After the first broadcast network special reports on Friday morning about the Supreme Court’s decision to approve gay marriage, they returned hours later to gush after President Obama’s remarks how “eloquently” he spoke and pronounce him to be “the America of tomorrow” as an “angry” Antonin Scalia comes to grips with the news that “his side” of “the culture battle” “has lost.”
Making his second appearance on NewsBusters in less than three hours, ABC News correspondent Terry Moran hyped after the President’s speech how “Scalia is angry again” by having “cast scorn” on the majority ruling in his dissenting opinion.
Moran added that Scalia has been “essentially fighting the cultural battle in this Court that this country has been fighting and his side has lost.”
In contrast, Moran offered this oozing take on what he made of the President’s statement in support of the Court’s decision:
That picture we just saw in the Rose Garden is representative of really the America of tomorrow. There’s – we're not just amazed at how quickly this has happened, but that was an African-American president. Who, 15 years ago, would have thought that possible. Announcing that in every county, in every town, in every village in the country, gay couples can go to the courthouse and get married.
He concluded his thoughts by throwing in a reference to debate over the Confederate flag to state that “[c]hange is afoot” and “[t]here’s no question about it.”
Over on CBS, CBS This Morning co-host Charlie Rose paraphrased the President when telling viewers how, as co-hosts Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell interjected to express their agreement: “The President of the United States eloquently remind[ed] us, speaking from the heart, that this has been a long struggle, but the struggle comes like a thunderbolt on the day that makes all of the sacrifice worthwhile.”
Also borrowing words from the President, King repeated a few lines that stuck out: “He said sometimes he takes two steps forward and one step back but America is a place you can write your own destiny. Today, we say on no uncertain terms we have made our union a little more perfect today.”
Before going to Justice correspondent Jan Crawford outside the Court, O’Donnell touted it as “a historic day” and urged viewers to imagine “as the President ended, how this will affect people's lives, their deepest desires and hope and how they feel about their loved ones and that's a really important change to make.”
A personal friend of the Obamas, King added: “You know what, and #lovewins is the number one hashtag on Twitter right now.”
The relevant portion of the transcript from the second ABC News Special Report on June 26 can be found below.
ABC News Special Report (#2)
June 26, 2015
11:24 a.m. Eastern
TERRY MORAN: Well, Justice Scalia is angry again and there’s no question that he doesn't like the way the decision was reached. He doesn't think the 14th amendment was intended to provide this protection to same-sex couples and he doesn't think that it's right for judges to do this kind of thing. He cast scorn on Justice Kennedy’s opinion, saying “the stuff contained in today's opinion has to diminish this Court's reputation for clear thinking.” But Justice Scalia is also essentially fighting the cultural battle in this Court that this country has been fighting and his side has lost. That picture we just saw in the Rose Garden is representative of really the America of tomorrow. There’s – we're not just amazed at how quickly this has happened, but that was an African-American president. Who, 15 years ago, would have thought that possible. Announcing that in every county, in every town, in every village in the country, gay couples can go to the courthouse and get married. It's also a time when the confederate flag is coming down off the Statehouse in South Carolina. Change is afoot. There’s no question about it and this is a big part of it.
A partial transcript from the second CBS News Special Report on June 26 is provided below.
CBS News Special Report (#2)
June 26, 2015
11:22 a.m. Eastern
CHARLIE ROSE: The President of the United States eloquently reminding us, speaking from the heart, that this has been a long struggle, but the struggle comes like a thunderbolt –
GAYLE KING and NORAH O’DONNELL: Yes.
ROSE: – on the day that makes all of the sacrifice worthwhile.
KING: He said sometimes he takes two steps forward and one step back but America is a place you can write your own destiny. Today, we say on no uncertain terms we have made our union a little more perfect today.
O’DONNELL: Yes. That all people are treated equally regardless of who they are and who they love. Clearly, an historic day and imagine, I think, as the President ended, how this will affect people's lives, their deepest desires and hope and how they feel about their loved ones and that's a really important change to make.
KING: You know what, and #lovewins is the number one hashtag on Twitter right now.
