As part of their ongoing commitment to bolstering the left’s chances in the midterms (see examples here, here, here, here, here, and here), Tuesday’s CBS Mornings cheered the return of President Biden after a months-long slumber “with a stark new message” on abortion and targeting his political adversaries as not only wrong, but a threat to the “soul of the nation.”
Co-host Tony Dokoupil highlighted Biden’s plans to strike out on “the road ahead of the coming midterms with a stark new message,” including a Thursday night address in Philadelphia “on what the White House is calling ‘the continued battle for the soul of the nation’” with “democracy itself” being “on the ballot in November.”
Senior White House correspondent Ed O’Keefe began his dispatch with something the liberal media could have done more to focus on, which is the complete absence of President Biden for well over a month.
As part of that, O’Keefe conceded some of it was done to give more attention to the FBI raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home and resort.
Nonetheless, he touted Biden’s push “to tout his party's accomplishments”: (click “expand”):
O’KEEFE: You know, we haven't seen much of the President in recent weeks, between his bout with COVID-19, his own two-week summer vacation and the fact that the FBI search at the former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate’s been dominating the headlines. But the current President is back, hitting the road today and heading to a state that he believes is key to Democratic chances of winning in November. President Biden is gearing up for a busy fall travel schedule designed to tout his party's accomplishments.
BIDEN [on 08/25/22]: And to state the obvious, there's a lot at stake.
O’KEEFE: Mr. Biden's travels begin today with the first of three stops he'll make in Pennsylvania in the next week. Democrats believe the Keystone State's open races for Senate and governor, plus several competitive House races are key to their chances this November. In Wilkes-Barre today, the President is scheduled to speak on crime and gun violence.
BIDEN [on 08/25/22]: I'm determined to ban assault weapons in this country.
O’KEEFE: Then Thursday, he’s set to deliver a prime time address outside Philadelphia's Independence Hall on the continued battle for the soul of the nation. And on Labor Day, the President will visit Pittsburgh. That day, he'll also stop in Wisconsin and later, next week, Ohio, two more big Senate and gubernatorial battle grounds.
Unfortunately, O’Keefe followed suit from Monday’s show by insisting CBS’s latest poll of likely voters that, in general, they believe “their vote for Congress this year will be to support abortion rights rather than oppose them” with the issue “emerging as a big motivator.”
But like on Monday, O’Keefe ignored the third line in the poll, which had 43 percent of voters saying their midterm vote wouldn’t be “about abortion” (compared to 41 percent voting to back abortion and 16 percent to defend life).
O’Keefe added that “Democrats are now filling the airwaves with ads targeting Republicans on the issue” before admitting it isn’t actually the electorate’s top issue:
Now, it’s important to point out our poll finds that top issue of concern remains the economy and inflation. That's why you’re going to hear Republican candidates predominantly talking about issues of dollars and cents. Democrats will do it too but they’ll point out that inflation is starting to ease. The unemployment rate’s in good shape. And they'll also, of course, Tony, continue talking about those issues of social concern, including abortion rights.
And when asked by Dokoupil why Biden would make three visits in a week to Pennsylvania where his approval rating is under 40 percent, O’Keefe said the focus on “democracy,” guns, and unions is to secure his own base (as opposed to uniting the country) (click “expand”):
Well, he's been to Pennsylvania more than a dozen times as President. It's a place he goes often to discuss politics. Part of what they're trying to do here at the White House is boost his standing among Democrats overall.
Part of the reason his numbers have slipped so much is because his numbers slipped with Democrats. And so, if he can bring those back up, our battleground tracker shows this as well, then his numbers overall improve. That's why you're seeing him talk in the next week about three issues important to the Democratic voters: gun control and ban on assault weapons, the fate of democracy, and then workers issues when he's in Pittsburgh on Labor Day. You bring up the numbers among Democrats, you boost his numbers, you hopefully boost Democratic turnout. The White House hopes that's the key to victory in November.
Being personally invested in the success of Democrats, co-host, Obama family friend, and past Democratic donor Gayle King commented on O’Keefe’s piece by saying “[l]et’s see if that strategy works.”
And over on NBC’s Today, fill-in co-host Sheinelle Jones had a 26-second news brief in the second half-hour touting Biden’s address that “will highlight what he sees as progress over the past two years to protect our democracy” while also “not[ing] that rights and freedoms remain at risk.”
Tuesday’s dose of Biden White House propaganda was brought to you by supportive advertisers such as Honda (on NBC) and Neutrogena (on CBS). Follow the links to see their contact information at the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.
To see the relevant transcripts from August 30, click “expand.”
