CNN Lets Hillary Backer Ask Question at GOP Debate
CNN said the point of the YouTube debate was to show questions that concerned Republican voters. They lied. Keith Kerr. a retired soldier asked the candidates about the ban on gays in the military. For 90% of Republicans this isn’t a pressing issue. But CNN wanted a gotcha question to make the candidates look like intolerant ogres.
It was bad enough that CNN flew Kerr from California to Florida to ask a follow up. Kerr turned it into a moment of pontification. What’s worse is Kerr is part of the Sen. Hillary Clinton Presidential campaign.
CNN failed to do what they said they would do. Kerr has been a guest on CNN so they had some experience with the man. They didn’t bother to tell us he’s a Democrat, and they probably didn’t care. Anything that has a chance at embarrassing Republicans is fair game.
Anderson Cooper had to acknowledge Kerr’s connection. It took e-mailers to Bill Bennett to make that happen.
Cooper may not have known about Kerr’s history, but I’m sure someone at CNN did. Yet it didn’t stop them.
With this shocking example of journalistic maleficence Republican candidates would be justified in refusing to appear on future CNN debates. That network can’t be trusted.
“Hillary Staffer Planted In Republican Debate”
“Video: Debate Questioner is Affiliated with Hillary’s — and Kerry’s — Campaigns”
“Hillary’s Towering Gardening Skills”
UPDATE: It gets better (worse if you’re CNN). A woman who asked an abortion question is a John Edwards supporter. And the man who asked about support from the Log Cabin Republicans is an Obama backer.
CNN had weeks to prepare and check out the questioners. They failed. They don’t have the journalistic integrity to host any more Presidential debates.
Who should be really peeved is Google. Their media partner has made a mockery out of this innovation. There a lots of smart people at Google so I think they’ll be looking for a new network for any future YouTube debates.
“Digging Out the CNN/YouTube Plants”
UPDATE II: One more link. This from Kevin Aylward at Wizbang:
Anderson Cooper would have you believe that a network that could select this question, find that 13-year-old Romney quote, create the trap for Romney (which he fell face first into), and (presumably) fly Kerr to the debate, could not type “Keith Kerr, retired Colonel” into Google and find the link to the Hillary Clinton press release, which prior to the debate appeared in the first 10 results for that search?
If I were Romney I’d refuse to appear on CNN until they aired an apology.
Disclaimer: I work for Friends of Fred Thompson.
Sean, how closely has Thompson worked with Paul Ryan on the Thompson (or Ryan?) Flat Tax proposal?