Carville, Begala Temporarily Banned From CNN After Obama Complaints

Talking Points Memo:

Okay, this is interesting. I've just learned that CNN has told top Dem strategists James Carville, Paul Begala, and Robert Zimmerman -- who are CNN mainstays but are all Hillary supporters -- that they will not be doing any more political analysis on the network until the Democratic primary has reached a conclusion.

I'm also told that this move came after the Obama campaign repeatedly complained to high level officials at CNN about the presence of Carville and Begala on the network.

Read the whole story: Talking Points Memo

Comments

[LincolnlandBabe]

09:03 PM on 01/29/2008

I'm getting the sick feeling that the fix is in all over the place. MSNBC has also been wetting their pants over my 'esteemed' junior senator from Illinois. He has abandoned his state-wide constituents here after representing us way less than a full term as a U.S. Senator in order to embark on bigger and better things--You'd think he'd try and work on putting in some effort and some passion for his people with the job he has now. Why his lackluster performance and his lack of accomplishments aren't examined further is a crime against free speech. Also, all I've been seeing on T.V. are Obama ads--Sorry, but it's making me sick knowing now how much of a cry-baby he really is, and his grip on the media is offensive and incredulous.

[JLM1977]

01:33 PM on 01/29/2008

More whining from the Obama camp; those guys need to grow up and stop whining. Is this the statesman that is all the rage right now? A man who turns his back on a colleague rather than shaking her hand, a man who, rather than argue and stand toe to toe with his opponents reverts to labeling all attacks from his main opposition as racist, and finally a man who complains to a news network about it’s political pundits? I am not awed by the Senator from Illinois. This guy is just as childish as Bush the 43rd.

[Counterglow]

07:50 AM on 01/29/2008

I notice all the commentators with a military background, good little Bush blowboys one and all, still have their jobs.

[smustaro]

03:22 AM on 01/29/2008

Wow, do you guys not think this is freaking INSANE? Where is Obama getting such clout? Anybody starting to wonder how it is the "Agent of Change" controls the media? Gee whiz, I can't wait to see what other "change" Obama will demand & get. His cousin just machetes his rivals. I'm wondering if there are any other family traits we should be concerned with?

http://www.raila07.com

You folks created a MONSTER. Now we'll all live with it. Does the loss of free speech not concern anyone in the field of journalism? I recall that has been very hard fought for. Me thinks it's time to start a grassroots campaign to put the mighty Obama back in his place. With the rest of the mere humans.

[GCnDC]

12:34 PM on 01/28/2008

I'm in favor of anything that will keep James Carville's ugly face off TV.
And anyone who thinks that Obama is not electable but Hillary is, you are wrong. There is no way that Hillary can win. Lot's of people, especially women, HATE her! Two women at my job got into a very heated argument over her. I live in DC and my mother was here last year and we went to the First Lady's exhibit and I overhead three time very disparaging remarks about Hillary, all from women.

[WellbornBroad]

12:30 PM on 01/28/2008

Please fire all the talking heads on all programs, starting with Wolf Blitzer

[Effymens]

11:54 AM on 01/28/2008

Who cares what Donna Brazile says . She did such a good job for Al Gore.Cnn is a joke and i am going to stop watching it just like i stopped watching Hardball .I cant belive that they will ban Paul and James but will allow that Benneth to be spewing his venom.

[magicmary]

11:01 AM on 01/28/2008

Can we just fire ALL the blowhards? Let them all go write editorials or start blogs but leave TV to simply reporting the news.
I know that's not ever going to happen. We Americans love dirt too much to let go of it even as we pretend to be outraged at it.
Are you like me? I used to read lots of books but then the internet came into my life and the cable news shows. I fear I've been assimilated!

[General]

10:10 AM on 01/28/2008

OK...You wanted TV 24/7...you got it.

Got Brains?

[sockman]

07:33 PM on 01/27/2008

Even Arianna burried this story deep in the politics page. Another Clinton hater.

[lexicoscott]

01:18 PM on 01/27/2008

CNN last night during the SC primary was disgusting. The entire back panel were bashing the clintons hard core. Seems a little suspect that they would allow that, and not allow other analysts to show their support for them. Truly odd. Reminds me of the lack luster job Blitzer did in 2003 when we went to Iraq. Seems CNN has another nugget to gain from certain candidates and their willingness not to be balanced in their reporting.

[GenXer]

04:54 PM on 01/26/2008

OOO, someone has to sit in the corner.

[grumbles]

03:49 PM on 01/26/2008

It doesnt take a brain surgeon to see that they have destroyed all meaningful Democratic analysis.
Wolf Blitzer- Republican
Candy Crowley-Republican
Gloria Borger-Republican and works for the Washington Post Republican hatchet paper
Bill Schneider-Republican
That about 3 hours of news late afternoon and early evening! Followed by Lou Dobbs!
They have relegated Anderson Cooper who is far more talented than Blitzer to the 10:00pm slot and virtually exiled him.
I didnt notice they took Bill Bennett off.
Someone at CNN has decided that the pattern of
programming Faux News follows is the one that brings in the viewership so they are going with that template. That's Taps you hear in the background.........

[tomt]

02:01 PM on 01/26/2008

Of course! That's a no brainer!

[EugeneWright]

01:09 PM on 01/26/2008

In the interest of fairness, does this mean that MSNBC will stop Chris Matthews from bringing on almost exclusively anti-Hillary analysts during the campaign season?