"Out of patience," Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton has decided to "disqualify" and "defeat" challenger Bernie Sanders by going after his record on guns, CNN reported last night. And -- coincidence? -- the liberal media has mobilized to aid Hillary Clinton in finally finishing off Senator Bernie Sanders once and for all, targeting his record on guns.
During CNN’s Tuesday night Wisconsin primary coverage, correspondent Jeff Zeleny reported on the Clinton campaign’s new attack strategy, “they're running out of patience. So they're going to begin deploying a new strategy. It's going to be called: "Disqualify Him, Defeat Him" … I'm told, beginning here in the New York primary in two weeks on his gun record, on other things.”
The first signs of movement come as the New York Daily News yesterday released the transcript of their interview with Sanders from back on April 1. In the interview, Sanders defended his position that firearm manufactures and sellers should not be sued if one of their firearms was used to kill. He did note that if a seller knowingly sold a firearm to a dangerous person they should be sued.
This morning, the Daily News published an issue with the blistering front-page headline “Bernie’s Sandy Hook Shame: Callously defends gunmakers against Newtown kin lawsuit.”
Two of the network morning shows CBS This Morning and NBC Today both ran stories about the cover and the interview, while at the same time discussing the New York primary that is coming up. This Morning displayed the cover and showed video of Clinton at a campaign rally slamming Sanders: “I was against it and he was for it to give immunity from liability for gun makers and sellers.”
MSNBC’s Morning Joe took it to another level Wednesday when they lobbed softball questions at Clinton about what she thought of Sanders's interview. “In light of the interview, in light of the questions he had problems with, do you believe this morning that Bernie Sanders is qualified and ready to be President of the United States?” Joe Scarborough asked.
In addition to that question, Scarborough asked five different questions in regards to his qualification and ability to be president, along with a question about whether or not Sanders was a Democrat. Scarborough also displayed the Daily News cover.
In response to the questions Hillary was allowed to go on ad nauseum about how she was a better candidate. She was allowed to hammer on him from interview preparedness to Sandy Hook. She even thanked Scarborough -- a former Republican congressman -- for the support he gave her during her 2008 campaign for president. “Back in those days you were one of my biggest defenders, that if I wanted to keep going I definitely should.”
Later in the day, Clinton-superfan Andrea Mitchell reran Clinton’s comments from her interview on Morning Joe. “The front page of the news, which is one of my biggest contrasts with Senator Sanders, that he would place gun manufacturers’ rights and immunity from liability against the parents of the children killed at Sandy Hook is just unimaginable to me.”
Mitchell held aloft the Daily News cover with a big smile on her face as Tad Devine, a senior advisor to the Sanders campaign, joined her. The host grilled Devine with a guilt-laden question, “How do you respond to, you know, the questions, the Sandy Hook families at this hour holding a conference call with reporters, the sister of one of the victims, there were tweets last night from the daughter of the principal of the school?”
As of right now, it seems that the liberal media is now falling in line to move against the Sanders campaign in Clinton’s effort to "Disqualify Him, Defeat Him.” It may be only a matter of time before we see the liberal media runs with her other narratives, and as NBC reporter Peter Alexander put it Wednesday morning on Today: “So, for another two weeks it begins.”
Partial transcripts below:
CNN Wisconsin Primary coverage
April 6, 2016
11:28pm ETCorrespondent JEFF ZELENY: The Clinton campaign has been watching these Wisconsin results come in, and the delegate race, of course, is tight there, but the reality is they're running out of patience. So they're going to begin deploying a new strategy. It's going to be called: "Disqualify Him, Defeat Him," and then they can unify the party later.
For the last several months, the Clinton campaign has been first ignoring Bernie Sanders, then dismissing him. Now they're going to go headlong into him, I'm told, beginning here in the New York primary in two weeks on his gun record, on other things. So, party unity aside for now; one aide told me that will come later....
The Clinton campaign is running out of patience. They want to stop Bernie Sanders and move on to the fall campaign.
…
CBS
This Morning
April 6, 2016
7:07:33 – 7:07:48 AM EasternGAYLE KING: This is the cover of the New York Daily News this morning. Slamming Sanders for supporting immunity for gun sellers. Clinton aides say she will make that issue a focus here.
[On screen text “callously defends gunmakers…”]
HILLARY CLINTON: I was against it and he was for it to give immunity from liability for gun makers and sellers.
…
NBC
Today
April 6, 2016
7:04:57 – 7:05:22 AM EasternPETER ALEXANDER: Already facing an uphill battle, Sanders is now fending off criticism right here in New York. Here is the cover of New York's Daily News. “Bernie’s Sandy Hook shame.” Attacking his opposition to a proposal that would permit victims of gun violence to sue gun manufacturers. Sanders advisers calling the paper’s characterization of his comments “inaccurate.” So, for another two weeks it begins.
…
MSNBC
Andrea Mitchell Reports
April 6, 2016
12:09 PM
ANDREA MITCHELL: And Hillary Clinton brought her conversation with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski this morning right back to that New York Daily News front page, drilling down on the gun issue.
HILLARY CLINTON: The front page of the news, which is one of my biggest contrasts with Senator Sanders, that he would place gun manufacturers rights and immunity from liability against the parents of the children killed at Sandy Hook is just unimaginable to me.
MITCHELL: Tad Devine is a senior adviser in the Sanders campaign and joins me now. Tad, welcome to New York. Here it is...
TAD DEVINE: Thank you, Andrea.
MITCHELL [HOLDS UP NY DAILY NEWS]: ...The New York Daily News. The media market here is rough, as Hillary Clinton herself learned some time ago. But how do you respond to, you know, the questions, the Sandy Hook families at this hour holding a conference call with reporters, the sister of one of the victims, there were tweets last night from the daughter of the principal of the school? This is a long held view of Bernie Sanders on that immunity issue. He was consistent to it last night – I mean, rather in his Daily News interview. But how do you handle this, facing not only New York media market, but Connecticut votes the week after?
