By Dave Andrusko
Talk about uncritical coverage. NBC News Today announced that the White House is dispatching pro-abortion vice president Kamala Harris to “deliver a major speech in North Carolina on June 24 as part of the Biden administration’s plans to mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade.”
Not just an ordinary speech but a “major speech,” which is so major it takes four reporters to tell us about it: Peter Alexander, Kelly O’Donnell, Monica Alba, and Rebecca Shabad.
Taking their cues from a “White House official,” we learn that “Harris, the first female vice president, will rally supporters, advocates and community leaders around the administration’s focus on the fight for reproductive rights, the official told NBC News,” exactly one year after Dobbs overturned Roe.
And—surprise, surprise–“In her remarks next week, Harris plans to draw a contrast between the ‘Republicans’ extreme approach’ to reproductive health care and the Biden administration’s approach, the White House official said.”
Couple of observations, aside from “the White House official” all but offering reporters a respite from actual reporting, as opposed to transcribing.
First, President Joe Biden has an awful time even reading off of a teleprompter, but when he tries to be spontaneous most of the time it is so garbled you have to guess at what he means.
Vice President Harris, by contrast…I guess there isn’t much of a contrast. A fluent speaker she is not.
Second, my guess is she will plow little new ground, instead turn over the same barren, worn out plot of cliches, platitudes, and threadbare stereotypes. Originality is not the Vice President’s strong suit.
But Harris can relax. “Harris is also scheduled to sit down Tuesday with MSNBC’s Joy Reid for a televised roundtable discussion about the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision.” You never know what Reid will say next, but she and Harris can be expected to have a friendly competition for who has the worse thing to say about Republicans.
Third, “The White House on Wednesday hosted 49 legislators from 25 states that have taken steps to roll back reproductive rights,” Alexander, O’Donnell, Alba, and Shabad report. “On Thursday, it hosted 32 legislators from 16 states working to safeguard access to abortion care.”
I’ll take the turnout to next Friday/Saturday’s NRL Convention which does not need “reporters” to jot down random thoughts six times a week and twice on Sunday.