NBC, ABC Lament the 'Tough Spot' Chinese Dissident Put Hillary In: She's 'Caught in the Middle'
NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams on Thursday fretted about the "very tough spot" a Chinese dissident and human rights activist has put Hillary Clinton in. On Friday's Good Morning America, Josh Elliott kept the spotlight on Clinton, lamenting that the Secretary of State is "caught in the middle" of this ongoing diplomatic crisis.
Rather than start his report by focusing on Chen Guangcheng, the man who's life is in danger, Williams warned, "We begin tonight with a man who has changed his mind and by doing so put the U.S. and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a very tough spot in what is already a complicated relationship with China." [See video below. MP3 audio here.]
Reporter Andrea Mitchell focused on Chen's apparent change of heart, breathlessly explaining, "In a dramatic reversal of what he told U.S. diplomats in Beijing yesterday, a blind Chinese dissident now says he wants to leave China."
She added that there might now be no "way to avoid offering Chen political asylum" in America.
On Friday's Good Morning America, the program featured very little coverage, just two brief reports. News reader Elliot worried, "Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, caught in the middle of it all." Correspondent Martha Raddatz similarly sympathized, "Hillary Clinton has been under intense scrutiny since Chen pleaded for the secretary to fly him to the U.S. because he fears for his life."
In contrast to Nightly News and Good Morning America, World News anchor Diane Sawyer put the emphasis on Chen. She highlighted, "A blind man, that activist hero who made the daring escape, slipping past Chinese guards under cover of night, is now asking her to take him to the United States on her plane."
However, Sawyer also made a point to refer to Clinton as a "champion of human rights."
On CBS This Morning, Bill Plante noticed the potential downside for the Obama administration: "The Chen case has become a diplomatic disaster in U.S./China relations. And now it's generating plenty of political heat here in Washington over the way the administration has handled it."
CBS also stood out from the other networks when Evening News anchor Scott Pelley focused on just what Chen has been protesting, describing him as a "a famous human rights campaigner who exposed forced abortions in China that are sometimes ordered to enforce the policy that allows only one child per family."
A transcript of the May 3 Nightly News segment can be found below:
BRIAN WILLIAMS: Good evening. We begin tonight with a man who has changed his mind and by doing so put the U.S. and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a very tough spot in what is already a complicated relationship with China. And tonight, this rather incredible drama involving a blind dissident in China has ricocheted back here and is now part of the race for President. We begin with our Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell in our Washington newsroom. Andrea good evening.
ANDREA MITCHELL: Good evening, Brian. In a dramatic reversal of what he told U.S. diplomats in Beijing yesterday, a blind Chinese dissident now says he wants to leave China. The diplomatic crisis is already an issue for Hillary Clinton in Beijing, and now Republicans back home are seizing on it as well. At 4 a.m. in this Beijing hospital surrounded by security, Chen Guangcheng answered a phone call from human rights activists as they were meeting with Republican Members of Congress. Chen told them he wants to come to the U.S. to rest. He worries about his family and wants more help from Hillary Clinton.
CHEN GUANGCHENG: I want to meet with the Secretary Clinton.
MITCHELL: Clinton, walking a diplomatic tightrope told China's leaders they need to address human rights.
HILLARY CLINTON: All governments do have to answer to citizen's aspirations for dignity and the rule of law and that no nation can or should deny those rights.
MITCHELL: But that was a softer version than her prepared remarks which included a warning to China not to punish dissidents. It's already become an issue in the campaign. Mitt Romney said the administration was too eager to keep its summit on track and should not have handed Chen over to the Chinese.
MITT ROMNEY: If these reports are true, this is a dark day for freedom and it's a day of shame for the Obama Administration.
MITCHELL: But Ambassador Gary Locke told NBC's Ian Williams Chen was not pressured to leave the safety of the U.S. Embassy.
GARY LOCKE: Suddenly he jumped up and said let's go. And before we got in the van, I asked him again, is this what you really want to do? Do you want to leave the Embassy, are you ready to go? And he said yes.
