Latest mainstream spin....just in case you missed the bias flapjack...
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ABC, CBS and NBC on Wednesday night jumped on Democratic complaints about how a big Republican Party fundraiser starring President Bush showed how the party was still raising soon-to-be outlawed soft money and how the pharmaceutical industry was influencing the GOP version of a patents’ bill of rights, but earlier in the week only NBC focused on how the Democratic National Committee is working to subvert the media-loved McCain-Feingold provisions.
On ABC’s World News Tonight, anchor Charles Gibson announced: “Among the biggest contributors at tonight's event will be the pharmaceutical companies who have a big interest in legislation that is right now under review in the Congress. The Democrats are crying foul.” Linda Douglass explained: “The Republicans are going to try to take credit for passing a prescription drug plan,” but
“the Democrats are going to try to score points by saying that they are in the pocket of the drug industry.”
Points scored thanks to shots by the media.
Dan Rather characterized McCain-Feingold as “modest” and referred to how it “finally passed Congress” as he set up the CBS Evening News story: "The Federal Election Commission voted today on how to interpret the modest campaign finance reform law that finally passed Congress, but there's nothing modest about the heavy dollars lobbyists are still doling out. As CBS's Bob Schieffer reports, that includes big bucks from pharmaceutical companies to influence legislation and White House policy on drug coverage for seniors."
Note how he didn’t even attribute the influence charge to Democrats. He made it himself. Schieffer soon confirmed that the pharmaceutical industry already has “a lot to celebrate because back at the Capitol, House Republicans have thrown their support behind an industry-backed prescription drug plan for seniors, which could mean billions for drug companies. Democrats cried sellout."
The NBC Nightly News took on the Republican prescription plan from the left: “Some of the biggest donors at a $30 million GOP dinner, starring President Bush, are the drug companies and industries’ lobbying groups pushing the bill. They’re also planning a big television ad campaign to help Republican candidates who support it. But Democrats have their own plan, and some consumer activists say the GOP plan is actually a bad deal for seniors.”
After having impugned the motives of the drug industry, Lisa Myers treated a paid hack for another industry as an impartial observer. Myers insisted: “The reality of the Republican plan may not match the rhetoric.” Craig Fuller of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores then charged: “I don’t think Aunt Mabel is going to be very happy. It may be no benefit at all. And to the extent it is, it’s small.”
None of the coverage included a word from anyone opposed to creating the new entitlement program. By looking at the issue from the point of view of leftists who don’t think the plan goes far enough the networks missed how the pharmaceutical industry is trying to get taxpayer money funneled to them.
As Judy Sarasohn noted in her May 30 “Special Interests” column in the Washington Post, in a TV ad PhRMA President Alan Holmer advocated the creation of a new entitlement program paid for by taxpayers to benefit his member companies. In the ad, he pushed: “Now, we’re working on another challenge: Getting these lifesaving medicines into the hands of seniors that need them. I hope you’ll join me in calling on Congress to pass meaningful prescription drug coverage under Medicare.”
More details about coverage on Wednesday night, June 19:
-- ABC’s World News Tonight. Anchor Charles Gibson asserted, as taken down by MRC analyst Brad Wilmouth: "In the city of Washington tonight, President Bush is going to attend a very large fundraiser for his Republican Party. Among the biggest contributors at tonight's event will be the pharmaceutical companies who have a big interest in legislation that is right now under review in the Congress. The Democrats are crying foul. ABC's Linda Douglass is in Washington tonight. Linda, how much is this fundraiser going to raise? How big is it?"
Linda Douglass began: "This is very big. An estimated $30 million, 6000 people, Charlie. They had to use the Convention Center, it was so big."
Gibson: "And the pharmaceutical companies, are they among the major contributors?"
Douglass: “They are major players. The chief fundraiser for this is the CEO of a pharmaceutical company. Now, there are big donors, 21 big donors from various corporations giving $250,000 each. Among those, Glaxo SmithKline and PhRMA, that’s the trade industry for the pharmaceutical industry. Pfizer is reportedly giving $100,000. The Democrats have been going around today saying that the pharmaceutical industry has plenty to be grateful for because House Republicans are working with the industry to craft a prescription drug plan for the seniors. And just hours before this fundraiser, Charlie, the committee was putting the final touches on that prescription drug plan, but they didn't finish their work, and the Democrats say that's because the Republicans had to leave to get to the fundraiser. The Republicans are going to try to take credit for passing a prescription drug plan when they do this next week, though it's not likely to become law. And the Democrats are going to try to score points by saying that they are in the pocket of the drug industry, Charlie."
