During a report on Friday's CBS This Morning about some of the "backlash" against the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, correspondent Ben Tracy highlighted Michigan Democratic Congressman John Dingell bashing Republicans who took part in the effort to raise research money for Lou Gehrig's Disease. [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]
Tracy declared that Dingell "accuses some Republicans of de-funding ALS research while taking the ice bucket challenge. He tweeted, 'Since 2011, House Republicans have cut National Institutes of Health funding by billions. And you thought dumping ice water on your head was cold.'" Footage ran of Congressman Paul Ryan getting doused with ice water as Tracy recited Dingell's attack.
Earlier in the segment, Tracy actually did a decent job of explaining Catholic Church opposition to the trend:
Catholic school leaders in Cincinnati got doused, but gave their dollars to a Catholic medical charity. The ALS Association supports research using embryonic stem cells, which the Catholic Church opposes. In a letter, the superintendent told Catholic schools there planning bucket challenges to "immediately cease such planning" or give the money to an organization "whose practices are consistent with the Church."
He also noted some Californian's objecting to the challenge due to water shortages caused by the intense summer drought.
Here is a full transcript of the August 22 segment:
7:33 AM ET
BEN TRACY: The ice bucket challenge has now raised almost $42 million since late last month. That's compared with just $2 million during the same period last year. Most of the money is coming from nearly 740,000 new donors. But while some find the ice challenge refreshing, others have reasons why they can't join the cause.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Bucket Backlash; Lawmakers & Religious Groups Banning Ice Challenge]
CONAN O'BRIEN: Let's do it alright! Whoa! Wow, that was cold!
TRACY: It's the most painful feel-good event of the summer. Everyone from George W. Bush to Kermit the Frog is getting bathed by the bucket. But some are turning a cold shoulder to the cold shower. The State Department, Pentagon, and U.S. House have now banned diplomats, soldiers, and lawmakers from taking the challenge. The State Department said, "There are firmly established rules preventing the use of public office for private gain, no matter how worthy the cause."
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Let her rip.
TRACY: Catholic school leaders in Cincinnati got doused, but gave their dollars to a Catholic medical charity. The ALS Association supports research using embryonic stem cells, which the Catholic Church opposes. In a letter, the superintendent told Catholic schools there planning bucket challenges to "immediately cease such planning" or give the money to an organization "whose practices are consistent with the Church."
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: As you'll notice, my bucket has no ice water in it.
TRACY: In drought-ravaged California, wasting water is rubbing some the wrong way or forcing them to downsize.
And then there's politics. Representative John Dingell, a Democrat from Michigan, accuses some Republicans of de-funding ALS research while taking the ice bucket challenge. He tweeted, "Since 2011, House Republicans have cut National Institutes of Health funding by billions. And you thought dumping ice water on your head was cold."
But for most of us, there is no escape from a good cause.
CONAN O'BRIEN: Check this out. Plastic ice! That water was a balmy 92 degrees. I felt nothing. In your face! [Gets hit with real ice water] That was real! Oh!
TRACY: There was a great video in my Facebook feed of a guy in California who said, "Because of the drought, I'm just going to write the check," and then he pulls out an ice bucket and says, "I have better use for ice," and he's got a bottle of white wine sitting in the middle of it.
NORAH O'DONNELL: I did notice a bunch of people on Twitter saying, "Thank you for dumping out the water on top of grass."
TRACY: Exactly, at least use it for some good cause.
VINITA NAIR: It's been interesting to see members of Congress also deleting tweets where they accepted this challenge. So a lot of people sort of changing gears on this also.
O'DONNELL: Realizing that it's been banned, yeah.
GLOR: Ben, thanks.
