What could be the reason for the bipartisan opposition to some of Joe Biden’s cabinet nominees? Temperament? Character? No, of course not. Sexism! That’s the view of CNN anyway.
Neera Tanden and New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland, President Biden's nominees for Office of Management and Budget and the Interior Department, respectively, have faced difficult confirmation processes, in large part due to their history of past statements about Republicans. Which, to CNN Newsroom host Brianna Keilar isn't important. It's obviously sexism.
Welcoming S.E. Cupp and Kirsten Powers to her Tuesday show, Keilar, starting with Tanden, acknowledged her Twitter history was "not pretty. Some of the things she said, I remember the one that really stuck out to me, is calling Mitch McConnell Voldemort and Moscow Mitch."
Still, she wondered, "when you look at who [Democratic Sen. Joe] Manchin has confirmed, it's odd that this is the standard for him, I think. And I just really wonder what you guys think about sort of what is appropriate for confirming someone or dismissing them on this, and if there is a double standard?"
Powers responded by declaring, "I think obviously there obviously is a double standard because you look at other people who have been confirmed."
To back up her assertion, Powers pointed to, "Ric Grenell who was confirmed to be the ambassador to Germany, something usually an ambassador requires like a certain temperament, right, for diplomacy and he is on Twitter doing, you know, mean tweets up the wazoo."
Of course, Powers omitted that OMB is a cabinet level position, whereas ambassador to Germany is not. Powers contended that if you were to just look at Tanden's credentials there would be no reason to vote against her, "Like, I tried to think of one but you cannot raise her temperament as it's been raised based on her tweets. If you confirmed Ric Grennel, those two things just don't add up."
Later, in the segment, the conversation shifted to Haaland, whom Republicans hit for calling them science deniers. Republicans also criticized Haaland's far-left policies, but Powers wasn't going to listen to any "enablers" of Donald Trump:
I'm not interested in what people who have enabled him the last four years and continue to enable him, and those are the Republicans in Congress. And to certain extent, even Joe Manchin enabled him as well. So you do have to have one standard, and you can't suddenly just decide that you have a standard for these women of color that you don't ever hold anybody else to.
In addition to CNN's bizarre urge to ostracize one of the few remaining red state Democrats, this segment on alleged sexism naturally avoided talk about HHS nominee Xavier Becerra, who also had his confirmation hearing on Tuesday and who given his history of trying to prosecute pro-lifers, is arguable the worst of the three. But, to include Becerra would eliminate the purpose for a segment Keilar described at the beginning as one "I have been waiting for."
This segment was sponsored by Liberty Mutual.
Here is a transcript for the February 23 show:
CNN
CNN Newsroom
2:35 PM ET
BRIANNA KEILAR: I have been waiting for this segment, you guys. I'm so curious what you have to say about this. Look, both of these nominees are women of color and I mean, yesterday -- yesterday we actually played for our viewers some of the tweets that were told to Neera Tanden that she had tweeted, that were said during her confirmation hearing. I mean, they were not pretty. Some of the things she said, I remember the one that really stuck out to me, is calling Mitch McConnell Voldemort and Moscow Mitch. And she had many, many tweets. But when you look at who Manchin has confirmed, it's odd that this is the standard for him, I think. And I just really wonder what you guys think about sort of what is appropriate for confirming someone or dismissing them on this, and if there is a double standard? S.E., you first, or Kirsten you first.
KIRSTEN POWERS: I think obviously there obviously is a double standard because you look at other people who have been confirmed, like Ric Grenell who was confirmed to be the Ambassador to Germany, something usually an ambassador requires like a certain temperament, right, for diplomacy and he is on Twitter doing, you know, mean tweets up the wazoo. So if that's okay, then what's the problem with Neera? I think Neera should be judged on her experience and she's a very experienced person. She has a lot of experience working in the government. She was, you know, in the Obama White House. She used to work on Hillary Clinton's staff. She obviously ran the Center for American Progress. So, I think that should be the standard that she's held to. And I think there's no -- there really isn't an explanation. Like, I tried to think of one but you cannot raise her temperament as it's been raised based on her tweets. If you confirmed Ric Grennel, those two things just don't add up.…
2:39
POWERS: Honestly, I felt like this is so overblown. And it's really hard to listen to after what we just sat through with Donald Trump. So, if people like S.E., who criticized Donald Trump want to say something, I’ll listen to that. But I’m not interested in what people who have enabled him the last four years and continue to enable him, and those are the Republicans in Congress. And to certain extent, even Joe Manchin enabled him as well. So you do have to have one standard, and you can't suddenly just decide that you have a standard for these women of color that you don't ever hold anybody else to. So that's the problem. And so, yes, it would be great if we could have a world where everyone’s always civil and they don’t say harsh things, but, you know, that’s not politics, I’m sorry. Men are always saying harsh things and nothing happens, so why are women held to this, even just looking at what Neera said is just like “okay,” what did she say about Ted Cruz? That he has less heart than a vampire? I mean… and? I mean, I don’t understand
