Monday’s CBS This Morning began with the hacky hosts welcoming on Democratic Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for a softball interview in which she and the liberal anchors desperately tried to blame Republicans for the massive economic damage being inflicted on Georgia by left-wing boycott efforts. Rather than demand Bottoms call on her radical supporters to stand down, the segment instead urged the state GOP to give in to Democratic bullying.
The exchange began with co-host Tony Dokoupil framing the story this way: “...the growing showdown between Republicans and big business over the GOP’s efforts to change voting laws in the wake of the 2020 election.” He conveniently ignored the fact that leftists in the Democratic Party were the ones intimidating companies into cutting ties with Georgia.
Turning to Mayor Bottoms, Dokoupil briefly explained that the issue “has somewhat divided Democrats,” with “President Biden supporting the move by Major League Baseball, but Stacey Abrams, prominent Democrat in the state, says while she commends Major League Baseball, she’s disappointed about the impact this move could have on families there in the...Atlanta area.”
“It impacts corporations that hire not just corporate officers but administrative assistants, people who clean up the building, work in the cafeteria,” Bottoms warned. However, instead of scolding the base of her own party for being directly responsible for causing the economic turmoil, the partisan shill predictably attacked Republicans: “And so, I respect the decision, I understand the decision, but I don’t like the fact that we have been put in this position by our state legislature and our governor because the people of Georgia will suffer.”
After voicing agreement with, “Yeah,” Dokoupil teed up his guest to further rant against the GOP: “Have you heard from other companies who’ve already signaled that they are not going do business in Atlanta or in the state of Georgia because of it?” Bottoms happily obliged:
Well, I do know that there are other large-scale events that are openly contemplating whether or not they will stay in our state. Tourism is one of the largest industries in our state. Delta Airlines is one of the largest employers in our state. So this will have a devastating impact. And the irony of it is that we were opened up early under the name of giving back to some type of economic recovery, and with just one signature that’s all been wiped out. And so it’s not too late for the Governor and the legislature – legislators to go back, do something differently. They can go back in January, they can fix this very broken and ill-conceived law, or they can perhaps can even go into special session over the next few months and make tweaks that will allow us to continue to be the open and welcoming state that we claim to be.
Co-host and Democratic Party donor Gayle King then bemoaned: “...the Governor and the Republicans in your state legislature do not appear to be break – do not appear to be backing down. They say they are standing firm. Are you worried that this will now backfire against your state and your city?”
Bottoms demanded that Governor Brian Kemp cave: “I’m absolutely concerned that this will backfire...We’ve had laws contemplated in the past, that people have threatened boycotts, but we’ve also had governors in the past who vetoed those laws. And this governor has chosen not to do so, instead he’s doubled down.”
At the end of the interview, co-host Anthony Mason even gave the Mayor a chance to tell businesses not to boycott the state and save jobs: “So, Mayor, how would you like corporations and businesses to respond to this issue?...it’s hurting the city potentially, so what would you – what, if anything, would you like them to do?” Bottoms bizarrely thanked companies for hurting the state’s economy, while still attacking Republicans:
Well, just what corporations have done. They have spoken out and said that they support access to open voting, and that this law is not a good law for our state as a whole. I think at this point that is all they can do. But there is – actually, there is a little more. I know many corporations have already said that they will not support candidates, with financial support, who supported this law. So it looks like it’s going to be a very long and painful fight all the way around. But again, there’s an opportunity to fix this. You have to know when to hold, you have to know when to fold. This is hurting our state, the economy of our state, and that’s not good for anyone, no matter what side of the aisle you are on.
ABC’s Good Morning America only managed 15 seconds Monday morning to describe the devastating economic impact of the far-left boycott push, with correspondent Steve Osunsami telling viewers: “This has put Democrats in a tough position, supporting the businesses that are taking a stand, but also disappointed in the money lost. Losing the All-Star Game alone could cost this state, T.J., close to $100 million, by some estimates.”
NBC’s Today show avoided that part of the story completely while correspondent Blayne Alexander touted prominent liberals cheering on the campaign to harm the state’s economy: “The move, hailed by some as a home run, including former President Obama, and partial Red Sox owner and NBA superstar, Lebron James, who tweeted, ‘Proud to call myself part of the MLB family.’”
After the broadcast networks spent days promoting leftist intimidation tactics designed to cause economic damage and put people out of work, the same media outlets are suddenly concerned about the impact on workers and pretending that Republicans are to blame.
