johnson on Thu, 07/12/2012 - 4:41pm.
An open letter to our Democrat senators.
Dear Mr.'s bennet and udall....
How odd that you still support the 'senator' from Nevada and continue to hold the Citizens of the State of Colorado subservient to the whims of a person that has repeatedly proven himself incapable of holding the position of “Senate Majority Leader” when he has failed miserably in that position.
He maintains that position, not through “LEADERSHIP”, but through purely political machinations aided and abetted by the likes of you two.
YOUR job as 'representatives' of the State of Colorado is to act IN THE BEST INTERESTS of not only the State, but the Citizens that you promised to represent in return for their vote.
You dismiss the Rights and NEEDS of this State to push your radical, UnAmerican, agenda through maintaining an open borders policy thereby allowing unlimited criminals and undesirables to walk unimpeded across OUR BORDERS because that is WHAT YOU WANT for your own agenda.
Colorado Citizens are denied jobs as a direct result of your FAILURE to defend the Nations Borders with as much vigor as you do to defend the pathetic, senile, hateful old man from Nevada.
Colorado Citizens are criminally attacked by illegal aliens in this State on a daily basis and YOU ALLOW it to continue to further YOUR political agenda.
YOU deny the people of the State of Colorado their RIGHT to choose their own healthcare professionals and treatments to further the agenda of the hard left socialists currently holding power.
There are currently in the works two 'treaties' in the works that are destined to come up for a vote in the Senate for ratification.
Law of the Sea (LOST) and the UN small arms treaty.
Both are extremely detrimental to the National Security of this nation as well as a DIRECT ASSAULT on the US Constitution and the Rights guaranteed by the Supreme law of the Land.
An affirmative vote on either will be viewed by the Citizens as an an INTENTIONAL and DIRECT Act of Treason against both the Constitution and the People.
It would certainly be in your best interests if both of you would enroll in a course on the Constitution at Hillsdale College and actually learn exactly what your powers are limited to and what you are forbidden by the Constitution.
End 'gun violence in America' - Require training and MANDATORY "Shall Carry" by every Citizen.
If harry reid is the best person to lead the senate, what does that say about the other 99 senators?