During a fawning report on Thursday’s Today show about former Vice President Joe Biden officially entering the 2020 presidential race, NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell briefly noted that the Democratic frontrunner’s first campaign fundraiser will be hosted “At the home of David Cohen, Senior Vice President of Comcast, parent company of NBCUniversal.”
As a CBSNews.com article explained on Wednesday, Cohen is more than just a top executive at Comcast, he is also the “chief lobbyist” for the major media corporation. The report pointed out:
Unlike many of his competitors, Biden is courting some of the party’s traditional high-dollar donors to support his campaign, which is evident from the invitation to the fundraiser, obtained by CBS Philadelphia. The Cohens, along with cohosts who include top lobbyists and lawyers in Pennsylvania, are seeking donations of at least $2,800 to attend the fundraiser, though there is also a “young professional” donation level of $250 included on the invitation.
According to OpenSecrets.org, Cohen has a history of contributing to both Democrats and Republicans. In the early 1990s, he served as chief of staff to then-Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell. As Mitchell acknowledged, Rendell, the former Democratic Pennsylvania Governor, is also one of the co-hosts of the Biden fundraiser.
During the presidential primaries in 2015, Media Research Center president Brent Bozell and NewsBusters executive editor Tim Graham called out Comcast for NBC’s blatant bias when hosting debates. Reporters from the network, along with those from cable partners CNBC and MSNBC, routinely used the events to trash Republicans while treating Democratic contenders with kid gloves.
Now, a member of Comcast leadership is openly backing one of the top Democrats ahead of 2020. The first Democratic debates will be hosted by NBC and MSNBC on June 26 and 27 in Miami, how can viewers possibly trust those debates will properly challenge the field of liberal contenders?
