On Saturday's Early Show on CBS, reporter Jeff Greenfield offered a story from CPAC, but warned that conservatives shouldn't be questioning Obama's belief in American exceptionalism or his war on terrorism. That's apparently a risky scheme. Greenfield ran clips from several presidential contenders questioning Obama and his anti-terror policies and concluded, "This was a theme that was rarely heard last year when Republicans won big victories centered on the unhappiness with the economy. And it's an open question whether it will strike a chord with voters who may not share this view of the President."
Can Greenfield honestly claim that no one running for the House or Senate last year talked about Obama's anti-terror policies or questioned how America now looks in the eyes of the world? Or is Greenfield just trying to tell his audience that conservatives only won because of the economy, so don't listen to them when they run down the other Obama policies?
CBS anchor Betty Nguyen preceded the CPAC story with a note on the coming budget battle: "House Republicans, they are calling for deep cuts in hundreds of government programs. The GOP estimates the amount to be about 61 billion dollars in savings. Now they're bowing to last-minute demands of Tea Party-backed conservatives, who said not enough was being done to cut costs. But the proposal stands little chance of becoming law, since Democrats control the Senate."
With 3.5 trillion in spending, how can media outlets call this tiny fraction "deep cuts"? Notice how CBS suggests even this miniscule reduction is completely unrealistic. There's no suggestion that the proposals of Obama or Senate Democrats have "little chance" because of House Republicans.
Here's the transcript of the CPAC story:
BETTY NGUYEN: The Presidential election still two years away, but a conservative conference in Washington, Republicans there, who want to be the next president, have a whole lot to say about the man they want to beat. CBS News correspondent Jeff Greenfield reports.
JEFF GREENFIELD (CBS News Senior Political Correspondent): For the Republican men and women who would be America`s presidential idols, the Conservative Political Action Conference was like the audition round. A chance to prove to thousands of men and women on the right, that he or she is the right choice. They all went after President Obama as a big government spendthrift with socialistic leanings. But they also all went off him on different grounds. That he does not fully appreciate America`s greatness and does not sufficiently defend it. From ex-Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty--
TIM PAWLENTY (Former Minnesota Governor): Mister President, stop apologizing for our country.
JEFF GREENFIELD: From former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
MITT ROMNEY (Former Massachusetts Governor): I refuse to believe that America is just another place on the map with a flag. I believe that America is an exceptional nation.
JEFF GREENFIELD: From former House speaker Newt Gingrich.
NEWT GINGRICH (Former House Speaker): This is an administration, which doesn`t even have the courage to tell us the truth about who wants to kill us.
JEFF GREENFIELD: From real estate mogul turned reality TV star Donald Trump.
DONALD TRUMP (Businessman): And I will tell you the reason that I'm thinking about it is that the United States has become a whipping post for the rest of the world. If I run, and if I win, this country will be respected again.
JEFF GREENFIELD: This was a theme that was rarely heard last year when Republicans won big victories centered on the unhappiness with the economy. And it's an open question whether it will strike a chord with voters who may not share this view of the President. Jeff Greenfield, CBS News, Washington.
