On the same day as the NBC commander-in-chief forum, Lester Holt (who will host the first presidential debate on Monday, Sept. 26) reported on Nightly News that a bill providing funding to control the Zika virus did not move forward in the Senate because “Republicans and Democrats could not agree.”
By just reporting that, it seems as if both parties are equally to blame. What he didn’t mention was that Republicans were withholding their votes because they wanted to include an anti-Planned Parenthood provision in the bill. Really! Can anyone explain the connection between the Zika virus and Planned Parenthood? The Republicans” reasons were a lame excuse to those who have already contracted the virus, or those who live in areas where they are vulnerable.
Coverage of the Donald Trump campaign by the mainstream media has been largely characterized by false equivalencies (his honesty vs. Hillary Clinton’s honesty). On a straight-up bill regarding the Zika virus, a major television journalist could not show the disparity of positions between the two parties on the issue. I am concerned about his ability to be a fair moderator of the September 26 debate.