The CBS Evening News was proud of the double standard they applied to Republicans and Democrats. During their Monday newscast, national correspondent Manuel Bojorquez chided Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) for threatening to take vaccine doses from hospitals not distributing them fast enough. But in the same report, he touted New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) for threatening to fine hospitals $100,000 for the same thing.
“Well, so far, more than four-and-a-half million COVID shots have been given out. But that is just a fraction of the 20 million initially expected by the end of 2020,” anchor Norah O’Donnell prefaced to tell viewers just how slow the distribution was going.
And as his report began, Bojorquez immediately attacked Florida. “Long lines in Florida, Tennessee, and Texas are where overburdened systems meet overwhelming demand,” he said. “Florida's governor pinned the problem on some hospitals.”
He then played this soundbite of DeSantis speaking to the press: “Hospitals that do not do a good job of getting the vaccine out will have their allocations transferred to hospitals that are doing a good job.”
Bojorquez leaped at the opportunity to paint the Republican as unreasonable and suggest he caused the problem:
BOJORQUEZ: But the Governor's decision to open up vaccination to anyone over 65, ahead of some essential workers, has added to the crunch. Doctor Robert Goldszer says Mt. Sinai medical center in Miami beach has 10,000 people scheduled. [TO DR. GOLDSZER] So, you're going as fast as you can right now.
DR. ROBERT GOLDSZER: We're going full tilt, we're going to 7 pm at night, Saturday and Sunday.
While CBS was trying to make it seem as though DeSantis was picking on Mt. Sinai specifically, it was never the case.
A short time later, Bojorquez tried to make it seem as though everything was going swimmingly in New York despite their massive failures. “There is progress. In Queens, New York, nurse Sandra Lindsay, who famously received one of the first doses of Pfizer’s vaccine, got her second dose to complete the vaccination,” he boasted.
Following the video portion of the segment, he bragged about Cuomo’s plan to punish hospitals falling behind with their vaccine distribution. “New York's governor is threatening to fine hospitals up to $100,000 for not using up their supply of vaccine within one week,” he touted.
Hospitals were already feeling financial pain because they had to put elective procedures and other services on hold because of the pandemic, some had even had to fire nurses and give out pay cuts. Meanwhile, CBS was lauding Cuomo’s threat to put them further in a hole. DeSantis just wanted to move vaccine doses around to where they could be better utilized, and he was catching flak for it.
Meanwhile, CBS still refuses to cover Cuomo’s slaughter of nursing home residents and his cover-up of the total number of deaths in such facilities.
This was CBS’s double standard on full, unabashed display.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Evening News
January 4, 2021
6:44:42 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: Tonight, with U.S. vaccination numbers far behind schedule, the FDA is considering cutting doses of one COVID vaccine in half to double its supply and speed up distribution. Well, so far, more than four-and-a-half million COVID shots have been given out. But that is just a fraction of the 20 million initially expected by the end of 2020. We get more now from CBS's Manuel Bojorquez.
[Cuts to video]
MANUEL BOJORQUEZ: Long lines in Florida, Tennessee, and Texas are where overburdened systems meet overwhelming demand.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I have high blood pressure. I have diabetes, I have susceptibility to pneumonia. I'll wait a whole day for this if I have to, you know.
BOJORQUEZ: Florida's governor pinned the problem on some hospitals.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): Hospitals that do not do a good job of getting the vaccine out will have their allocations transferred to hospitals that are doing a good job.
BOJORQUEZ: But the Governor's decision to open up vaccination to anyone over 65, ahead of some essential workers, has added to the crunch. Doctor Robert Goldszer says Mt. Sinai medical center in Miami beach has 10,000 people scheduled.
So, you're going as fast as you can right now.
DR. ROBERT GOLDSZER: We're going full tilt, we're going to 7 pm at night, Saturday and Sunday.
(…)
6:46:38 p.m. Eastern
BOJORQUEZ: There is progress. In Queens, New York, nurse Sandra Lindsay, who famously received one of the first doses of Pfizer’s vaccine, got her second dose to complete the vaccination.
SANDRA LINDSAY: The burden feels definitely much lighter today, and I am very, very grateful.
[Cuts back to live]
BOJORQUEZ: New York's governor is threatening to fine hospitals up to $100,000 for not using up their supply of vaccine within one week.
Here in Florida, the governor says he’s looking to turn some COVID testing sites and even houses of worship into distribution centers, as well as adding 1,000 more nurses.
