Was Alisyn Camerota having a Fox News flashback? Since leaving FNC and in 2014 joining CNN, Camerota has been a reliable voice for the liberal talking points of the day. But on today's New Day during a discussion of the partial government shutdown, she repeatedly put a share of the blame on the Democrats for their responsibility for the impasse.
In particular, Camerota called out Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer for refusing Mike Pence's request for a counter-offer at the conclusion of a White House meeting yesterday. It wasn't just a one-time, passing comment by Camerota. She repeatedly rebutted defenses of the Dems by Joe Lockhart and co-host John Berman.
Incredibly, CNN commentator John Avlon called it "so dangerous" that President Trump is taking into account public statements by what Avlon called "folks in right-wing media, the professional polarizers"--which is shorthand in this context for Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter. As if CNN isn't a pile of "professional polarizers" with their war on Trump?
Yeah, John: freedom of speech is such a pesky thing. Just the other day, CNN's Lockhart proposed that President Trump submit the text of his Oval Office address in advance to the MSM, and "we'll decide what's true." Now, Avlon kvetches about Rush and Ann speaking out. Don't liberals like to style themselves as the defenders of free speech? That's a pretense, apparently, just like the notion that journalists are "objective" and "fact-based."
Could this be a developing pattern? MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell on Wednesday pushed Senator Tim Kaine on Democratic culpability, demanding some sort of compromise from the party.
CNN
New Day
01/10/19
6:07 am ETALISYN CAMEROTA: But Joe [Lockhart], aren't Democrats to blame here as well? Because right after our dramatic reading, right after that bye-bye [from President Trump], the reporting from inside the room, from CNN, is that the Vice-President stuck around to try to do some cleanup on aisle four. And he said to Schumer and Pelosi, okay, so what's your counter-offer? And they didn't make one! How's that a negotiation? How's not providing any counter-offer moving the ball forward?
JOE LOCKHART: Well, as much as I would like to play Rush Limbaugh this morning, I'm going to just be myself. I think Democrats have made a number of offers. It's clear this has just become political theater, though.
. . .
CAMEROTA: But my point is, Democrats, of which you are one.
LOCKHART: I am.
CAMEROTA: -- representing today, can't they be doing more for this negotiation right now?
. . .
JOHN AVLON: The problem is, the folks in right-wing media, the professional polarizers, have no real responsiblities for governing. That's why them calling the shots and disproportionately influencing the President is so dangerous.
. . .
JOHN BERMAN: I will say, you have heard from both Democrats and Republicans over the last 24 -- really over the last few weeks, that part of the problem with the negotiations is the President keeps changing his mind. How do you negotiate with somebody --
CAMEROTA: Moving target--that is certainly a problem. But when you have Mike Pence in the room and he says, okay, what's your counter-offer, it's just, I understand all this history, I understand how we got here and why people are so bitter. I get all that. But if yesterday was the moment to make a counter-offer, why not make one?
