ABC’s Martha Raddatz was on a mission against Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore on Sunday. After decrying skeptical Alabama voters for just not getting the message, she grilled White House Adviser Kellyanne Conway during This Week on if Moore should step aside. But no matter how many times Conway explained that she felt he should if the allegations were true, Raddatz insisted Conway was defending him. Conway called Raddatz out and pointed to the media’s double standard on ethics and failing to adequately report the corruption trial of Democratic New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez. Raddatz promised a full discussion later in the show, but it never came.
The two were discussing the allegations against Moore and the White House’s position for over four minutes before Conway brought up media’s hypocrisy on covering ethical scandals:
And we, already in this conversation, have probably spent more time talking about Roy Moore and this than we have talked about a Democratic United States senator who’s sitting in a federal courthouse as a criminal defendant in a trial. Has been indicted on some serious criminal counts and we can't get coverage on it.
And Conway was right. According to a Media Research Center study comparing the coverage of Moore and Menendez, between their morning and evening newscasts, ABC had spent only one minute and 48 seconds on the Menendez corruption trial since it began on September 9 to November 10. Meanwhile, they spent nine minutes and 48 seconds on the Moore story in the 24 hours after the news broke.
And none of the network Sunday morning shows on November 12 thought to give the trial any time at all, even though the jury was deliberating.
“We'll be talking about that. We'll be talking about that,” Raddatz said, brushing it aside. And once again, Conway condemned Moore for the allegations that he molested a 14-year-old girl:
I want to be very clear. I want to be very explicit here. I denounce that conduct and if the allegations are true, he should step aside. If they're true about a lot of people, they ought to step aside. And some of them are probably holding office right now.
But Raddatz ignored her and brought up a tweet by Mitt Romney who said: “Innocent until proven guilty is for criminal convictions, not elections.” The Irony was lost on the ABC host because it could be argued that the same applied to the Menendez trail since his Democratic colleagues had been donating to his campaign.
As for the promised discussion on the corruption trial by Raddatz, it never happened. The only time the trial was brought up again during the show was half-hearted questions posed to DNC Chairman Tom Perez in the seconds before a commercial break. “I'm going to quickly say: Corruption charges, the trial of New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez. If he's found guilty, should he resign immediately,” she asked.
Perez blew off the question because “we’ll wait and see what happens. The jury has not spoken yet.” Adding, “Well again, the jury has not spoken yet so I don't like to answer what if questions.” Raddatz then quickly went to a commercial. Between her questions and his answers, that mention of the Menendez trial lasted a meager 16 seconds, and there was no panel discussion of it.
Her hypocrisy was on full display after that because she had grilled Conway for saying Moore should step aside “if” he was guilty.
Menendez was the first sitting U.S. senator to face a corruption trial since the 80s, and if found guilty he could face years in prison. But for Raddatz and the rest of the liberal media, they could barely be bothered to discuss it.
Radatz's refusal to really discuss the Menendez trial was sponsored by Pacific Life, BDO, Comcast Business, and Fidelity.
Transcript below:
ABC
This Week
November 12, 2017
9:09:20 AM Eastern(…)
KELLYANNE CONWAY: On this one, you're talking about decades-long conduct. Allegations in the press. And we, already in this conversation, have probably spent more time talking about Roy Moore and this than we have talked about a Democratic United States senator who’s sitting in a federal courthouse as a criminal defendant in a trial. Has been indicted on some serious criminal counts and we can't get coverage on it.
MARTHA RADDATZ: We'll be talking about that. We'll be talking about that.
CONWAY: I want to be very clear. I want to be very explicit here. I denounce that conduct and if the allegations are true, he should step aside. If they're true about a lot of people, they ought to step aside. And some of them are probably holding office right now.
RADDATZ: Let me tell you what Mitt Romney tweeted this Friday. He said: “Innocent until proven guilty is for criminal convictions, not elections. I believe Leigh Corfman. Her account is too serious to ignore. Moore is unfit for office and should step aside.”
(…)
9:52:08 AM Eastern [Raddatz’s questions and Perez’s answers: 16 Seconds]
RADDATZ: I'm going to quickly say: Corruption charges, the trial of New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez. If he's found guilty, should he resign immediately?
TOM PEREZ: We’ll wait and see what happens. The jury has not spoken yet.
RADDATZ: But should he resign if he’s found guilty?
PEREZ: Well again, the jury has not spoken yet so I don't like to answer what if questions.
RADDATZ: Ok, thanks very much for joining us this morning.
