The co-hosts of CNN's New Day complained about lack of congressional action on gun control Thursday morning, one day after a multitude of students across the country walked out of class to protest gun violence. Chris Cuomo complained that Republican Senator John Kennedy (La.) introduced a bill to ban airlines from putting animals in overhead compartments while Congress has still yet to do anything on the gun issue.
Minutes later, while interviewing Democratic Congressman Ted Deutch (Fla.), Alisyn Camerota mocked Republican Senator Marco Rubio (Fla.) for introducing a bill to make Daylight Saving Time year round, asking "Do you think that helps gun violence?"
In reality, Rubio has been doing plenty to halt school violence, such as working to pass ensure congressional passage of the Stop School Violence Act and bridge the partisan gap, but that doesn't seem to matter to the "Facts First" network.
Cuomo’s gun control activism should not come as that much of a surprise; after all, it runs in the family. Cuomo’s brother, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, laid down on the ground with student protesters during a “die-in” in New York City and joined in on some of their chants “What do we want? Gun control! When do we want it? Now!”
The Democrats and the media have completely aligned themselves with the gun-control-advocating teens, with all three of the evening newscasts Wednesday celebrating their movement.
Shortly after Cuomo whined about Congress refusing to address school shootings, Camerota brought on Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), a gun control advocate who represents Parkland, the site of the mass shooting last month that sparked the national debate about gun control. Camerota asked Deutch about Rubio’s proposed bill that would make Daylight Saving Time year-round, wondering, “Do you think that helps gun violence?”
Sensing her sarcasm, Deutch responded: “I assume that’s a rhetorical question, Alisyn.” Camerota continued, “My point is...that things are being done in Congress but they’re not being done on this issue of even his home state and I just want you to explain why this would be his priority.”
Deutch refused to explain why the “Sunshine Protection Act” ranked so high on Rubio’s priority list and called the Senator's decision to introduce the legislation as a distraction perpetrated by the “gun lobby.” He expressed optimism that the outspoken students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School would continue to force the gun control debate "onto the agenda" in Washington.
Camerota then expressed pessimism that any meaningful gun control legislation would come out Washington, saying, “I’m not as confident as you are that the kids’ action and the kids’ marches and these national movements will get the Senate or your colleagues in the House to begin debating the things that the students are calling for.” Deutch expressed a degree of optimism, pointing out that the gun control debate still continues a month after the mass shooting and that many companies have decided to cut ties with the National Rifle Association and stop selling assault rifles.
The gun debate will surely continue as gun control activists plan to hold a “March for our Lives” to raise awareness for the cause on March 24. Expect many in the media to blur the lines between activism and journalism as they enthusiastically cover the event.
The liberal media have shown that they'll give credit to those they deem worthy of praise (ex. Deutch), but criticize or downplay anyone who doesn't fit their narrative (ex. Rubio). Over at Reagan Battailon, they superbly laid out this blatant lie.
CNN's New Day
03/15/18
06:32 a.m. Eastern
CHRIS CUOMO: Also, interesting aspect of this, John Kennedy, we have him on the show there, Republican Senator out of Louisiana, Congress is moving on this right away. What happened with this dog, we’ve got to figure it out. Bills are being introduced. School shootings, not so much. But this dog and why? Because they believe that you act out of consequence, not conscience and they know voters will reward and punish if they don’t on this. They don’t feel the same way about the other issue, there it is in action.
(....)
07:37 a.m. Eastern
ALISYN CAMEROTA: One of your colleagues in the Senate, Marco Rubio, who of course represents Florida and was there with you at our CNN town hall, he introduced a bill yesterday. It was about daylight saving time. He wants to make it year-round. Do you think that helps gun violence?
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN TED DEUTCH (Fla.): I assume that’s a rhetorical question, Alisyn.
CAMEROTA: Well, I guess my point is, is that things are being done in Congress but they’re not being done on this issue of even his home state and I just want you to explain why this would be his priority.
DEUTCH: I can’t explain that. And I will not debate the merits of making sure, of extending daylight savings time year round. That is not a serious debate that we should be having right now a month after 17 people were slaughtered in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. It’s crazy. Come on! We know, Alisyn you were there. You met with these kids. You know how passionate they are and you know that they’re going to continue to force this on the, onto the agenda. Everything that’s done in this town, where the gun lobby is involved, is meant to distract and to change the subject. We cannot let that happen. If you find some other members of Congress or the Senate who want to debate daylight savings time, go ahead and do it. I’m not doing that, I’m going to talk about the need to take action on gun violence.
CAMEROTA: I mean, listen, I don’t know. I’m not as confident as you are that the kids’ action and the kids’ marches and these national movements will get the Senate or your colleagues in the House to begin debating the things that the students are calling for. I mean, I just can’t be sure of that.
DEUTCH: Can I just point out a couple things, though? I mean, it’s, it’s a month after the shooting. We’re still talking about it. That’s unusual. There will be millions of people participating in this March. That will drive the debate. That’s important. But let’s look at the accomplishments already, that more than a dozen companies who have broken off their relationship with the gun lobby. Companies like Dick’s who have made the right and, and courageous decision based on principles to say, and morals, that we’re not going to continue to sell the weapons of war like the one that was used to slaughter all of the, the people in Stoneman Douglas and is the weapon of choice in mass shootings. Those steps forward are unlike what we’ve seen after other mass shootings. Things are changing. I understand that here, members of the Senate and some in the House may choose to debate the merits of year-round daylight savings time but for kids who are worried in their schools, for parents who are worried whether their kids are going to come home at the end of the day after they dropped their kids off in the morning; they know what we need to be debating. I, let me just point out, everyone’s been talk...focused on the, the outcome of the election in western Pennsylvania. That’s a huge win but what Conor Lamb did, even on this issue, he and I may differ on some of the gun issues, I know we do, but he supports background checks, expanded background checks, as do most members of the NRA. We can’t allow the gun lobby to try to distract us and we can’t allow members of Congress to try to move on to talking about daylight savings time. What we ought to be talking about is keeping our kids safe.
