On Sunday evening, CBS Weekend News marked one year since Joe Biden launched his presidential campaign. Rather use the occasion to hold the presumptive Democratic nominee accountable for sexual abuse allegations leveled against him by former Senate staffer Tara Reade, the broadcast instead focused on touting Biden’s all-female short list of vice presidential picks.
“This weekend marks one year since Joe Biden announced he was running for president and a lot has changed. Without leaving the house, he’s trying to win and choose a running mate,” anchor Lesli Foster proclaimed at the top of the segment. Correspondent Ed O’Keefe declared: “Joe Biden knows a thing or two about being number two....And knows exactly what he’s looking for in a running mate.”
A soundbite was featured of Biden’s recent softball appearance on The Late Late Show in which he explained his selection process: “[Someone] That can be president and the public look at that person and say, ‘She is capable of being President of the United States tomorrow.’”
“Biden’s list is expected to include a mix of governors and lawmakers, many of whom aren’t shying away from the speculation,” O’Keefe announced, followed by a series of clips of Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, California Senator Kamala Harris, and failed 2018 Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams all expressing their eagerness to be his running mate.
Later in the report, O’Keefe noted that Biden was “already facing significant pressure to pick a woman of color.” He turned to a liberal activist to offer advice to the Democratic candidate: “Aimee Allison, founder of She the People, a group that promotes minority women in politics, argues that Biden could win by picking a black woman and boosting minority turnout.”
Allison urged: “This is the kind of strategy that Joe Biden and his campaign need to keep in mind and have a woman of color on the ticket. I think it would be a fatal campaign mistake to take black voters for granted.”
Amazingly, not once did O’Keefe mention the increasingly corroborated sexual abuse claims being leveled against Biden by a former member of his Senate staff, Tara Reade. On Friday, NewsBusters uncovered video that appears to show Reade’s mother calling in to CNN’s Larry King Live in 1993 and referencing her daughter’s accusations against Biden at the time.
As Foster pointed out, “a lot has changed” since Biden officially began his presidential campaign one year ago. Among those changes, the fact that he had been facing credible allegations of misconduct from Reade for the past month.
So far, CBS has only spent about a minute of air time on Reade’s allegations, when This Morning host Tony Dokoupil asked Senator Bernie Sanders about the topic on April 16. When will Biden have to answer the question?
Here is a full transcript of O’Keefe’s April 26 report:
6:08 PM ET
LESLI FOSTER: This weekend marks one year since Joe Biden announced he was running for president and a lot has changed. Without leaving the house, he’s trying to win and choose a running mate. CBS’s Ed O’Keefe reports that search starts this week.
ED O’KEEFE: Joe Biden knows a thing or two about being number two.
BARACK OBAMA: The next vice president!
O’KEEFE: And knows exactly what he’s looking for in a running mate.
JOE BIDEN: That can be president and the public look at that person and say, “She is capable of being President of the United States tomorrow.”
O’KEEFE: Biden’s list is expected to include a mix of governors and lawmakers, many of whom aren’t shying away from the speculation.
RACHEL MADDOW: If he asked you to be his running mate, would you say yes?
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN [D-MA]: Yes.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS [D-CA]: I’m honored to be considered.
STACEY ABRAMS: My mission is to say out loud, if I am asked the question, yes, I would be willing to serve.
O’KEEFE: Only two women have ever been asked to run for vice president, and neither helped their party win the White House.
WALTER MONDALE: Geraldine Ferraro of New York.
O’KEEFE: In 1984, eager to shake up the race, Democrat Walter Mondale chose New York Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro.
GERALDINE FERRARO: If we can do this, we can do anything.
O’KEEFE: And in 2008, Republican John McCain asked Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his partner.
SARAH PALIN: You know, they say the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull, lipstick.
O’KEEFE: Biden says he plans to announce his choice by July. He’s already facing significant pressure to pick a woman of color. Aimee Allison, founder of She the People, a group that promotes minority women in politics, argues that Biden could win by picking a black woman and boosting minority turnout.
AIMEE ALLISON: This is the kind of strategy that Joe Biden and his campaign need to keep in mind and have a woman of color on the ticket. I think it would be a fatal campaign mistake to take black voters for granted.
O’KEEFE: Like many of us, Biden is stuck at home, in his case campaigning and fundraising, from Delaware. He said recently that because of the pandemic he’s concerned President Trump might try changing the date of November’s election. But the Constitution says only Congress can do that. Lesli?
FOSTER: Alright, Ed, thank you.
