Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog
In the aftermath of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis joining Texas Governor Greg Abbott in sending illegal immigrants to Democrat-run parts of the country, CNN's New Day show has demonstrated that it still has far to go if the network's new leadership is going to curtail its liberal slant.
CNN regulars suggested that the two Republican governors were dehumanizing asylum seekers, tried to put a positive spin on the millions of border apprehensions, and even cued up liberal film maker Ken Burns to invoke the Holocaust.
On Thursday, the same morning show that ignored Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez appearing to pretend to wear handcuffs after being arrested during a pro-abortion protest, featured CNN reporter Maria Santana accusing the GOP governors of orchestrating "stunts," and pretending that illegal border crossers are not illegal immigrants. (In fact, it is still illegal to cross the border without permission even if one applies for asylum after getting caught.)
John Avlon soon claimed that these migrants were being treated as "disposable." Then, during a segment discussing Burns's upcoming series on Jews fleeing the Holocaust were denied entry into the U.S., Berman tied in the GOP position on illegal immigration:
And we woke up to the news this morning that Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida sent two planeloads of immigrants to Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts, including kids and whatnot. And I'm not saying -- this is not a one for one -- this is not a parallel here in any way. But it does address some of the same themes that are part of this documentary.
Burns picked up Berman's suggestion as he responded:
It's basically saying that you can use a human life ... and to put it in the position of becoming a political pawn in somebody's authoritarian game. This is coming straight out of the authoritarian playbook. This is what's so disturbing about DeSantis. He seeks to use human beings -- to weaponize human beings for a political purpose.
A bit later, he added: "And what we find in all our films is that the themes that we engage in the past and are present today. And so when you look at the story that we're telling of the U.S. and the Holocaust, you understand that the time to save a democracy is before it's lost."
On Friday, the same show opened by suggesting that Republicans are not treating migrants as "human beings," and played a clip of President Joe Biden making the same charge. Berman soon brought aboard polling expert Harry Enten, who recalled that Republicans, by an overwhelming margin, oppose letting large number of migrants apply for political asylum.
He also surprisingly admitted that the polling question had been slanted to nudge respondents toward supporting the granting of asylum, but that Republicans still opposed it.
It should be noted that Fox News has done substantially more over the last few years than CNN to inform viewers that the overwhelming majority of asylum seekers from Central American countries have their claims rejected in court, but that once they have been allowed into the country, it is difficult to make them leave.
And on the issue of having compassion for migrants, the weekday edition of CNN's New Day show recently ignored the many migrants who drowned trying to cross the Rio Grande as Fox News reported it. Record numbers of migrants have died crossing into the U.S. illegally since President Biden took office and slashed the enforcement of immigration laws, which has attracted more such dangerous illegal border crossings.
On Friday, Avlon did a "Reality Check" and suggested that the record numbers of border apprehensions were not so bad because it means the Border Patrol is actually being effective at doing their job, but did not mention the large number of get-aways, or the fact that drug cartels take advantage of the Border agents being distracted to smuggle record amounts of drugs into the country.
This liberal spin and carrying of water for Democrats was sponsored in part by Dell and Carvana. Their contact information is linked.
Transcripts follow:
CNN's New Day
September 15, 2022
7:13 a.m. Eastern
MARIA SANTANA, CNN EN ESPANOL: Here's how you know it's a pure political stunt, is because when you look at the statements from these governors and also from conservative media is picking this up -- they say "illegal immigrants" are being bused or sent to these places. These are not illegal immigrants -- they are asylum seekers who have a right to move about the country as they wait for their pending cases. They have already been authorized to be in the United States. So this is just playing to the politics of fear.
(...)
Two things that people need to take into account when they're talking about this -- number one, these are human beings. Whatever you think about the immigration crisis, these are human beings, including children And the second thing -- and again, whatever you think about the immigration crisis -- if it's a crisis -- Ron DeSantis is getting what he wants out of this, to an extent, right now. What he wants is publicity.
JOHN AVLON, CNN ANALYST: Yep.
BERMAN: And he's getting it.
AVLON: Yeah, and what you're dealing with -- he's -- this is -- this is political performance art that treats refugees and human beings and migrants as utterly disposable.
(...)
BERMAN: this is history -- all of your documentaries are about history. But all of them also make you think about where we are now. And we woke up to the news this morning that Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida sent two planeloads of immigrants to Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts, including kids and whatnot. And I'm not saying -- this is not a one for one -- this is not a parallel here in any way. But it does address some of the same themes that are part of this documentary.
KEN BURNS, FILM MAKER: Well. It's the abstraction of human life. It's basically saying that you can use a human life -- that is as valuable as yours or mine or Lynn's -- and to put it in the position of becoming a political pawn in somebody's authoritarian game. This is coming straight out of the authoritarian playbook. This is what's so disturbing about DeSantis. He seeks to use human beings -- to weaponize human beings for a political purpose. It's like when somebody disagrees with him in Florida like the Walt Disney Company, he punishes them. This is not the actions of a person participating in a democratic process in which there's an exchange of ideas.
This is about punishing political enemies, putting on shows -- political shows -- political theater -- and in this case, this is with the lives of human beings. And what's so ironic is that these are Venezuelan refugees which DeSantis should be supporting because they're trying to flee the corruption of a left-wing government and all of the pain there. And so the level of cynicism is beyond that. And what we find in all our films is that the themes that we engage in the past and are present today. And so when you look at the story that we're telling of the U.S. and the Holocaust, you understand that the time to save a democracy is before it's lost.