CBS Hails 'True Compromise' on Budget; Hypes Opposition From 'Some Conservatives'

December 11th, 2013 8:54 PM

Nancy Cordes heralded the proposed budget deal from Rep. Paul Ryan and Senator Patty Murray as a "true compromise" on Wednesday's CBS This Morning, and asserted that "the reason it's so important is that it could bring an end to this terrible cycle, where Congress can't agree on a yearly budget." Cordes also revisited her network's slanted language about sequestration, stating that the proposal "partially rolls back those deep, across-the-board spending cuts."

The correspondent also played up how "the agreement won't win support from some conservatives", and that "there are bound to be some conservatives who don't like it". She didn't use such ideological labeling in reference to opposition from liberals. Instead, Cordes merely noted that "many Senate Democrats...don't think the deal's perfect, but they can live with it." [MP3 audio available here; video below the jump]

Anchor Charlie Rose teased the journalist's reports by trumpeting the "rare compromise in Congress – the budget deal that could break years of gridlock." Cordes led the segment with her "true compromise" and "terrible cycle" terms. She soon added that "the deal sets government funding levels at just over $1 trillion for 2014 and 2015 – right between what Democrats and Republicans wanted", and continued with her "deep, across-the-board spending cuts" phrase.

However, the CBS journalist didn't explain that this $1 trillion figure is actually just the discretionary spending portion of the federal budget. The total size of the federal budget was $3.45 trillion in fiscal year 2013, and President Obama originally requested $3.78 trillion for fiscal year 2014. She also omitted that the $1 trillion proposal is a spending hike, up from $967 billion under sequestration.

Cordes used her "some conservatives" labeling later in the segment:

NANCY CORDES (voice-over): The agreement won't win support from some conservatives, who think sequestration cuts should be bolstered – not replaced. Florida's Marco Rubio blasted the deal, saying – quote, 'This budget continues Washington's irresponsible budgeting decisions by spending more money than the government takes in.'

Ryan, who like Rubio, is considered a possible presidential contender in 2016, argued the deal is just a first step.


REP. PAUL RYAN, (R), WISCONSIN (from press conference): As a conservative, I deal with the situation as it exists. I deal with the way things are – not necessarily the way I want them to be.

CORDES (on-camera): Ryan will be briefing the entire House Republican Conference on this deal later this morning. There are bound to be some conservatives who don't like it. They will want more cuts. But he says, in the end, he feels that he will get healthy support. And already, Norah and Charlie, many Senate Democrats are weighing in – to say they don't think the deal's perfect, but they can live with it.

The CBS correspondent could have included that liberal Congressman Adam Schiff criticized the Ryan-Murray proposal on Tuesday's Crossfire on CNN, but she didn't do this.