On Tuesday’s CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley, CBS News congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes covered the political discussion over vaccinations as a measles outbreak continues to spread across the country and continued the liberal spin that the only anti-vaxxers are Republicans.
In between soundbites from numerous figures in the Republican Party stating their support for vaccinations and only Republican Senator Rand Paul (Ky.) offering a slightly different take during an interview on Monday, Cordes ruled that the party has been sending “mixed messages” which could, in turn, benefit Hillary Clinton.
Cordes proclaimed that: “The mixed messages left an opening for possible Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton who tweeted, ‘The science is clear: the Earth is round, the sky is blue, and vaccines work.’ Adding, ‘Grandmother knows best.’”
At the conclusion of her two-minute-and-eight-second story, Cordes noted that Paul went to get a booster shot on Tuesday afternoon and criticized the media for misconstruing his comments:
Late this afternoon, Senator Paul said he was being misinterpreted and he tweeted a photo of himself getting a booster shot today. He argued that all children, in fact, should be vaccinated an that the benefits far outweigh the risks.
Cordes’s comments stand in contrast to a report she gave on Tuesday’s CBS This Morning, during which she said: “[I]n the end, it is overwhelming among both political parties that vaccinations are important, if not essential to keeping their children safe and healthy.”
ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir and NBC Nightly News both covered the measles outbreak as well with multiple segments, but neither focused exclusively on the politics of the matter.
On politics, World News Tonight anchor David Muir commented that “political heavyweights” were “weighing in” on the subject and then stated how Hillary Clinton and Republican Senator Marco Rubio’s (Fla.) are both in support of children being vaccinated.
Other than Muir mentioning to chief health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser how “[w]e’ve heard from politicians” on the issue, there was no further mention in ABC’s coverage.
While NBC Nightly News also didn’t devote all of their measles coverage to politics, anchor Brian Williams spent much of the introduction to correspondent Hallie Jackson’s report on Paul’s comments and the photo of him receiving the shot.
Williams said that Paul “made sure a camera was there because he has spent the last news cycle tangled up in the debate over vaccines.” Additionally, Williams told viewers that Paul “said he was annoyed that he’s being as characterized as somehow anti-vaccine” and “said, today, the science is clear and vaccines are safe.”
Near the end of her report, Jackson described the scene on Capitol Hill Tuesday as being “a rare show of consensus” in support of vaccinations.
On the whole, Tuesday evening’s coverage followed that of the Tuesday morning programs by also ignoring the fact that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton held skeptical positions on the issue in 2008 (with both having since changed their minds).
The full transcript of the tease and segment that aired on the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley on February 3 can be found below.
CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley
February 3, 2015
6:30 p.m. Eastern [TEASE][ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Politics of Measles]
SCOTT PELLEY: Nancy Cordes reports the measles virus has morphed into a political issue.
HOUSE SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER: I do believe that all children ought to be vaccinated.
REPUBLICAN SENATOR RAND PAUL (KY.)(on CNBC from 02/02/15): The state doesn't own your children. Parents own the children, and it is an issue of freedom.
(....)
6:36 p.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Measles Outbreak]
PELLEY: Now to another important story, the measles outbreak. As of tonight, at least 131 cases have been reported in 14 states. Also spreading is the debate over mandatory vaccinations. Nancy Cordes is following this.
BOEHNER: I do believe that all children ought to be vaccinated.
NANCY CORDES: Republican leaders were in lockstep today.
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL (KY.)(on CNBC from 02/02/15): As a victim of polio myself, I'm a big fan of vaccinations.
CORDES: One day after Kentucky Republican and eye doctor Rand Paul said this:
PAUL: I've heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking, normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines.
CORDES: Paul's fellow presidential hopefuls made it clear they do not share his views. Florida Senator Marco Rubio:
REPUBLICAN SENATOR MARCO RUBIO (FLA.): There is absolutely no medical science or data whatsoever that links toes vaccinations to onset of autism or anything of that nature.
CORDES: Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal didn't mention Paul by name but said, “I think it is irresponsible for leaders to undermine the public's confidence in vaccinations.” Even New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who initially said “parents need to have some measure of choice,” put out a second statement saying, “There is no question kids should be vaccinated.” The mixed messages left an opening for possible Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton who tweeted, “The science is clear: the Earth is round, the sky is blue, and vaccines work.” Adding, “Grandmother knows best.”
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN MICHAEL BURGESS (TEX.): I remember the measles. It was bad.
CORDES: And at a flu hearing in the House, several Republicans spoke up, including Tennessee's Marsha Blackburn.
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSWOMAN MARSHA BLACKBURN (TENN.): This is far too serious an issue to be treated as a political football. People still die.
CORDES: Late this afternoon, Senator Paul said he was being misinterpreted and he tweeted a photo of himself getting a booster shot today. He argued that all children, in fact, should be vaccinated an that the benefits far outweigh the risks. Scott.
PELLEY: Nancy Cordes on Capitol Hill for us, Nancy thank you.
