ABC and CBS on Wednesday skimped on the new revelation that Hillary Clinton was pressed two years ago about having a private e-mail server. Good Morning America allowed a scant 42 seconds to the news, first reported in the New York Times, that a congressional committee directly asked the Secretary of State. CBS This Morning did even worse, allowing a mere 14 seconds.
Former Clinton operative turned journalist George Stephanopoulos introduced a report by extolling, "Hillary Clinton may be the most famous person in the world." (More famous than the President? The Pope?) Jon Karl eventually explained, "This was an official inquiry from the U.S. Congress, from the Government Reform Committee in the House. They asked [Clinton] specifically if she ever used personal e-mail to conduct official business."
He added, "They never got an answer from Hillary Clinton to that question and they never got an answer from the State Department to that question." In a brief follow-up, news reader Ryan Smith asserted that "trouble is apparently brewing in Washington for Hillary Clinton." Yet, that report, 19 seconds, and Stephanopoulos's coverage, 23 seconds, don't indicate much interest.
Over on CBS This Morning, Norah O'Donnell offered little curiosity. She quickly related:
NORAH O'DONNELL: Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton faces new questions this morning over her e-mail as Secretary of State. The New York Times reports that congressional investigators asked Clinton two years ago if she used a private e-mail account at the State Department. She never responded.
This amounted to 14 seconds out of a 33 second story on Clinton's campaign.
The New York Times relegated the story to page A15. Writer Michael S. Schmidt informed:
The query was posed to Mrs. Clinton in a Dec. 13, 2012, letter from Representative Darrell Issa, the Republican chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Mr. Issa was leading an investigation into how the Obama administration handled its officials’ use of personal email.
“Have you or any senior agency official ever used a personal email account to conduct official business?” Mr. Issa wrote to Mrs. Clinton. “If so, please identify the account used.”
Considering Issa's role, ABC, CBS or NBC could have brought the congressman on to discuss his investigation. None of the networks did.
Yet, NBC provided the most substantive coverage, two segments equaling one minute and 47 seconds. (One news brief and part of a larger story.) Co-host Matt Lauer trumpeted the story at the top of the show, announcing, "No response. A new report that Hillary Clinton ignored questions from congressional investigators while secretary of state about her use of personal e-mail for government business."
Reporter Kristen Welker parroted a Clinton defense for the latest developments in the scandal:
KRISTEN WELKER: As for that New York Times story about Clinton's e-mails, no reaction yet from the Clinton campaign. But one aide tells The New York Times, quote, "Her usage was widely known to over a hundred department and U.S. colleagues she e-mailed."
A transcript of the April 15 GMA segment is below:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: We turn to politics now. Action on the White House trail. Hillary Clinton talks to Iowa voters for the first time and Chris Christie hoping to rev up his campaign with a major speech on Social Security in New Hampshire. Let's bring in Jon Karl for that and Hillary Clinton may be the most famous person in the world, which means it's pretty hard to go small in Iowa.
JON KARL: That sure is the case, George. She's trying to do that. You know, yesterday, she want to a coffee shop and had a small round table with a group of folks at a community college in Iowa. But, George, take a look at this photograph of her event at the community college. There you see, if you pull back, she's entirely surrounded by cameras and by people. It's hardly a small stage. It's very hard to be small and intimate when your name is Hillary Clinton and you're running for president.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And also, a new report she had been asked about that personal e-mail server by a congressional committee about two years ago.
KARL: That's right. This was an official inquiry from the U.S. Congress, from the Government Reform Committee in the House. They asked her specifically if she ever used personal e-mail to conduct official business. They never got an answer from Hillary Clinton to that question and they never got an answer from the State Department to that question.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Meanwhile, Chris Christie, he's been lagging in the polls. While Hillary Clinton says her major policy speeches are going to come later, he gave a big one in New Hampshire yesterday, calling for major reforms in Social Security.
KARL: Yeah, this is a very unusual way to start a campaign. You know, Chris Christie is not an official candidate yet. He's way down from where he was in the polls. But he's coming out with a major entitlement reform plan that calls for cuts to Social Security, raising the eligibility age to 69. Phasing out benefits for people who make $80,000 a year. And, in fact, George, eliminating Social Security benefits for anybody who makes over $200,000 a year.
