Joe Biden finally announced on Thursday what everyone already knew. With the release of a three-and-a-half minute promotional video, the former vice president officially threw his name in the ever-expanding ring of Democratic primary contenders seeking to win the opportunity to challenge Donald Trump for the presidency in 2020. Biden has already seen his share of coverage, and was the second-most-mentioned Democratic candidate on cable news during the first three months of 2019.
Biden has pledged that his 2020 campaign won’t take in any direct donations from lobbyists. But on the first night of his official candidacy, Biden hit the suburbs of Philadelphia to attend a $2,800 per person fundraiser at the home of David L. Cohen, the executive vice president and chief of lobbying for Comcast.
Comcast, one of the biggest lobbying spenders in Washington, also owns MSNBC, which has showered Biden with favorable coverage both before and since his announcement.
In March, Nevada lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Lucy Flores published an article in New York Magazine (3/29/19) that described how Biden inappropriately kissed her at a campaign event. Biden has quite a long history of awkward and inappropriate touching, kissing or groping of women and girls.
Mika Brzezinski (MSNBC, 4/1/19) defends Biden’s “physical style with women” with former DCCC staffer Adrienne Elrod.
Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, was one of the first to defend Biden (4/1/19). Brzezinski suggested that Flores’ allegation was politically motivated, citing Flores as a “huge Bernie person,” and asking, “Are we just supposed to take all the words and the fact she said she was violated at face value?” Her guests later that day (4/1/19), former DCCC chief of staff Adrienne Elrod and former CIA and DoD chief of staff Jeremy Bash, seemed to agree that such #MeToo accusations against Biden were “meaningless moments,” and merely baseless finger-pointing from Biden’s political opponents.
Brzezinski continued her defense of Biden the following day and later in the week on Morning Joe, after another woman came forward with allegations of inappropriate behavior (4/2/19, 4/5/19). Brzezinski said that the allegations were “sad,” and that Biden is a “nice guy” and “not a predator.” She continued:
This is ridiculous. The conversation has gotten out of control, and Democrats and those on the left who want to tweet me today and go nuts and get all woke, you’re eating your young. You’re eating those who can beat Trump. You’re killing the very people who have been pushing women ahead, who’ve been fighting for equal pay, who have been doing everything they can to respect women in their lives. We’re going to after Joe Biden for being affectionate to women of all ages, and to men as well? It’s ridiculous.
While he is indeed a frontrunner, defense of Biden as supposedly the only candidate with the ability to beat Trump is frequently parroted by many corporate Democrats (and by totally, definitely well-meaning Republican Party figures as well). MSNBC contributor Mike Barnicle recently re-upped this trope (4/24/19) on the day of Biden’s announcement, though to his credit, Axios’ Jim Vandehei did push back on this narrative.
Joe Biden (11/18/93) assures the Senate: “It doesn’t matter whether or not they’re the victims of society. The end result is they’re about to knock my mother on the head with a lead pipe, shoot my sister, beat up my wife, take on my sons.”
On another Morning Joe panel (4/26/19), MSNBC correspondent Rev. Al Sharpton criticized Biden’s role in drafting and sponsoring the 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1994 crime bills, and his treatment of Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings. Biden recently issued a half-apology phone call 28 years after the fact to Hill, who told the New York Times (4/25/19) that the call “left her feeling deeply unsatisfied.” (Biden continued to dance around giving a full-throated apology to Hill in an appearance on The View—4/26/19.) But despite Sharpton’s misgivings about Biden’s history, he maintained that Biden somehow had the “equipment despite the hurdles” to appeal to both “blue collar white workers” and “black and brown communities.”
On the same program, Joe Scarborough castigated Biden detractors, maintaining that they failed to understand the context of Biden’s past support for harsh drug laws, opposition to school integration and support for the Iraq War. He later added that “it’s easy for you to sit there behind your laptop, drinking your soy lattes in 2019 judging [him] for trying to make the country better.” Sharpton chimed in with further attacks on so-called “latte liberators” and “limousine liberals.”
