Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog
In the past week, CNN has again showed that, in spite of its claims of allegedly moving to the center politically, conservative guests are more likely to experience an aggressive debate while liberal guests are mostly given a forum to promote their views with only half-hearted pushback.
One day after CNN This Morning co-host Kaitlan Collins spent nearly an entire eight-minute interview debating Senator Rick Scott over whether the Florida Republican's budget proposals were a threat to Social Security, the same Collins on Friday barely challenged Governor Jared Polis about the Colorado Democrat's views on current developments.
After cuing Governor Polis to bash Republican Governor Ron DeSantis's education policies, the CNN host did not challenge his criticisms, nor did she call out his delusional suggestion that his state might be able to stop using fossil fuel in 20 years.
The segment began with a clip of President Biden bragging about his dishonest claims in the State of the Union that Republicans were looking to abolish Social Security. Collins explained:
That was President Biden in Florida yesterday taking aim at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Senator Rick Scott in their own state. He talked about DeSantis and Scott at times wanted to deny access or maybe eliminate Medicare and Social Security.
She then played a second clip of President Biden speaking on the same issue, and still did not question the credibility of anything he was saying. She then brought aboard her Democrat guest and spent the first couple of questions pressing him on whether he was ready to support Biden running for reelection.
She then teed up her guest to take a shot at DeSantis as she posed:
One of the things that DeSantis has been in the headlines for recently was saying that this Advanced Placement court on African American studies he believed imposed a political agenda. You're a governor -- is that how you would spend your time?
Even though the state government certainly has a role in deciding how to run state schools, the Democrat governor called it "bizarre" for Governor DeSantis to read the AP curriculum, and oddly bragged that he has never read the curriculum, even when he took AP classes in high school.
After leaving her guest's attacks on DeSantis unanswered, Collins then brought up President Biden's gaffe from the State of the Union in which he suggested the U.S. might be able to stop using oil after about 10 years, which led to laughter from Republicans in the audience. After playing the clip, Collins posed: "Governor, I don't think it was supposed to be the laugh line. What did you make of the President and his comments about 'at least another decade.'"
Even though electric cars require the burning of fossil fuels to produce the electricity, the Democrat governor suggested that their use would help his state go without fossil fuels after a few decades:
I mean, the truth is, we're rapidly weaning ourselves off of fossil fuels. Is there going to be demand for oil in 10 years? There will be. There probably will be some demand in 20 years. In Colorado, our goal is 100 percent renewable energy by 2040. I think we'll reach it. We'll be at 80 percent by 2030.
He added:
Already in Colorado, about 12 percent of cars sold are electric vehicles. But, yes, oil and gas are international commodities. There's likely to continue to be a market for it in 10 years. Probably in 20 years if you're asking me 30 or 40, I think we'll largely be off of those fossil fuels with lower costs, more reliable renewable energy.
The CNN host did not question these unrealistic claims as she then just asked about President Biden's handling of energy policy and Governor Polis's plans for housing in his home state.
By contrast, when Senator Scott appeared on the show the day before, there was a nearly non-stop debate between Collins and her Republican guest.
This double standard by CNN was sponsored in part by ADT and Zales.
Their contact information is linked.
Transcript follows:
CNN This Morning
February 10, 2023
7:20 a.m. Eastern
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN (from a February 9 speech): When I called Republicans out on this in the State of the Union, some of them started yelling, "Liar" -- not all, starting yelling, "Liar, liar." And I said, "That means y'all are for keeping Social Security?" They all stood up and said yes. Well, we got a deal.
KAITLAN COLLINS: That was President Biden in Florida yesterday taking aim at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Senator Rick Scott in their own state. He talked about DeSantis and Scott at times wanted to deny access or maybe eliminate Medicare and Social Security.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Over 1.1 million people in Florida would be eligible for Medicaid if Governor DeSantis just said that "I agree to expand it." This isn't calculus. (editing jump) The very idea the Senator from Florida wants to put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block every five years, I'd find it somewhat outrageous that you might not even believe it.
COLLINS: Biden criticizing DeSantis who could be, you know, a GOP presidential contender. The President himself edging toward a 2024 reelection announcement. So, here to talk about all of this is Colorado's Democratic governor, Jared Polis. He and the other governors from across the country are going to be meeting with President Biden actually at the White House later this morning.
