The media’s deep arrogance about the Democrats’ superior standing as the Party of Science and Competent Government when it comes to the coronavirus is personified in Gov. Andrew Cuomo. He has been hailed for many months as a wonderful role model, an inspiring anti-Trump. Somehow, each and every tragic coronavirus death was laid at former President Donald Trump’s doorstep, ignoring the fact that New York is second in total coronavirus deaths (behind California) and second in deaths per million residents (behind New Jersey).
Back in May, NBC’s Cynthia McFadden stood out for focusing on Cuomo’s coronavirus response, stating, “Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont thinks forcing nursing homes to take COVID positive patients, as most states are doing, is a path to disaster.” Obviously, it was. But the praise kept flowing.
In October, Cuomo came out with a book titled “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic.” He was hailed in a series of book interviews, and the media added dust-cover blurbs.
MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell wrote, “It is a book unlike anything ever written by a governor before because no one has lived through and managed the crisis that he has.”
Entertainment Weekly overflowed with praise, saying, “The hero that America never realized it needed until he was on our television screens every night … has taken his talents to the page.” (It added on its website, “One can only assume a sequel is expected once the pandemic is actually over.”)
In November, he was given an Emmy for his “masterful use of television” during the pandemic. Celebrities were brought in to pay gushing tribute.
But in January, the Democratic attorney general of New York, Letitia James, issued a report suggesting that the coronavirus-related death toll in the state’s nursing homes might be more than 50% higher than Team Cuomo claimed, because the team didn’t reveal how many nursing home residents died in hospitals. NBC covered it. ABC and CBS passed.
On Feb. 12, the New York Post reported that top Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa admitted to lawmakers on a private call that the team underreported the number of patients placed in nursing homes by 40%. “(W)e froze,” she said. “We weren’t sure if … what we start saying was going to be used against us.”
Again, network coverage that night was less than intense: 26 seconds on ABC, 31 seconds on CBS and 17 seconds on NBC. The next morning, NBC’s “Today” show at least offered a full report totaling 3 minutes and 7 seconds. As the Trump impeachment faded and the outrage grew in New York, the TV coverage began to grow, at least in some places. At this writing, ABC is apparently still bored out of its mind.
All this hiding of the truth by Team Cuomo should be deeply embarrassing to the shameless pro-Cuomo press. The Media Research Center organized clips of the press contrasting Cuomo and Trump in 2020:
David Remnick of The New Yorker to Brian Stelter on CNN: “Truth versus mendacity.”
MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace: Cuomo is “everything Trump isn’t: honest, direct, brave.”
MSNBC’s Chris Hayes: “Cuomo is clearly living in a totally different reality — the actual one?! — than the president of the United States.”
NBC’s Lester Holt, speaking to Cuomo in an interview as if Cuomo were the Churchill of the coronavirus pandemic: “You spoke to National Guard troops today in a stirring speech that, if I wasn’t listening carefully, I thought you were sending soldiers off to war.”
Stelter announced on “Reliable Sources”: “This has been a remarkable show of leadership by Gov. Cuomo in recent days. He’s providing hope, but not false hope.”
Since Cuomo’s mendacity was exposed, Stelter has spent zero seconds discussing it on his Sunday show. Now who deserves the “Facts First” motto?
Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org. To find out more about Tim Graham, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
“It is a book unlike anything ever written by a governor before because no one has lived through and managed the crisis that he has.”,,,,,,,,,,certainly not the manslaughtered people who did not live through, that he slew in politicallly motivated inompetence, then covered up, which cost thousands the ability to live through the COVID attack while he raked in the book profits in the coverup, a despicable act no governor dare EVER again commit.
Who and what you turn to in times of crisis determines who and what you worship. Cuomo worships, Government, Party and the fallible changing untested politically tainted Science that supports Both. For political reasons he will drag out his Christian upbringing which he trots out like a campaign poster child, but as the Great Prince of Peace stated: “you will know them by their fruits, by their deeds. When the pressure was placed upon him, he defaulted to that which comforts him most, protecting party, protecting his failing government, and the false narrative of his own self-importance. He brazenly used politically tainted science to lead him to the COVID malfeasance that cost so many lives. That which he worships has proven to be a very impotent God indeed, that reflected the image of the great consumer, who consumed not only Cuomo himself, but the thousands of innocent lives placed in his care, that he spent like so much political currency to purchase an election win that will turn out to be a great loss for the American people, and particularly for the people of New York.
Biden has already assigned the FBI to put Cuomo back in favor. They are tasked to investigate. If recent history is a guide, they will find Cuomo is all Trump’s fault. Worked for Comey, Worked for Hillary, Worked for Obama, Worked for any democrat who defrauded the people of the USA.
Thanks FBI. You have been a no credibility group since 2015 when you started to torpedo Trump’s campaign at the Obama behest. Hey FBI where is Biden’s lap top. Last time we heard anything was when you took it.
Thanks Georgia.
THESE days, i wonder, is there ANY REASON to even KEEP the FBI?? What with BAFTA, INS, Local, state and other cop groups.. WHY IS IT we even need the FECKLESS Bumbling Idiots anymore?
And yet 62% of new yorkers still think cuomo is doing a good job. It’s too bad there isn’t a vaccine for stupid.
Stick their heads in a pirannah infested swimming pool.. That will cure them, lickidy split.
“American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Or how to kill innocent elderly people. The greatest of all time, an Emmy Award winner, Governor Andrew Cuomo. Just remember, the devil is good, right Andrew?
Hitler would have used that move on Jewish nursing homes if he was alive today! He is in spirit through people like Como and Pelosi.
When their time comes to answer for the evil they have, are and will put Gods people through I don’t think their ability to persuade will be so prevalent.