On Thursday, both NBC's Today and CBS This Morning were eager to promote MSNBC's town hall infomercial that allowed President Obama to push his executive overreach on illegal immigration and slam his opponents.
On Today, news anchor Natalie Morales proclaimed: "The President is urging millions of undocumented immigrants to keep planning for eventual relief....he pledged to do everything in his power to overhaul the immigration system." She then touted his attacks on Republicans: "He challenged voters to hold Republicans accountable for killing reform efforts."
After playing a clip of Obama lecturing his critics, Morales added: "The President said the nation's demographics are shifting and he predicted the Latino vote could potentially double by the year 2030."
On CBS This Morning, correspondent Bill Plante announced: "The President pitched his plan to an audience at Florida International University and he used most of the program to criticize Republicans for blocking legislation which would change immigration laws."
Like Morales, Plante highlighted Obama's political cheap shots: "Now of course it's no coincidence that the president delivered his message on immigration in Florida, a battleground state that’s more than 20% Hispanic. The President also made a direct challenge to Republican presidential candidates, telling voters to ask them this question: 'Are you really going to deport 11 million people?'"
However, unlike Morales, Plante did take time to briefly explain Republican opposition:
PLANTE: Republicans maintain that the plan oversteps the President's authority and have threatened to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security unless the immigration actions are repealed.
JOHN BOEHNER: Senate Democrats have stood in the way now for three weeks over a bill that should have been debated and passed. So until the Senate does something we're in a wait and see mode.
Here are transcripts of the February 26 coverage on Today and This Morning:
Today
7:15 AM ETNATALIE MORALES: The President is urging millions of undocumented immigrants to keep planning for eventual relief, saying he's confident that his order shielding them from deportation will be upheld by the court.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: President Defends Immigration Plan; Urges Voters to Challenge Republicans on Issue]
The President discussed the issue on Wednesday during a town hall seen on MSNBC and he pledged to do everything in his power to overhaul the immigration system. He challenged voters to hold Republicans accountable for killing reform efforts.
BARACK OBAMA: As the only office in which you are the president of all the people, not just some. You have to be thinking not just terms of short-term politics, you have to be thinking about what's good for the country over the long term.
MORALES: The President said the nation's demographics are shifting and he predicted the Latino vote could potentially double by the year 2030.
CBS This Morning
7:15 AM ETCHARLIE ROSE: But it is not clear if Speaker John Boehner and the House will support McConnell's approach. The immigration fight has already opened up a GOP rift. Up until yesterday the two most powerful Republicans in Washington had reportedly not spoken to each other in two weeks. Bill Plante is at the White House where the President is pushing ahead with his immigration plan. Bill good morning.
BILL PLANTE: Well good morning. The President pitched his plan to an audience at Florida International University and he used most of the program to criticize Republicans for blocking legislation which would change immigration laws. Mr. Obama says he's confident that his immigration plan will survive.
BARACK OBAMA: We're going to be as aggressive as we can because not only do we know that the law is on our side but history is also on our side.
PLANTE: At a town hall hosted by Telemundo and MSNBC, the President pushed back against the federal court order which temporarily halts his plan and Republicans who want to do away with it.
OBAMA: If Mr. McConnell, the leader of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House John Boehner want to have a vote on whether what I'm doing is legal or not they can have that vote. I will veto that vote because I'm absolutely confident that what we're doing is the right thing to do.
PLANTE: Under the President's plan, long time immigrants whose children were born in the U.S. would be allowed to stay. It also would protect people who were brought in the U.S. illegally when they were children. But Republicans maintain that the plan oversteps the president’s authority and have threatened to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security unless the immigration actions are repealed.
JOHN BOEHNER: Senate Democrats have stood in the way now for three weeks over a bill that should have been debated and passed. So until the Senate does something we're in a wait and see mode.
PLANTE: But the president says he wont back down.
OBAMA: This is going to get solved because at some point there's going to be a President Rodriquez or there's going to be a President Chin. The country is a nation of immigrants.
PLANTE: Now of course it's no coincidence that the president delivered his message on immigration in Florida, a battleground state that’s more than 20% Hispanic. The President also made a direct challenge to Republican presidential candidates, telling voters to ask them this question: "Are you really going to deport 11 million people?" Norah?
NORAH O'DONNELL: Alright Bill outside a beautifully snowy White House this morning. Look at that.
PLANTE: Picture postcard here.
O'DONNELL: Yeah, picture postcard. Thanks Bill.
