On Wednesday’s CBS This Morning, reporter Nancy Cordes previewed Congressman Paul Ryan’s expected bid to be the next Speaker of the House by repeatedly playing up the potential conflict he will have with the supposed “hardliners” within his own party.
The CBS reporter introduced the segment by stressing how Ryan will only run for speaker if he receives support from the entire House Republican Conference which “turns the tables on hardline conservatives who were hoping to extract concessions from their next speaker in exchange for their support.”
After Cordes played several clips of Ryan outlining his demands prior to making a commitment to run for speaker, she continued to use the derisive “hardliners” term to describe GOPers who may be skeptical of a Paul Ryan bid:
Ryan's unusual approach is a reflection of his strong leverage as a conservative who’s also cut deals with Democrats he is seen as one the only people who can unite his fractured party after hardliners threatened to force out the current Speaker John Boehner and doomed his replacement Kevin McCarthy. Ryan warned them, as speaker he would work with the other side.
The CBS reporter then played another clip of Ryan stressing that he would be willing to work with the other side in order to pass important legislation but Cordes once again touted the battle he might face with “hardliners” within the Republican Party:
Ryan says if the entire party doesn't get behind him by Friday he will happily stay in the job he has. And it puts the hardliners in a situation where they will get blamed if he backs out. Ironically Gayle, that is exactly what they say they have been wanting from the next speaker, a hardball approach.
While Cordes was quick to label the part of the Republican Party as “hardliners,” CBS has not used such harsh language in the past to describr far-left members of the Democratic Party, such as Independent Socialist Bernie Sanders, or those who staunchly defend Planned Parenthood at all costs.
In fact, this was not the first time that a CBS reporter has used the term “hardliners” to criticize the Republican Party. Back in March, Margaret Brennan equated GOPers with the “hardliners” in Iran who opposed the nuclear deal:
Among the most vocal hardliners is junior Republican Senator Tom Cotton. His controversial letter to Iran sent last week and signed by 46 other Senate Republicans charged that Congress could undo any deal after President Obama left office.
See relevant transcript below.
CBS This Morning
October 21, 2015
CHARLIE ROSE: The Republican deadlock over the next speaker of the House could be about to break. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan now says he is willing to do the job his way. Senior GOP leaders have urged the former vice presidential candidate to run.
NORAH O’DONNELL: Now his decision comes nearly a month after Speaker John Boehner said that he is resigning. And as CBS News first reported on Sunday, Ryan says conditions have to be met before he runs. Nancy Cordes is on Capitol Hill with his list of demands. Nancy, good morning.
NANCY CORDES: Good morning. And first and foremost, Ryan says all the different wings of the House Republican Conference must endorse him by Friday or he won't run. That turns the tables on hardline conservatives who were hoping to extract concessions from their next speaker in exchange for their support.
PAUL RYAN: What I told members is if you can agree to those requests and if I can truly be a unifying figure, then I will gladly serve.
CORDES: Ryan laid out his requests first for House Republicans and then for the press starting for a call for the GOP to start focusing on solutions.
RYAN: We need to move from an opposition party to being a proposition party.
CORDES: Then he said the House rule book must be changed.
RYAN: And it needs to include fixes to ensure we do not experience constant leadership challenges and
crises.
CORDES: The last request was personal.
RYAN: I cannot and I will not give up my family time. I may not be on the road as often as previous speakers but I pledge to try and make up for it with more time communicating our vision, our message.
CORDES: Most House Republicans were happy to oblige after begging the father of three to take the job.
DARRELL ISSA: There was overwhelming applause. I didn't see anyone booing.
CORDES: One candidate in the speaker's race promptly dropped out.
JASON CHAFFETZ: I'm out and in with Paul. He’s the right person at the right time.
CORDES: Ryan's unusual approach is a reflection of his strong leverage as a conservative who’s also cut deals with Democrats he is seen as one the only people who can unite his fractured party after hardliners threatened to force out the current Speaker John Boehner and doomed his replacement Kevin McCarthy. Ryan warned them, as speaker he would work with the other side.
RYAN: My greatest worry is the consequence of not stepping up. Of someday having my own kids ask me when the stakes were so high, why didn't you do all you could do? Why didn't you stand and fight for my future when you had a chance to do so?
CORDES: Ryan says if the entire party doesn't get behind him by Friday he will happily stay in the job he has. And it puts the hardliners in a situation where they will get blamed if he backs out. Ironically Gayle, that is exactly what they say they have been wanting from the next speaker, a hardball approach.
