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You are here: Home / Politics / Media / Your Liberal Media

Your Liberal Media

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Oddly enough, they still find ways to surprise:

Apparently, Castellanos makes enough money doing media work for private health insurance companies and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that he’ll be unpaid for his work as the RNC’s senior communications adviser. And since Castellanos won’t literally be on the Republican National Committee’s payroll, CNN is entirely comfortable paying him to offer “political analysis” on the air.

And here I thought the ethical/professional lines had already been blurred too much. Now, CNN — you know, the network that has positioned itself as above the fray — will feature regular on-air commentary from the Republican National Committee’s new message/strategy guy.

Here is some of Castellano’s handiwork:

I guess we can all figure out why the RNC needed to pick him up.

I wonder if Chuck Todd thinks I am being subjective when I say it was outrageous Castellano had a job at CNN in the first place, but now that he is officially working for the GOP, it is an appalling breach of ethics.

And if CNN won’t do anything about it, how about the liberals and Democrats who appear on CNN do something about it. Call him out every time you are on- make sure every chance you get you point out that CNN’s political commentator is an official GOP hack.

Reader Interactions

72Comments

  6. 6.

    Darius

    There are liberals and Democrats who appear on CNN???

    Oh, there are Democrats, to be sure – mostly DLCers like James Carville and Paul Begala. No liberals, though.

  8. 8.

    Zifnab

    @Darius:

    No liberals, though.

    The drop Paul Krugman on every now and again. And Markos Moulitas gets a wave and a nod right around the time Bill O’Reily decides to start calling him the new Hitler.

  9. 9.

    Crashman06

    …it was outrageous Castellano had a job at CNN in the first place, but now that he is officially working for the GOP, it is an appalling breach of ethics.

    Pretty much right on there, John. It’s a little depressing to think much more about this.

  13. 13.

    low-tech cyclist

    It sure is good that the mainstream media has high standards. What are those standards again?

    It must be like the Groucho line: “Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them… well, I have others.”

  16. 16.

    Kryptik

    This calls for Jon Stewart to make another appearance, I think.

    Which show should he destroy next? Situation Room? State of the Union? Or should we just sic the whole of the Daily Show staff on CNN and undermine it completely?

  18. 18.

    Violet

    how about the liberals and Democrats who appear on CNN do something about it. Call him out every time you are on- make sure every chance you get you point out that CNN’s political commentator is an official GOP hack.

    Ha ha ha ha ha. As if they would dare. They wouldn’t be asked back for the cushy pundit jobs. Not that there are very many liberals there anyway.

    If Alan Grayson appeared on CNN, he’d probably mention it. But I’m not holding my breath that anyone else will.

    Pathetic bunch of losers. It’s just depressing watching this stuff.

  19. 19.

    JGabriel

    John Cole @ Top:

    And if CNN won’t do anything about it, how about the liberals and Democrats who appear on CNN do something about it. Call [Castellanos] out every time you are on — make sure every chance you get you point out that CNN’s political commentator is an official GOP hack.

    Alternately, show up for the taping, then cancel when you realize Castellanos will be appearing too. And refuse to appear with him when informed in advance. Force CNN to make every appearance of Castellanos an unbalanced right-wing propaganda fest that threatens their legitimacy.

    Unfortunately, CNN might not notice. After all, they did keep Glenn Beck on the schedule for 17 months.

    .

  20. 20.

    The Grand Panjandrum

    It doesn’t really bother me when known shills are on the air. It’s the guys who are supposedly “unbiased” or have no agenda. Castellano doesn’t hide his partisansip and is obviously a GOP operative. No biggie. Just another whore working the same corner as the rest of’em.

  21. 21.

    SpotWeld

    But at this point, for Castellanos *not* to be given access to CNN screentime would confirm “liberal media censorship”

  22. 22.

    beltane

    I think I’m going to have to take up Buddhist meditation, because between crap like this and the additional troops being sent to Afghanistan, I will become physically ill through a combination of rage and despair.

  23. 23.

    Pigs & Spiders

    This is why I can’t wait for this 24/7 cable news media model to die. It’s going to take a while (though if Murdoch would actually cut off Google, that would speed things up) but it will happen. Eventually even the most microbial amongst us will start to realize that watching The View 24/7 would have been time better spent. To quote Jeff Jarvis, “The future of news is entrepreneurial, not institutional.”

  24. 24.

    Zifnab

    @Kryptik:

    Or should we just sic the whole of the Daily Show staff on CNN and undermine it completely?

    The Daily Show gets a solid chunk of it’s material simply mocking the collective cable news outfits. Honestly, I prefer Stewart stick to attacking FOX because I don’t like CNN getting even negative attention. Besides, it’s fun watching John Stewart and Sean Hannity getting into a pissing contest.

  25. 25.

    geg6

    I think the last time I turned CNN on for anything was back in September 2005.

