A day after disgraced Democrat Anthony Weiner was reduced to tears, CBS This Morning on Tuesday couldn’t be bothered to identify the political party of the man going to prison for sexting a 15-year old girl. Yet, journalists on the same show referred to Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore as an “arch conservative.”
Highlighting the primary race in that state, Chip Reid warned, “Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is campaigning for arch conservative Roy Moore, a former judge.” However, in the case of liberal Democrat Weiner, there was no such identification:
CHARLIE ROSE: The New York Times says former Congressman Anthony Weiner was sentenced to 21 months in prison for sexting with a 15-year-old girl. Weiner cried as a federal judge handed down the sentence yesterday. He was also fined $10,000 and ordered to register as a sex offender.
(For more on the networks downplaying or skipping Weiner's party label, go here.) Regarding the fight on the GOP side, Reid hyped the conflict: “There is perhaps no better example of the sharp divide in the Republican Party than this race and President Trump by taking sides is risking an embarrassing political defeat.”
Over on NBC’s Today, a network graphic derided, “GOP Civil War in Alabama.” Reporter Kristen Welker scolded, “All this while President Trump faces a tough test today in deep red Alabama, where a Senate race is pitting him against his base.”
On ABC’s Good Morning America, Tom Llamas pointed out actions by Moore that appalled liberals in the media:
TOM LLAMAS: But Big Luther [Strange] is facing a big challenge in Moore who is well known by conservatives for refusing a federal order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from a judicial building, and later suspended as a judge for ignoring the Supreme Court ruling on legalizing same-sex marriage.
[The CBS This Morning segment was sponsored by the movie Battle of the Sexes, Aveeno lotion and Panera Bread.]
A transcript of the CBS segment is below:
CBS This Morning
9/26/17
7:16:33 to 7:19:13NORAH O’DONNELL: Republicans in Alabama vote today in a closely watched Senate primary. President Trump tweeted this morning, “Luther Strange has been shooting up in the Alabama polls since my endorsement. Finish the job. Vote today for Big Luther.” Strange was appointed to replace Senator Jeff Sessions when he became Attorney General. His challenger, former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, is backed by the President's former chief strategist Steve Bannon. Chip Reid is at a polling station in Birmingham, Alabama. Chip, good morning.
CHIP REID: Well, good morning. There is perhaps no better example of the sharp divide in the Republican Party than this race and President Trump by taking sides is risking an embarrassing political defeat. Last fight, he sent Vice President Mike Pence here in a final effort to try to pull out of victory. At six foot nine, big Luther strange has the support of the Vice President and the Republican leadership, including President Trump who campaigned for strange over the weekend.
DONALD TRUMP: Luther Strange knows the true source of American's strength. It's God. It's family and it's country.
REID: But two sides of Trump supporters were on display last night in Alabama.
STEVE BANNON: We did not come here to defy Donald Trump. We came here to praise and honor him.
REID: Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is campaigning for arch conservative Roy Moore, a former judge.
BANNON: Is it the elites in Washington D.C. with their money or is it the people of Alabama with their muscle?
REID: With Moore leading in the polls, the person who has the most to lose may be President Trump who suggested Friday he's already prepared to regret endorsing Strange.
TRUMP: I'll be honest, I might have made a mistake.
REID: The President initially intended to stay neutral but decided to support Strange in part because his agenda has stalled and Strange would be a viable vote in the Senate.
LUTHER STRANGE: I’m all in with the President.
REID: A Moore win would be a set back for the President. Moore said he would vote no on the latest Republican health care bill and has bragged about defying Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
ROY MOORE: Mitch McConnell needs to be replaced!
REID: And he has the enthusiastic support of much of the President's conservative base.
MOORE: I believe in the Second Amendment.
REID: Money has been flooding into this state in the past few weeks. Most of it is going to the establishment candidate Luther Strange and most of that money is coming from wealthy donors and packs. They really want to win this race and we will find out later today who wins and that person will face off against a Democrat in December.
