Dems Hit CNN For Keeping RNC’s Castellanos On The Air

[babylonsister]

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/democratic-national-committee/dems-hit-cnn-for-keeping-rncs-castellanos-on-the-air/

Dems Hit CNN For Keeping RNC’s Castellanos On The Air


The Demcratic National Committee, which seems to relish mixing it up with the media, is taking a shot at CNN for keeping GOP strategist Alex Castellanos on the air as a contributor even as he takes on an expanded public relations role at the Republican National Committee.

Castellanos is going to be playing a bigger communications role at the RNC in the wake of the departure of Michael Steele’s communications director yesterday. But CNN has nonetheless decided to allow Castellanos to continue appearing on the network offering political analysis, Sam Stein reports.

That drew a rebuke from DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan, who emails me that there’s no way Castellanos will be able to offer “independent analysis” on the network.

Castellanos has also functioned as an ad buyer for the insurance industry, and he had a consulting contract with the Chamber of Commerce, a determined foe of Obama’s agenda, though both these roles seem to have ended.

The DNC’s Sevugan emailed this statement:

“By bringing on a senior strategist for the Chamber and AHIP, the Republican Party can no longer pretend that they aren’t in the pocket of big business and the insurance industry lobby and it made it crystal clear who Republicans are fighting for — and it’s not our families and small businesses. When Castellanos is on CNN as a top strategist for the GOP, the insurance industry, and the Chamber of Commerce, he certainly won’t be offering any “independent analysis.”

A CNN spokesperson, Edie Emery, told Sam Stein that the arrangement was acceptable because Castellanos won’t be paid by the RNC and because the network employs contributors who advise both parties. I asked Emery to name a CNN contributor on the Dem side who is the equivalent of Castellanos, and she cited Donna Brazile.

It seems to me that Castellanos is going to have a more central role at the RNC than Brazile ever did at the DNC. It’s true that such abuses occur on both sides — the revolving door between consulting and offering allegedly independent on-air analysis is a bipartisan one — but Castellanos seems like a particularly striking example.

[uberblonde]

1. Easy enough to fix!

Dump Donna Brazile, too!

[babylonsister]

2. I wouldn't have a problem with that; she's pretty ineffective. nt

[AlinPA]

4. She is useless in that role on CNN.

[AlinPA]

3. Like Fox "News", I don't think CNN is interested in independent analysis. nt

[NNN0LHI]

5. Remember how fast CNN canned General Wesley Clark at the first hint he might be a Dem?

As long as he remained a closeted Dem everything was all right. But soon as he strayed off the corporate reservation the fucking hammer came down.

Don

[NNN0LHI]

6. Here is a photo of Alex so you will know him when you see him

[CatWoman]

7. crikey!!

he's been using Boehner's Spray-on-tan....