BREAKING: Carville/Begala banned from CNN

[BenDavid]

I've just learned that CNN has told James Carville, Paul Begala, and Robert Zimmerman -- CNN mainstays and Hillary supporters -- that they will not be doing any more political analysis on the network until the Democratic primary has reached a conclusion.

I'm also told that this move came after the Obama campaign repeatedly complained to high level officials at CNN about the presence of Carville and Begala on the network.

After I reached him today and pointed out that he hadn't been on CNN in some time, Carville confirmed to me that the network had told him that he wouldn't appear until the Dem primary is resolved.

The televison is rampant witrh Obama backers. Half the Democrats and all of the Republicans agree - he's the greatest!
We can't have two pro-Clinton people on CNN because that's not being fair.

Just thought you all would like to know....

[MadBadger]

1. Not exactly "breaking news"

[flpoljunkie]

2. Old news! You must not watch MSNBC. Hillary's people are on all day long!

[tokenlib]

3. You're a few days old on this. N/T

[Ian David]

4. Carville is an embarrassment anyway. n/t

[tsuki]

23. Banned permanently would suit me. nt

[BeyondGeography]

5. Nap time is over, Ben

time to wake up.

[Alexander]

6. You're out of the loop and out of touch, just like Hillary. This is old news.

[Levgreee]

7. I don't think they should've pulled them, and I don't know if Obama wanted them to be pulled

but, they should have been talked to to tone down any excessive bias or spin, or they should have indicated that they were Clinton supporters, if they truly were heavily biased.

[LiberalHeart]

8. I think Edwards backers are the only pundits who should be allowed on TV.

[Jamastiene]

9. They were the ones who came up with the

"It's the economy, stupid." phrase that helped get Clinton elected in '92. Obama's people are afraid of Carville and Begala's highly intelligent and charismatic approach to politics and the power they hold when it comes to politics. CNN is not part of my cable package, but if it was, I'd be boycotting them right about now for that move. They should not be messing with the Ragin' Cajun like that. x(

[butterfly77]

10. Obama's campaign is full of a bunch of damn crybabies...

everytime I look around they are crying about something. What in the hell are they going to do when they get into it with the republicons. I thought that I would never say this but, If he is the nominee I may not vote I will:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

[jillan]

11. So - where the Obama supporters banned too?

I didn't know this either, Ben.

[redqueen]

15. I didn't know either.

I hope EVERYONE with a preference is banned, and not just Clinton's supporters.

[Cleita]

12. Gee and after they compromised themselves so much

after the Bush selection trying to spin what was obvious to all of us, a Supreme Court that really needed questioning and hammering, and it should have been Begala and Carville who did it. Instead they preferred to keep their jobs and spin the spin CNN wanted going. I stopped watching shortly thereafter.

[ccpup]

13. yeah, Baby 'Bama stomped his foot

and effectively censored who Americans would and would not hear from regarding the Presidential Race.

[Catherine Vincent]

14. The Obama people complained?

LOL. They complained here also.

[redqueen]

16. This is striking - what other Dem pol has managed to get such quick action from the whore corpomedia

based on their complaints?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

36. Hey, if he did it's all the more reason for me to support him.

Now that's POWER baby! ;)

[redqueen]

42. I'm glad there's a winky smiley there.

[anitar1]

39. RedQueen, do you think the corps want Obama to

be the candidate ? Because they think he cannot win and McCain will end up as Prez?? Would not surprise me in the least. Been on my mind for a few days , as I read some of the articles about Obama and Hilary.Pugs never stop trying to destroy the liberals.

[Joe the Revelator]

17. YOU talk to Carville?

:rofl:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

37. Sure he does. Just like I talk to Barack all the time.

He won't stop blowing my cell up, for real yo.

[LSparkle]

18. It was the right decision -- Carville was advising the campaign

He's admitted it -- and Begala may have been doing the same. (At least Begala was usually pretty up-front about supporting Hillary.) If they want to be advocates, great, but they shouldn't be allowed on as analysts (who are supposed to be what passes for "neutral" in today's world of news), which CNN used them as.

Carville and Begala shouldn't be on the panel providing critique after any CNN-sponsored Dem debate any moreso than John Kerry or Tom Daschle or anyone advising Obama should be doing the same.

[Reciprocity]

24. Can you give a link where (Carville) said this?

This is from Begala.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-begala/fox-news-we-report-e_b_80698.html

Fox News: We Report -- Even if We Know It's False

Posted January 9, 2008 | 12:35 PM (EST)

Snip
Several times that day Fox News reported that I was joining Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign. It was a big story - at least until the stunning election returns. The only problem was, it wasn't true. Fox News never even tried to contact me to verify their story, and when I contacted Fox, I felt like a character in a Kafka novel -- or at least Curb Your Enthusiasm.

