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Question: What did Reince Priebus not know about CNBC — and when did he not know it?
Priebus, chair of the Republican National Committee, sanctioned CNBC’s sponsorship of last week’s debate. When during and after the debate many of the candidates blasted the moderators for their bias, Priebus said that the moderators created a “hostile environment” and “it was one ‘gotcha’ question, one personal low blow after the other.”
Please. Why the surprise? After all, CNBC’s parent company, Comcast, employs the Rev. Al Sharpton, Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews — a virtual murderers’ row of GOP-haters. Even worse, CNBC senior Vice President Brian Steel, who attended the GOP Colorado debate, held three different positions in the Bill Clinton administration: He served as Vice President Al Gore’s domestic policy adviser, worked as deputy assistant attorney general for policy development in the Department of Justice and as associate director in the DOJ’s Office of Public Affairs.
But this is par for the course for the left-wing mainstream “news” media:
George Stephanopoulos, aka Clintonopoulos: ABC’s website lists him as “ABC News’ chief anchor.” One of then-presidential-candidate Bill Clinton’s top campaign advisers in 1992, Stephanopoulos served in the Clinton administration as White House communications director and as senior adviser on policy and strategy.
Chuck Todd, moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” worked on Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin’s 1992 presidential campaign. His wife, a Democratic campaign strategist and co-founder of messaging and voter contact firm Maverick Strategies and Mail, worked on Democratic Sen. Jim Webb’s 2006 Senate campaign.
Erin Burnett, host of supposedly nonpartisan “Erin Burnett OutFront” show on CNN, worked as a “news reporter” at MSNBC. There she once referred to then-President George W. Bush as a “monkey” while covering French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to China. With videotape rolling of President Bush flanked by Sarkozy to his left and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to his right, the reporter gushed, “Who could not have a man-crush on that man? I’m not talking about the monkey, either. I’m talking about the other one.” Questioned by the show’s host, “Who’s the monkey?” the reporter clarified, “The monkey in the middle” — meaning President Bush.
Jake Tapper, host of “The Lead” on CNN, started out as press secretary for a Democratic congressional candidate from Pennsylvania, and worked in the same capacity after her election. His wife was previously a staffer with Planned Parenthood.
Matt Lauer is co-host to “The Today Show” on NBC, another property of corporate parent Comcast. The list of Lauer’s left-wing slants, questions, and perspectives are too lengthy to catalog. Newsbusters, a website that monitors liberal bias in the media, compiled an extensive list. Here’s just one.
Lauer from Baghdad, in 2005: “Talk to me … about morale here. We’ve heard so much about the insurgent attacks, so much about the uncertainty as to when you folks are going to get to go home. How would you describe morale?”
Chief Warrant Officer Randy Kirgiss: “In my unit morale is pretty good. Every day we go out and do our missions and people are ready to execute their missions. They’re excited to be here.”
Lauer: “How much does that uncertainty of (not) knowing how long you’re going to be here impact morale?”
Specialist Steven Chitterer: “Morale is always high. Soldiers know they have a mission. They like taking on new objectives and taking on the new challenges.”
Lauer: “Don’t get me wrong here, I think you are probably telling me the truth but a lot of people at home are wondering how that could be possible with the conditions you’re facing and with the attacks you’re facing. What would you say to those people who are doubtful that morale can be that high?”
Capt. Sherman Powell: “Sir, if I got my news from the newspapers also, I’d be pretty depressed as well.”
This is the current state of American “journalism.” President Obama recently chided the Republican candidates for complaining about the CNBC moderators. “Have you noticed that every one of these candidates say, ‘Obama’s weak, Putin’s kicking sand in his face’?” said Obama. “Then it turns out they can’t handle a bunch of CNBC moderators at the debate. Let me tell you, if you can’t handle those guys, then I don’t think the Chinese and the Russians are going to be too worried about you.”
Fox News, according to its Sunday host, Chris Wallace, has offered several times to host a Democratic debate. No dice. And one can only imagine Obama or Hillary Clinton agreeing to a sit down with any of the conservative talk radio hosts that Obama and the DNC routinely criticize as coarsening our political dialogue.
Some good, however, will possibly come about because of the slanted CBNC debate. Mike Huckabee was asked whether Donald Trump possessed the “moral authority” to be president. This, as trial lawyers might put it, opens the door for the same question directed at Hillary Clinton. Stay tuned.
COPYRIGHT 2015 LAURENCE A. ELDER
DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM
Larry Elder is a best-selling author and radio talk-show host. To find out more about Larry Elder, or become an “Elderado,” visit www.LarryElder.com. Follow Larry on Twitter @larryelder.
I learned about the candidates from this debate and I also learned that the candidates themselves have the power to shut down biased moderators – if they have the guts, I also think the RNC was right to put NBC on notice to conduct a legitimate debate to inform Republican voters of the candidates positions – not the moderators.
Love you Larry, keep up the good work. Maybe you should take over the RNC.