Good morning, Governor, and thank you for joining us this morning. You're going to the White House today. i guess the first question is: Are you going to be supporting President Biden when he runs in 2024?
(GOVERNOR JARED POLIS (D-CO))
But if he does run in 2024 -- which I'm told is "when" -- not "if" -- you will be supporting that?
(POLIS)
And I want to talk about your second term in a moment, but, if Biden does run, it's likely going to be potentially a matchup of Biden and Trump again. What do you make of the idea we may see them running against each other again -- this third presidential run that we're seeing from former President Trump?
(POLIS)
He may not. We don't know actually that he's actually even going to be the Republican nominee -- and he's certainly the frontrunner -- but you heard President Biden there invoking Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida. You're a governor as well. One of the things that DeSantis has been in the headlines for recently was saying that this Advanced Placement court on African American studies he believed imposed a political agenda. You're a governor -- is that how you would spend your time?
GOVERNOR JARED POLIS (D-CO): Yeah, first of all, how bizarre that he's governor of a state even bigger than Colorado, and apparently he's reading the AP curricula. I mean, I took AP courses in high school 30 years ago, and I barely read the curricula then -- I certainly don't as governor. So I don't know exactly what he's doing. Secondly, these are just optional courses that advanced students can take and, you know, (if) people want to take them, they will. But certainly it's not the role of a governor to be dictating curricula of advanced AP courses, a private organization. I mean, I just thought that whole thing was extremely bizarre when I saw it.
COLLINS: You referenced the President's address Tuesday night in Washington, his State of the Union Address. There was one line there -- you know, we've talked about the Republicans and the back and the forth there -- but there was one line that he made about energy. And I know you've talked about and focused on energy prices a lot in your state. I want to play that moment of what President Biden said.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: And when I talked to a couple and they say, "We're afraid you're going to shut down all the oil wells and all the oil refineries anyway, so why should we invest in them?" I said, "We're going to need oil for at least another decade, and that's going to exceed -- (interrupted by audience laughter) -- and beyond that." We're going to need that.
COLLINS: Governor, I don't think it was supposed to be the laugh line. What did you make of the President and his comments about "at least another decade."
POLIS: It's a good way to talk about it. I mean, the truth is, we're rapidly weaning ourselves off of fossil fuels. Is there going to be demand for oil in 10 years? There will be. There probably will be some demand in 20 years. In Colorado, our goal is 100 percent renewable energy by 2040. I think we'll reach it. We'll be at 80 percent by 2030. Already in Colorado, about 12 percent of cars sold are electric vehicles. But, yes, oil and gas are international commodities. There's likely to continue to be a market for it in 10 years. Probably in 20 years if you're asking me 30 or 40, I think we'll largely be off of those fossil fuels with lower costs, more reliable renewable energy.
COLLINS: What do you make of the White House's climate plan, but also their energy plan? Some have said there's a disconnect between what they're seeking for those two to look like between reality and what their ambitions are?
GOVERNOR POLIS: Well, I think they've been very attentive to the need to keep gas prices low for Americans -- releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve -- they're working on where and how we can drill safely in Colorado. We have been upping the bar on reducing emissions around the oil extraction process even more. So I think it's very important because, you know, when people pay for gas, for heating, for electricity, it really hits their bottom line. Colorado consumers just like across the country have had a spike in natural gas prices in the last few months. They're finally coming down now. What we want to do is make ourselves immune to that in the future by weaning ourselves off of natural gas, which can always double, triple or quadruple in price when there's external events like a war in Europe.
COLLINS: Yeah, those price hikes can be really impactful for families. You recently laid out your vision for a second term. You put affordable housing right at the top. This is something that so many people -- not just in your state -- are struggling with all across the United States. And you said, "Finding an affordable place to live or not being able to find one leads to more traffic, air pollution, economic challenges. How do you fix that?
[POLIS]
Yeah, I know that's extremely important that you've got a meeting at the White House today that you've got to get to. Governor, thank you for sharing a few moments with us this morning. We really appreciate it.
