Can NBC's Chuck Todd be any more obvious about being a White House shill?
On Sunday's Meet the Press, he actually said of the Ann Romney-offending Hilary Rosen, "This is not an Obama surrogate. This is a paid CNN commentator" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
CHUCK TODD, NBC NEWS CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: We saw the Romney campaign desperately trying to find anything to close this gender gap, change the conversation away from this idea of access to health care, things like that, and instead, move it to something that is on more comfortable turf. So they found one thing, and boy did they move to essentially manufacture a controversy because this is not an Obama surrogate. This is a paid CNN commentator, all of those things. But they were pretty effective at using them - we know the echo chamber that's out there.
As Politico reported Thursday, this is what Obama's chief campaign adviser David Axelrod told CNN's John King.
But is that the case?
National Review's Jim Geraghty reported Thursday:
Gen. David Petraeus, head of our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the current CIA director, nine times.
Further perspective: Energy Secretary Stephen/Steve Chu visited 16 times. (Guests are listed by name, not by title, so it is theoretically possible these totals count a separate person with the same name. In the case of Chu, I’m presuming he is the one listing of “Steve Chu” as well as the 15 “Stephen Chu” listings.)
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki has visited 19 times.
Former CIA director and current Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, 12 times.
Geraghty updated his piece with even more evidence of Rosen's ties to the White House:
Rosen Advised The Obama White House On Messaging During The Obamacare Debates. [...]
Rosen’s Firm, SKDKnickerbocker, Is A Paid Advisor To The DNC And Played A Prominent Role In The Obama White House & 2008 Campaign [...]
Former Obama White House Communications Director Anita Dunn Also Serves As A Managing Director At SKDKnickerbocker. [...]
During The 2012 Election Cycle, SKDKnickerbocker Has Been Paid At Least $120,864 By The DNC For Media Consulting, Communications Consulting, And Media Production. [...]
SKDKnickerbocker’s Website Includes A Section Highlighting Their “Broad Role” In The Obama 2008 Campaign
Yet NBC's chief White House correspondent has the gall to go on Meet the Press claiming, "This is not an Obama surrogate. This is a paid CNN commentator."
Let's face it: Todd's salary and the cost of all of his airtime on NBC and MSNBC should be included in documented political contributions to the Obama campaign.
