CNN fails to disclose Chao married to McConnell as she slams Obama’s ‘far-left agenda’

[DonViejo]

CNN host Candy Crowley on Sunday failed to tell viewers that former Bush Labor Secretary Elaine Chao was married to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as she blasted President Barack Obama’s “far-left agenda” and claimed that he had not been as willing to work towards bipartisan solutions as Republican senators.

During a panel segment on CNN’s State of the Union, Crowley noted that Obama had accused Republicans of obstructionism and standing in the way of improving jobs and the economy.

“I don’t know how he can say that when he had control of both the houses in the legislative branch, he had control of the White House from 2009 to 2010,” Chao opined. “He was able to get sweeping changes through to our economy, which actually, including for example, Obamacare and also Dodd-Frank [financial reform], which are actually having a hampering effect — they’re having a dampening effect on job creation.”


“I’m actually rather surprised that in his inaugural address that there was not a more magnanimous spirit shown, that there was not more of a graciousness to focus on reaching out to the other side to work together,” she continued. “He uses the words, but if you look at the agenda, it’s very much a far-left agenda item… So, I think the president has to focus on job creation. He cannot do everything at one time.”

-snip-

Raw Story (http://s.tt/1zjG5)

[elleng]

1. As much as I dislike Chao and McConnell,

I object to attempts to link spouses with eachother's perceived politics, especially since its usually the women/wives who are named, suggesting they have no minds/thoughts/politics of their own.

[Mass]

4. Generally, I would agree with you, but there, she was promoting his agenda.

Several times, she referred to things he did, without naming him, such as negotiating the deal with Biden.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/02/false-equivalence-watch-cnn-edition/272810/
For example

In the discussion about the "fiscal cliff" and larger Washington dysfunction, Chao argued that the blame was all on the president's side. Obama offered "no leadership" on the issue. It was the "Republicans who reached out" -- plus Joe Biden. (The discussion is now on line here.) In general it was wrong to blame Congressional Republicans for the difficulty of getting things done.

... It was very weird.

[Kingofalldems]

5. Chao sure does have politics of her own

Her tenure as Secretary of Labor was a years long attack on working people, the very ones she was supposed to represent.

[indepat]

8. That's what repuke presidents now do: have appointees obstruct/destroy laws not to their

ideological liking, to wit, have the Secretary of Labor work to hurt labor.

[King_Klonopin]

37. She was one of those classic Bush Appointees

Head of NLRB: someone who hates labor and is a corporate shill.
Head of EPA: someone who hates laws protecting the planet and is a shill
for the polluter industries.
Head of Energy Dept.: someone who wants to abolish the Energy Dept.
U.N. ambassador: someone who hates the U.N. and is an abrasive asshole.
etc., etc., etc.

Chao gave me the creeps and sent me into a rage every time I saw her on TV.
She is the embodiment of entitlement, callousness, and elitism. She is anything
but apolitical.

[LiberalFighter]

13. There is a big difference between a spouse

that is not involved in politics vs one that is or has been actively involved hand in hand in the political realm on the same side. She was not a spouse that worked at home or a volunteer for a non-political organization.

There are no perceived politics when either name is mentioned. They are both political and operate on the same side.

[thesquanderer]

16. Agreed. Matalin is married to Carville, too. Irrelevant. (n/t)

[elleng]

17. Thanks.

[mzmolly]

26. Finding the exception to the

general rule, is irrelevant.

[thesquanderer]

28. No, the "rule" is NOT that women don't have their own minds.

Therefore this is not the exception to the rule.

There is no reason to assume that a woman's views must reflect her husband's, or that any divergence from that must be an "exception to the rule." I find it chauvinistic to believe otherwise.

[cheapdate]

29. Not a women's issue...

As I see it anyway. As a viewer, I would prefer to know that the person making the argument is married to the Senate Minority Leader. That is a piece of information worth knowing.

[mzmolly]

33. Exactly.

[thesquanderer]

35. Actually, I agree it's not a womens' issue...

...because I would feel the same if the gender were reversed. Nancy Pelosi's husband's views on all issues may or may not be the same as hers.

I assume that EVERYONE espousing opinions on TV has strong views and often an agenda, regardless of who they are married to. Knowing who they are married to is of no relevance as far as I am concerned.

[mzmolly]

32. The general rule, is that most politically motivated

couples who marry, agree on a subject dear to them - politics. It's not a matter of gender.

[jonthebru]

22. Maybe so,

but it does show both of their extreme bad taste in the opposite sex!

[elleng]

23. DEFINITELY!

[asjr]

2. Crowley has known that for years. She leans Republican and

uses anyone and everyone who will slam Pres. Obama.

[annabanana]

9. "leans" my ass

She falls right over.

(nod to Firesign Theatre)

[AndyA]

15. I was shocked during the debates when Crowley corrected Rmoney.

I really expected her to let him get away with his lies. All through the Bush years, she looked the other way in her reporting and interviewing, allowing lies to be misrepresented as the truth. She was one of the reasons I quit watching CNN, because it seemed they were trying to be Faux News II.

[Cha]

20. That was the Shocking part of Crowley's career! Poor mittLies

couldn't catch a break from Candy gop media water carrier.

