Liasson's all-GOP report featured Republican attacks on Democrats, no Democratic response
SUMMARY: On NPR's All Things Considered, NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson interviewed five Republicans and no Democrats during a segment host Michele Norris described as a "look at how Republicans in Congress are dealing with the fallout from the Abramoff affair." The all-GOP format of Liasson's report gave one of the Republicans a chance to launch unanswered attacks on Democrats.
On the January 12 broadcast of National Public Radio's (NPR) All Things Considered, NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson interviewed five Republicans and no Democrats during a segment host Michele Norris described as a "look at how Republicans in Congress are dealing with the fallout from the [Jack] Abramoff affair." Although Liasson's report focused on the reaction of Republicans to the unfolding Abramoff corruption scandal -- which threatens to ensnare several Republican lawmakers with close ties to the disgraced lobbyist -- one of the interviewees twice attacked Democrats. The all-Republican format of Liasson's report left no opportunity for Democrats to respond to these attacks.
Liasson interviewed National Republican Senatorial Committee communications director Brian Nick, Republican strategist Warren Tompkins, former Rep. Vin Weber (R-MN), Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), and former Republican party general counsel Jan W. Baran. In two separate sound clips in the report, Tompkins attacked Democrats, implying that they are corrupt. In the first clip, Tompkins asserted that given the unfolding Abramoff scandal, "[t]he problem for the Republicans is the fact that we're in control, combined with the fact that we get elected because we're not supposed to do these kinds of things." He added that in the "10 short years" since Republicans took control of Congress from the Democrats, "we've become them." In the second clip, Tompkins stated that Republicans he knows "want and expect honest, good government," adding:
TOMPKINS: [T]here are certain things that made them Republicans years ago, and they're pretty upset. What I get said back to me is, "There's no difference between Republicans and Democrats anymore, so it doesn't make any difference who I vote for, because they're all going to end up being the same."
Liasson's report included no comments from Democrats who might have responded to Tompkins's attacks, which echoed remarks by Fox News political contributor and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-GA) and Wall Street Journal contributing editor and former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan, previously noted by Media Matters for America.
From the January 12 broadcast of NPR's All Things Considered:
NORRIS: Ethics will be at the top of the agenda when Congress returns later this month. The scandal around former lobbyist Jack Abramoff is still unfolding. It has already claimed one victim on Capitol Hill; Texas Congressman Tom DeLay has completely abandoned his position as majority leader. And two of the men who hope to replace DeLay have extensive ties to lobbyists, though they're campaigning as reformers. NPR's Mara Liasson has this look at how Republicans in Congress are dealing with the fallout from the Abramoff affair.
[...]
LIASSON: Although a handful of Democrats did get money from Abramoff's clients, the vast majority of members and staff involved are Republicans. And Republican leaders have been getting an earful from their supporters outside the Beltway. Warren Tompkins, a key Republican strategist in South Carolina, says people he talks to are shocked and disgusted.
TOMPKINS: The problem for the Republicans is the fact that we're in control, combined with the fact that we get elected because we're not supposed to do these kinds of things. I mean, they took over the House to get rid of the system that was in place, that had become corrupted over 30 years of one-party dominance and, you know, unfortunately in 10 short years, we've become them. That's what hurts.
[...]
LIASSON: When they come back to Washington, Republicans will have to decide just how much reform they can stomach and how much reform the public, including loyal Republican voters, is demanding. If they don't go far enough, says Warren Tompkins, they could pay a price.
TOMPKINS: My barometer in politics has always been the guys that I go hunting and fishing with, and they're Republicans. They're hard-core conservatives, but they want and expect honest, good government. And there are certain things that made them Republicans years ago, and they're pretty upset. What I get said back to me is, "There's no difference between Republicans and Democrats anymore so it doesn't make any difference who I vote for because they're all going to end up being the same."
That's a horrible problem for us.
LIASSON: A horrible problem, Tompkins says, because those voters could decide to stay home or, even worse, vote for the other party.
This item is not about one of the blatant misinformers MMFA regularly reports on, but it is instructive. I urge anyone who is interested in where the "Mainstream Media" is these days to click through the above link and listen to the report.
On the surface, this report seems pretty rough on the Republicans. But examine it further, and several "scripts" emerge that are clearly favorable to the right:
- The scandal is about "lobbying." The Republicans are desperate for us to buy into this, as it deflects from the real scandal: bribery. No Democrat has been accused of bribery in this; furthermore, the main culprit, Tom Delay, was the de facto leader of the House Republicans. This is the real issue, but Liasson doesn't frame it that way.
- The Republicans won the House in 1994 as "reformers." This is, at best, highly debatable. The Gingrich Revolution was as much about a "culture war" as anything else, and gerrymandering played a big part. Further, as reformers, they clearly failed; Liasson is silent on this point.
- The Democrats were fully corrupt before 1994. The notion that the Democrats did anything as bad as the Abramoff scandal is laughable. Writing bad checks in the House bank and Jim Wright's book deal aren't even close to what these guys have been up to.
