To the shame of the America media, front-and-center operatives of both parties have been allowed to become talking-head “analysts” on the cable nets, as if they were disinterested parties. But I guess Donna Brazile’s latest stunt — funneling debate questions to Hillary Clinton in advance — was too much even for CNN:
CNN has severed ties with the Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, after hacked emails from WikiLeaks showed that she shared questions for CNN-sponsored candidate events in advance with friends on Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Ms. Brazile, a veteran political analyst for the network, was already on leave from CNN since becoming interim chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. On Monday, CNN said it had accepted her formal resignation on Oct. 14.
“We are completely uncomfortable with what we have learned about her interactions with the Clinton campaign while she was a CNN contributor,” Lauren Pratapas, a network spokeswoman, said in a statement. “CNN never gave Brazile access to any questions, prep material, attendee list, background information or meetings in advance of a town hall or debate,” Ms. Pratapas wrote.
The announcement followed the release of new emails on Monday that included a message from Ms. Brazile on the day before a CNN-sponsored Democratic primary debate in Flint, Mich., in March. Her subject line: “One of the questions directed to HRC tomorrow is from a woman with a rash.”
Ouch. But who’s really surprised? CNN and Fox and MSNBC long ago sold their souls for ratings, using “news” as the bait and gullible viewers as the fish. Still, this isn’t the first time Brazile has been sacked in the midst of a political campaign in which she has more than a simple rooting interest:
A Democratic presidential campaign official resigned Thursday after the Dukakis campaign disavowed her comment that “George Bush owes it to the American people to fess up” about a rumor concerning an extramarital affair that rippled through Wall Street on Wednesday.
Dukakis personally apologized to Bush for the remarks, made by deputy field director Donna Brazile, when the two candidates met Thursday night in New York for the Catholic archdiocese’s annual fund-raising dinner. Brazile told reporters accompanying the Democratic candidate that “the American people have every right to know if Barbara Bush will share that bed with him in the White House.”
Dukakis campaign spokesman Dayton Duncan said later: “Donna was not speaking on behalf of the campaign in any way whatsoever” and did not reflect the views of Dukakis. Shortly thereafter, Brazile said in a statement:
“Today I made certain comments which I deeply regret. I believe too strongly in the importance of electing Mike Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen to allow myself to become an issue in the campaign. Because the time is short, and the issues are so important, I have decided to leave the campaign.”
Bush’s spokeswoman, Sheila Tate, said: “The Bush campaign has no comment, no reaction.”
Of course it didn’t. That’s one of the many reasons it lost four years later to Bill Clinton.
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