But despite his folksiness (Extra!, 4/13), if there is anyone who serves the interests of financial giants who spend most of their time in limousines, it’s Joe Biden. Since the late 1970s, Biden has been the chief defender of the Delaware-based credit card industry in Congress, and played a crucial role in the passage of the 2005 bankruptcy law, which made it harder for Americans to wipe out and restructure unreasonable debts through Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Indeed, credit card company MBNA (formerly owned by Bank of America) was Biden’s second-largest donor throughout his Senate career. When Biden drafted the original version of the bankruptcy bill in 2000, he was strongly opposed by then-Harvard Law professor Elizabeth Warren, who was integral in getting the Clinton administration to block its passage. Biden has also been a consistent supporter of further financial deregulation, such as the Gramm-Bliley-Leach Act, which has been pointed to as a partial cause of the 2008 financial collapse.
Yet Biden’s extremely checkered political history, where he was consistently on the wrong sides of issues like women’s rights, racial equality, financial regulation, drugs and criminal justice, surveillance and war, still doesn’t seem to be enough for the media to deem him damaged goods. In fact, outlets like MSNBC still play up Biden as the most viable candidate, despite the fact that there are others with similarly long tenures in politics who didn’t make Biden’s same mistakes.
Earlier in the year, Alex Altman came on MSNBC to praise Biden’s “electability” (2/21/19), while this week Steve Kornacki devoted a whole segment to prove just how “electable” Joe Biden is for the Democrats in a 2020 matchup against Trump (4/25/19). No other candidate, not even the other front runners, received such a segment from the network.
Indeed, calling Biden the most “electable” candidate is really just code for the most “moderate” or white candidate. Such a designation for Biden discounts the appeal of candidates who are left-wing, female or people of color. In particular, left-wing candidates like Bernie Sanders (the other frontrunner) and Elizabeth Warren are each frequently dogged in corporate media by accusations that they are somehow not “electable” enough.
There is perhaps an underlying logic to these attacks. Warren and Sanders have each called for heightened antitrust regulation. (Amy Klobuchar and Corey Booker have also called for increased antitrust enforcement, but are bit more tepid on the issue than Sanders and Warren.) Big tech companies, agricultural conglomerates, food and beverage companies, banks and telecom companies like Comcast would surely come under the antitrust microscope and be targeted for breakups if one of these candidates were to win the Democratic nomination. Comcast in particular stands out as a major target, considering they have interests in both media content production as well as distribution.
Comcast, along with other internet service providers (ISPs) like Verizon and AT&T, hold what are essentially regional monopolies, where they very rarely directly compete with one another in a given area. As of 2017, almost 80 percent of US households have access to just a single ISP that offers broadband speeds of over 100 mbps. This has a striking impact on US internet users: The nation has just the 20th fastest average internet speed in the world, and, according to the FCC, US consumers pay more for broadband than most other comparable countries. Of course, ISPs are also famous for their unmatched customer service record–Comcast ranks as one of America’s most hated companies year in and year out, along with many other ISPs.
Much of the power of Comcast and other telecom companies to maintain their monopolies can be attributed to the revolving door that shuffles telecom lobbyists in and out of government positions. The current FCC chair, Ajit Pai, is the former general counsel for Verizon, while its past chair, Tom Wheeler, was a longtime telecom industry lobbyist for trade groups with connections to Comcast. Meredeth Attwell Baker, a former FCC commissioner under Obama, joined Comcast just four months after giving the greenlight for Comcast’s merger with NBC Universal. The acquisition marked the beginning of other vertical mergers between content distributors and content producers, including AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner, which owns CNN.
During his Senate career, Biden was far from a hawk on antitrust, supporting antitrust exemptions for the soda industry after receiving donations from Coca-Cola. Judging by the Obama administration’s extremely lax antitrust approach, a hypothetical Biden administration would follow the same friendly approach towards corporate interests. Biden hasn’t stayed away from discussing the issue of antitrust so far in his campaign, but he has remarked that big corporations shouldn’t be “singled out.” At a speech last year to the Brookings Institution, he remarked, “I don’t think 500 billionaires are the reason we’re in trouble. The folks at the top aren’t bad guys.”