    Fuck CNN. Which is pretty much what Ted Turner said recently about the state of his brainchild. And for the same reasons I say it.

    I saw an interview with him talking about what a sewage pit CNN had become. He said he would consider buying it back if he thought he could cancel all the current contracts and re-boot the entire schedule. And then he basically said, hell, I’m too rich and too old to go through the trouble to save what has become a piece of shit.

  27. 27.

    Legalize

    One of the benefits of my Direct TV package is that I can ignore the very existence of any channel I want. I can literally make channels not appear in the guide. I do this with CNN. Although I suppose I could come across it by accident.

  28. 28.

    freelancer

    OT – Sully:

    They do not mention climate change, which is the entire fricking reason for cap and trade. And what are “market-based energy reforms”? Isn’t cap-and-trade specifically designed to operate with markets, not against them?

    I said the exact same thing yesterday.

    These people and their pro-wrestling Kabuki media cheerleaders will be the end of us all.

  29. 29.

    Mouse Tolliver

    @Crashman06:

    Is that hair supposed to be a reference to Something About Mary?

    Yes. If he’s forced to make a non-apology I expect him to say he didn’t understand the site gag.

  30. 30.

    Senyordave

    The Democrats are so goddamn afraid of angering epublicans its sickening. For once in their miserable lives, make this into a pissing contest! The worst part is I’m guessing their logic is “let the Republicans have their rope, they’ll hang themselves with it”.

    How’s that working out so far, Pelosi and Reid? Every time a shitbag like Grassley starts paroting a Palin talking point, CALL THEM OUT ON IT! Make it into a big story. Instead they spent weeks caving into the so-called moderates Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats, who won’t vote for the bill anyway.

    And Palin? Call out that dumbass, mention her by name, challenge her to a fucking debate. That piece of garbage (let’s face it, if she were a male pol she would be subjected to vitriol of an amazing level, so I’ve decided to raise the level myself) did single-handedly help to poison the well on healthcare.

  35. 35.

    geg6

    @Senyordave:

    let’s face it, if she were a male pol she would be subjected to vitriol of an amazing level, so I’ve decided to raise the level myself

    As a woman and a feminist, may I say thank you for that?

    Honestly. It drives me nuts that so many pundits hint around about this (and several have said it right out loud–yes, Tweety, I’m looking at you). Oh, she’s a woman! Can’t really criticize her cuz those crazy women will get all hormonal on ya!

    Bullshit. Any woman in the political arena should get the same treatment as a man in the same position. I called St. Ronnie the Vacuous every name in the book. I have no plan to pull my punches of the Dumbshit of Wasilla.

  36. 36.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @geg6:

    A comment like that is exactly why I continue to be a Ted fan, geg6. Turner’s such a strange guy — he was at one point supposedly a devout Randroid (he put up “Who Is John Galt?” billboards all over the south — I think this was 30 or 35 years ago), but his Democratic/progressive/liberal politics and his philanthropy (including the UN) don’t mesh with that at all. He embodies the Whitman line, “Do I contradict myself? Very well, then, I contradict myself. I am large; I contain multitudes.”

  37. 37.

    licensed to kill time

    I find watching any cable news so disheartening that I really have to ration it. Which cable channels, you ask? Oh, any of ’em, all of ’em that are out there, you know, that are put in front of me on a daily basis.

  39. 39.

    joes527

    @Zifnab: The only report that I’ve seen that makes it sound like this conclusion is based on actual facts is here. It still sounds a bit like “we couldn’t find hard physical evidence of murder, so it must be suicide” but at least it goes into some of the facts that led to calling it suicide.

  43. 43.

    Chuck Butcher

    @geg6: Any woman in the political arena should get the same treatment as a man in the same position. I called St. Ronnie the Vacuous every name in the book.

    I play pretty rough on my blog, but… Appearing in public with or in opposition to a public political figure does require some judgement in language and tone. Whatever my or your view of feminism it is politically counter productive to be seen beating up a woman. The rightness of doing it is meaningless when your agenda is winning public support.

    That doesn’t mean avoiding the argument or letting BS just go by, it means appearing to be taking, say, Sarah seriously and cutting the guts out of the argument while being nice to her.

    IOW, “I understand that a lot of people are concerned about some kind of death panels, the simple fact is that there is neither language or provision for any such thing in any of the bills.” not “You stupid twit, that’s a lie.” Personalizing an argument in public is dangerous business – see the McCain campaign.

  44. 44.

    GReynoldsCT00

    @Kryptik:

    as I was going to say before I got hijacked by muppets, I’d like to see him go after Tweety. Even if he has before, Tweety cannot be mocked enough.

  46. 46.

    licensed to kill time

    @SiubhanDuinne: Oh, you know, in respect to those American values that we all hold so dear in respect to those other values that those troops over there are fighting for on a daily basis every day.

