The US Supreme Court dealt a major blow to pro-life supporters Monday, by striking down a Texas law that required abortion clinics to have admitting privileges to a local hospital. But the liberal “big three” networks seemed to tout the ruling on their evening shows, some almost mocking. “Jubilation from the pro-choice side,” ABC’s George Stephanopoulos cheerfully noted on World News Tonight, before switching to a sad voice, “But despair from anti-abortion forces.”
They all reported that the law required abortion clinics to be up to a strict health and safety code, but most brushed it off as just a ploy to restrict abortions. Anchor Lester Holt did just that on NBC’s Nightly News, “Supporters said that the law simply raised health and safety standards for abortions. But the court saw it as something else.”
NBC’s Pete Williams whined about how inconvenient the law made getting an abortion, “Totally striking down a three year old Texas law that forced half the state's abortion clinics to shut down. It was so hard for Candace Russell to get an appointment, she ended up going to California for an abortion.” He also whined that many of the closed Texas clinics would never reopen.