News Intelligence Analysis
From David Corn's Blog
Why Does CNN Invite Pat Robertson
on To Talk?
Equal Time for Wingnuts?
By David Corn
October 11, 2005
Thanks to Ronald Reagan, there is no longer a Fairness Doctrine that compels broadcasters to give equal time to various political views. So what can be the explanation for CNN inviting Pat Robertson on to talk about, well, anything? They have no obligation to provide nuts access to their audience. (And Robertson does have his own show on his own network.) But once again Wolf Blitzer had Robertson on his Sunday show this past weekend.
Robertson is a bigoted madman. He has made assorted derogatory remarks about Methodists, Muslims and Hindus. He recently called for the assassination of Hugo Chavez, denied he had done so, then conceded he had misspoken. He blamed feminists and ACLUers for upsetting God so much that He (not Her) permitted 9/11 to occur. He's been implicated in various financial scandals. So why listen to anything he has to say--especially without first informing the viewers of all of the above (and more)?
Yet Blitzer gave Robertson no such intro. He quickly asked Robertson to explain why the world has seen the Indonesian tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and the Pakistani earthquake happen within the past year. (Blitzer left out the mud slides of Guatemala.) Robertson eagerly swung at this slow pitch and said that all of this might mean we're at "the end of time," the calamitous era right before Jesus Christ returns. To that, Blitzer said, "All right. Let's move on to something that we perhaps can understand a little bit better, which would be Harriet Miers." And Robertson went on to praise Miers. Then Blitzer gave Robertson the chance to "clarify briefly" his previous call for bumping off Chavez. Robertson teed off again: "This man is setting up a Marxist-type dictatorship in Venezuela. He's trying to spread Marxism throughout South America. He is negotiating with the Iranians to get nuclear material. And he also sent $1.2 million in cash to Osama bin Laden right after 9/11. "
Chavez gave money to bin Laden? If Bush had proof of that, US troops would be in Caracas by now. "Where did you get that from?" Blitzer asked Robertson. Robertson replied, "Well sources that came to me. That's what I was told." Could Robertson be more vague? Blitzer did not press him further. It was time to sign off. He thanked Robertson for having joined him and moved on to the next segment.
But why would CNN let a hate-monger with a record of saying wrong and stupid things come on to pop off about anything and to make unfounded charges based on "sources that came" to him? Just because Robertson has people who watch him on his own TV show? Does that entitle him to appear on CNN and say whatever he wants? CNN let down the people who come to it for serious-minded news.
Posted by David Corn at 12:17 PM | Comments (94)
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