    (I just got sent to youtube for a Muppets video?WTF!?)

  51. 51.

    licensed to kill time

    @freelancer: Totally awesome! I clicked on submit for my comment and next thing I knew I was in Muppetville. Infinite Improbability, Drive on!

  56. 56.

    Chuck Butcher

    @freelancer:

    it’s like engaging our very own “Infinite Improbability Drive.”

    or a “ramdom stupidity generator” in theme with the random number generators in programs, something stupid is bound to happen – you just don’t know what at any given time.

  57. 57.

    Chuck Butcher

    @freelancer:

    it’s like engaging our very own “Infinite Improbability Drive.”

    or a “ramdom stupidity generator” in theme with the random number generators in programs, something stupid is bound to happen – you just don’t know what at any given time.

  64. 64.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    It doesn’t really bother me when known shills are on the air. Castellano doesn’t hide his partisansip and is obviously a GOP operative. No biggie.

    Yeah, ’cause that’s what our society needs right now: hacks spouting their propaganda freely.

  65. 65.

    Zifnab

    @Notorious P.A.T.:

    Yeah, ‘cause that’s what our society needs right now: hacks spouting their propaganda freely.

    It’s not like this is a radical change of pace from the last 30 years. Oh noes! Not hacks spouting propaganda! And as communications director for the minority political party specifically know for it’s hack spouting propagandists, no less! I am shocked.

    Honestly, I’m happy to see him get sucked off the CNN front lines and pulled back into a more official role. Can we get Andre Michelle-Greenspan a job at the RNC? How about putting Joe Scarborough in charge of the RSCC? Maybe pull Pat Buchanan off the air and keep him busy running the Dobbs campaign for 2012?

    Watching Republicans eat their own lures and seed corn doesn’t bother me in the least.

  66. 66.

    Cain

    @freelancer:

    your muppet video link broke the comment system.

    Really? What did it do? I dind’t do anything special other than the usual code to do an href.

    cain

  67. 67.

    Cain

    Oh! You mean I warped everyone to watch the muppets?! Awesome! It is too bad.. just think what an awesome rikroll that would have been.

    cain

  69. 69.

    geg6

    Chuck Butcher @43: And since that is what the Dems in Congress have done for the last 30 years. How’s THAT worked out for ya? I’d agree with you about being all civil and all, but if the opposition attacks and spews outrageous lies and calls you all kind of ridiculous names, I have no problem with calling that person a liar. One of the things I liked about Obama during the primaries and the general was that he had no problem calling out this stuff. He did it with grace and humor and/or righteousness, but he did it. Pussy footing around, worrying about beating up on an opponent, especially if it’s a woman, is a loser’s game. Hilary could take it. Why not Sarah?

  70. 70.

    Chuck Butcher

    @geg6:

    There’s a difference between what will work if you’re a politician trying to pull together the coalition that will win you an election and being a pundit. In 06 & 08 you saw the outcome of Rovian politics. Realities on the ground will trump a lot of politics, unemployment is going to do a hell of alot more damage in ’10 than anything the GOP has to say.

    What will work with geg6 is one thing, what will work with the piece you have to win over is another. Short term anger and fear will work on an issue (Iraq – terror) and then it wears out. Anybody on your side knows Sarah is a liar, that’s not your target. I didn’t say let it go by, I said be civil and attack the argument. It isn’t about fucking Sarah, it’s about health care reform (for instance) and personalizing it distracts from the message and the point. It isn’t as though she is the only liar, but if you say “Liar” too many times it becomes just a word. There is also the element of confronting fear, amping up the emotional content is not in your favor if reason is where you’re trying to go.

    It is important to remember that each side has where they’re trying to take an argument and that agenda will drive the rhetoric. The GOP is still trying the Rovian game, remember that they’re a desperately small minority in the legislature, t

  71. 71.

    Chuck Butcher

    The last 30 years have been about a hell of a lot more than yelling “liar” or not. The Democrats cooperated quite nicely with efforts to frame them. It also didn’t help a bit that they turned into arrogant assholes in Congress. Democrats picked fights that they were going to lose – see firearms. Democrats didn’t learn framing and still haven’t. I have to come here to see somebody point out that it is the Democrats who have to come in and repair the economy after the GOP gets done wrecking it, repeatedly.

    None of the real problems Democrats have had over the time span you bring up really had squat to do with calling someone a liar. You make the argument itself the lie if you want win that one.

    Was what was wrong with the previous 8 years Bush or was it the GOP mindset? You can’t keep fighting Bush, but the GOP is still there and so is the mindset. Personalizing it as Bush doesn’t address the continued existence of the GOP mindset and its outcomes.

  72. 72.

    ET

    This is a serious conflict of interest and the fact that CNN hasn’t done some (yet) just goes to show you how pathetic CNN has become.

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