A day after CNN reported poll numbers which show a small minority of Americans blame President Bush for a slow response to the disaster in New Orleans, CBS News today reported their new polling data, which were considerably more negative for the Bush administration. The poll, unlike CNN’s, doesn’t deal with “blame” for the New Orleans disaster but rather focused on the adequacy of the governmental response. Nevertheless, correspondent Thalia Assuras on today’s Early Show chose the most negative poll numbers, failing to give a broader context to her story than the "bitter political sniping" which she portrayed as almost a natural reaction to the Bush administration's response, rather than a calculated liberal Democratic strategy: "Well the government's response to the catastrophe has unleashed bitter political sniping here in Washington, with much of the criticism directed against the Bush administration. Americans are struck by the images they have seen, and now we know just how strong their feelings are."
Assuras relayed most of the polling data but failed to report two numbers I found striking. For example, the initial public reaction from the earliest days of Katrina’s aftermath was positive, with 54 percent favoring the government’s reaction and only 12 percent opposed, and presently 60 percent of poll respondents think the federal government is doing all it can do now to address the crisis. These polling numbers, I believe, show the evolving public reaction to the stark images from New Orleans as the liberally biased national media pushed the blame towards FEMA's Mike Brown and President Bush while downplaying or ignoring the misjudgments on the ground by Mayor Nagin and Governor Blanco.
Below is a transcript of Assuras’s piece, including the set-up by host Harry Smith and the opening credits tease by Hannah Storm:
Hannah Storm, during opening credits tease: "I'm Hannah Storm. President Bush has taken a hit in the wake of Katrina. The latest CBS News poll finds a majority of Americans disapprove of the way the president handled the response to the hurricane. We'll have details."...
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Harry Smith from New Orleans: "One of the other places where this disaster has had a huge impact is Washington, D.C. Thalia Assuras has that story this morning. Good morning, Thalia. "
Thalia Assuras from Washington, DC: "Good morning, Harry. Well the government's response to the catastrophe has unleashed bitter political sniping here in Washington, with much of the criticism directed against the Bush administration. Americans are struck by the images they have seen, and now we know just how strong their feelings are."
Assuras begins her taped segment: "In a CBS News poll this morning, an overwhelming number of Americans say the government response was too slow, and the blame is shared by all. Was the response adequate? No by the federal government, no by FEMA, and no by local agencies. And the President shares the blame, almost two-thirds of Americans say his response was too slow, and more than half polled now say they disapprove of the way the President handled the response. But, the poll shows the President's overall approval rating has remained unchanged from a week ago.
Assuras: "In Congress, Democrats have launched an all-out assault. The Senate Minority Leader even questioned how much time Mister Bush spent on the mounting crisis during his Crawford vacation. In reiterating her call for the FEMA chief's dismissal, Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi hit hard at the President."
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Minority Leader: "You know what? When I said to the President that he should fire Michael Brown, he said, 'why would I do that?' I said, 'because of all that went wrong, of all that didn't go right last week,' and he said, 'what didn't go right?' Oblivious. In denial. Dangerous."
Assuras: "A White House spokesperson did not take well to what he called personal attacks on the President."
Scott McClellan, White House press secretary: "We are focused on brining everybody together to help the people in the region, and the President continues to act to make sure that we're addressing the ongoing problems."
Assuras: "Congressional Republicans are echoing Mister Bush's displeasure at the response, perhaps growing nervous about the potential political advantage being scored by Democrats as elections approach."
Senator Bill Frist (R-TN), Majority Leader: "We all agree that in many areas, the initial relief response to Hurricane Katrina was unacceptable at the local, state, and federal levels."
Assuras, again live from DC newsroom: "One more note on the poll, Americans' confidence in the government's ability to protect the country from future terrorist attacks stands at 19 percent. And with the anniversary of September 11th this weekend, many of the administration's critics are linking the two, the country's readiness for natural disaster and terrorism. Harry?"
