It was Benjamin Franklin who stated that “Nothing is more certain except death and taxes.” Lately, it looks like we could easily add to that quote “and the misrepresentation of Jeb Bush on Univision.”
Despierta América, the network’s morning show mix of news, weather and entertainment, recently featured a story about a recorded dialogue on the topic of immigration between Jeb Bush and immigrant dreamer Monica Reyes.
Despierta América host Satcha Pretto’s introduction of the segment was factually incorrect, as she preposterously asserted that Jeb Bush did not know what the DACA program is and that Bush is not informed on the subject of immigration.
Here is what actually happened. Monica Reyes is a self-described “dreamer” activist who lives in Iowa. During a recent Bush visit to the Hawkeye State, Reyes approached the former Florida Governor and asked him if it was true that he would eliminate President Obama’s executive 2012 and 2014 executive amnesty actions, known as DACA and DAPA.
Bush took the time to explain to Reyes that he favors replacing DACA and DAPA with a permanent, lawful legislative solution, as opposed to Obama’s temporary executive actions or decrees in the manner of a “Latin American dictator.”
One would think Reyes would have been more than satisfied with the answer she received. She was not. On the contrary, she criticized Bush, alleging that he says “one thing to Republicans and another to the Latino community.”
Reyes did not back up her allegation, and Univision’s Pretto let her comment go unchallenged, once again misinforming viewers. Both Pretto and Reyes also totally ignored the well-known fact that Bush is the co-author of a book on the subject of immigration titled Immigration Wars: Forging an American Solution.
The interview went on to compare Reyes’ encounter with Bush to a previous encounter Reyes had with Hillary Clinton. When Reyes asked Clinton about action on immigration, Clinton limited her response to congratulating Reyes on being a dreamer and said the answer is for people to “vote for more Democrats."
Did Reyes or the Univision host point out that Clinton was essentially dismissive of the young lady’s question? Did either of them comment on how such a response could be taken for lack of knowledge about the issue? Or did they demonstrate outrage for the blatant political pandering? Of course not. Instead, Reyes and Pretto simply agreed among themselves that Clinton’s answers were merely unclear, and they continued with more Bush bashing.
As demonstrated in this segment of Despierta América, as campaign 2016 starts heating up, far from being accurate and fair in its coverage, Univision is showing clear signs of deliberately promoting a partisan political narrative and agenda.
Another major question remains unanswered. If the powers that be at Univision are the supposed torchbearers for immigration reform, why such sloppy, unsubstantiated attacks against a staunch defender of immigration reform like Bush?
Maybe Univision does not care as much as about immigration reform as it does about ensuring the election of a Democrat to the White House in 2016. Maybe the immigration reform issue for Univision is nothing more than a means to an ulterior motive. One can only wonder.
Below is the English-language translation of the cited Despierta América segment, followed by the original Spanish.
Univision's Despierta América
March 10, 2015
8:32 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: CONFRONTING BUSH]
PRETTO: The most recent encounter was with the Republican Jeb Bush who left in evidence that he does not even know about DACA. The protagonist of this confrontation is with us via Skype in Iowa. Good Morning Mónica Reyes.
REYES: Good Morning.
[…]
PRETTO: At one point you ask him that if he were to arrive at the White House would he cancel the programs DACA and DAPA. His response was to ask you what DACA was. What does this tell you about this candidate, the fact that he is not well informed about this immigration related topic?
REYES: Well, what I asked him was…I wanted to know what his thoughts were about immigration, because he says one thing to the Republicans and then says another to the Latino community. I wanted him to clarify what his thoughts were on this immigration related issue.
PRETTO: And did he clarify this to you? What exactly did he say to you?
REYES: Well, he practically said… he compared the President to a Latin-American dictator y then clarified that he would in fact end the programs DACA and DAPA.
[…]
PRETTO: Now…you have also confronted politicians from the other party, the Democrats, in another opportunity you had…you posed the question directly to Hillary Clinton. What was the response she gave you and how do you compare it to Jeb Bush’s?
REYES: Well the response I got from Hillary Clinton, and what I asked her, was if she supported the President’s delay in issuing his executive action.
She congratulated me on being a dreamer and said we should elect more Democrats into office…and that response was of course not clear either. But he is taking two different sides, and sometimes, it appears as though he is leaving immigrants out of the topic of reforms…and we are the ones directly affected by those programs.
[…]
Original Spanish:
Univision's Despierta América
March 10, 2015
8:32 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: CONFRONTANDO A BUSH]
[…]
PRETTO: El más reciente choque fue con el republicano Jeb Bush, quien dejó en evidencia que ni si quiera conoce bien el programa DACA. La protagonista de esta confrontación está con nosotros vía Skype desde Iowa.
Mónica Reyes, muy buenos días.
REYES: Buenos días.
PRETTO: Vamos de hablar de este encuentro que tuviste con Jeb Bush. En un momento le preguntas que si llega a la Casa Blanca, si estaría dispuesto anular lo que son los programas DACA y DAPA. Y su respuesta fue preguntarte a ti cual era el programa DACA. ¿Qué te dice con respecto a este candidato que no esté informado sobre este tema inmigratorio?
REYES: Pues lo que yo le pregunte, era… quería saber lo que él pensaba sobre inmigración porque él dice una cosa a los republicanos y luego dice otra cosa a la comunidad latina. Y yo quería que aclarara lo que él piensa sobre este tema de inmigración.
PRETTO: ¿Y te lo aclaró? ¿Qué te dijo específicamente?
REYES: Pues él prácticamente dijo…, él comparó al presidente a un dictador latinoamericano y luego también aclaró que él sí iba a terminar estos programas de DACA y DAPA.
[…]
PRETTO: Ahora, bien…tú también te has enfrentado a políticos del otro partido, el Demócrata, en una oportunidad tuviste… la pregunta se la hiciste directamente a Hillary Clinton. ¿Cuál fue la respuesta que ella te dio y cómo la comparas a la que te dio Jeb Bush?
REYES: Lo que yo le pregunté fue si ella apoyaba al presidente con su atraso con la acción ejecutiva y ella solamente me dijo felicidades por ser un “dreamer” y luego dijo que deberíamos votar para más demócratas.
[…]