Such deference to massive and unpopular corporate monopolies is anathema to both a healthy economy and contrary to the views of most Americans. But potential antitrust targets like Comcast and AT&T have the ability to manufacture positive press for pro-corporate water carriers like Biden through their news properties. Powerful executives like Comcast’s David Cohen might not be shooting out daily emails to MSNBC staff ordering them to promote Biden’s candidacy, but employees will often gravitate towards what their employers want. After all, they are well aware who signs the checks.
Likewise, top MSNBC news personalities exist within the same elite circle of Washington insiders that Biden has inhabited for the past 40 years–in just about every one of the aforementioned segments, one host or guest remarked on their personal relationship with Joe Biden. The insider DC cocktail party circuit doesn’t contain very many people who want to attack their corporate benefactors.
It’s notable that even before its acquisition by Comcast, MSNBC had a history of tacking to the right and a distinct reluctance to challenge entrenched corporate interests. What’s more, the network devotes little interest to economic policy, let alone antitrust, preferring to spend most of its time covering Russiagate.
However, this could change. Since entering the race, Biden has been subject to criticism from his left flank, and will likely remain a target. Sanders recently fired shots at Biden in a fundraising email, calling out his fundraiser with Cohen. Warren added to her long history of criticizing Biden by attacking him for his support of banks and credit card companies during the financial crisis.
However, MSNBC has failed to even mention Biden’s fundraiser with Cohen. I can’t imagine why.
Comcast offers up a cup of jaundiced Joe, with a Kool-Aid chaser
I see evidence that some MSNBC commentators are singing praises of Biden’s electability, the few programs that I watch do not. I watch Joy Reid, Ari Melber, Nicolle Wallace, & Rev. Al Sharpton. I appreciate your reporting & analysis; I just ask for the full story while pointing out what needs to be pointed out.
Say it ain’t so Joe” He’ll be as bad as that old time cheating baseball guy. No, no no—-because If it’s down to either Trump or Biden—America is doomed, and our lives as serfs truly begin in earnest. It’s hard to tell the republicans and democrats apart once that corporate America gang takes their bites!
As a frontrunner, Biden is surely the worst candidate since Hillary Clinton. Politically, how do we tell them apart?
Democrats like this guy big time must want to keep their heads in the sand.
Morning Joe is one the more centrist programs on MSNBC so it figures the hosts would favor Biden. I dont see Rachel Maddow — the networks most popular personality — showering Biden with praise. So this is a stretch.
Mika and Joe seem locked in the past on this one…Biden has baggage and there are accomplished candidates in the ever-expanding Dem race who have policies and appeal across the demographic spectrum… a Trump slayer he is not.
After 9/11, Biden appeared on the news programmes to praise Bush’s handling of the issue.
At no time did he mention the fact that his administration had ignored all the warnings.
The Democrats will be heading for disaster if Biden is the nominee.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bin_Ladin_Determined_To_Strike_in_US
The media completely misrepresents who Biden is. They are constantly talking about what a champion of the middle class he is – because he grew up in Scranton. You would think he hadn’t lived the vast majority of his life it the tax haven state of Delaware, defending credit card companies. They also like to portray him as humble when he is anything but. His refusal to apologize for his inappropriate touching is evidence of that. There is no way he wasn’t told by his communications staff to apologize ASAP. How hard could it be to say something like “I am deeply sorry that my actions made some women uncomfortable. It was never my intention…….” And you can bet he has been told many times over the years to knock it off. Not only has he been mocked online for years but Jon Stewart and Samantha Bee even did a bit about Creepy Uncle Joe on the Daily Show. Clearly Joe thinks he is the smartest guy in the room.
