NBC's Kelly O'Donnell Calls Congressional Advocacy Of Tax Increases A 'Bright Spot'

November 3rd, 2011 8:21 AM

Question:  What does an MSMer call congressional support for tax increases?

Answer: A "bright spot."

Earlier today in another item this NewsBuster wrote: "In the liberal media mindset, mature, sensible citizens will vote for higher taxes, and by extension, for Democrats.  If they don't, they must have taken temporary leave of their senses.  The notion that people, in full control of their rational faculties, might be opposed to higher taxes and more goverment, simply doesn't compute in the MSM medulla." Literally within minutes of that item appearing, we had a perfect illustration of the MSM mindset it described. [Video after the jump]

On Morning Joe today, NBC's Kelly O'Donnell called the support for tax increases contained in a letter from a number of congressmen to the so-called Super-Committe a "bright spot." 



O'Donnell was generally pessimistic about the prospects that the Super-Committee would come to an agreement.  But she kept hope alive with her reference to those tax-increase supporting congressmen.  I'll be back with a transcript, but in the meantime watch O'Donnell at work.  Was she even aware of her liberal frame of reference, or did O'Donnell simply take it for granted that sensible folks would view the prospect of tax increases as a good thing?
 


JOE SCARBOROUGH: So, what's happening with the Super Committee?

KELLY O'DONNELL: Well, talking to people day-in, day-out I think we're in a window of time now where there's a lot of pessimism.  If there wasn't all along, I think it's really, particularly strong now. They've got a couple of weeks to resolve this, even less if you're talking about their putting pieces of the package of cuts together to allow the Congressional Budget Office--number crunchers--to score it.  Talking to people in the last 24 hours, they think failure is likely, and then --

SCARBOROUGH: Really? Wow.

O'DONNELL: What do they do? Those are the kinds of impressions you're hearing talked about. At the same time, there was kind of a bright spot yesterday in the House, where 100 members, including 40 Republicans, came together, signed a letter urging the committee to go big: that's the key phrase of the week --

ED RENDELL [former Dem DNC Chairman]: Consider revenue!

O'DONNELL: -- and to consider tax revenue.


So there it is.  An MSMer parroting a former DNC Chairman, using that useful euphemism for tax increases: "consider revenue."