-- CBS Evening News. Dan Rather complained: "The Federal Election Commission voted today on how to interpret the modest campaign finance reform law that finally passed Congress, but there's nothing modest about the heavy dollars lobbyists are still doling out. As CBS's Bob Schieffer reports, that includes big bucks from pharmaceutical companies to influence legislation and White House policy on drug coverage for seniors."
Schieffer explained: "The names of the most important people in today's politics -- big contributors. So don't blame the announcer for practicing all afternoon. This is a big one. With President Bush as the star, Republicans expect to raise $30 million tonight at this Washington dinner. Businesses ranging from Pepsi to Microsoft and Merrill Lynch are spending up to a quarter of a million dollars each to be here. Drug and pharmaceutical lobbies are picking up a big part of the tab at this all-day gathering. Already they have a lot to celebrate because back at the Capitol, House Republicans have thrown their support behind an industry-backed prescription drug plan for seniors, which could mean billions for drug companies. Democrats cried sellout."
Richard Gephardt, House Minority Leader: "They're having a fundraiser with the largest pharmaceutical companies who have literally written the Republican prescription drug bill."
Schieffer: "Republicans say it's the pot calling the kettle black."
Tom Davis, Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: "And it's just the height of hypocrisy for them to come up and point the finger when they've been probably doing a better job of raising special interest money this cycle than we have."
Schieffer: "In fact, the two parties together have raised nearly a quarter billion dollars in these soon-to-be-outlawed corporate contributions. But of the $12 million given by drug companies recently, 73 percent went to Republicans. Money has become such a monster force, it is causing politicians in both parties to wonder if it's really worth the effort."
Tom Daschle, Senate Majority Leader: "How much time do you want to spend? I spend just part of almost every day fund-raising over at one of my political offices."
Schieffer concluded: "But old habits die hard. And already both sides are trying to find ways around the new spending limits that don't even take effect until after this year's elections."
-- NBC Nightly News. Tom Brokaw combined the fundraiser with a liberal assessment of the prescription coverage bill: “NBC News In Depth tonight, prescription drug coverage for seniors. A Republican-backed plan passed its first hurdle in Congress today with some major support from the drug industry. And that drug industry is playing a big role in another record-setting party fundraiser in Washington tonight. Some of the biggest donors at a $30 million GOP dinner, starring President Bush, are the drug companies and industries’ lobbying groups pushing the bill. They’re also planning a big television ad campaign to help Republican candidates who support it. But Democrats have their own plan, and some consumer activists say the GOP plan is actually a bad deal for seniors. We get a reality check in depth tonight from NBC’s Lisa Myers.”
Myers assumed another entitlement program is a good thing: “Seniors at a center in Los Angeles aren’t yet dancing for joy but say today’s step by Congress to help with soaring drug costs is long overdue.”
Kathleen Murphy, prescription drug consumer: “I’ve been widowed 35 years, and now it’s just coming up with it.”
Israel Rubin, prescription drug consumer: “This would make things a lot easier for us.”
Myers: “Republicans hail their plan, approved by a House committee on a mostly party line vote, as a big helping hand.”
Rep. Jennifer Dunn (R-WA): “I think we’ve done some really marvelous things.”
Rep. William Thomas (R-CA): “The most significant addition to Medicare since its inception.”
Myers: “The voluntary plan works this way: Seniors would pay the first $250 of drug costs a year plus a $34 monthly premium. After that they pay a portion of drug costs until out-of-pocket expenses exceed $3800. What will this mean for you? Well, low-income seniors will have most drug costs paid by the government. But for others, the reality of the Republican plan may not match the rhetoric.”
Craig Fuller, the former 41 Bushie who is now shilling for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores: “I don’t think Aunt Mabel is going to be very happy. It may be no benefit at all. And to the extent it is, it’s small.”
Myers supported his point that the plan doesn’t transfer enough money from taxpayers to pharmacies: “If you spend only about $500 a year on drugs -- and one-third of seniors do -- by the time you pay premiums, drugs that now cost you $500 would cost you $708. That’s right. You’d pay more than you do now. If you spend $1000 a year on drugs, you’d save about $192 a year. The big winner, though, people like Kathleen Murphy who spends $6000 a year on medicine and would save thousands of dollars.”
Murphy: “Well, that would help a great deal. It’d help a great deal.”
Myers concluded: “The House plans to vote on this next week. Still, the odds of this or any plan actually becoming law this year are slim because Republicans and Democrats are so polarized. And even if something does pass, benefits won’t kick in for almost three years, until 2005.”
Before tying Republicans to nefarious fundraising, NBC at least, unlike the hypocritical ABC and CBS, picked up on complaints that the DNC is being hypocritical in supporting McCain-Feingold while really working to undermine it. |