MITCHELL: In the eye of the storm since his dramatic weekend escape from house arrest, Chen has made a series of emotional calls, including to NBC News. Locke says Chen has clearly had a change of heart and they will visit him again to find out what he really wants. But as Clinton tries to pressure China for help on Iran, Syria, and North Korea and Treasury Secretary Geithner on the economy-
TIMOTHY GEITHNER: We meet here in Beijing at a time of risk and challenge in the global economy.
MITCHELL: -both countries now must deal with Chen and how China handles dissidents, issues both countries wanted to downplay.
WILLIAM COHEN: This is a lose-lose proposition for the United States because the administration will be criticized for failing to stand up tall enough in defending him.
MITCHELL: There may no longer be a way to avoid offering Chen political asylum if he wants it, which would further escalate tensions of course with China, which would have the final say over whether he could leave.
- Scott Whitlock's blog
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Comments
Clinton in a very tough spot
Submitted by CarlosS on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 1:00pm.
But not Barrack NoBlame-o
He PUT them in a tough spot
Submitted by Whoa on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 1:08pm.
It's not that they screwed up, as would have been reported with a republican administration
The MSM, Obama and Hillary
Submitted by celator on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 1:25pm.
The MSM, Obama and Hillary would have us believe that Mr. Chen escaped from house arrest at the risk of his life and those of his rescuers, smuggled and sped to the American Embassy, for the sole purpose of telling the Embassy staff that he didn't want to leave China, after all.
How inconvenient Mr. Chen's run for freedom was for them since their response could effect Obama's re-election campaign. They have little or no interest in Mr. Chen's freedom except as it impacts that re-election campaign. His life has no intrinsic value to the Obama tyrants. Mr Chen is a powerful pro-life advocate in China, which is what got him into trouble in the first place. As a pro-life champion, Mr Chen is also the enemy of the fanatic pro-abortion advocates, Obama and Hillary. His voice is dangerous to them.
What we will remember is this: this was Obama's opportunity for a "tear down this wall" moment with the thugs in the Chinese government. He missed it by a mile because he's a gutless, useless president, and always will be.
How DARE he!!
Submitted by motherbelt on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 1:46pm.
How dare he put her in a tough spot!
Doesn't he know she has bigger fish to fry???
Journalist?
Submitted by mmilesll on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 1:49pm.
Are these morons kidding? Billary just keeps proving what a joke she really is. She should be back in Little Rock baking cookies. Although I doubt she could even do that-remember, she knows more than the cookie. Billary screwed this situation up also.
Tough spot
Submitted by grammajane on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 1:49pm.
The worst tough spot for Hillary to be in was being the first lady of a prezzy who disgraced the country.
The MSM and the Admin would have us believe
Submitted by c5then on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 1:53pm.
That Mr. Chen could not follow the results of his actions to their logical conclusion. Yeah, right. Not only am I sure that he asked for assylum, but I am sure that he asked for his family to be protected and to join him.
His major mistake was that he picked the US Embasy. He should have picked the British or Canadien embasies and I am sure that he and his family would be free right now. This regime does not value life or free speech, only their goals and objectives. Unfortunately for Mr. Chen, he was an obstacle to those objectives and had to be dealt with.
The ones I really worry about are his freinds who helped him. Chen and his family are in the spot-light right now and can not be easily retaliated against. His freinds are anonymous and because of that are at high risk.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
Well, at least they're consistent!
Submitted by Grammy on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 2:03pm.
They sure do follow the party line to a tee don't they?
The MSM and Bill Clinton view the killing of UBL first and foremost as a risk to BHO's political fortunes with nary a thought for the Seals who put their lives and derrieres on the line.
But why should we be surprised by that. BHO has always emphasized I me and mine from his first day as our POTUS.
Chen's LIFE is in dire straits...
Submitted by Order270 on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 2:11pm.
...and in the name of Human Rights, no less. But Hillary is more concerned with upsetting the apple cart and couldn't be bothered with anything so insignificant as Human Rights. She has made a career out of using the Liberal agenda (abortionists, illegal aliens, guns) to glom onto Human Rights in order to create political footballs to punt up and down the field all day. But as soon as she is asked to get her hands dirty, she scatters like a roach in the light.
Slept through the 3am call, I
Submitted by Saint Zero on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 2:12pm.
Slept through the 3am call, I see.
Badda-bing!
Submitted by Galvanic on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 2:38pm.
