Rachel Maddow Smacks Down CNN For Airing Ballonhead's SOTU Response (VIDEO)

[Joanne98]

Rachel Maddow criticized CNN for airing Michele Bachmann's Tea Party-themed response to the State of the Union, calling it an "inexplicable" decision.

CNN was the only network to air both the official Republican response, given by Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan, and Bachmann's speech. Speaking on Tuesday night, after the response had aired, Maddow said she was at a loss to explain CNN's choice.

"Michele Bachmann is not the national spokesperson for the Republican Party," she said. "She is unlikely anytime soon to be chosen to be the spokesperson for her party. But tonight, inexplicably, a national news network decided that they would give Michele Bachmann a job that her own party never did."

Maddow called it "a remarkable act of journalistic intervention to elevate, in effect, a group with which they are co-sponsoring a presidential debate...to the level of the major parties in this country."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/26/rachel-maddow-cnn-bachmann-sotu_n_814149.html

[ananda]

1. Ermm.. inexplicable?

I don't think so. CNN needs ratings, and the Tea Party is in part a media creation.

[samsingh]

2. funny they didn't offer a liberal group the same opportunity

[A Simple Game]

3. If CNN shouldn't have done it,

then why would Rachel give them another 8 minutes of publicity?

If the 24 hour news networks quit talking about each other, they would only have 12 hours of air time.

Is there no real news to air? Do they really have to talk about each other?

The first news network that actually airs "news" and not propaganda and gossip will get me to start watching them!

I used to love watching CNN back when it was a news network.

[Empowerer]

4. "My name is Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann ..."

LOL. I can just hear her parents . . . "And this is our new baby, Congresswoman."

[lame54]

5. Not near as bad as her network silencing their #1 voice

[kjackson227]

10. +1

[Swede]

6. I think is was a great idea.

Mainly because a lot of Republicans were against it.

[Phx_Dem]

8. +1

[Phx_Dem]

7. I'm glad they aired it. It further cements the fact that the teabaggers have taken over the GOP.

From the reviews I've seen, Bachman looked and sounded like a lunatic, which is a directly reflection on the GOP whether they like it or not. Why else would they be so pissed that she ignored their request not to follow Ryan.

I think it's awesome!!

[vaberella]

9. It wasn't a smack down. What she did was do exactly what CNN did..elevate the Tea Partiers.

It was a shit move on her part and I'm a bit annoyed. She even aired a bit of the Bachmann fiasco and I have to say that the Republican she had on made a few strong arguments which unfortunately made her whole point seem ridiculous. She shouldn't have touched the topic.

I'm always surprised how people are ready to give credit when some moves by those in our camp is just a crap move. Reminds me of the praise Grayson got for his shit commercial...which I felt contributed to his loss.