On Wednesday, CBS This Morning acted as the unofficial press shop for Barack and Michelle Obama as the network devoted three segments totaling 2 minutes and 47 seconds to promoting the family’s recent activities in the White House.
Gayle King provided the most over-the-top pro-Obama coverage while she discussed a group of Girl Scouts who camped out at the White House, proclaiming: “We’re available for a sleep out on the lawn.”
During the network’s first Obama cheerleading segment, Charlie Rose used President Obama's decision to open an embassy in Cuba to argue that this follows what “[s]ome are calling the president’s best week ever.” The CBS host eagerly listed off some of the president’s successes in the past week:
This morning President Obama will announce plans to reopen the American embassy in Cuba. It is a major diplomatic achievement from the president. It follows three huge White House victories last week. Congress approved an important trade bill, the Supreme Court upheld a key portion of his health care law, then legalized same-sex in all 50 states.
After playing a clip of Obama explaining that his wedding day and the birth of his two daughters were the best weeks of his life, Rose enthused that “the president’s got his priorities right” before he hailed how “the president calls last week’s victories ‘gratifying.’”
Later in the broadcast, Gayle King praised a new video featuring Michelle Obama detailing a new White House policy that will allow tour groups to take pictures for the first time:
That's First Lady Michelle Obama helping tear up the rules preventing pictures inside the White House. So starting today visitors on tours will be allowed to snap photos for the first time in 40 years. They're encouraged to share their pictures on social media with the #whitehousetour. The videos though are still banned and so are those what some say are very annoying selfie sticks. But that's great, Norah because everybody wants a selfie when you go to the White House.
Norah O’Donnell stressed the importance of this new policy as yet another example of the “Obamas efforts to make it the people’s house once again.” King continued to applaud Mrs. Obama and how the family “said that from the very beginning. It’s not our house. It’s the people’s house.”
Last week CBS This Morning joined with NBC’s Today and ABC’s Good Morning America in cheering Obama confronting a protestor at the White House. At the time, CBS insisted that while the president does not ban protestors “just not in his house.”
Not content with including two Obama cheerleading segments during its Wednesday broadcast, CBS This Morning found time to include a third pro-Obama piece, this time on Girl Scouts camping out on the White House lawn. O’Donnell went on to admire how the “First Lady invited the group as part of her let's move outside initiative. The president also joined the girls for a sing-along around the campfire.”
Gayle King piled on with compliments for the Obamas as she declared “[t]hat was so great. At one point, Norah, one of the little girls said, “Mr. President, can we have a hug?” He said “group hug. Group hug.” It was a very cute shot, everybody going around. That’s the first time they've done that at the White House.” The CBS co-host concluded the network’s pro-Obama broadcast by longing for an opportunity for a “sleep out on the lawn” of the White House.
While CBS found plenty of time to offer up three puff pieces on the First Family, it provided minuscule coverage to the revelation that the Obama administration knew about Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server while she was at the State Department. During a 25 second news brief, Gayle King downplayed the significance of the new e-mails, and insisted that their contents were “pretty ordinary.”
See relevant transcripts below.
CBS This Morning
July 1, 2015
CHARLIE ROSE: This morning President Obama will announce plans to reopen the American embassy in Cuba. It is a major diplomatic achievement from the president. It follows three huge White House victories last week. Congress approved an important trade bill, the Supreme Court upheld a key portion of his health care law, then legalized same-sex in all 50 states. Some are calling it the president’s best week ever but he doesn’t buy that.
BARACK OBAMA: In terms of my best week, no my best week, I will tell you, was marrying Michelle, that was as a really good week. Malia and Sasha being born, excellent weeks.
JIM ACOSTA: You remember those?
OBAMA: Yeah. There was a game where I scored 27 points; that was a pretty good week. I've had some good weeks in my life.
ROSE: Ah, the president’s got his priorities right, doesn't he?
GAYLE KING: Yes he does.
NORAH O’DONNELL: Yes he does, indeed.
ROSE: The president calls last week's victories “gratifying.”
--
MICHELLE OBAMA: If you’ve been on a White House tour you may have seen this sign. [No photos or social media allowed] Well, not anymore.
GAYLE KING: That's First Lady Michelle Obama helping tear up the rules preventing pictures inside the White House. So starting today visitors on tours will be allowed to snap photos for the first time in 40 years. They're encouraged to share their pictures on social media with the #whitehousetour. The videos though are still banned and so are those what some say are very annoying selfie sticks. But that's great, Norah because everybody wants a selfie when you go to the White House.
NORAH O’DONNELL: Absolutely.
KING: To say, we were here. We were here. It’s nice.
O’DONNELL: I think it's part of the Obamas efforts to make it the people's house once again.
KING: Yeah, they said that from the very beginning. It’s not our house, it’s the people's house
--
NORAH O’DONNELL: This morning a group of Girl Scouts is waking up next to the West Wing. The 50 girls began their night camping out on the South Lawn of the White House. Well, weather crashed the party and forced them inside the nearby old executive office building.
BARACK OBAMA: What are you guys doing in my yard?
O’DONNELL: The First Lady invited the group as part of her let's move outside initiative. The president also joined the girls for a sing-along around the campfire.
GAYLE KING: That was so great. At one point, Norah, one of the little girls said, “Mr. President, can we have a hug?” He said “group hug. Group hug.” It was a very cute shot, everybody going around. That’s the first time they've done that at the White House.
O’DONNELL: The first time they’ve done that as the First lady said did you know the White House lawns are actually part of the National Parks so that’s why she was encouraging them camping as well.
KING: We should tell her we're available for a sleep out on the lawn.
O’DONNELL: I have to say I was a little -- you know, it made me reminiscent of being a Girl Scout and camping outside.
KING: It’s great fun.
O’DONNELL: It was always a lot of fun. I think they also printed up a special badge for them to have.
KING: I remember those days.
