CNN’s Soledad O’Brien just can’t stop herself from appearing like she works for the White House rather than the supposedly most trusted name in news.
This was so apparent on Monday’s Starting Point that guest Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, asked her, “Am I debating with the President's campaign?” (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):
Early in the segment, O’Brien defended Vice President Joe Biden’s debate performance last week by saying the campaign told her the next morning, “If all the Republicans point out is laughing, clearly they have nothing to criticize on.”
Giuliani countered, “Oh, there's plenty to criticize. I mean, the cover-up of Benghazi is startling.”
“Well, that’s not really a cover-up,” quickly interjected Democrat strategist Richard Socarides.
“Can I finish my statement before you get all upset?” scolded the Mayor.
From there, Giuliani imparted some of the facts of the situation.
O’Brien then predictably put on her Obama campaign hat and said, “The White House now is basically saying the State Department dropped the ball. The State Department is looking and saying…”
After Giuliani mockingly sighed, O’Brien responded, “Listen, I'm telling you how it goes – and they’re saying there's intel issues.”
“So what they're really trying to do is they’re trying to run out the clock,” Giuliani continued. “The investigation will be after the debate, after the election is over. So what they're trying to do is cover up this scandal as much as possible.”
“Calling something a cover-up kind of takes it a further step, don't you think?” defended O’Brien.
“No, it doesn't,” replied the Mayor. “The statement was made, including by the President of the United States, that this was due to this terrible movie about Mohammed."
“But, but he actually didn't say that,” amazingly countered O’Brien. “The verbatim, the actual verbatim of what he said, he did not say that it was something other than that. But it was mentioned, but he did not specifically say this was due to a movie.”
Yes, an anchor for the supposedly most trusted name in news really did say this.
She then talked about pulling transcripts of what the President said leading Giuliani to state, “Man, the defensive. Am I debating with the President's campaign? I mean, the defense of the President is overwhelming.”
After some crosstalk, Giuliani continued, “This sounds like a cover-up. If this weren't a Democratic president, I think all you people would be going crazy.”
Following a question from Reuters’ Chrystia Freeland about whether these foreign policy issues will be trumped by the economy this election, Giuliani said, “ I think if, in fact, this becomes a question of the President's lack of leadership, then it cuts into the economy as well, and it's beginning to become like that.”
“The White house has fumbled this,” the Mayor continued. “Whether it's a deliberate cover-up or they're making it look like a cover-up, they have fumbled the ball four or five times here. Several contradictions. So, excuse me if being the fact that I'm a Republican, I don't give them as you do all the benefit of the doubt.”
When Giuliani said “As you do,” he looked and gestured towards O’Brien.
Did I mention that she works for the supposedly most trusted name in news?
(HT Alex Alvarez)
