With the red tsunami just beginning to swell on Election Day, with only a few races called early in the night, CBS was already in damage control mode. They insisted that despite Republicans taking control of the House, they wouldn’t have a mandate from Americans to investigate aspects of the Biden administration.
Near the top of their America Decides: Campaign '22 coverage, chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa reported that he had just gotten off the phone with future Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who laid out an agenda of fixing America’s problems and investigating the administration:
He said investigations of the Biden administration on COVID, Afghanistan, the Justice Department, said he wants to sit down with President Biden and talk about spending cuts in exchange for a debt limit extension. He also called former President Trump an ally and very helpful in any GOP gains made tonight. And he noted he has been huddling in recent days with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, of course, from 1994 and that Republican wave.
That didn’t sit well with CBS News Prime Time host John Dickerson, who noted that “McCarthy is going to have investigations and then sit down with Biden. Those are two things directly at odds with each other…”
He then suggested, without evidence, that Republicans wouldn’t have a mandate from the American people to launch investigations:
Also, I don’t know what our exit pools are going to show but I'm pretty sure they’re not going to show Americans wanted investigations. This will be one of the early challenges. How much does a majority investigate, how much does a majority deal with the issues Americans are burning with about prices, education, and other things?
Walking and chewing gum in terms of investigating and fixing America’s problem wasn’t an option CBS would allow a Republican majority.
CBS Mornings co-host and Democratic donor Gayle King concurred with Dickerson, arguing that Americans were “just ready to move on” and “tired of investigations.” Adding: “They’re tired of the bickering. They're just exhausted.”
So, according to CBS, Democrats can hold endless investigations of Republicans because they’re “saving democracy” but Republicans can’t hold a Democratic administration to account.
This double standard for congressional investigation was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Procter & Gamble and Salonpas. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CBS’s America Decides: Campaign '22
November 8, 2022
8:02:23 p.m. Eastern(…)
ROBERT COST: Just got off the phone with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy. He is on the brink of becoming the next speaker of the House, from Bakersfield, California. He outlined to CBS in a one-on-one interview what that would mean for the country.
He said investigations of the Biden administration on COVID, Afghanistan, the Justice Department, said he wants to sit down with President Biden and talk about spending cuts in exchange for a debt limit extension. He also called former President Trump an ally and very helpful in any GOP gains made tonight. And he noted he has been huddling in recent days with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, of course, from 1994 and that Republican wave.
NORAH O’DONNELL: Robert Costa with that breaking news and that exclusive interview with the man who could be the next speaker of the House. We want to bring in our chief political analyst John Dickerson. What will you be looking for tonight.
JOHN DICKERSON: Well, I'm just going to pick up on where Bob was because listen to what his sentence was. McCarthy is going to have investigations and then sit down with Biden. Those are two things directly at odds with each other and that’s part of the challenge for a McCarthy speakership if there is one.
Also, I don’t know what our exit pools are going to show but I'm pretty sure they’re not going to show Americans wanted investigations. This will be one of the early challenges. How much does a majority investigate, how much does a majority deal with the issues Americans are burning with about prices, education, and other things.
O’DONNELL: Wow. Tonight is already getting interesting. Wow, and we're just getting started. Gayle King, I know you have been talking to voters. People are frustrated.
GAYLE KING: They're very frustrated, and, Norah, and they’re exhausted. I'm glad that our coverage is called "America Decides." Because this is really happening. America, you are deciding. Even as we speak right now. But they're just ready to move on.
And to your point John, I think people are tired of investigations. They’re tired of the bickering. They're just exhausted. That said, people said they still have a lot of hope. They still have a lot of hope. We still live in the United States of America, and they believe that we can figure out a way to get this done. But right now it is extremely bumpy.
(…)
