The “big three” networks of ABC, CBS and NBC gleefully promoted on Monday evening President Obama’s “scolding” of 2016 Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee over his criticism of the Iran deal and his “scathing words” for the GOP field as candidates “are trying to out-trump [Donald] Trump.”
Not surprisingly, the networks also sided with then-candidate Obama on May 15, 2008 when the same three networks chided then-President George W. Bush and fellow Republicans for a “two-pronged Republican attack” on Obama.
Returning to the present for the moment, ABC’s World News Tonight anchor David Muir teased correspondent Tom Llamas’ story by hailing Obama’s “war of words” with Huckabee and “a rare move” by the President “with scathing words on the Republican race.”
Muir introduced Llamas by explaining that Huckabee was “the latest Republican contender under fire for controversial comments” as the former Arkansas Governor was “digging down” over having said the following on Saturday: “He's so naive he would trust the Iranians and would take the Israelis and basically march them to the door of the oven.”
In his report, Llamas touted Obama as offering “a rare scolding” and “accusing Republican candidates of using overheated language to try and steal attention from Donald Trump.” Continuing on the theme of roping the GOP candidates together, Llamas noted that “[o]ther candidates [are] looking to create their own viral moments” with videos featuring Republican Senator Rand Paul (Ky.) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.).
The theme of bashing Republicans and praising Obama continued on NBC Nightly News. Anchor Lester Holt determined that “the war of words is escalating” as national correspondent Peter Alexander credited Jeb Bush for having “winced at the latest Republican attack line.”
Hailing the President as “among those offended” by Huckabee’s comments regarding the Holocaust, Alexander described candidates not named Trump are “competing for attention” and “trying to out-trump Trump.” Following the lead from Llamas, Alexander hit Paul and Graham for having “resorted to political stunts” before declaring: “The horse race is on, but the track is muddy.”
Ignoring any of the numerous polls that are troubling for Hillary Clinton, Alexander hyped: “With all the infighting, 6 in 10 Americans now say they have an unfavorable view of the Republican Party.”
On the CBS Evening News, anchor Scott Pelley reported Obama was “traveling in east Africa” Monday when he “blasted the critics of his nuclear agreement with Iran, saying that some of the candidates running for the Republican nomination aren't fit to lead the country.”
Congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes struck the same tone that GOP candidates are desperate for attention, ruled that “Trump has shown his GOP rivals that bombast can get rewarded.”
Adding that “some are following Trump's lead,” Cordes went after Republican Senator and presidential candidate Ted Cruz (Tex.) for a Friday speech on the Senate floor in which he accused Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of lying: “On Friday, Texas Senator Ted Cruz stunned his colleagues with an attention-grabbing tirade against the Senate’s Republican leader over a piece of legislation.”
Back on May 15, 2008, the MRC's Brent Baker chronicled how the network evening newscasts laid into President Bush for making this criticism of Obama while traveling in Israel: “Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals.”
On CBS, then-anchor Katie Couric bemoaned “a two-pronged Republican attack today on Barack Obama on a foreign policy matter” with correspondent Chip Reid lamenting the “Republican barrage” and attempted to discredit the GOP by promoting Obama as having “noted that Presidents Kennedy, Nixon, and even Reagan also negotiated directly with America's enemies.”
Then-NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams similarly smacked Bush for “what was widely seen as an attack on Barack Obama” in “today’s political shot heard ‘round the world.”
Making a brief mention of the story on ABC’s World News, then-anchor Charlie Gibson stated this about Bush:
There was a debate today between Republicans and Democrats that spanned the Atlantic Ocean. President Bush, addressing Israel's parliament, made comments to which Barack Obama and other Democrats took offense -- and then John McCain got involved.
So, the lesson to draw from this paradox is, put simply, not all presidential criticism are created equal in the eyes of the liberal media.
