Brian Stelter Defends DNC's Decision to Exclude Fox News From Debates

I had meant to post this earlier, but apparently I was stupid and did not.

Let me see if I understand the plot here: Republicans will continue permitting leftwing activists dishonestly labeled "journalists" to moderate its debates in the future, right?

The Democratic National Committee will not permit Fox News to televise any of its 2019-2020 candidate debates because of the network's ties to the Trump administration, citing a New Yorker article.

That's an article by Fake News specialist Jane Mayer, who previously brought us some of the most spectacularly embarrassing and self-discrediting New Accusers against Brett Kavanaugh.

So she's obviously solid.

Why it matters: There are 12 scheduled debates, 2 of which have already been awarded to CNN and MSNBC. Each tends to bring lucrative business to the network airing it -- the first Republican debate in August 2015 had 24 million viewers. The DNC believes Fox News would be incapable of hosting a "fair and neutral debate" given its ties to President Trump -- including the fact that he rates Fox News personalities' loyalty and solicits advice from them.

The other side: "We hope the DNC will reconsider its decision to bar Chris Wallace, Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, all of whom embody the ultimate journalistic integrity and professionalism, from moderating a Democratic presidential debate," said Bill Sammon, FOX News senior vice president and managing editor. "

Well, of course DNC spokesman -- I mean, CNN media analyst -- Brian Stelter rushed to praise the DNC for demonizing some media and blocking the access of some media to political actors.

You gotta listen to this.

This is a callback.

Below, the video with the actual audio, though I think the Enhanced Audio is more truthy.

Michelle Malkin has it right:

They're playing for blood, while we're trying to prove We'll Make Nice Pets to our leftist overlords.

In a like-minded mood is Mollie Hemingway, who says the DNC's announcement is all the more proof of why we need to fight -- not coddle and flatter and cozy up to, but fight -- the media.

Fox News’ opinion hosts include Trump-loving Sean Hannity. Its news hosts, including Bret Baier, Martha MacCallum, Shannon Bream, and Chris Wallace, are far more objective than those at other broadcast media outlets. Liberal Trump critic Shep Smith is also billed as a news host. Other media outlets frequently blur the line between news and opinion, with CNN hosts Jake Tapper, Brian Stelter, Chris Cuomo, and Don Lemon mixing their liberal opinions with occasional bouts of news.

In recent years:

* NBC sat on evidence exonerating Justice Brett Kavanaugh, discrediting Michael Avenatti and his clients' accusations.

* CBS published false documents to smear President George W. Bush.

* CNN fed debate questions to Hillary Clinton before a presidential debate.

* ABC helped Democrats launch their "war on women" campaign strategy in 2012.

* And CNN attacked Mitt Romney during a debate when he said true things about the Benghazi terror attack.

That's just a few off-the-top-of-the-head examples of media and Democratic Party collusion regarding election year issues and debates. But it's a problem that exists so constantly as to be a crisis.

NBC's Chuck Todd showed his legendarily extreme bias on Sunday's "Meet the Press" show. He falsely claimed Rep. Jim Jordan was sharing opinion, not facts, when he accurately discussed Michael Cohen’s testimony that he'd never been to Prague -- a central claim of a discredited dossier, secretly funded by Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee, secretly fed to media outlets and intelligence agencies, and used to undermine the Trump administration for more than two years.

But when Sen. Mark Warner claimed there was evidence of collusion with Russia, Todd didn't push back in any way, despite the lack of evidence. Last year, Tapper, a former gun control spokesman, hosted a rally that spun up a mob against gun rights and Dana Loesch while letting a corrupt sheriff off the hook.

..

The question is, why do establishment Republicans allow Republicans to be treated as second-class citizens? They sit back and lamely accept the false narrative that Fox is a crazy right-wing propaganda network while the other media outlets are treated as straight news. This is pure gaslighting.

Read the whole thing.

Below, some memories of Martha Raddatz crying when she realized Trump had won the 2016 election.

Open thread. I'm suuuuuper-tired this week. I feel like a NeverTrump wife after five straight nights of Stranger Danger Date Night. I need a bath, an early night's sleep, and a lot of cranberry juice.

posted by Ace of Spades at 07:41 PM

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