CNN Is So Biased

OMFG.

I just watched CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" with that stale fellow who sits in for Cooper.  One segment invovled him talking with an "expert" about the veracity of statements made in campaign ads.

OMFG.

The "expert" was Mark McKinnon, a republican strategist, who was given license by CNN to put the GOP spin on the ads that were supposedly up for public discussion.

Not surprisingly, CNN's "expert" spoke approvingly of GOP ads.  He was a little weird on the Harold Ford ad, throwing out a lot of "independent arm" language that was too hard to follow in a short amount of time. But he clearly endorsed ads, like the one questioning Jim Webb.

I wish I had more details, but I'm running on outraged memory and, as I write this, tonight's transcript is not available (and, because I'm in eastern time, likely won't be before I go to bed).

But who cares?  The simple fact is that CNN did a segment on what's true and what's false, and they picked a republican operative to be the arbter.  

Nuff said.

•  The October Surprise Is Media Joining the Fight

  against the Democrats.

  CNN seeing the writing on the Republican wall launched its weeklong "Broken Government" series emphasizing how both parties are equally at fault in their different ways.

  Introduced the first night by Jack Cafferty listing his complaints--virtually all of which are the policy of the one party ruling elected government--demanding that every single incumbent be thrown out.

  Both sides are to blame.

  by Gooserock on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:33:18 PM PDT

  •  Where the surprise part?

    by jfern on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:41:54 PM PDT

    •  Won't they

      have a surprise come November 7. At least they won't find it hard to find republicant's to pontificate when so many of them will be out of work.

      by eastvan on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:54:26 PM PDT

  •  Folllowed by Candy Crowley's

    Two Left Feet totally declaring the Dems are wussies.

    by madgranny on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:46:32 PM PDT

    •  Did you watch it????

      Very good, informative piece, based on
      theme from Marko's book "Crashing the Gate".

      Featured numerous DEMOCRATS declaring that
      democrats were "wussies"...and they are as campaigners.

      Nothing was said that hasn't been said on this
      site a gazillion times.

      No one should be commenting on this special unless
      THEY WATCHED IT.

      And CNN biased?  Watch Wolf and Jack as well as
      Lou and Anderson.

      What was described in this diary happens on all news networks from time to time.

      by lrhoke on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:57:17 PM PDT

    •  There is some justification

      to that charge. For too long the Beltway Faction of Contented Losers have rolled over and played dead in the face of the slightest GOP attack. What irritated me about that story was that it did not cover the many who don't accept that recipe for continued loss. The wusses are on the way out and that's what needed to be covered.

      by eastvan on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:59:02 PM PDT

      •  oh, sure - right before the election - RIIIIGHHT!

        absolutely POSITIVELY justified - SURE!  you BETCHA!  not gonna change ANYONE's mind about voting dem in a close race - NO WAY!  nuh huh - the bitch was just being TRUTHFUL!!!

        her nimbly (funny choice of word here) maneuvering dems into using the "wussie" word was JUST tooo cute for words!

        anyone ever notice the way "wussie" rhymes with another slur word for women, btw?  try THAT little subliminal positioning on for size!

        her entire report was demeaning and belittling and "cutsey" in its lethality.

        accident?  not a chance!

        sure - "good" points - just like a sharp stick in the eye!

        by edrie on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 10:50:17 PM PDT

    •  didn't you just LOVE crowingloudly's report

      and introduction of the new repubbie frame "wussie"????

      she is the dumbest broad broad i've seen on air in years!  her reports are absolutely witless coming from an already half-wit wannabe who SHOULD be on snl instead of cnn - at LEAST, there, she would make some sense!

      is she their token "old" reporter (this is coming from a 61 year old woman, before anyone takes offense here...) - she is just flat out awful!

      EEEEEIIIIIIIIIiiiiieeeeeeeee!!!!!!

      i have GOT to leave this diary!  NOW!!!!!

      by edrie on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 10:46:31 PM PDT

•  You know, this is getting really funny.

  Every diary about CNN either praises it for sticking it to the right or condemns it for being really pro-GOP... and in each diary there's a bunch of people who come in and agree with the diarist.

  I wish someone would tell me whether CNN is biased for us or for them already...

  And are Jack Cafferty and Lou Dobbs on our side or are they reprehensible slime?

  by Arken on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:35:48 PM PDT

  •  Jack Cafferty is almost on our side

    Lou Dobbs is a loose cannon.

    Paula Zahn leans GOP.

    Wolf Blitzer leans GOP.

    Glenn Beck is to the right of the GOP and Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity.

    To balance all this they would need to hire someone like Keith Olberman and let him do whatever he wants for one hour every day.

    by Shockwave on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:41:48 PM PDT

    •  Hey, apropos of nothing-

      We should go out and get a drink sometime.

      by Arken on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:42:23 PM PDT

    •  Wolf Blitzer leans???? right

      If he leaned any farther right, his right ear would be touching the ground.  He usually doesn't even try to conceal his bias.  Well, that's the way I see it - I can't stand to watch his show.  

      by myrealname on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:48:56 PM PDT

    •  Fun watching Wolf with Lou or Jack

      Wolf really hates these 2 guys. I remember a few weeks ago right before Lou's book came out Wolf said that my viewers wouldn't read the book, but his would be interested.  I wonder if Wolf is going to change his viewers Nov 8th

      by jkb246 on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:49:42 PM PDT

    •  On our side...

