On Tuesday, all three network morning shows recited identical liberal talking points on President Obama’s unconstitutional executive order granting amnesty to illegal immigrants being overturned by a federal appeals court. On Monday’s Today, co-host Savannah Guthrie fretted: “A federal appeals court has dealt a major new blow to President Obama’s plan to protect millions of people from being deported.”
Justice correspondent Pete Williams followed: “Another legal setback for President Obama's plan to shield up to five million people from deportation, allowing people here illegally to stay if they have children who are citizens and expanding that program to let young people stay who were brought here as children.”
On ABC’s Good Morning America, news anchor Amy Robach parroted the same line:
Well, a setback for President Obama's immigration plan. His executive order would have protected five million undocumented immigrant children and parents of U.S. citizens from deportation. But now an appeals court has sided with 26 states who say the President exceeded his authority. The White House is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court.
CBS This Morning co-host Charlie Rose read from the script as well:
The Washington Post reports on a setback for President Obama's immigration plan. A federal appeals court Monday upheld a challenge to it. Twenty-six states brought a lawsuit to block the program. The plan would protect more than four million undocumented immigrants from deportation. The ruling likely sets up a possible Supreme Court battle. The Justice Department says it wants to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
None of the news briefs used the word “unconstitutional” to describe the President’s unilateral action and only Today actually detailed the argument against the executive order:
By a vote of two to one, a federal appeals court agreed with Texas and 25 other states who claim the administration illegally tried to put this policy into place without getting public comment first. The appeals court rejected the White House claim that the plan just shifts enforcement priorities. Instead, the court said the heart of the plan would give benefits to people here illegally, including Social Security and qualification for work permits. Texas says that would impose a big cost on the state, just for all the new driver’s licenses it would have to issue.
While the court ruling was a major defeat for Obama, Today only managed one minute and eight seconds of air time to the loss. CBS This Morning provided a mere 23 seconds to news, while Good Morning America offered a scant 19 seconds.
