Posted on 11/17/2007 8:14:49 AM PST by Sub-Driver
November 17, 2007 A Clinton Friend’s Role Sets Off Intense Criticism of CNN and a Re-examination By JULIE BOSMAN
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton prepared for a battle with her Democratic rivals at the CNN-sponsored debate on Thursday night. She did not have much to fear from the postdebate round table.
Among the experts trotted out by CNN to comment was James Carville, a Democratic strategist and CNN commentator who is also a close friend of Mrs. Clinton and a contributor to her campaign.
Mr. Carville’s presence aroused the fury of rivals and bloggers. They called it a conflict of interest and criticized CNN.
“Would it kill CNN to disclose that James Carville is a partisan Clinton supporter when talking about the presidential race?” Markos Moulitsas wrote on his liberal blog, Daily Kos. Mr. Moulitsas drew hundreds of comments.
Tom Reynolds, a spokesman for Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, who is also seeking the Democratic nomination, said: “What you saw last night lacked full disclosure. The average viewer out in middle America may not know the inside-the-Beltway connection.”
A CNN executive conceded that the cable channel should have more fully disclosed Mr. Carville’s past and that it was discussing how to handle such situations.
The criticisms were among a series against CNN for how it managed the debate, a two-hour event in Las Vegas that ran nearly 15 minutes late. Viewers criticized segments like the opening, when candidates bounded onto the stage in a style reminiscent of a sports event.
Voters and commentators wrote online about how the audience cheered and booed, the way the CNN hosts reframed audience questions and whether it was correct to demand yes-or-no answers to complex questions.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
NOPE.
the "clueless"; could understand it...the blind; could hear it....the deaf; could see it....very obvious.
What’s “Operation Tailwind”?
The hell with disclosure, they never should have invited present or former Clintonistas to be post-debate pundits.
Apparently the only commentators CNN staffs itself with are Clinton supporters and fellow leftists.
No wonder they have a problem getting neutral pundits on the air.
Shoot, if they didn't invite present or former Clintonistas, how would they ever compete against the present or former Clintonistas appearing on the other MSM networks?
Well, interesting that they said this much. But they suppressed quite a bit. They forgot to mention that Maria Luisa got into a snit and let slip that ALL the questions were pre-planned, not just hers.
Also, they seem to think that it would be OK for CNN to stack the interviewers and commentators across the board with known clintonoid spinmeisters, as long as they disclose it in a brief aside.
That’s not my idea of a DEBATE.
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