CBS’s desperate DNC spin was brought to viewers by Amazon and Capitol One. You can fight back by letting these advertisers know what you think of them sponsoring such content.
Here is a full transcript of the April 5 segment:
7:03 AM ET
TONY DOKOUPIL: We’ve got to begin with the news here.
GAYLE KING: Yes, we do.
DOKOUPIL: And the growing showdown – the growing showdown between Republicans and big business over the GOP’s efforts to change voting laws in the wake of the 2020 election. Major League Baseball has announced it is pulling this year’s All-Star Game from Georgia over one such law in the state. So let’s remind folks about what that law does. It shrinks the window for sending absentee ballots, severely limits the number of ballot drop boxes, and gives more control of local elections to state lawmakers who are majority Republican. It also makes it a crime to give water or food to people waiting in line to vote. There are also less controversial elements, like expanding early voting so that there are at least 17 days to cast a vote, and it can go up to 19 days if counties choose to offer two Sundays of voting. The bill also requires that when lines are longer than one hour, counties must send more staff and machines out.
A number of big businesses in Georgia, though, including Delta and Coca-Cola, have criticized the law, leading Republicans to threaten retaliation. For more on all of this, we are joined now by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Mayor Bottoms, good morning to you. A complicated morning for you, I imagine, because this has somewhat divided Democrats. On the one hand, you’ve got Joe Biden – President Biden supporting the move by Major League Baseball, but Stacey Abrams, prominent Democrat in the state, says while she commends Major League Baseball, she’s disappointed about the impact this move could have on families there in the Atlanta era – Atlanta area. Where are you on this, this morning?
MAYOR KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS [D-GA]: Well, first of all, good morning, and thank you for having me. You know, this is a tough one. The metro Atlanta economy is the tenth largest economy in the nation. And so when you talk about boycotts in and around Atlanta and the state as a whole, it’s impacting small businesses. It impacts corporations that hire not just corporate officers but administrative assistants, people who clean up the building, work in the cafeteria. And so, I respect the decision, I understand the decision, but I don’t like the fact that we have been put in this position by our state legislature and our governor because the people of Georgia will suffer.
DOKOUPIL: Yeah. Mayor Bottoms, you’ve said that other dominos may fall as a result of this law in your state. Have you heard from other companies who’ve already signaled that they are not going do business in Atlanta or in the state of Georgia because of it?
BOTTOMS: Well, I do know that there are other large-scale events that are openly contemplating whether or not they will stay in our state. Tourism is one of the largest industries in our state. Delta Airlines is one of the largest employers in our state. So this will have a devastating impact. And the irony of it is that we were opened up early under the name of giving back to some type of economic recovery, and with just one signature that’s all been wiped out. And so it’s not too late for the Governor and the legislature – legislators to go back, do something differently. They can go back in January, they can fix this very broken and ill-conceived law, or they can perhaps can even go into special session over the next few months and make tweaks that will allow us to continue to be the open and welcoming state that we claim to be.
KING: Well, the Governor – Mayor Bottoms, good to see you – the Governor and the Republicans in your state legislature do not appear to be break – do not appear to be backing down. They say they are standing firm. Are you worried that this will now backfire against your state and your city?
BOTTOMS: I’m absolutely concerned that this will backfire. This is the first of likely many events that we will see pulled from our city and from our state. And also, again, we are home to almost 30 Fortune 500 companies in the metropolitan Atlanta area, an area that voted very heavily Democrat back in November and in January. And so it is – it’s unfortunate. We’ve had laws contemplated in the past, that people have threatened boycotts, but we’ve also had governors in the past who vetoed those laws. And this governor has chosen not to do so, instead her’s doubled down.
ANTHONY MASON: So, Mayor, how would you like corporations and businesses to respond to this issue?
BOTTOMS: Well, what you’ve seen is a response from corporations and businesses –
MASON: But it’s hurting the city potentially, so what would you – what, if anything, would you like them to do?
BOTTOMS: Well, just what corporations have done. They have spoken out and said that they support access to open voting, and that this law is not a good law for our state as a whole. I think at this point that is all they can do. But there is – actually, there is a little more. I know many corporations have already said that they will not support candidates, with financial support, who supported this law. So it looks like it’s going to be a very long and painful fight all the way around. But again, there’s an opportunity to fix this. You have to know when to hold, you have to know when to fold. This is hurting our state, the economy of our state, and that’s not good for anyone, no matter what side of the aisle you are on.
MASON: Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, thank you very much for being with us this morning. We appreciate it.