[progressoid]

39. "Why she's no fun, she fell right over"

[DJ13]

3. Ewwww..... Turtle Sex

[Lordquinton]

12. This is the slippery slope of gay marriage.

[tarheelsunc]

6. How exactly does a President obtain control of "both houses of the legislative branch"?

Perhaps she doesn't know exactly how the government works? Or did her husband feed her right-wing, fear-mongering talking points?

[Vietnameravet]

7. I am so damn sick of

hearing righties complain that Obama is not bi-partisan enough,,.that he is not more magnanimous and so on..Thinking of all the hate and obstructionism and outright lies they have spread, they have a very big set to repeat that charge!

They dish it out all the time but whine like babies when someone gives it back even slightly..

And another thing that pisses me off is their claims that Obama is not doing enough to create jobs,,.who the hell are they to even open their mouths one bit on the matter of job creation, given their sorry record??

[michigandem58]

10. I guess Raw Story has to come up with something

but this is a non-story. I can't recall hosts ever "disclosing" the spouses of guests.

[Mass]

11. When they talk about their spouses's work, sure.

[polynomial]

14. WHAT THE HECK

Here is super vapor lock in labor and the economy. I did not know. Yikes, Chao married to McConnell, that’s like Ms. Grinch married to Santa Claus then finding out why nobody got presents because the elf’s got laid off.

The perception here is so obvious Candy Crowley got something in her Christmas stocking, and it was not a piece of coal, but all the cake she could eat. The wave of oppression to turn down the volume knob is exactly what the media giants do. Pull a Schultz “I know nothing “.

Now America understands why the open media is rated lower than Congress. Crowley pushes the off idea, turns off the real part of the truth. There is the distinction in this kind of a telecast that shows what is commonly known on Fox News as the cover up. Let’s give Chao the distinction of being a real Bush Bot. Then many know with deep understanding that it is very real to say the economic screw up is not only the fault of Bush, so is this so called lame recovery. The obstruction is secret because the media hides it. Here it is, they, the media are in total complicity with Bush, there is no recourse but to lie and cover up

[Isoldeblue]

18. The cow goes mooooooooooo

and the sheep go bahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

The lazy minded don't mind this stuff at all.

[NYC Liberal]

19. What she said was dumb because it was dumb, not because of who she's married to.

[Cha]

21. Hopefully nobody gave a fuck what mitch's wife had

to say anyway. Keep digging cnn.

[underpants]

24. "..he had control of the White House from 2009 to 2010" - did she really say that?

Does she think that the President lost control of the White House?

[adieu]

25. All I can say is,

Keep bashing that left-wing agenda, Obama.

[DallasNE]

27. Crowley Also Failed To Ask Chao To Provide

Data to support her claim that Obamacare and Dodd-Frank are "having a dampening effect on job creation". Surely CBO has numbers on this, both projections and actual. To say Democrats "had control" of the Senate in 2009-2010 is misleading because it is only true for a few months because her husband had the filibuster in his pocket and Democrats only had 59 votes for most of that period.

[WinkyDink]

30. "Magnanimous" and "gracious" like Dubya? "I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and

now I intend to spend it. It is my style."

[RudynJack]

31. Chao would've said the same things

no matter who she was married to. Therefore, it's irrelevant.

People here LOVE to point out constantly that Andrea Mitchell is married to Alan Greenspan, but not once have I ever found that point relevant or meaningful.

I agree with Elleng - it seems to be shorthand for "this woman automatically has her husband's views'. It's sexist. But mostly, it's just irrelevant.

Absent something directly resulting their marriage, Crowley is right not to mention it.

[John2]

38. Well, I have a difference

of opinion on all these political spouses. Some of them maybe serious about their positions and some may not. Some times you need to use instincts and first impressions. Some people can establish that skill over a period of time. Most of these couples are in sink with each other's views. Mary Madelin takes her support for the Republican Party religiously while her husband appears not to. He just shakes his head at her and sometimes get a laugh off her ranting and right wing vitriol, but an independent observer not married to her, might not be so courteous to her. Her husband is more of a Blue Dog, so they tolerate each other.


As far as this woman Chao, she is as right wing as you can get. The marriage to Mitch McConnell seems to be a marriage of convenience because of their interests in stocks. They both have questionable investments, that connect to Policies they want to see enforced by the U.S. Government which favor their interests. It is not that simple to just cast them as just husband and wife.

Obama care has not been fully implemented. The problem with jobs is not Obama care, more so the the problem with Wall street and the policies implemented by the Bush Administration and Mitch McConnell, which his wife was a part of. So we can exposed those investments also, that she and her husband benefits from. That is why I care less what these political power couples say on shows like CNN, because they get that forum to influence public opinion. They have been influencing our laws too long just to benefit them. They are no mere smarter than any other ordinary citizen.

[Cha]

34. A Tweet mentioning that from James Fallows..

James Fallows @JamesFallows

On CNN just now, Elaine Chao said Obama not as high-minded as GOP Senate leaders. C Crowley never mentioned who Chao is married to

[Jamaal510]

36. I'm not even sure if CNN is trying to pretend to be neutral anymore.

Now it's starting to look like they want to be FOX Jr., with them having someone as irrelevant and fringe as Elaine Chao on, and with one of their contributors the other day claiming that Ted Nugent has a "deep connection with the facts".
What's the matter with them?

[davidpdx]

40. I wasn't aware of this

I guess if I had watched the panel (which I didn't) I would have liked to know about her connection to a high ranking Republican senator.