You might have thought Bill Weir would have learned. Yesterday, CNN's John Roberts was roundly condemned for suggesting Sarah Palin might neglect her Down Syndrome baby while running for VP. But Weir, the weekend co-anchor of Good Morning America, posed a very similar question this morning. Coke Roberts, to her credit, called him out on it. Weir's guest during GMA's opening half-hour was McCain political director Mike Duhaime.
BILL WEIR: I must ask. Adding to the brutality of a national campaign, the Palin family also has an infant with special needs. What leads you, the senator and the governor to believe that one won't affect the other in the next couple of months?
MIKE DUHAIME: In terms of her personal life? You know, to the extent people want to look at her, she's got an incredible life story: five children, the son going into the military, she's got a --
Weir brusquely interrupted, virtually shouting.
WEIR: She has an, she has an infant with special needs. Will that affect her campaigning?
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DUHAIME: I don't believe it will affect her campaigning. I don't believe it will affect her at all.
Co-anchor Kate Snow then interviewed ABC News contributor Cokie Roberts. Snow began by accentuating the negative about Palin, reading from Gail Collins' nasty column in today's New York Times.
KATE SNOW: Let me ask you about Gail Collins this morning, columnist in the New York Times, has written a really scathing column this morning talking about the choice and basically suggesting that the only reason the governor was chosen was because she is a woman. And let me quote from Gail Collins. She says: "the idea that women are going to race off to vote for any candidate with the same internal plumbing is both offensive and historically wrong." What do you think?
Responding, Cokie whacked Weir for his crude question, suggesting it could backfire on people looking to undermine Palin.
COKIE ROBERTS: That's correct, that women do not necessarily vote for women. However, if you get a lot of questions about who's taking care of the children, it might make people angry enough to vote for her.
Bada-bing, Bill!
