CNN anchor Jake Tapper slammed U.S. leaders, including the Obama administration, for skipping a massive rally in France against terrorism and for free expression. Writing on CNN.com, an outraged Tapper declared, "I say this as an American -- not as a journalist, not as a representative of CNN -- but as an American: I was ashamed."
Tapper was on the ground in Paris for the rally and marveled, "The rally Sunday for unity drew 1.5 million people in Paris and more than twice that nationwide; it was like nothing I've ever seen or covered." Of the U.S. absence, he mocked, "There was higher-level Obama administration representation on this season's episodes of 'The Good Wife' on CBS."
Tapper argued:
I certainly understand the security concerns when it comes to sending President Barack Obama, though I can't imagine they're necessarily any greater than sending the lineup of other world leaders, especially in aggregate.
But I find it hard to believe that collectively President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Attorney General Eric Holder -- who was actually in France that day for a conference on counterterrorism -- just had no time in their schedules on Sunday. Holder had time to do the Sunday shows via satellite but not to show the world that he stood with the people of France?
The veteran journalist made clear this was not a partisan attack, chiding Republicans and Democrats, including Hillary Clinton:
And this is not just a matter of the current occupant of the White House.
I find it hard to believe that Speaker of the House John Boehner and new Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had more worthy pursuits on Sunday than standing side-by-side with our French brothers and sisters as they came together in an inspirational way.
...
And I'm frankly floored that not one of the people who is contemplating running for president in 2016 has yet to even tweet on the subject of the momentous demonstration in Paris, much less attend France's biggest rally in the history of the republic.
I imagine that Hillary Clinton and her husband are kicking themselves for not hopping on a corporate jet to get here. Can you picture Hillary and Bill walking in the front row, arm-in-arm with Netanyahu and Hollande?
He added, "And Jeb? Mitt? Crickets."
The New York Daily News (which endorsed Obama in 2008, but not 2012) also hit the administration. Monday's front cover accused, "You let the world down."
Tapper has repeatedly shown a willingness to say what some other journalists won't. In November of 2014, he exposed ObamaCare architect Jonathan Gruber, relating, "Gruber thinks ObamaCare is a good thing. It's just that we voters were too stupid to realize that."