In fact the first time he ran he actually told a guy at a campaign stop who had the temerity to ask Joe about his academic career. Joe, knowing CSPAN was videoing the event, proceeded to tell several huge whoppers about his record – including claiming to have earned three undergrad degrees, to have been the top polysci student, to have had a full scholarship to law school, to have graduated in the top half of his class there, to have won the prestigious international moot court championship……Then he topped it off by telling the poor guy “I think I probably have a much higher IQ than you do.” Who, besides Trump, does something like that?
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-09-21-mn-6104-story.html
Andrea Mitchell recently played a clip of Biden saying “I think I probably have a muusing it not to prove Biden is an arrogant, dishonest A hole, but that he knows how to fight back!
When Biden was challenged about this incident he said he gets angry when challenged (like the man was insulting him by asking how he did in school!) but that he never lies about himself. Another lie.
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-09-21-mn-6104-story.html
Andrea Mitchell recently played a clip of the part where Biden says he thinks he has a higher IQ not to show what an arrogant, phony A-hole he is but to show he knows how to fight back. Aaaaarrrrgggghhh.
As the WaPo’s Margaret Sullivan recently pointed out when the media was obsessing about Klobuchar’s temper, that Biden has a notorious temper (which apparently causes him to tell whoppers), but the media ignores it when men are like that.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/how-sexist-will-the-medias-treatment-of-female-candidates-be-rule-out-not-at-all/2019/02/15/117158e4-2fcb-11e9-8ad3-9a5b113ecd3c_story.html?utm_term=.7fc6fac96c52
I think the media likes Biden, whom they used to treat as a joke, because he schmoozes them and gives them a lot of Juicy leaks.
Right on target. I’m afraid we are doomed. The Dems never fail to shoot themselves and all of us in the foot.
Is there a way to contact MSNBC? I can’t seem to find a ‘contact us’ on their websites.
They don’t want to hear from viewers. They used to have links for contact but no more. They could have an ombudsman to hear viewer complaints but they don’t. The NY Times used to have one (public editor) but they got rid of that position after she – Liz Spayd – slammed the Times for not reporting that the Trump campaign was being investigated over Russia, then admitting it but saying there was no “clear evidence”:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/20/public-editor/trump-russia-fbi-liz-spayd-public-editor.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fthe-public-editor&action=click&contentCollection=opinion®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection
At the time the Times said they would expand comments on their articles. Instead they have cut way back on articles that take comments.
The Washington Post used to have an ombudsman but cut the job due to ‘budget issues’ but Margaret Sullivan, who used to be the Times’s public editor, does write a media column – which the Post rarely features on its webpage. At least they do allow comments on almost all articles and post contacts for reporters. I have emailed Sullivan with complaints about media coverage and she has responded. In fact I think I will email her about the bias MSNBC is showing to Biden…….Gotta go!
Boycott the media
BE THE MEDIA, sharing Sanders neighbor to neighbor, street corner to street corner… text bank, phone bank, canvass, wear Bernie gear and talk him up with whoever you encounter.
BE THE MEDIA!
Just another of the “Good Old Boys” network of Rich, Old White Men lusting after Power. You can easily tell this from their ages, the only thing they know in life is: $$$$MORE$$$$MORE$$$$MORE ad infinite. Old Joe is from the Pavilion of Madness, where all are welcomed, as long as their pockets are filled with GOLD. Personally, I call for all candidates for public office be required to spend two full years working in a sewing factory in Bangladesh or Cambodia, arriving with the clothes on their back and $10.00 in their pocket. Then they might have an inkling of what the ‘real people’ have to live with everyday of their lives. I have taken the liberty of changing the Party names from: Republican to Repugnant, and Democrat to Demoncrats…..What we really need is a giant house-cleaning from the White Men’s House all the way down to the local governments. Too bad that will never happen!
