For Second Straight Day, MSNBC Hypes 'War on Voting' with Biased Segment in Daytime Coverage

March 9th, 2011 4:17 PM

For the second day in a row, MSNBC worked up a biased segment with Rock the Vote president Heather Smith about a "war on voting" -- see screen capture below page break-- by Republican legislators in numerous states where the GOP controls both state legislative chambers, such as New Hampshire.

Today "NewsNation" host Tamron Hall picked up the torch from colleague Thomas Roberts, who conducted a softball interview with Smith on March 8.

Hall even parroted some of his script from the day before:

With such a strong bloc of these young people voting Democratic, Republican leaders in some key swing states are looking to even the playing field for 2012.

Like Roberts, Hall hyped as damning the complaint of a New Hampshire Republican legislator who discounted young voters and "foolish" and reflexively liberal.

Towards the end of her March 9 interview, Hall asked Smith, "Is there a legitimate argument though, behind, perhaps even the last legislation or proposal that's being considered [that wouldn't let students vote in their college towns]. Is it all just to keep young people for voting for the Democratic Party?"

"That sounds strange," Hall added, prompting Smith to insist again that there's nothing but naked partisanship behind the push for voter registration reform in the Granite State.

That was good enough for Hall:

Well, Heather, I know you and your organization work to get young people out to vote so we'll counter any efforts to keep them down. Heather Smith, president of Rock the Vote. Thanks, Heather.

At no point during her "NewsNation" program, however, did Hall bring on a proponent of the proposed law nor did she inform voters that any effort was being made to give air time to a supporter of the reforms.