CNN's Koppel: Moderates among GOP chairs, but prospective Dem committee chairs "extremely to the left of their party"

Summary: In reporting on "the most liberal politicians in America" who are "set to rocket to the top positions in Congress" should Democrats take control of the House and Senate after the midterm elections, CNN's Andrea Koppel claimed that some Republican leaders "have more moderate voting records" but that "the Democrats that they're looking for these chairmanships are all extremely to the left of their party."

On the November 1 edition of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight, congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel filed a report on "the most liberal politicians in America" who are "set to rocket to the top positions in Congress" should Democrats take control of the House and Senate after the midterm elections. Koppel's report, however, was little more than a regurgitation of Republican attacks against House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-MI), Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), and others -- a fact Koppel appeared to acknowledge, saying: "Republicans have seized on the prospect of liberal lawmakers running the House as a way to fire up their base on the campaign trail."

At the end of her report, Dobbs asked Koppel: "I guess we could describe all of the current leaders of those committees as conservative, correct?" Koppel responded: "Conservative Republicans, not necessarily. I mean, there are some Republican lawmakers, as we all know, who have more moderate voting records. But certainly, the Democrats that they're looking for these chairmanships are all extremely to the left of their party."

From the November 1 edition of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight:

DOBBS: Well, this is the scenario that Democrats would dream of: waking up on November 8th and finding they've won control of both the House and the U.S. Senate. Now here are just some estimates as to what the House and Senate would look like, should the Democrats win majorities in both houses. Andrea Koppel reports.

[begin video clip]

KOPPEL: They're among the most liberal politicians in America: Nancy Pelosi, [Rep.] Alcee Hastings [D-FL], John Conyers, [Rep.] Henry Waxman [D-CA], and Charlie Rangel. And if Democrats win back the House next week, they're set to rocket to the top positions in Congress. Republicans have seized on the prospect of liberal lawmakers running the House as a way to fire up their base on the campaign trail. The president singled out New York's Charlie Rangel, though not by name.

BUSH: I think it is interesting to note that the person who wants to be to be the head of the Ways and Means Committee for the Democrats said that he can't think of one tax cut that he would extend. That's code word for get ready, if the Democrats take the House, your taxes are going up.

KOPPEL: Embattled Indiana Republican John Hostettler's campaign is using this radio ad to scare voters away from his Democratic opponent.

ANNOUNCER: Speaker Pelosi will reauthorize the Clinton gun ban, give amnesty to millions of illegal aliens with Detroit liberal John Conyers, and raise taxes with New York liberal Charlie Rangel.

KOPPEL: In a recent interview with CNN, Nancy Pelosi said Democrats are for tax cuts but only for the middle class.

PELOSI: We're going to do things that are positive rather than tax cuts to the wealthiest people in our country, which is only taking us deeper in debt at the expense of the middle class.

KOPPEL: Republicans also point to other Democrats who will be in charge, like Florida's Alcee Hastings, a former federal judge impeached by the House in 1989 in an alleged bribery scheme, who could be the next chairman of the Intelligence Committee. Hastings says he did nothing wrong.

And Michigan's John Conyers, who has called for President Bush to be impeached, and until recently on his congressional website, demanded an investigation into what he called "administration abuses of power." And if the Democrats take power, the 21-term Michigan lawmaker would likely become the next chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

[end video clip]

KOPPEL: And even though these lawmakers would become their party's public face, their clout may be limited, due to a significant number of more moderate, rank-and-file Democrats, Lou, who often find themselves at odds with their more liberal leadership -- Lou.

DOBBS: Andrea, always amused by this liberal/conservative thing, the idea that they would be liberal, being Democrat, and being liberal would not be exactly untoward or unexpected. I guess we could describe all of the current leaders of those committees as conservative, correct?

KOPPEL: The conservative Republicans? Not necessarily. I mean, there are some Republican lawmakers, as we all know, who have more moderate voting records. But certainly, the Democrats that they're looking for these chairmanships are all extremely to the left of their party, Lou.

DOBBS: OK. Andrea, thank you very much. Andrea Koppel from Washington.

—S.S.M.