The Washington Post's "conservative" blogger is now telling Republicans to shut up and move on from their complaints of a liberal media double standard. The Post's Jennifer Rubin told all the GOP candidates to "grow up" on CNN's Reliable Sources on Sunday.
"These candidates should grow up, get their message out," she ranted, emphasizing that conservative candidates have grown "obsessed" over the media's liberal treatment. [Video below the break. Click here for audio.]
She also hit candidate Rick Santorum's positions as "really far outside even the mainstream of the Republican Party" and defended the media's scrutiny of him as "very fair game." Even CNN's Howard Kurtz was cautious to give the media a pass, saying they need to be "careful" about a double standard.
"There's lots of other media outlets for them to get out their message out," Rubin said of the Republican candidates. She didn't clarify if any of those outlets had audience numbers in the ballpark of the three major networks and the major newspapers.
CBS News contributor Scott Conroy also defended the media backlash against comments made by Santorum's big financial supporter Foster Friess, even though Santorum claimed he was not responsible for things said by a supporter of his. "He's much more than a supporter," Friess stated. Would Conroy be willing to say the same of liberal billionaire George Soros and President Obama?
A brief transcript of the segment is as follows:
JENNIFER RUBIN, "Right Turn" blogger, Washington Post: Yes, but it is very fair game to talk about his own statements and his own positions which are really far outside even the mainstream of the Republican Party.
HOWARD KURTZ, host, CNN's Reliable Sources: And what about his double standard charge?
RUBIN: You know, that's for people like you and me to talk about. He's a candidate. And he should stop whining about the media's double standards. I think the candidates have gotten, particularly on the right, and I will talk to my friends on the right, have gotten obsessed with this. Ronald Reagan won the presidency twice with no FOX News, with no talk radio, with no blogs. These candidates should grow up, get their message out. And you know what? There's lots of other media outlets for them to get out their message out.
KURTZ: Well, you're saying we're not all that powerful, but at the same time, I do think we have to be careful about holding candidates of different parties to the same standard.
