Cal: Amanpour Thinks Like Nasr But Too Smart To Tweet It

July 11th, 2010 7:49 AM

CNN fired an editor for expressing "a lot [of] respect" for a Hezbollah leader the US had designated a terrorist.  So how has ABC dealt with someone with similar views?  By hiring her and awarding her the prestigious plum of host of This Week.

So what's the difference between Octavia Nasr and Christiane Amanpour?  Not much, says Cal Thomas, when it comes to their views.  It's just that Amanpour is too smart and sophisticated to stick her views on a Tweet.

Thomas shared his insight on this weekend's editon of Fox News Watch.

JON SCOTT: A Tweet that cost a reporter her job.  Octavia Nasr was CNN's senior Middle East editor for 20 years until this week, when learning of the death of a Hezbollah    cleric she decided to share her grief via Twitter, writing there "sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah.  One of Hezbollah's giants I respect a lot."  A giant whom she so respected, designated a terrorist by the US Treasury Department. The Tweet immediately became a center of controversy and CNN fired Ms. Nasr.

. . . .

CAL THOMAS: The dirty little secret here is that she was simply expressing viewpoints that is widespread not only in the American media but much of the Euro media.  If you watch the BBC, for example, as I frequently do when I'm over there, coverage of the Middle East, it is virtually all one-sided, pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel.  Christiane Amanpour holds many of these views as well, I would daresay, but she is smart enough and sophisticated enough not to stick them on a Tweet.

Jake Tapper has been drawing widespread praise and solid ratings while serving as This Week guest host.  Is ABC sure it wants to hand the reins over to someone with Amanpour's ample baggage?