LOL! Poor Hillary. Why is the world out to get her? ;-)
Who slept through the 3AM?
Submitted by CarlosS on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 2:47pm.
Did Hillary sleep through the 3AM call or was it Barrack NoBlame-o?
Who's the POTUS around here?
Bueller?... Bueller?... Bueller?
I wonder... Hmmm....
Submitted by DumbCanuck on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 2:27pm.
Given that the reason Chen is in danger in China is because he is a pro-lifer, who spoke out loud and clear against China's one-child policy, is it possible that the pro-aborts in the Obama admin is frowning about allowing this dissident into the U.S. because of his pro-life views, and maybe that's the reason there's such a connundrum in the state dept?
Naw... must be the "birther" in me.
Just imagine if a Chinese dissident was a pro-abort, and a Bush admin official was having this much trouble granting asylum. Would you suppose the NBC'ers would report using the slant that the dissident put the Sec'y of State into a spot of trouble?
Ok, you can all move along (or lean) forward now.
"There... Are... Four... Lights!"
Wouldn't be a tough spot if
Submitted by ex buff e-dub on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 3:21pm.
Wouldn't be a tough spot if any of these losers actually had any character to do the right thing.
A pattern seems to be
Submitted by dscott on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 3:25pm.
A pattern seems to be developing. Obama would have suffered IF one of the Seal Team members died on Obama's go ahead to kill OBL, thus he took a huge risk to his popularity rating in making the decision so much so he had to "sleep on it". Hillary is suffering China's displeasure because Chen came to the US Embassy asking to for asylum so Chen is pressured to leave the Embassy.
Awwww, the poor little Democrats, is taking responsibility for others getting heavy, too much personal sacrifice? I'll tell you what, when W was in office, he placed his personal popularity second to the National Interest, and no one would describe John Bolton or Condi as suffering for doing their job to take the heat in the National Interest. MSM you just admitted Democrats are pansies not up to the job of "serving" the country. We want and demand service not some prima donnas whining how tough the job is.
BTW- you didn't see GOP leadership wringing their hands in anguish when the tough decisions had to be made regarding China, Russia, DPRK, etc. They made them and let the chips fall where they may when it came to US principles no matter how loudly our Frenemies squawked. This is what happens to US foreign policy when we care more for what others think of us than what are friends, goals and interests are. Democrats are seen as feckless the world over. Obama and Clinton proved it. The US has been the least reliable ally since Democrats took power so much so our friends are better off making nice with our enemies than the US.
You've just inspired me...
Submitted by Order270 on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 4:24pm.
...based on your analysis to classify Obama's leadership style as being "laissez-fear".
Then you'll just love this
Submitted by dscott on Sat, 05/05/2012 - 8:38am.
Then you'll just love this about the fearless leader's contingency plan:
Leadership: Obama Administration Drafted Memo to Blame Military if OBL Mission Failed
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/05/former-ag-michael-mukasey-obama-...
Contrast fearless leader's prepping for failure against that of Eisenhower and Lincoln.
3 Strikes and you are out, end of story, move on.
Submitted by upcountrywater on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 3:28pm.
Brian Williams enunciating every s i n g l e stinking word, Oh because we are all children...
Hellery is SOOO INCONVENIENCED... she is so happy the plane won't smell like running sweat and raisins.
Chen Guangchen, May God Bless you...
Strike one.... Christian.
strike two..... hates Commies.
stirke 3........ hates planed parenthood.
Here is the free ride in the van.
Start the clock... TODAY is the last day anyone saw the Guangchen Family...
Joe BITE-ME has done this before...
http://freebeacon.com/defection-denied-2/
This SAD news will spread throughout China like wildfire.
You Didn't Build That.
"Chen Guangchen, May God
Submitted by tcm14 on Sat, 05/05/2012 - 4:17am.
"Chen Guangchen, May God Bless you...
Strike one.... Christian.
strike two..... hates Commies.
stirke 3........ hates planed parenthood."
Brilliant. This Chen fellow needs to realize that the Obama administration probably hates him more than the Chinese government does.
Think how relieved she's gonna be....
Submitted by almostacowboy on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 3:56pm.
when they kill him, his family, his extended family, and his neighbors. Whew! [sarc]
Who cares if this cheeses off the Chicoms?