- Real Republicans themselves are betrayed by this scandal. Selling this meme is the only chance Republicans have of keeping the House next year. If they are going to push it on NPR, Democrats should have a chance to respond.
You can see how the right's relentless pounding of the MSM has paid off - even in a story where the culprits are clearly Republicans, the press allows them to frame their defense in a way that impugns Democrats. Again, good catch, MMFA.
The interesting thing about the Republican defense is that it will backfire when indictments for bribery come down. As with Cunningham, the neo-cons will try to disown the indicted (sorry--the convicted), but I think it's too late for that.
As for Liason, I've watched her on that Fox News Sunday monstrosity. Apparently she is supposed to be a liberal, along with Williams, to counter Hume and Kristol. But she almost always agrees (reluctantly on occasion) with her conservative colleagues and never adds anything of substance. I wonder if they're payng her a lot and she doesn't want to rock the boat. Or she is a conservative, rubbing her hands jubilantly at the prospect of further tax cuts and less rights for gays.
We need to remember that it was more than bad checks. Abscam and the Keating 5 were about bribery, and who knows what happened in the S&L bailout ($200 billion or more).
But yes, the SCLM is framing it as a bipartisan issue, but I don't think it is sticking. I am not so much conerned that Liasson had no Democrats on as I am that she didn't challenge any of the statements on her own.
One needs only listen to the BBC for a week to realize how poor American journalists are.
Abscam dates to 1980 - I think it's pushing it to say Gingrich rode in on Abscam.
The Keating 5 were bad, but let's not forget they were four Dems and one Repub (McCain). As part of the S&L scandal, they clearly hurt Dems, but there was plenty of blame to go around, starting with Reagan, whose push for deregulation created the mess.
What I remember about the Gingrich Revolution was Newt driving Jim Wright out of the Speakership over his book deal (later, Newt got caught up in a book deal himself). Any nonsense Wright was up to pales in comparison to Delay's corruption.
Further, when Repubs claim they were reformers, they consign all the nonsense Gingrich was up to to the memory hole.
The larger point here is that Dems should have a chance to refute Repubs' talking points. Today, after Gore's speech, CNN felt required to put out a nasty ad hominem attack from the RNC. Why Repubs get to enjoy "balance" but Dems do not is a mystery of our modern media.
Kudos on catching this.
This assumes that NPR cares about getting all the angles of a story or actually gives a rat's butt what the "other side" has to say.
It's sad, that NPR feels that they have to be a mouthpiece for the Republicans just to remain on the air.
Thanks for not senationalizing this particular story NPR.
I think the silver lining here is that since this is a Republican scandal, I kind of enjoy hearing Republicans trip over themselves in trying to explain it away.
It is downright laughable when Norris says "we've become them". What does he mean "become"? It is nothing new for politicians to become corrupted by special interests and favors. The problem is Republicans have been running as the "reformers" over a decade now. And not only did they not reform anything, they actually turned the cronyism up a notch. Here's your "moral values" America. They are so screwed up, they even make Newt Gingrich's ethics problems look good.
I would also like the Democrats to have a chance to respond to these silly statements. And I am all for Democrats showing some backbone. But whenever they do show a little backbone, like during the Alito hearings, the mainstream media pounces on them for making the judge's wife cry. Boo hoo. Those mean Democrats daring to ask the judge tough questions.
And since some Democrats have had their own ethics problems in the past, it is probably best that they avoid the fray until indictments and convictions are handed out. Like more toward the mid-term elections. We don't want to be comparing the dirt under the carpet just yet.
In the meantime, I say let the Republicans try to kick up their own dust. It only proves they are trying to hide something very dark and ugly. And Democrats should be ready to point it out later in the year.
Liason should do another segment of the same length, interviewing Democrats about the scandal, if she chooses not to include them in the same segment with the Republicans to provide an opportunity for them to respond to the Republicans' comments or to push their own memes.
I heard this report when it occurred and MMFA has very fairly characterized it.
I have never heard a story on NPR where ONLY Democrats were permitted to speak on ANY topic.
First off, Mara Liasson is the NPR resident on-air conservative (admitted) anyway. So anytime one hears a report from her, it should be listened to with a critical ear.
If the public funded media is going partisan like this - really - it's time the public got out of the business of funding such..
My distrust of NPR grows even more now..
But
I wouldn't have had a problem with this feature if the Republicans she talked to didn't turn it into a "let's shift our wrongdoing onto the Democrats" forum.
How about having Nina Totenberg, James Carvelle or other liberal thinkers respond to the situation. Thanks for catching a good topic.
I heard the Liasson report in real time, and none of what I heard bothered me. It's simple. This is a Republican scandal because they are in the majority. Anyone that bribes someone in the minority party is a fool because the minority has no power (And before we go blaming the Republicans for that, it was the Democrats who wrote those rules when THEY were in power 10 years ago, hoping to use it to consolidate their own power. What goes around comes around, I guess).
But the less the Democrats have to say about this Republican scandal, the better. I'd rather the Republicans do all the talking. Give them all the rope they need to hang themselves.