Mika just yesterday:
Everyone is ignoring the blatant bias Mika and Joe have for Biden. I would think that after all the criticism they took for fawning over Trump in the early days of last election, they or MSNBC would be extremely careful not to show bias. They only turned on him only after he was winning. I nearly fell off my chair yesterday when I heard Mika criticize Obama for not endorsing Biden:
“I’d like to see more full-throated support for Joe Biden from President Obama. I just — I’m not sure what’s going on there. I was always sort of frustrated by the transactional relationship between the Obamas and the Clintons. With those exit interviews, when she was secretary of state and they sat next to each other uncomfortably next to each other on 60 Minutes. It seemed like there was some sort of deal he had to support Hillary. I don’t know. I could be wrong. That’s what it looked like optically to me, and Vice President Biden is a good man who harkens us back to the best of the Obama presidency,” she said, once again taking any opportunity to hint at sinister motives behind Hillary Clinton.”
Note that she also takes a swipe at Biden’s support for Clinton. Clearly her being a champion of women is just in her head. She is for the old white guy even though there are credible women candidates. Last time she was nothing but critical of Hillary. This is a woman who fawned over Chris Christie until (Bridge-gate). Mika clearly loves egotistical “strong men”/bullies. After all she married Joe after the two of them carried on an affair – while both were still married. That has not stopped them from being moral scolds about Bill Clinton’s sex life.
I doubt in Mika’s case the support of BIden is about corporate influence. She is just a Villager who is dying to be Queen Bee the way the odious Sally Quinn used to be. In fact I have read that Joe really wants to run for president and you know Mika is dying to be First Lady so she can swan it over the whole country and lecture us on morality.
Forgot the link of Mika complaining about Obama:
https://crooksandliars.com/2019/04/mika-scarborough-pouts-because-obama-hasnt
https://fair.org/home/comcast-owned-msnbc-in-the-tank-for-joe-bidens-presidential-run/?awt_l=HuYRW&awt_m=hdedz_LaPIR._TQ
Haveing read this I believe you should look more at the name of your organization because very little of this bit of right propagand had any reality to it. Or maybe you should find an opinion writer (btw did I miss where you posted that this was an opinion?
I swear Big Brother wants more Trump. That’s why they are throwing Biden into this.
Yes, Big Brother/Big Media wants “controversy” because it’s entertaining and good for ratings, which is good for business. That’s why the non-stop coverage of Trump’s tweets. There’s no “news” value in them, but huge “entertainment” value.
MSNBC’s embrace of Joe Biden seems to me to be returning to familiar territory. The coverage and slant to Biden resembles the coverage of Hillary Clinton to Bernie Sanders and then Donald Trump to Hillary Clinton. The final assessment was ultimately “What’s for Trumps ratings was good for NBC. The more things change the more they remain the same, so we know the outcome of this.
You know, I am wondering—-Biden isn’t saying or doing anything worthwhile, and still hasn’t—but I am wondering. Since major media is a fail on wars, on Venezuela, on the climate, on politics—–I don’t trust them for very much—-Where and when were these polls taken? Joe announcse and within days—–Major media announces JOE is the front runner because—— well, um, did he do or say anything—? NO. Joe is the”front runner,” is just another fraud foisted by remains of what a was once believable media. Watergate , anyone—remember that media! Shame on you corporate media, you are TRUTHiLESS.
Excellent coverage. Really what we wish all media were doing in succinct, well-executed reporting of though research and ramifications.
I don’t watch morning joe but I do watch the beat. If I ever see bias against a certain candidate, or support for a neanderthal with his head in the sand, I won’t watch anymore.
There has to be a way to stop giving free publicity to Donald Trump. If there is 30 min. a day devoted to the incumbent , then 30 min. should be allowed for other candidates. Almost 2 billion in free advertising from corporate media giants, who own most media, got the man elected. That’s what they wanted, it truly was rigged for him.
for two years MSNBC swore the President Trump called him a Traitor..now he is sending cryptic messages to the KKK-Nazi….you Comcast allow this kind of conduct…History will not tell you were on the correct side of things..your FBI guy..did he know Pete Stroke..
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