Submitted by Dave. on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 4:22pm.
They are nothing but a bunch of murderous, stinking commie pukes.
This country should always support freedom - no matter what.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
If she can't do the job, either she should resign or be fired.
Submitted by drsamherman on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 5:01pm.
Handling complex situations is what the Secretary of State does. If Shrillary is not up to the task, Oblivious should fire her (quite unlikely now that he is cozying up to them for their ability to raise money) or ask her to resign (equally unlikely).
In any event, the news media should stop whining about it and hold her accountable for doing her job.
Oh, for God's sake, NBC
Submitted by CO2Maker on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 6:54pm.
Clinton is the Secretary of State of the United States, not Iceland or Senegal or the Malagasy Republic.
All the stuff that reaches her desk is hard. It's a tough job, and just like Napoleon said about war plans, they don't last long on the battlefield. Same in international diplomacy. And of course it affects domestic politics in a presidential election year.
Yes, yes, it a quirky story ... but all of them are strange. What about Lybia? Egypt? Syria? Iran? They're all tough and convoluted. Then there's that maniac in Venezuela, and the Argentine president who is getting all worked up about the Malv— um, the Falklands. And Russia wants to preemptively attack our missile defenses in Europe. And the latest round of "Save the Atmosphere" hysterics is coming up. That's why they pay her the big bucks.
Honest to God, it's like you have't driven in rush-hour traffic and you're freaked out by all the cars.
Mao's one child policy
Submitted by CO2Maker on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 9:36pm.
How come their population continues to rise?
Are they using an MAO-inhibitor in their thinking?
Hmmmmm
For reasons still unclear,
Submitted by Jer on Sat, 05/05/2012 - 4:28am.
it was accompanied by a strict "one condom" policy.
Jer
Poor Hillary, this wretch
Submitted by tcm14 on Sat, 05/05/2012 - 4:19am.
Poor Hillary, this wretch under threat of death from a totalitarian regime is probably making her late for her lunch.
Huh?
Submitted by CobraMan on Sat, 05/05/2012 - 12:21pm.
"There may no longer be a way to avoid offering Chen political asylum if he wants it, which would further escalate tensions of course with China, which would have the final say over whether he could leave."
Huh? He received that asylum the moment he entered the Embassy! He wasn't asked to leave, you know! So, how "tough" can it be for Hillary to decide whether to continue giving him asylum or not? That's actually a no-brainer! This isn't Carter and the Shaw of Iran we're talking about here. Do the liberal news services expect that Chinese students will invade out Embassy and take hostages or something? Talk about Drama Queens!
This is actually a Golden Egg for the Obama administration, as well as for the Chinese Government.
Here's what's going to happen: Chen will be in the Embassy for about a month, while Hillary "talks" about human rights and dignity. Claiming that a stalemate is occurring between the State Department and the Chinese government, Obama will "talk" with the Chinese government, probably under the guise of a Cantonese Summat with the Chinese Ambassador at the White House, and, brilliantly, according to the MSM, "convince" the Chinese government to "allow" Chen to leave China "in the interest of international relationships," something they were going to do anyways when they allowed him to "escape" house arrest (Do you really think the Chinese government couldn't keep him there, if that is what they wanted to do?). Obama then will boast, loudly and as ofter as possible, that he is the Stalwart of Human Rights, the Protector of the Little Man, just a few months ahead of the election.
The Chinese will boast, loudly and as often as possibly, about how they have been unfairly characterized by the World Press, how they, too, respect Human Rights and Dignity, and how they graciously sent Chen to America, because they are Progressive and not Oppressive. So, Obama will have bragging rights and China will have bragging rights. Chen, himself, will have "freedom," complete with a "tearful" reunion with his family at the DC airport, courtesy of Obama himself, who will bring Chen's family personally to America in Air Force One, and Chen will make millions of dollars on the speech circuit talking about his "ordeal" under the Chinese Oppression.
The only one left holding the bag will be Hillary herself, who will watch everyone else grab credit for all of this while she does the only thing she can do: give Chen the asylum he asks for. Does anyone actually believe that Hillary, as Sec of State, is going to turn down the asylum request of a blind man? Not if she want's the support of every disabled person in America!
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.