[robbedvoter]

19. because 99% positive coverage for Obama - not nearly enough

stats:


Obama: 47% positive, 16% negative.
Clinton: 27% positive, 38% negative.
McCain: 12% positive, 48% negative
Giuliani: 28% positive, 37% negative
JEDNE

Net numbers

Obama +31
Giuliani -9
Clinton -11
McCain -36

I am sure Rush Limbaugh is not included here - he also wants Obama for some reason

[Canuckistanian]

30. Limbaugh NEVER complains about Obama

For him, it's ALWAYS about Hillary. The Hillary camp said this about Obama, the Hillary camp did that to Obama, the "black establishment" (whoever THAT is) hates Obama.

After all that, one is left with the impression that conservatives hate Hillary (big surprise) and are neutral about Obama.

What's REALLY telling to me is that there is NO MENTION of Edwards at all. Not a word.

[redqueen]

43. The media's role in this is so obvious...

I can't believe it's being brushed aside as if it's meaningless... or just about ratings.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

40. Maybe he's just more positive. Enough of this false "balance"

That's what leads Americans to hold dumb ideas like "there are 2 sides to the global warming 'debate'".

And WTF are complaining about McCain and Ghoul getting negative coverage?

[Dogmudgeon]

20. More *complaining* ...

Obama needs to use some whup-ass, not complaints.

This will not promote a positive impression of him, but rather, the reputation of a lightweight who can't handle a relatively mild primary-season rumble. The remarks from both of them resemble a slap-fight. Calling foul over being slapped in a bare-knuckled enterprise is NOT flattering.

I spend a lot of time defending Hillary, but I have never been shy about my liking for Obama. I sent out a scad of rebuttals to the "madrassa" letter late last year (I got several pieces of "cascade" spam with 50-200 names on each). But the fact that he is reacting instead of acting, complaining instead of swinging, and taking every criticism as a personal insult, is going to have severe long-term effects. I hope someone in his camp can convince him to change his tactics before it turns into career suicide.

Bill has been starting to whine, too; it does not look good on him. When Hillary did it about the "vast right-wing conspiracy," she got her ass handed to her. You'd think the boys would learn ...

--p!

[Meldread]

21. Finally! I thought they would NEVER get rid of those DLC bastards.

They hate Howard Dean, too. I hope they are never allowed back on, ever.

[no name no slogan]

22. VIDEO: Carville speaks out

video here

[mrreowwr_kittty]

38. I knew it! But I still had to check.

Good to see ya, Rick!

[Essene]

25. Yea. Obama is so "establishment." Go cry in a corner.

[DefenseLawyer]

26. Is Carville on the payroll

of the Clinton campaign? If so that makes him more than a "supporter" doesn't it?

[martymar64]

27. I'm glad they're gone.

They have both outlived their welcome with this democrat. Carville is irreversibly compromised being married to a neocon and accomplice in crimes against humanity. Also, his hiring himself out to the elitist opposition in Venezuela pissed me off as well.
They are both the elements of the DLC establishment that has been complicit in maintaining the status quo in this election, ensuring that only corporate-friendly candidates have a voice.
They are dead to me.

[OzarkDem]

28. Didn't know they were still on

I NEVER watch CNN, unless its a natural disaster or something.

[NMMNG]

29. Wow. Just a preview of what an Obama presidency would be like.

Kiss free speech goodbye.

[flordehinojos]

31. it just makes me want to ...

:puke:

[bvar22]

32. I wrote CNN months ago to remove Robert Zimmerman

from his position as the "Democratic Party Spokesman".
He was not.
He was a "Hillary Campaign Spokesman", and should have been identified as such.
Zimmerman was a stealth Hillary operative at CNN, and never failed to present Hillary's position as "The Democratic Party's" position.

Carville and Begala...the same, but not as sneaky as Zimmermen.
They don't speak for the Democratic Party.
They speak for Hillary.

I would have no problem if their appearances were preceded by,
"Now, here to give the Hillary Clinton viewpoint is Robert Zimmerman (or Begala or Carville)"

It is pretty late in the game for CNN to be making this move.
It is especially maddening that this admission indicates that CNN willfully and knowingly participated in this deception for over a year.
The damage to democracy and the Democratic Party has already been done.

Chalk up another one for BIG CORPORATE AMERICA!

[ShortnFiery]

33. Good! Now MSNBC needs to ALSO give the boot to Joan Walsh and Craig Crawford.

:thumbsup: :-)

[Edgeoforever]

34. Can't upset the baby.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

35. Well I just got off the phone with Senator Obama

He agreed that his fiendish plot to infiltrate the media with his acolytes has been fully implemented. MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

You know, I bet Carville and Begala could appear on CNN all they wanted, so long as they were identified as Clinton surrogates and not as political analysts.

[laugle]

41. And they call

Clinton a crybaby.........I think the kitchen is getting a little too hot for BO.........