      Miles O'Brien
      Anderson Cooper

      On there side...

      Don't forget Ed "I'm not Hemmer" Henery.

      by blueyedace2 on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:59:37 PM PDT

      •  I have to confess that they should all be on

        our side, with "our" meaning the people.

        Over the weekend, I watched the speech that President Clinton gave last Wednesday. He reminded us that we should simply be given the facts. We can figure out what to do with them.  

        This is the salient point that the MSM so often misses. As Arken points out in this thread, comments about CNN run the gamut. I think that's because they're trying to please too many people instead of just handing the facts over to the people and letting us decide.

        by VetGrl on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 09:10:07 PM PDT

        •  Please, do you have a link to Clinton's speech?

          I have googled it 9 ways to Sunday, and can't find a transcript of it, anywhere.  I was watching it on MSNBC, but they cut away from it in the middle of it, back to the lovely Alex Witt and her empty-headed chatter.  CNN wasn't covering it, at all.  I am so frustrated!  Been looking for it, ever since, because it was a wonderful speech--what I heard of it.  Would love to read or see it, in its entirety.  I only have snail dial-up, so I hope there's a written version of it somewhere, because my computer won't run videos very well.  Thanks.

          by Molly Martinez on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 02:40:18 AM PDT

          •  Sorry, but no. I caught it on C-SPAN and not the

            internet. (I, too, am a dial-up user!)  There's a link to the program on the C-SPAN website in the archive of programs. I got a "page can't be displayed" message when I clicked on it, so I don't know if it's just video or if a print transcript is available.

            If it helps your search, the theme was "the common good" and it was given at Georgetown.

            by VetGrl on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 04:27:15 AM PDT

            •  Thanks!

              I'll give it a try.

              by Molly Martinez on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 10:18:26 PM PDT

      •  hey, don't forget bimbobitch soledad

        the "i'm SOOOOO judgementally right" fashion princess of the bimbobroadcastnetwork!

        GAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKK!!!!

        and all the airhead female talkshow hosts who are so busy emoting their own opinions that they never have time to let the guest state theirs - or the bobblehead kens (like the stick-up-his-youknowwhat you referred to in the diary - the starched and glued in place repubbie anchor who interviewed glenn blech today.....)

        oh, did i remind you - don't get ME started on cnn!!!!!!!

        {{{{{{{{[barrrrrrf}}}}}}}}}}}}]

        by edrie on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 10:43:58 PM PDT

    •  Lou.....

      Lou leans right?  Maybe on immigration but he is the only one I know of that is supportive of the plight of the middle class in this country, and he's also going after e-voting.

      He has said he is not a dem or repub.  
      I would guess moderate libertarian, if anything.

      by lrhoke on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:59:40 PM PDT

    •  You have it almost right,

      Dobbs will come down on an issue hard in a way that bruise a lot of people and their feelings. Boo hoo. Cafferty isn't one of us yet. But he sure speaks for a lot of people we should have with us. He plows fertile ground and it is up to the Democrats to harvest it.

      by eastvan on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 09:02:49 PM PDT

      •  Cafferty is an old-fashioned cynic--

        That's what I love about him!  I perceive him as more on our side than not. His "questions of the day" are the only reason I can tolerate watching Wolfie's show.  I change the channel to CNN when it's about time for the question--go back to what I was watching--and go back to CNN in time for the e-mail responses Jack has received. Invariably entertaining.

        by Molly Martinez on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 02:48:56 AM PDT

  •  The fallacy is in perceiving an coordinated bias

    I doubt CNN is, as an institution, biased strongly for the R's or for the Dem's (other biases such as pro-establishment I am perfectly willing to agree to).

    So, I don't think I agree with the diary title "CNN is so biased";  but the particular episode detailed by the diarist is nonetheless egregious and inexcusable.  CNN may not be biased, but some producer there either is biased or got played for an incompetent fool.

    by Warren Terra on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:44:09 PM PDT

    •  I think you're probably right...

      ...the title of the diary reflected a bit of outrage on my part that such a biased segment was aired.

      by VetGrl on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:57:08 PM PDT

      •  That guy filling in for Cooper

        really bothers me. He seems to do anti-dem spin. A few days ago I wondered if we hired him from fox or if that was his next career step.

        I've only seen minutes at a time since them and maybe I catch him at bad times but he is always bashing dems through his words or his disdainful tone when speaking about them.

        by joynow on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 11:47:43 PM PDT

•  CNN radio news...

  ...is even worse.  Their news on the hour, which ironically runs on Madison's Air America affiliate, is like a rip-and-read operation for White House press releases.  Always exuberantly stating the Republican position, and never -- NEVER -- allowing an opposing point of view.  It's purely and obviously a propaganda outlet, North Korean style.

  by madcitymelvin on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 08:39:08 PM PDT

•  we need to sue CNN

  I keep saying this over and over.

  They need to be sued for fraud, for false advertising, and for violating election laws.

  They are constantly giving in-kind donations to the GOP in ways that are worth millions and millions of dollars.

  We really need to simply destroy CNN.  

  They are bad for America.

  And by the way, just TURN THAT SHIT OFF.

  Why are you watching them?

  by theyrereal on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 10:15:06 PM PDT