Pardon The Interruption: CNN Drops Afghanistan Discussion For Serious Breaking News About Rush Limbaugh

So, it's half past six or so on a Wednesday evening and I am watching that evening's edition of CNN's Wolf Blitzer and the Chamber of Situations, where my boss (full disclosure: Arianna Huffington is the co-founder of The Huffington Post) is discussing her provocative op-ed, which calls for Vice President Joe Biden to resign if he cannot reconcile his opposition to escalating the war in Afghanistan with an administration decision to proceed with such an escalation.

Arianna was discussing the matter with a panel of guests that included Gloria Borger and Kevin Madden, both of whom -- while skeptical -- asked very tough-minded but fair questions about the prospect of Biden resigning under protest, and what of value could be gained by such an act. Everyone involved approached the topic with a commendable level of seriousness. Arianna had highlighted the issue of the Afghanistan war by saying "there is nothing more important than a matter of war and peace" and had literally just got finished saying, "We are spending $65 billion this year in Afghanistan, and $2.5 billion in Pakistan. There's a huge disconnect between the reality on the ground and the illusions that are currently guiding our foreign policy in Afghanistan," when suddenly, Wolf Blitzer interjected, saying: "I want everybody to stand by just for a moment." Whereupon, CNN's super-serious "BREAKING NEWS" animation swooshed by the screen.

For a brief, mad moment, I sat forward in my seat, convinced that I was about to hear of some fearful news development! As it turns out, though, no:

[WATCH]

News instincts!

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Comments

[balrog221]

wow... it would have been great if someone had called them on that...live. " Wolf did you just cut away from a discussion about funding a war (where our soldiers are giving their lives) to cover a pro-sports ownership story? Wolf, that is the problem with our media these days" as I was saying 65 billion..."

[RachelMc]

lol

[liberalOrgonian]

CNN is one step above fox non news.
They let people ramble on with false BS, they need to make an effort to weed out fact from fiction.
We deserve the truth.
Bush is not our president any more, no need to lie and distort reality.

[antmousie]

There was something Game Showy about it. As if Wolf was about to announce the winner.

[akababs]

I don't watch Fox, so why do I keep hearing stories about Rush Limbaugh? This "breaking news" interruption was ridiculous to say the least. And they call themselves journalists and a news network. What a joke!

[Charlotte2009]

LOL best laugh I had in a long time....

[nyoped]

Is this The Onion? Must be.

[captaindoug]

bring back TED Turner please

[motamanx]

That was not what I would call :Breaking News".

What the hell was Blitzer thinking? Change the subject because it was getting TOO IMPORTANT?

[Rictracee]

CNN is a JOKE!

[CeeCee]

Well, at least it was GOOD breaking news.

[RG5626]

Where have you gone Ted Turner
America turns it's lonely eyes to you
woo, woo, woo

[MJinCanada]

Was that an old clip or did Limbaugh regain all his weight already?

And who breaks into political discussions to report on a sports story?

[lollygirl52]

It's absolutely ridiculous to give Rush L. this much importance. Other than the fact that we should celebrating shutting out this hot air balloon from the NFL, the discussion occurring on CNN was too important to break for this kind of (as Chris Matthews would say) crappola!

[goodpyr]

I must confess,it took the first couple of months this year to notice the change in CNN.They've gone from
a competent news channel in'08 to lusting after sensationalism in the same vein as Faux.They're are not yet the out and out propagandist that Faux has become,but they certainly tailor their questions and the opportunity to answer to favor controversy.So, to see them interrupt a legitmate discussion to report on
a situation that anyone who is even vaguely familiar with the workings of the NFL Owners
Committee, wouldn't let go forward.
It is a shame that CNN has slippped this far.

[17ladyslippers]

Looks as if CNN has its priorities straight, doesn't it? Just keep feeding the Americans what CNN thinks they want. It's part of the dumbing down of America.

The trouble is though, there are a still a lot of intelligent people that do have their priorities straight.