CBS Mornings
August 30, 2022
7:07 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Battle for the Midterms; Biden in Pennsylvania for First of Several Battleground State Stops]
TONY DOKOUPIL: Turning to politics and President Biden who is hitting the road ahead of the coming midterms with a stark new message. Among the events, a prime time address on Thursday outside Philadelphia's Independence Hall on what the White House is calling “the continued battle for the soul of the nation.” Mr. Biden is expected to argue that democracy itself is on the ballot in November. Ed O’Keefe is at the White House for us once again. Ed, good morning.
ED O’KEEFE: Tony, good to see you. You know, we haven't seen much of the President in recent weeks, between his bout with COVID-19, his own two-week summer vacation and the fact that the FBI search at the former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate’s been dominating the headlines. But the current President is back, hitting the road today and heading to a state that he believes is key to Democratic chances of winning in November. President Biden is gearing up for a busy fall travel schedule designed to tout his party's accomplishments.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN [on 08/25/22]: And to state the obvious, there's a lot at stake.
O’KEEFE: Mr. Biden's travels begin today with the first of three stops he'll make in Pennsylvania in the next week. Democrats believe the Keystone State's open races for Senate and governor, plus several competitive House races are key to their chances this November. In Wilkes-Barre today, the President is scheduled to speak on crime and gun violence.
BIDEN [on 08/25/22]: I'm determined to ban assault weapons in this country.
O’KEEFE: Then Thursday, he’s set to deliver a prime time address outside Philadelphia's Independence Hall on the continued battle for the soul of the nation. And on Labor Day, the President will visit Pittsburgh. That day, he'll also stop in Wisconsin and later, next week, Ohio, two more big Senate and gubernatorial battle grounds.
PROTESTERS: What do we want?
PROTESTERS: Abortion rights!
O’KEEFE: As the fall campaign begins, the future of abortion rights is emerging as a big motivator. Likely voters say their vote for Congress this year will be to support abortion rights rather than oppose them.
CAMPAIGN AD NARRATOR: Blake Masters has made his dangerous ideas on abortion easy to understand.
O’KEEFE: Democrats are now filling the airwaves with ads targeting Republicans on the issue.
CAMPAIGN AD NARRATOR: The Supreme Court supported by Republicans just overturned Roe vs. Wade, endangering women's health care choice across America.
O’KEEFE: And that has Republicans like Washington state candidate Tiffany Smiley trying to preempt Democratic attacks.
WASHINGTON SENATORIAL CANDIDATE TIFFANY SMILEY (R): I'm pro-life, but I oppose a federal abortion ban.
O’KEEFE: Now, it’s important to point out our poll finds that top issue of concern remains the economy and inflation. That's why you’re going to hear Republican candidates predominantly talking about issues of dollars and cents. Democrats will do it too but they’ll point out that inflation is starting to ease. The unemployment rate’s in good shape. And they'll also, of course, Tony, continue talking about those issues of social concern, including abortion rights.
DOKOUPIL: Let's talk about the overall issue of the President's approval rating in the state of Pennsylvania where he was born and partially raised. It is not only below 50 percent, it is below 40 percent, according to a recent poll. So, yep, two critical races there for Senate and governor, but I guess the calculation is he’s going to make a difference in the positive way. Why is he going there now?
O’KEEFE: Well, he's been to Pennsylvania more than a dozen times as President. It's a place he goes often to discuss politics. Part of what they're trying to do here at the White House is boost his standing among Democrats overall. Part of the reason his numbers have slipped so much is because his numbers slipped with Democrats. And so, if he can bring those back up, our battleground tracker shows this as well, then his numbers overall improve. That's why you're seeing him talk in the next week about three issues important to the Democratic voters: gun control and ban on assault weapons, the fate of democracy, and then workers issues when he's in Pittsburgh on Labor Day. You bring up the numbers among Democrats, you boost his numbers, you hopefully boost Democratic turnout. The White House hopes that's the key to victory in November.
DOKOUPIL: All right. We'll be following it. Ed, thank you very much.
GAYLE KING: Let's see if that strategy works.
(....)
8:01 a.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Midterm Momentum]
DOKOUPIL: President Biden travels to Pennsylvania with a message that democracy itself is on the line in the midterm elections.
JEAN-PIERRE: The President has been really clear that congressional Republicans, that extreme MAGA agenda is a threat to the rule of law.
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NBC’s Today
August 30, 2022
7:31 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Today’s Headlines; Biden to Give Primetime Speech]
SHEINELLE JONES: President Biden plans to deliver a primetime speech on Thursday. A white House official says the address at the Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia would focus on “the continued battle for the soul of the nation.” The speech comes about two months before midterm elections. The President will highlight what he sees as progress over the past two years to protect our democracy, but he plans to note that rights and freedoms remain at risk.
