CBS Fights With Gingrich, Accuses Him of Starting Class War
CBS's Early Show repeatedly hit GOP candidate Newt Gingrich on Friday over his comments on African-Americans and food stamps. The network played the quote for African-American Congressman Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and engaged Gingrich over the context, even accusing him of trying to start a class war. “You've accused President Obama of trying to start a class war,” co-host Nancy Cordes told Gingrich in an interview at the bottom of the 7 a.m. hour. “Aren't you doing the same thing?” she pressed him. [Video below the break.] The accusation came after CBS correspondent Jan Crawford described his newly-negative campaign as “using a flamethrower and scorching this field. ” “But after he was hit with some negative ads he is not only answering back, guys he is just using a flamethrower and scorching this field,” Crawford strongly asserted. The network's sentiments echo the larger media narrative of highlighting “controversial” Republican quotes on social issues and implying an underlying racist agenda, rather than focusing on the candidates' economic plans and foreign policy agendas. The clip CBS played recorded Gingrich stating the following: “Now there's no neighborhood I know of in America where if you went around and asked people would you rather your children have foodstamps or paychecks, you wouldn't end up with a majority saying they'd rather have a paycheck. And so I'm prepared, if the NAACP invites me, I'll go to their convention and talk about why the African-American community should demand paychecks, and not be satisfied with food stamps.” Gingrich was arguing that the NAACP has a history of supporting food stamps for minorities, but Early Show co-host Nancy Cordes interpreted him as implying the African-American community is “satisfied” with food stamps. Congressman Scott lampooned that narrative as “preposterous.” And when Gingrich defended his comments, CBS immediately shifted the narrative to imply that he wanted class warfare. The “critique” of Gingrich, they noted – as in, their liberal critique – was that “you've seemed to single out African-Americans and poor Americans, saying that poor children don't have a work ethic, or that they should work as janitors.” [Video below. Click here for audio.]