Gary Tuchman's report on Monday's Anderson Cooper 360 made it clear that the CNN program was in the tank for abortionists and their political allies. The segment followed in the wake of Cooper's friendly interview of Planned Parenthood's Cecile Richards and Randi Kaye's biased report on the Republican presidential candidates. Tuchman played up that to "the perpetual sadness of the employees" of a New Jersey abortion facility, "their building is a target." He also let the center's executive director and communications director smear all pro-lifers as potential terrorists. [video below]
Cooper set the tone of the report with a graphic that ran during his lead-in, which showed pictures of pro-life demonstrators with the caption, "Threats, Violence, And Security." [see graphic above] He pointed out the "extensive precautions...to protect the patients and staff" at the Cherry Hill Women's Center.
Tuchman wasted little time before using his "perpetual sadness" line, and ran two straight soundbites from the facility's executive director, Jennifer Groves, who claimed that a pro-life protester once threatened her: "He said he wanted to put a noose around my neck and throw me in the ocean, like it says in the Bible." He continued by doing a literal walk-through of the security at the entrance of the center.
The CNN correspondent noted that "people protesting outside abortion clinics is very common. It has been for many years. That is also the case in Cherry Hill, where staff constantly monitor the protesters on their live video feeds." This served as a set-up for another clip from Groves, who hyped the supposed threat level from the pro-lifers: "Anybody that spends the bulk of their week outside of a clinic screaming at women, I'm suspicious of them."
Tuchman then ran a soundbite from the center's communication director, Jennifer Boulanger, who mouthed the current pro-abortion talking point connecting "anti-abortion rhetoric from lawmakers" to the Colorado shootings. He also highlighted that "one way the staff here fights back is by placing their own religiously-oriented placards on the edge of their property. But this video from the camera system shows what happens sometimes: a protester taking the signs out of the ground."
Near the end of the segment, Cooper asked the journalist, "Did any of the people who you talked to at this clinic have second thoughts about the work they're doing, in the wake, certainly, of this violence?" Tuchman replied, "They have no second thoughts whatsoever....But the patients are a different story: this clinic, and other clinics around the United States — when there is violence; when there are loud demonstrators in front of the clinic; many of them don't show up. Many of them cancel their appointments."
This isn't the first time in 2015 that the correspondent's liberal bias has been this blatant. Back in April, Tuchman lectured Christian florists in rural Georgia about "love" in the Bible, after they voiced their religious-based stance against participating in homosexual "commitment ceremonies."
The full transcript of Gary Tuchman's report from the November 30, 2015 edition of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360:
ANDERSON COOPER: Well, in the wake of the shooting at the Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado Springs, the focus is on security at any clinic that provides abortion services. Gary Tuchman went to one such facility in New Jersey to show us the extensive precautions they have to take to protect the patients and staff.
GARY TUCHMAN (voice-over): Almost every patient who walks into the Cherry Hill Women's Center in New Jersey comes in for abortion services — which, to the perpetual sadness of the employees here, means their building is a target.
JENNIFER GROVES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CHERRY HILL WOMEN'S CENTER: I worry about my patients every day.
TUCHMAN: Jennifer Groves is the executive director of the facility. She says she herself was threatened by a protester outside the clinic.
GROVES: He said he wanted to put a noose around my neck and throw me in the ocean, like it says in the Bible.
TUCHMAN: Patients aren't seen on Mondays, which gives us a chance to see the safeguards that this abortion clinic says it has to have.
TUCHMAN (on-camera): You notice the elaborate security as soon as you arrive. There are lots of cameras. They don't want us to say exactly how many. But they see you when you come in. They see everybody who is anywhere around this building. One buzzer lets you into this door; then, you come to another door — if you buzzed into this one, also, they know I'm here, so they're buzzing me in. You enter the reception room. The first thing you see is this very thick window separating you from the people who work here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE PROTESTER (over bullhorn): We pray that you would inspire—
TUCHMAN: People protesting outside abortion clinics is very common. It has been for many years. That is also the case in Cherry Hill, where staff constantly monitor the protesters on their live video feeds.
GROVES: Anybody that spends the bulk of their week outside of a clinic screaming at women, I'm suspicious of them.
TUCHMAN: There is a sophisticated alarm system in the building, including panic buttons in strategic places — one right outside of the operating room. Security guards are in place when patients are in the building. Employees here say they know they have a responsibility to protect those patients and their health care, and from outside violence. But—
JENNIFER BOULANGER, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, CHERRY HILL WOMEN CENTER: We can't hold the entire burden of protection. I think this rhetoric that we've heard — especially, recently in the nation — has led to increased violence; and especially rhetoric — anti-abortion rhetoric from lawmakers.
TUCHMAN: One way the staff here fights back is by placing their own religiously-oriented placards on the edge of their property. But this video from the camera system shows what happens sometimes: a protester taking the signs out of the ground. And in light of the Colorado shootings, this clinic is now deciding what else might need to be done to further improve security.
TUCHMAN (off-camera): Do you think there will ever come a day when you don't have to worry about it?
GROVES: I don't.
COOPER (live): Gary, did any of the people who you talked to at this clinic have second thoughts about the work they're doing, in the wake, certainly, of this violence?
TUCHMAN: They say, Anderson, they have no second thoughts whatsoever. As a matter of fact, quite the contrary, they say this type of violence motives them to work even harder for their patients. But the patients are a different story: this clinic, and other clinics around the United States — when there is violence; when there are loud demonstrators in front of the clinic; many of them don't show up. Many of them cancel their appointments. Anderson?
COOPER: Gary, thanks very much.
