Media Research Center President Brent Bozell on Thursday slammed journalists who are trying to remind people of Andrew Cuomo’s supposed larger legacy --- not just the sex abuse scandal that toppled him from power. Appearing on Varney and Co. to reply to CBS reporter Ed O’Keefe hailing the Democrat’s “masterful job” in handling Covid, Bozell marveled, “'Masterful.' It’s like saying, ‘Bill Cosby did a masterful job entertaining millions except for the women he abused.’”
The MRC President then demolished the idea that there was anything “masterful” about how Cuomo handled Covid in New York: “[CBS's O’Keefe] knew exactly what he was saying. He knew that a 1000 nursing home patients were led to their death because of policies Cuomo initiated in the state of New York. So, how can you leave that out?”
Bozell warned viewers:
When they listen to a reporter, they're listening to a press release from the Democratic National Committee. This is what -- I don't like the phrase mainstream media. There is nothing mainstream of the media today. The news media are on a mission, to destroy the conservative movement and advance socialism.
A transcript of the segment is below. Click "expand" to read more.
Varney and Co.
8/12/2021
10:29
[CBS This Morning clip.]
ED O’KEEFE: There were a lot of things. Obviously the pandemic. You talk to people in Albany or across the state they say he did a masterful job keeping the state safe and dealing with the situation and serving as a tonic to many people.
STUART VARNEY: a masterful job. Really? I think we need Brent Bozell. He is a media watcher and he joins us right now. Was that typical of coverage of Cuomo? Was there more stuff like that that you saw?
BRENT BOZELL: Well, let’s look at that statement first, cut it in two pieces. One, masterful. It’s like saying, “Bill Cosby did a masterful job entertaining millions except for the women he abused.” The other part of it, keeping New York safe. This person knew exactly what he was saying. He knew that a 1000 nursing home patients were led to their death because of policies Cuomo initiated in the state of New York. So, how can you leave that out? Is that typical coverage? Well, look what happened last night, Stuart. Last night the president of the United States say that -- [Coverage cuts out] -- nobody pointed out the fact that he should have added exempt for the thousand elderly ladies and men who lost their lives because of his policies.
He never mentioned that. He should have mentioned also except for the fact that he could go to prison on some of the charges, should he be indicted. He never mentioned that. So is the media coverage typical of giving Cuomo a free pass, giving Joe Biden a free pass? Yes.
VARNEY: What astonishes me is the extraordinary contrast with the way the media treated President Trump. A stark contrast. When the border came up, the media would scream at him, “Kids in cages!” Now we have a border crisis and there is nothing. I don't they had they have even got correspondents covering this thing. I'm astonished of the degree, contradiction between the coverage of Trump and the coverage of Biden.
BOZELL: With Donald Trump it was all political. With Joe Biden it is the same. Look, the media are nothing but the front line of the Democratic Party today, Stuart. You and I have been saying this. Your audience needs to understand this. When they listen to a reporter, they're listening to a press release from the Democratic National Committee. This is what -- I don't like the phrase mainstream media. There is nothing mainstream of the media today. The news media are on a mission, to destroy the conservative movement and advance socialism.
VARNEY: Is journalism today for Biden or is it more for Bernie?
BOZELL: Oh, it is more for Bernie. Biden is there because he is comfortable. But look, for the media, Stuart, for the media to call Biden moderate, his policies moderate, what hokum. He is 99 percent Bernie. He’s 99 percent of the socialist agenda of Bernie Sanders. Look what they're doing here, trillion dollars here, three and a half trillion dollars here, it is all silly money. That is what socialism does.
VARNEY: How did we get to this? How did we get to this?
BOZELL: Well, I think Republicans need to ask themselves, Republican Party, what it has done to clearly tell the story to the American people about what their counterparts on the left truly are today? I never hear anybody object when Joe Biden is called a moderate, which is a deliberate -- by the way, the media do believe this, they do believe he is moderate. They do believe this guy who is 99 percent socialist is a moderate because Bernie Sanders is 100 percent. I don't hear the Republican Party itself, I don't hear a lot of conservatives speaking out saying to the American people, “Look, this is not the truth. They're not telling you the truth.” That has got to start.
VARNEY: Last one, do you see any signs of change?
BOZELL: No, none whatsoever. As a matter of fact it is going to go just in the opposite direction. Watch what will happen with the economy. It’s going to start running out of steam. Look at what happened yesterday. Look at the president of the United States calling on the Saudis to give us more oil. The man who shut down the Keystone Pipeline is now saying what we all said was going to happen, we now have to start importing oil again. The media will circle the wagons as the economy starts faltering. They will find some way to blame Donald Trump for this. But they will go in a defensive posture to support Joe Biden.
VARNEY: Brent Bozell, always a pleasure. You better come back soon. We need you.
