ABC's Jon Karl announced Ted Cruz's entry on Monday into the 2016 presidential field by warning that the Republican is "trying to be the man to the right of just about everybody." According to Karl, "Cruz jumps into this race as the conservative's conservative, somebody who delights not just in fighting liberals but mainstream Republicans, too."
The Good Morning America journalist played previous footage of him needling, "How much do your colleagues just despise you right now on the floor?" Guest co-host David Muir, putting all responsibility on Cruz, described the conservative as "the combative Tea Party favorite who shut down the government for days over ObamaCare."
Didn't Obama have anything to do with that? Karl didn't say.
In just two segments that totaled over two and a half minutes, GMA journalists labeled Ted Cruz "Tea Party," "conservative" or "right" five times. This is a pattern for the network. In 2012, ABC wrapped Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan in the "conservative" label. In 2008, there were no liberal labels for Biden as he was unveiled.
In 2009, ABC minimized the "liberal" ID for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Yet, reporters used it frequently for the "conservative" Sam Alito.
In July of 2013, when prostitution enthusiast Eliot Spitzer attempted a return to public life, ABC skipped labels for the liberal Democrat.
A transcript of the March 23 segment, which aired a7:03am ET, is below:
7am tease
DAVID MUIR: Breaking overnight: Taking aim. Texas Senator Ted Cruz becomes the first major candidate to announce he's running for the White House. The combative Tea Party favorite who shut down the government for days over ObamaCare takes to Twitter overnight, saying he's ready to begin the fight for the presidency.
...
7:03
MUIR: We're going to turn to politics now. The race for the White House kicking off this morning. Texas Senator Ted Cruz announcing on Twitter overnight that he's now running for President, becoming the first major candidate to officially enter the race and ABC's John Karl live at the White House this morning with more on this Tea Party favorite. Hey, Jon. Good morning.
JON KARL: Good morning, David. Cruz jumps into this race as the conservative's conservative, somebody who delights not just in fighting liberals but mainstream Republicans, too. Overnight Texas Senator Ted Cruz announced via Twitter he is jumping into the presidential race.
TED CRUZ: I'm ready to stand with you, to lead the fight.
KARL: Cruz and his family did a walk through at Liberty University, where he will give his announcement speech today, even practicing the waving and kissing. Cruz enters the race trying to be the man to the right of just about everybody.
CRUZ: Actions speak far, far louder than words.
KARL: What has Ted Cruz done? Most famously, he led the fight against Obamacare that culminated in a government shutdown for 16 days following Cruz's 21 hour talk-a-thon on the Senate floor. Lots of political rhetoric and even some Dr. Seuss.
CRUZ: I do no like them, Sam I Am.
KARL: The fight earned Cruz lots of enemies, many of them Republicans in Congress. [To Cruz] How much do your colleagues just despise you right now on the floor? I mean, I hear some really strong language.
CRUZ: Given the choice between being reviled in Washington D.C. and appreciated in Texas or reviled in Texas and appreciated in Washington, I would take the former 100 out of 100 times.
KARL: The son of a Cuban immigrant father, Cruz was a champion debater at Princeton and a Harvard law grad. His election in 2012 came as a jolt to the Republican establishment. He beat the Texas lieutenant governor who had more money and the endorsements of virtually all the Republican leaders in the state.
CRUZ: They said it was impossible.
KARL: No doubt, they'll say the same as he shoots higher this time around. Cruz is the first candidate in the 2016 race. but David, there are by some counts more than 20 Republicans who are at least thinking about running for president. So he'll be the first of many.
