CNN in Damage-Control Mode With Dems Over GOP Operative Hire

[babylonsister]

CNN in Damage-Control Mode With Dems Over GOP Operative Hire
The hiring of longtime Republican operative Sarah Isgur has set off alarms for Democrats. Now the network is doing some cleanup.
Maxwell Tani,
Sam Stein
02.20.19 8:13 PM ET


The Democratic National Committee has sought and received assurances from CNN that the network’s new politics editor, Sarah Isgur, will not be involved in the debates that the channel hosts and moderates for the Democratic primary.

The assurances were provided after the committee expressed reservations to CNN over Isgur’s history in Republican politics and after officials at the committee raised concerns over her alleged connections to a now-retracted Fox News story on the debunked Seth Rich conspiracy theory.

CNN announced this week that it had hired Isgur to help oversee the network’s coverage of the 2020 election. Until late last year, she had served as Jeff Sessions’ top spokesperson at the Department of Justice after previously working on campaigns for Carly Fiorina and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).

Her hiring set off a round of recriminations from journalists, who argued that the longtime Republican operative had no prior experience in the news industry, and from Democrats, who believe she brings a clearly established ideological agenda with her to her new post.

Inside the DNC, the reaction was one of what one source called ”disbelief.” Officials there attempted to get clarity over what role she would actually play in campaign coverage. Ultimately, a senior DNC aide told The Daily Beast that CNN assured them Isgur would not have involvement in Democratic debates. It remains unclear the extent to which she will be involved in other elements of the network’s Democratic primary coverage.

"[Chairman] Tom Perez and the DNC expressed to CNN that they have serious concerns with the hire," the aide said. "They continue to talk to the network about how this impacts 2020, and as of Wednesday, they got assurances that Flores would not be involved in debates."

more...

https://www.thedailybeast.com/cnn-assures-dnc-ex-sessions-aide-sarah-isgur-wont-work-on-democratic-debates?ref=home

[Squinch]

1. Cleanup would be hiring a real journalist and not a partisan hack. I'm out on CNN till she's gone.

Time to boycott.

[EndGOPPropaganda]

2. Oh yeah don't watch CNN - they're all about profit seeking not truth

But also CNN should fire this rightwing liar.

[Squinch]

3. But we each need to contact them to tell them that.

[EndGOPPropaganda]

4. It's also important to tell other Americans that CNN is all about profit

And helped get Trump elected. I think grassroots pressure is just as important.

[Squinch]

5. Yep. We need to work from all directions.

[dewsgirl]

6. Although I still like some of their anchors and love Jim Acosta,

I have been done with CNN for a while now.

[tanyev]

7. It's getting hard to find people who will give fawning coverage of Trump's pep rallies.

Sarah can bring that in spades.

[HAB911]

8. Let them know!

https://www.cnn.com/feedback
http://www.cnn.com/fyi/legal/feedback/index.html

[a kennedy]

9. Thanks for this info, just sent them my 2 cents worth.

[Maven]

10. Jeff Zucker is a SNAKE who bears significant responsibility for giving us Trump

Dems should not trust a word that he (and by extension CNN) says.

[Achilleaze]

11. Screw CNN's sellout to the KGOP republicans

by hiring an anti-journalist to pimp KGOP propaganda.

Unforgiveable.