CNN's Rick Sanchez: 'I Play It Down the Middle'

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CNN Newsroom anchor Rick Sanchez may want to give stand-up comedy a try if his career in journalism falters.  On Friday's program, Sanchez said - with a straight face:

To be clear, we don't fit into any template here, Democratic or Republican or otherwise. I play it down the middle.

Anyone who's seen Sanchez at work knows how funny that is.  Throughout his program posts from the microblogging service Twitter crawl across the screen.  Known as tweets, the messages Sanchez selects to air come overwhelmingly from liberals.

Friday's program was instructive.  Newshound Rick on Monday had interviewed porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims she's being urged to run against Louisiana Republican U.S. Senator David Vitter, himself involved in an earlier sex scandal.  Interviewing Stormy is the sort of hard news on which Rick thrives, so he ran Monday's interview again on Friday.  Then he moved on to discuss Rush Limbaugh:

SANCHEZ: So, by the way, among those participating these days, Rush Limbaugh. He was watching us again this week, when we broke the news about a breakthrough on the president's stimulus package.

And now, as you listen to Rush, see if you can decide who he's more mad at, me for reporting the news of an apparent legislative victory for President Obama, or the three Republicans who broke ranks with Rush Limbaugh and sided with the president?

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP, "THE RUSH LIMBAUGH SHOW")

RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Exactly right. Rick, let me help you out. I know it's going to be in vain. If you show too much intelligence, CNN will move you over to Headline News and nobody will ever see you.

But this was a clear victory for the Republican Party. Snowe, Collins, Specter? Rick, if you would listen to this program, I predicted back in November-December the Democrats didn't need 60 votes, because they have got at least two of these three on every piece of legislation. So they don't have to worry about what happens in Minnesota. They're going to have 60 votes, because you're going to have a number of RINO Republicans.

I said earlier today it's great to flush them out, get them out of there. Let it be known that they are not Republicans. The Republicans lost seats in the House precisely because we're cleaning up. We're getting rid of the Republicans in name only.

This is a clear victory for Republicans, in the sense that they are establishing an identity, an identity based on opposition. When this bombs out, Rick, when it doesn't work, there aren't any Republicans that can be forced to take the blame for this.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Aye-aye, sir. And I do listen, by the way. He seems to be telling all Republicans to oppose the president at all costs and in every way. Imagine that.

To be clear, we don't fit into any template here, Democratic or Republican or otherwise. I play it down the middle.

So what does Rick consider the middle?  Of the tweets he aired Friday, here are the ones that had an obvious political view.  Keep in mind that they are repeatedly displayed through the entire show:

Rush limbaugh again?  Doesn't this guy have a job. . .or have bigger fish to fry?  Say, like our falling economy & wars?  Geesh

Can somebody PLEASE tell me Y it is the GOP has such issues w/trying to help Americans here at home?

phelps, moh - rush needs to just go away - run stormy run!

Who cares what Rush "limbo" says.  He's a wasted up drug addict

Limbaugh is just jealous b'cause ur twitterers can read & write independent thoughts.  His followers can only follow.  Baaa!

Why don't Republicans work with the Democrats on a bill that they could support?  Don't complain, offer solutions!

I wish CNN would stop giving limbaugh's the attention he wants.  Those of us that have a life don't want to hear about him!

it's obvious that Bush was attacked because he was stupid.  Obama being attacked because he's intelligent.  Much more vitriolic

Rick. . . Where can we contribute money to Stormy's run against that Republican prostitute monger?

Rick, it's time to vote the obstructionist Republicans out of office!

I'm telling you man. . .invite Rush over for pinata party and fill it up with hornets; invite Beohner too

why even have a adult actress on a national show anyway?  Isn't that a form of endorsement?  P.S. is Rush on dope again?

Rick, don't back down on Rush.  He's hoping to get free advertising for his show from you

Rush Slimbaugh needs to get mad at something worth getting mad at.  Good Grief

Yes, indeed, right down the middle.  Nearing the end of the show, Rick moved to what he calls the Twitter board:

All right. We got another one. It says: "Let Rush fulminate. If he's not for you, that means you must be a thinking human being."

And then finally: "Joaquin Pheonix, ELRUSHbo on Oxycontin. Phelps on a bong. Only your show reports the real news."

Real news, like Stormy Daniels's political aspirations.  And for background, crawling messages with a definite liberal spin.  Are we to believe that yesterday he didn't get any Twitter messages from conservatives?  

Maybe Sanchez is already doing stand-up.  He's just doing it sitting down.