The journalists at CBS This Morning on Friday leapt to the defense of Hillary Clinton after she used entrance music by James Brown, the singer who died of pneumonia in 2006. Rather than see the awkwardness of this, as Clinton recovers from pneumonia, co-host Gayle King seemed irritated at colleague Norah O’Donnell for bringing it up.
After O’Donnell pointed out that Clinton entered an event to the song “I Feel Good,” she added, “Someone probably should have told Clinton’s staff that James Brown died of complications from pneumonia in 2006.” King, a Democratic donor, dismissed, “That’s ironic, but nobody thinks of that song in those terms. When you think ‘I Feel Good,’ it’s a great song. Come on.”
A chastened O’Donnell clarified, “That was not my opinion. I was just reading from the paper.” Holding up the offending document, she assured, “I just read this thing here. It's called a script.” King reiterated that any such criticism of Clinton for using the song is “ridiculous.”
Yet, this isn’t how the crew of CBS This Morning reacted when Donald Trump used a questionable song. During the Republican National Convention, the Rolling Stones’s “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” played.
King mocked, “I thought that was an odd choice, too... ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want?' I thought, who picked that?” (For a comparison of the two responces, watch the above video.)
Transcripts of the two moments can be found below:
CBS TM
9/16/16
8:31AM ETNORAH O’DONNELL: The Wrap reports on a possibly questionable choice of music of Hillary Clinton's campaign.
[Clip of Clinton coming in to event with “I Feel Good” playing.]
O’DONNELL: They played the song "I Feel Good" by James Brown as she made her entrance in Greensboro, North Carolina. It was her first time back on a campaign trail after a bout of pneumonia. Someone probably should have told Clinton’s staff that James Brown died of complications from pneumonia in 2006.
GAYLE KING: That’s ironic, but nobody thinks of that song in those terms. When you think “I Feel Good,” it’s a great song. Come on.
CHARLIE ROSE: I’m with you.
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O’DONNELL: That was not my opinion. I was just reading from the paper.
KING; Norah, I'm not blaming you! I'm saying that is ridiculous. I’m not directing it at you. Just talking here. Rolling Stone — Norah said, “I didn't say, that Gayle!”
O’DONNELL: I just read this thing here. It's called a script.
CBS This Morning
7/22/16
7:31am ETNORAH O’DONNELL: At the end, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
GAYLE KING: Norah, when we were walking around, people around were saying, “Why are they playing that music?” Because when you listen to the words, “you can’t always get what you want. But you try sometimes, you get what you need.” I thought that was an odd choice, too.
O’DONNELL: I agree.
KING: You noticed it too?
CHARLIE ROSE: I don’t think it was a Donald Trump idea.
KING: No! ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want?’ I thought, who picked that?
