On Tuesday’s CBS Mornings, senior White House correspondent Ed O’Keefe was visibly frustrated that congressional Democrats were “squabbling” over the cost of their massive spending plans rather than focusing on how to “reshape” the country with radical socialism. Upset co-host Gayle King compared lawmakers to petulant children fighting in the back seat of a car during a family vacation.
“It looks as if that bipartisan bridge bill, that’s what I like to call it, is likely going to pass by the end of week....and both sides will be happy because there’s billions of dollars in there, nearly a trillion dollars, to rebuild airports, bridges, rail lines across the country,” O’Keefe happily declared at the top of the discussion, assuming everyone would be thrilled with spending over a trillion dollars in taxpayer money.
However, the conversation soured when the reporter whined about the lack of support for additional trillions in wasteful spending:
But they have not figured out how to pass that bigger social infrastructure plan, things that would tackle climate change or reshape the way we take care of the elderly and the young in this country, provide pre – universal preschool, free community college to eligible people, would fundamentally reshape the country. You don’t hear them though – and this is the weird thing – talking about all the things that this bill would do.
After offering his glowing sales pitch, O’Keefe bitterly ranted:
Instead, you hear Democrats squabbling with each other over the price and the order in which they’re gonna vote on these things. And it's kind of boggling because, you know, if you’re gonna reshape the country the way they are talking about, you’d think they’d focus on that, but instead they’re just fighting amongst each other.
“But that’s what’s so maddening....The fact that we’re even in a conversation that could shut down the government on Friday is maddening to me,” King wailed. She scolded Congress: “It’s like you’ve got your siblings in the car and the dad’s saying, ‘Don’t let me pull this car over, you two knock it – you two knock it out and figure it out.’”
Journalists are supposed to be skeptical of costly government proposals and demand to know how such policies would be paid for, both now and in the long term. However, the Democratic Party lackeys at CBS are more concerned with quickly shoving through far-left efforts to “reshape” the country and worrying about the details later – if ever.
Here is a transcript of the September 28 segment:
7:20 AM ET
TONY DOKOUPIL: Joining us now, Ed O’Keefe, CBS News senior White House correspondent and political correspondent. Ed, I’ve heard this week in Washington described as bananas and then it gets more colorful from there. Let’s talk about the two bills for a moment. There is the bipartisan infrastructure bill and then the bigger bill with all kinds of stuff in it. How do you see this playing out?
ED O’KEEFE: It looks as if that bipartisan bridge bill, that’s what I like to call it, is likely going to pass by the end of week. The President will get to sign it, declare victory, and both sides will be happy because there’s billions of dollars in there, nearly a trillion dollars, to rebuild airports, bridges, rail lines across the country. Things that have needed to be done for the American people for years that they finally have been able to get an agreement on.
GAYLE KING: Do we hear a but coming?
O’KEEFE: But they have not figured out how to pass that bigger social infrastructure plan, things that would tackle climate change or reshape the way we take care of the elderly and the young in this country, provide pre – universal preschool, free community college to eligible people, would fundamentally reshape the country. You don’t hear them though – and this is the weird thing – talking about all the things that this bill would do. Instead, you hear Democrats squabbling with each other over the price and the order in which they’re gonna vote on these things. And it's kind of boggling because, you know, if you’re gonna reshape the country the way they are talking about, you’d think they’d focus on that, but instead they’re just fighting amongst each other.
KING: But that’s what’s so maddening, Ed.
NATE BURLESON: Spot on.
KING: The fact that we’re even in a conversation that could shut down the government on Friday is maddening to me. It’s like you’ve got your siblings in the car and the dad’s saying, “Don’t let me pull this car over, you two knock it – you two knock it out and figure it out.” What’s at stake?
DOKOUPIL: Well, it’s like siblings and step siblings, right?
KING: Yeah, exactly, it’s ridiculous.
DOKOUPIL: Because you’ve got the Democrats fighting amongst themselves and then you got their other family there, the Republicans, colleagues, right?
BURLESON: But there’s no turning the car around right now, alright. We’re headed in one direction.
(...)
