After NBC’s Today touted the latest hire for Hillary Clinton’s expected presidential campaign, Monday’s NBC Nightly News also gushed over the move while blasting possible Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush for creating an “embarrassing situation” by identifying as a Hispanic on a voter registration form.
Interim anchor Lester Holt started the segment by noting that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton could be “about to make it official” with speculation being that the presidential announcement could come “as soon as this week” alongside “a flurry of expected announcements from GOP candidates.”
National correspondent Peter Alexander picked up from there and declared that “the building blocks of a presidential campaign are now taking shape” for Clinton now that she’s assembled “a virtual shadow team of advisers” that include “a former aide to First Lady Michelle Obama” in Kristina Schake.
Alexander continued by gushing over Schake’s past credentials:
Kristina Schake is credited with helping soften Mrs. Obama’s public image. She’s the aide behind that undercover shopping trip to Target, the First Lady’s cameo at the Oscars, even those unforgettable dance moves with Jimmy Fallon.
Shifting back to the Clinton campaign, the NBC News correspondent noted that Clinton “likely now has until the middle of April under election law to declare her candidacy” after she secured “a lease for a campaign headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.”
When she does make the announcement, Alexander cited “close aides” as saying that “she’ll initially focus on small, intimate events rather than huge rallies” seeing as how: “The goal is to focus on voters, not herself. Not an easy task for a politician who's been in the eye for nearly 25 years and faces no serious Democratic challenger.”
Alexander then turned his attention from touting the latest news surrounding Clinton to highlighting “an embarrassing situation” for Bush that had him working “to diffuse” on Monday concerning the racial/ethnic background he cited on a 2009 voter registration form.
Continuing to pounce, he added that “[t]he episode is already being parodied on Twitter, including the formation of a fake Jeb Bush account” while “Bush laughed it off” with a tweet saying it was “[m]y mistake” and “don’t think I’ve fooled anyone” with the hastag “#honorarylatino” at the end.
In a final note before closing out his report, Alexander mentioned the expected presidential announcement of Republican Senator Rand Paul (Ky.) on Tuesday and predicted that he’s “likely to steal the spotlight.”
The transcript of the segment from April 6's NBC Nightly News is transcribed below.
NBC Nightly News
April 6, 2015
7:09 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Ready to Announce?]
LESTER HOLT: Tonight, the guessing game has begun. Political observers reading the tea leaves amid speculation that Hillary Clinton is about to make it official, announcing a run for president as soon as this week. It comes amid a flurry of expected announcements from GOP candidates kicking campaign into high gear. Our national correspondent Peter Alexander has details.
PETER ALEXANDER: For Hillary Clinton, the building blocks of a presidential campaign are now taking shape. She’s already putting together a virtual shadow team of advisers, most recently adding a former aide to First Lady Michelle Obama. Kristina Schake is credited with helping soften Mrs. Obama’s public image. She’s the aide behind that undercover shopping trip to Target, the First Lady’s cameo at the Oscars, even those unforgettable dance moves with Jimmy Fallon. After signing a lease for a campaign headquarters in Brooklyn, New York at the start of the month, Clinton likely now has until the middle of April under election law to declare her candidacy. Close aides tell NBC News she’ll initially focus on small, intimate events rather than huge rallies. The goal to focus on voters, not on herself. Not an easy task for a politician who's been in the eye for nearly 25 years and faces no serious Democratic challenger.
FORMER FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH CHIEF OF STAFF ANITA MCBRIDE: When you have been in the public eye for so long, people sort of identify you in one way, but I think our American politics also allows the people want to see all sides of you.
ALEXANDER: One potential opponent, Jeb Bush, today tried to diffuse an embarrassing situation. On this 2009 Florida voter registration form, Bush, whose wife Colombo was born in Mexico, marked himself down as Hispanic, not white. The episode is already being parodied on Twitter, including the formation of a fake Jeb Bush account. This morning, Bush laughed it off tweeting: “My mistake. Don't think I've fooled anyone.” Even including the hashtag honorarylatino, but it’s Rand Paul who’s likely to steal the spotlight tomorrow, making his presidential bid official in his home state of Kentucky. Peter Alexander NBC News, Washington.
