CNN’s Chris Cuomo was fired Monday for journalistic misconduct regarding his brother Andrew Cuomo, former governor of New York (D), and sexual misconduct claims. CNN appointed Michael Smerconish, weekend host and Cuomo-fill in, as its official temp. And in his first outing in that role, Smerconish channeled Cuomo’s attitude and hatred towards Republicans as he used the death of former Senator Bob Dole to bash the party.
But before he got to his GOP bashing, Smerconish had to address the roid-raging gorilla no longer in the room and announce that the network was resurrecting the old name of Don Lemon’s show before The lame rebranding:
It is CNN Tonight. First, let me mention the timeslot. You’ve probably heard that Chris Cuomo has left CNN. However, our job is not to stop you from getting the latest news. That’s exactly what we will do tonight.
He then pivoted to lamenting Dole’s passing and using it to attack Republicans.
“Does anyone know of a Bob Dole? A Bob Dole who is a great example of decorum could be nominated for the party. It’s not possible.” he declared. “Which is why his passing should be reason to hit the pause button. A reflection point as to what’s changed since people like him ran for office out of a sense of duty and obligation.”
After going through some of Dole’s legislative accomplishments and history-making votes, he praised how Dole took the long way to “bide your time, get reelected, establish seniority, get choice committee assignments, and get things done.”
But according to Smerconish: “Today, it’s easier and potentially quicker to get your job. When you speak provocatively, and you are on cable television, your message becomes an attraction for donors. You act as a talk-show host. Why spend time trying to pass complex legislation, when instead, you can be a verbal or social media bomb-thrower?”
“It is hard to believe that Senator Bob Dole would be in the Capitol building together with Lauren Boebert, a House member. [R-CO],” he chided as he listed off some of the more controversy-prone members of the Republican Caucus like Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
His only mention of Democrats came when he made a snide comment about Kevin McCarthy (R. CA) raising up the bad behaviour.
Of course, he would not have been at home in such an environment. McCarthy, GOP Minority Leader of the GOP, identified five Democrats as the House censure Gosar. He then detailed the behavior of those Democrats, saying that it didn’t reflect the standard set for Gosar. Ilhan Omar and Maxine Waters were also mentioned. Eric Swalwell, Eric Swalwell and Hakeem Jeffreys are then summarized.
Smerconish did not mention the actual activities of these five people.
Smerconish could spout off about how there’s no one like Dole in either party and how he wouldn’t be welcomed in the GOP, but he’s conveniently ignoring how Democrats were actively trying to push out moderates like Senators Joe Manchin (WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (AZ).
CNN is CNN, with or without Cuomo
This channeling of Chris Cuomo’s hatred for Republicans was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from E-Trade Chase. You can find their contact information linked to let you know more about the biased news that they are funding.
You can click the “expand” button to see the transcription
CNN Tonight
December 6, 2021
Eastern Time: 9:00:12MICHAEL SMERCONISH – Anderson [Cooper]Thank you. I am Michael Smerconish. This is CNN Tonight. First, let me mention the timeslot. You’ve probably heard that Chris Cuomo has left CNN. However, our job is not to stop you from getting the latest news. That’s exactly what we will do tonight.
It is also known that America lost one the greatest of our great generations yesterday. Former Senate majority leader, war veteran, Republican presidential nominee, Bob Dole will now be in the U.S. Capitol.
However, his death was more than the death of one individual. It is an analogy for America’s productive, civilized governing classes. It’s a simple thought. Are there Bob Doles in any of the parties today? Bob Dole is an example of decorum and could be nominated to his party. There’s no way.
This is the reason why we need to pause. Reflection on what has changed since those like Bob Dole ran for office because they felt a duty to serve and an obligation. Bob Dole did not run to be, but to serve.
Consider Dole, who cast over 12,000 votes to Congress. While he was an ardent Republican, his voting habits were not predictable. While he was against many of President LBJ’s greatest society programs, he supported both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which he also supported) and the Voting Rights Act of 2015. To save Social Security, he teamed up with Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a Democratic senator. And it was Dole who handed Reagan a veto-proof 78 votes to enshrine Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday as a national holiday.
In Dole’s era, the way you got to stay in Washington was to bide your time, get reelected, establish seniority, get choice committee assignments, and get things done.
It’s much easier to find a job today, and it can be even quicker. When you speak provocatively, your cable television appearance becomes an opportunity for you to attract donors. You act as a talk-show host. Instead of trying to get complex legislation passed, why not be a verbal bomb-thrower or social media bomb-thrower instead?
It is hard for me imagine Senator Bob Dole sitting in the Capitol with House member Lauren Boebert. Lauren Boebert likened the House member on the opposite side to terrorists. Paul Gosar who posted an animated murder fantasy video of him shooting down a Democratic congresswoman. Marjorie Taylor Greene compares House mandates for masks to the holocaust.
Of course, he would not have been at home in such an environment. The House censured Gosar. GOP Minority Leader McCarthy identified five Democrats, and described their conduct. He said that they didn’t meet the standards of Gosar. Ilhan Omar and Maxine waters were also mentioned. Eric Swalwell and Hakeem Jeffreys are then reviewed.
So it continues. There is so much missing from Dole’s time. The least is flexibility and pragmatism. His life was a canvas providing a poignant backdrop for comparison what’s gone wrong in Washington.
(…)
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