ABC Touts Klobuchar’s ‘Moderate Politics’, Ignores ‘Staff Horror Stories’
Shortly before ABC downplayed the anti-Semitic comments of Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D) on Monday, World News Tonight touted Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar (D) for throwing her hat into the 2020 presidential campaign. But while liberals of ABC were busy touting Klobuchar (and other Democrats), they largely ignored what Politico called the “staff horror stories” plaguing her campaign rollout.
“In the middle of a Minnesota snowstorm (…) Senator Amy Klobuchar promising her moderate politics and mid-western roots will win over key states that handed Donald Trump the White House,” reported ABC congressional and anti-GOP correspondent Mary Bruce.
The closest Bruce came to acknowledging the “horror stories” was a brief call back to the softball questions Good Morning America co-host George Stephanopoulos lobbed to Klobuchar that morning:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: What do you think is fair about that criticism and what have you learned from it?
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR: Well, first of all, I love my staff. I am tough, I push people, that is true. But my point is, is that I have high expectations for myself, I have high expectations for the people that work for me, and I have high expectations for this country.
What went conspicuously unmentioned by Bruce were the “former aides, speaking anonymously for fear of retribution,” as Politico wrote. Those former aides “described a toxic office environment including demeaning emails, thrown office supplies and requests for staff to perform personal chores for the senator.”
“It’s a sharp departure from the public brand that Klobuchar has built to get to this moment: a pragmatic, aw-shucks Minnesotan who gets things done and wins her state by landslide margins,” Politico added.
According to a report by BuzzFeed, “[Klobuchar’s] anger regularly left employees in tears, four former staffers said. She yelled, threw papers, and sometimes even hurled objects; one aide was accidentally hit with a flying binder, according to someone who saw it happen, though the staffer said the senator did not intend to hit anyone with the binder when she threw it.”
While Bruce was ignoring the serious concerns about Klobuchar’s temperament, she was busy hyping Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for “already tangling with Trump.” Bruce flaunted a soundbite of Warren suggesting, “By the time we get to 2020, Donald Trump may not even be president. He may not even be a free person.” Of course, there was no mention of Warren’s ongoing controversy regarding her false claims of Native American heritage.
After showing off a soundbite of California Senator Kamala Harris (D) boasting about smoking weed when she was younger, sensationalist anchor David Muir was eager to talk about how “a lot of eyes [were] on former Vice President Joe Biden, waiting for word from him whether he will run…”
“And now there’s a new public event on his schedule later this month that is being billed as a discussion on the future of American politics. David, we’ll be listening closely,” Bruce reassured him.
The transcript is below, click “expand” to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
February 11, 2019
6:41:15 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: We’re going to turn next to the candidates who want to take on President Trump in 2020. The list growing. Two major names officially announcing over the weekend, and quickly taking aim at the President. Here’s ABC’s Mary Bruce.
[Cuts to video]
MARY BRUCE: In the middle of a Minnesota snowstorm —
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR: We don’t let a little snow stop us.
BRUCE: — Senator Amy Klobuchar promising her moderate politics and mid-western roots will win over key states that handed Donald Trump the White House.
KLOBUCHAR: I don’t have a political machine. I don’t come from money. But what I do have is this — I have grit.
BRUCE: On Good Morning America, Klobuchar asked about recent reports that she’s a tough boss.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: What do you think is fair about that criticism and what have you learned from it?
KLOBUCHAR: Well, first of all, I love my staff. I am tough, I push people, that is true. But my point is, is that I have high expectations for myself, I have high expectations for the people that work for me, and I have high expectations for this country.
BRUCE: In Massachusetts, Senator Elizabeth Warren made it official this weekend with a call to action.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN: Start asking the people who have gained the most from our country to pay their fair share.
BRUCE: She’s already tangling with Trump.
WARREN: By the time we get to 2020, Donald Trump may not even be president. He may not even be a free person.
BRUCE: Five women in Congress are now running. One of them, Senator Kamala Harris, discussing her support for legalizing marijuana and giving an answer that was once considered controversial.
(…)
[Cuts back to live]
MUIR: And Mary Bruce with us live tonight from Washington. Mary, a lot of eyes on former Vice President Joe Biden, waiting for word from him whether he will run, and something new on his schedule tonight?
BRUCE: Well David, Biden says he’s still running the traps on this, and will have an announcement soon. And now there’s a new public event on his schedule later this month that is being billed as a discussion on the future of American politics. David, we’ll be listening closely.
