There was a tale of two conflicting messages floating around during the network evening newscasts Thursday, as ABC tried to boast about President Biden rolling up his sleeves to be elbow deep in the negotiations between defiant Democratic factions. Meanwhile, CBS burst their competitor’s narrative to explain why Biden was making the strategic play by trying to keep himself at arms-length so as not to sink his own agenda.
“President Biden, meanwhile, in the Oval Office, also working the phones too, his domestic agenda, of course, on the line here,” ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir touted as he called up senior national correspondent Terry Moran.
Moran piled on with a message of “hope” for the radical liberal agenda pushed by the White House. “Well, they are still hopeful, David, despite this roller coaster of a day. The President, as you say, in the Oval Office all day working the phones, pulling out all the stops,” he told Muir.
He then went on to parrot White House talking points about how going to the Congressional Baseball Game was part of his hands-on strategy:
Last night, he attended the annual Congressional Baseball Game. That's a throwback to a very different Washington. And aides emphasize that's part of Joe Biden's strategy here. He is – this is not his first rodeo, they say. And they also say that in here's calls and meetings, he's listening more than dictating terms. He says he didn't like being told by presidents what to do when he was a senator and he's not doing that now.
Although, Moran did tap the brakes a bit. “But there are many Democrats less hopeful who are hoping he'll be more forceful and get this thing done. Right now, it's not done, but they are still hopeful,” he said.
But this narrative that Biden was leading the negotiations himself to bring his party together was upended on CBS Evening News, as anchor Norah O’Donnell complained about Biden being too hands-off.
“This would be historic anyway. You know, fixing roads and bridges and rails and high-speed internet over $1 trillion, it's amazing Republicans and Democrats agree on that. So, why isn't President Biden out there lobbying on this other package his own party,” she asked chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett.
According to Garrett, Biden was so less popular than the bills that his getting involved could ultimately sink them. “So, he needs them to pass to lift himself up. Why? Because he's taken a hit on Afghanistan, inflation, border crisis, pandemic,” he explained.
Adding: “So, he's sort of letting the legislative process build-out, deferring to Nancy Pelosi the speaker, Chuck Schumer the majority leader in the Senate to work it out, fearing that if he gets too involved he'll pull things down in popularity not enhance them.”
So, while Moran was touting Biden getting out there to grease the wheels at the baseball game, Garrett noted the White House was only “quietly trying to urge them to compromise, but not using the big guns of the bully pulpit of the White House because they're not sure it would work.”
It would appear that not only were Congressional Democrats in disarray but so too were their friends in the media.
ABC’s fluff and spin for the White House was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from CarFax and Consumer Cellular. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund.
The relevant portions of the transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
September 30, 2021
6:36:27 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: President Biden, meanwhile, in the Oval Office, also working the phones, too, his domestic agenda, of course, on the line here. Let's get right to Terry Moran, live at the White House. And Terry, what are they saying at the White House tonight?
TERRY MORAN: Well, they are still hopeful, David, despite this roller coaster of a day. The President, as you say, in the Oval Office all day working the phones, pulling out all the stops.
Last night, he attended the annual Congressional Baseball Game. That's a throwback to a very different Washington. And aides emphasize that's part of Joe Biden's strategy here. He is – this is not his first rodeo, they say. And they also say that in here's calls and meetings, he's listening more than dictating terms. He says he didn't like being told by presidents what to do when he was a senator and he's not doing that now.
But there are many Democrats less hopeful who are hoping he'll be more forceful and get this thing done. Right now, it's not done, but they are still hopeful. David?
MUIR: All right, a long night ahead, perhaps long several weeks ahead. Terry, thank you.
CBS Evening News
September 30, 2021
6:35:57 p.m. Eastern(…)
NORAH O’DONNELL: This would be historic anyway. You know, fixing roads and bridges and rails and high-speed internet over $1 trillion, it's amazing Republicans and Democrats agree on that. So, why isn't President Biden out there lobbying on this other package his own party?
MAJOR GARRETT: So, you have two pieces of legislation infrastructure and build back better, Norah, both are more popular in the polls than President Biden currently is. He's at about 43, they're both about 60.
So, he needs them to pass to lift himself up. Why? Because he's taken a hit on Afghanistan, inflation, border crisis, pandemic. So, he's sort of letting the legislative process build-out, deferring to Nancy Pelosi the speaker, Chuck Schumer the majority leader in the Senate to work it out, fearing that if he gets too involved he'll pull things down in popularity not enhance them.
He needs them to lift him up so he and the White House are quietly trying to urge them to compromise, but not using the big guns of the bully pulpit of the White House because they're not sure it would work.
(…)
