On Friday's CBS Evening News, and again on Saturday's CBS This Morning, correspondent Mark Strassmann filed a report highlighting a newly formed organization of liberal women in Georgia who are working to "turn the red state blue." He also forwarded their views without challenge as he recalled their complaints that President Donald Trump has been pursuing policies that are "anti-immigrant, anti-women and un-American."
Substitute anchor Anthony Mason set up the report:
The state that President Trump visited today -- Georgia -- has voted Republican in the last six presidential elections, but there is a new movement to turn the red state blue led by women speaking up for the first time, Mark Strassmann is there.
Strassmann began the piece by informing viewers that liberal activist Jen Cox "has suddenly found her political voice" after concealing her political opinions for years. Strassmann: "Jen Cox -- a 46-year-old realtor and mother of four -- has suddenly found her political voice -- the liberal one she had muted for years living in Cobb County -- a suburb of Atlanta."
After recounting that Cox had been afraid to be politically active in the past out of fear of getting negative reactions from her peers, the CBS correspondent noted that she was inspired by the anti-Trump liberal women's marches to become more active, and founded a political organization, "Pave it Blue," as he added:
She had never been politically active, but when women nationwide rallied last January to protest President Trump's election, Cox and her daughter joined 60,000 demonstrators in downtown Atlanta. Seven weeks ago, on Facebook, she launched "Pave It Blue." It's a grassroots organization for frustrated progressive women like her.
Strassmann then noted the group's support for Democratic congressional candidate Jon Ossoff, who is currently a high priority for liberals to try to elect to Congress: "Pave It Blue's first goal, helping elect Jon Ossoff, a local Democrat on the ballot in a congressional runoff election in June."
After taking a moment to focus on fellow liberal activist Karin Agard, Strassmann returned to Cox and repeated her anti-Trump views without challenge: "Cox says Trump's first 100 days has been anti-immigrant, anti-women and un-American."
After a clip of Cox fretting, "It's our responsibility to stand up to that, to speak out against it. If not us, who?" Strassmann gave the liberal group a final plug as he concluded his report:
Pave It Blue's goal is to turn red districts to blue ones and get women running for local office. And now that they've found their voice, Anthony, these liberal women say they're going to keep speaking up and speaking out.
Below is a complete transcript of the report from the Friday, April 28, CBS Evening News:
ANTHONY MASON: The state that President Trump visited today -- Georgia -- has voted Republican in the last six presidential elections, but there is a new movement to turn the red state blue led by women speaking up for the first time, Mark Strassmann is there.
MARK STRASSMANN: Jen Cox -- a 46-year-old realtor and mother of four -- has suddenly found her political voice.
JEN COX, LIBERAL ACTIVIST: There's a runoff on June 20.
STRASSMANN: The liberal one she had muted for years living in Cobb County -- a suburb of Atlanta.
COX: I was afraid that it would effect perhaps my kids' relationships with their friends. We were all making a lot of assumptions that terrible things would happen if we came out as liberals.
STRASSMANN: And the blues have outed themselves in Cobb County, Georgia?
COX: Absolutely.
STRASSMANN: She had never been politically active, but when women nationwide rallied last January to protest President Trump's election, Cox and her daughter joined 60,000 demonstrators in downtown Atlanta. Seven weeks ago, on Facebook, she launched "Pave It Blue." It's a grassroots organization for frustrated progressive women like her.
COX: Now, just over a month later, we're at almost 2,000 -- and, again, all local women.
JON OSSOFF, GEORGIA DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: This is a story about women in the community.
STRASSMANN: Pave It Blue's first goal, helping elect Jon Ossoff, a local Democrat on the ballot in a congressional runoff election in June.
STRASSMANN: We also met Karin Agard, a Bermuda native who became a U.S. citizen earlier this year. How much of this is President Trump?
KARIN AGARD, LIBERAL ACTIVIST: All of it is President Trump. I don't think that they represent me or my family, and I need someone in office to create some balance and to represent me.
STRASSMANN: Cox says Trump's first 100 days has been anti-immigrant, anti-women and un-American.
COX: It's our responsibility to stand up to that, to speak out against it. If not us, who?
STRASSMANN: Pave It Blue's goal is to turn red districts to blue ones and get women running for local office. And now that they've found their voice, Anthony, these liberal women say they're going to keep speaking up and speaking out.
