Journalists at CBS and ABC on Thursday gently, gingerly interviewed the Democratic mayor of Baltimore. The two networks either ignored or downplayed a gaffe made by Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. CBS This Morning co-host Gayle King cautiously questioned the woman, whose city has been the site of violent looting and rioting. King vaguely wondered, "Mayor, it's been a rough week for you personally... If you had any do-overs, what would it be?"
Over the weekend, the mayor said this: "It's a very delicate balancing act because while we try to make sure that they were protected from the cars and the other things that were going on, we also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well." However, King apparently wasn't referencing that comment as she clarified, "You were criticized for calling some of the protesters thugs... A lot of people look at these people saying these are people in pain. They're striking out...because they don't have any options in their city."
King demanded, "Do you regret using that word?" This idea that calling violent rioters "thugs" is somehow offensive, has gained traction on the far-left. On MSNBC, Wednesday, a panel labeled it racist and the "new N-word."
This political correctness was too much for even the liberal Barack Obama who on Wednesday derided "a handful of criminals and thugs who tore up the place."
Over on ABC's Good Morning America, Robin Roberts managed to at least mention the "space" to "destroy" remark, but only in a delicate, gentle manner:
ROBIN ROBERTS: You have faced more than your fair share of criticism, based in part, some remarks you made over the weekend, where you appeared to say that in giving the protesters space, that you were also giving them space to destroy property. And you said those remarks, in your words, were mischaracterized. Can you clarify what you were trying to say?
Good Morning America identified Rawlings-Blake as a Democrat, but only in an on-screen graphic. CBS This Morning never used a partisan label. (NBC's Today did not interview the mayor.)
A transcript of the May 30 CBS This Morning segment is below:
7:10
CHARLIE ROSE: With us from Baltimore is Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. Mayor, good morning.
STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE: Good morning to you.
ROSE: Can you give us an assessment of where Baltimore is this morning at this moment?
RAWLINGS-BLAKE: This morning, this is the morning after our second day of city-wide curfew and I am pleased to report we had relative calm, very few incidents. What you saw is more reflective of the true story of Baltimore. You saw community leaders. You saw elected officials working together to bring the peace. You know, it is the strangest thing. We saw last night gang members who were out on the corners trying to encourage peace and getting people to go home. You know, we've had a very dark time in our city and there's a lot of pain here, but there's also a resiliency that is characteristically Baltimore.
NORAH O'DONNELL: Mayor, why are there still no answers to what happened to Freddie ray, and do you support releasing the police report when it's complete to the entire public?
RAWLINGS-BLAKE: So, this is the thing: We need to make sure that there's justice for Freddie Gray and for his family. And when you talk to his family, his family understands very well that in order to get justice, not just to seek it, not just to have the optics of justice, but to be able to seek it, you have to protect the process. And that's what we've been trying to talk about. Community leaders, clergy leaders, the Gray family, we have to protect the process. Yes, they want answers, but they want answers in a way that will best protect their ability to get justice for Freddy Gray and that's my focus.
CHARLIE ROSE: And what's justice?
O'DONNELL: But, mayor, why not? You talk about a city in pain. There are questions of police tactics all across the country. Why not have transparency?
RAWLINGS-BLAKE: Well, I have to reject that premise. The pain that you saw, yes, it is about Freddie Gray, but it's about so much more. If it were just about Freddie Gray on the day that his mother begged the city, his family begged the city for peace so that she could mourn, you wouldn't have seen what you saw on Monday. It's about larger issues and those are those issues that we're working on. And my prayer for my city and for cities across our country is that during that time of unrest and during this time where it's very clear people are in a lot of pain, that we find a way to communicate with each other. So we're on the same page. We can't want justice for Freddie Gray or any Freddie Gray across this country --
ROSE: Mayor --
RAWLINGS-BLAKE: -- and not at the same time be fighting for the process to move forward.
GAYLE KING: Mayor, it's been a rough week for you personally. It's been a rough week for the city. If you had any do-overs, what would it be?
RAWLINGS-BLAKE: That's a good question. You know, if you're talking about operationally, every incident we've had, and I've been mayor during many, a derecho, an earthquake, a tornado, a flood, a Super Bowl that had almost a million people here that could have gone any which way. We've done it all and I feel comfortable with my track record for dealing with that level of crisis.
KING: You – Let me phrase it another way. You were criticized for calling some of the protesters thugs. You know, A lot of people look at these people and say, "Look, these are people in pain, they're striking out --
RAWLINGS-BLAKE: Absolutely.
KING: – because they don't have any options in their city. Do you regret using that word?
RAWLINGS-BLAKE: I regret it and I've apologized several times. You know, it was very clear to me in the heat of what was going on. In the heat of the crisis, I let my anger overcome me. I've apologized multiple times. And I've apologized not just for the fact that I used the word, but because it has forced a conversation about a word instead of the pain that many people are feeling across the city.
ROSE: Should you have called in the National Guard earlier?
RAWLINGS-BLAKE: You know, I don't think anyone gains from trying to politicize this. You know, I'm from Baltimore. I'm grew here. My parents grew up here, and my daughter is here. I love this city. When you see you city burning, you will do everything you need to do to bring the resources necessary to bring healing and fix a problem. So, as soon as it was clear that we needed the National Guard, I made that call without hesitation, without equivocation. Period.
