Jamie McIntyre, Former CNN Reporter: Rick Sanchez 'A Joke' (VIDEO)

A former CNN reporter said that Rick Sanchez should have been fired for making the news "a joke" long before his explosive comments about Jon Stewart and Jews led to his dismissal from the network.

Jamie McIntyre—who was a longtime Pentagon correspondent for CNN until late 2008, when, according to him, former network president Jon Klein fired him—made the comments on "Reliable Sources," CNN's media show:

"I think the unfortunate part, actually, is that Sanchez was fired for these intemperate comments and not really for what he did on CNN, which is seen by many people in the industry as kind of a joke... it's OK to be entertaining, and I think people want that in television news. But what's missing there a lot of times is the context. And in the course of doing that, he did a lot of sort of things that came off as very silly."

The other panelists—former ABC reporter and anchor Carole Simpson and Washington Post writer Paul Farhi—agreed with McIntyre. Host Howard Kurtz also played clips of some of Sanchez's more over-the-top moments--including the infamous incident where he was voluntarily tasered.

WATCH:

Comments

[Brent in VA]

02:39 AM on 10/23/2010

I wondered what happened to McIntyre. CNN fired him? Thats the dumbest thing I've heard all day. He was very well respected and was an oustanding correspondent. I wonder where he's working now, I don't see him on tv anymore.

[Pennsylvanianne]

04:47 PM on 10/06/2010

Carole Simpson and Jamie McIntyre are both intelligent, insightful, dignified folks whom I very much miss delivering and covering the news. Wish they still were! CNN made big mistakes firing McIntyre and giving Sanchez an entire show. These are just two possible reasons why CNN's ratings are declining.

[miriamfl]

08:31 AM on 10/06/2010

Display name 2 Fans a Rightwingnut lure!!! DO NOT TAKE THE BAIT !!!!

[Muslimhumanist]

10:32 AM on 10/06/2010

What is a lure? I responded to this guy before I saw he went through and basically attacked every other post here with an accusation of racism. Creepy..

[miriamfl]

12:31 PM on 10/06/2010

I was reading some comments warning that there are rightwingers that get paid .25 cents every time they get a Reply, so the way this person was posting it appeared he just wanted someone to reply to his disgusting comments that didn't make sense just to make some money.

[roch20]

11:40 PM on 10/05/2010

Ah, enough of such mockery. It is 'OK' to talk about it, but it does not seem right that they want to take his career and map the soil; and all for a stupid incident.

[rabiddog6708]

09:58 PM on 10/05/2010

Sanchez is am empty suit and is empty headed.

[carollt]

08:33 PM on 10/05/2010

Good luck to you Rick. Get that chip off your shoulder. All of us have a load to bear; don't feel like the lone stranger.

[truthisneeded]

06:43 PM on 10/05/2010

2 awful "propagandists", Kurtz, McIntyre; and by association the third person on CNN's studio panel as well, try and protect their Time Warner / CNN bosses/partner for their undignified and wrongful termination of Sanchez, who happens to be a great journalist.

[Deparis]

04:26 PM on 10/05/2010

Way to pen the headline, whichever knucklehead wrote it! He did not say Rick Sanchez was a joke, as the headliner would like to make us read into or believe.

This is the quote: "I think the unfortunate part, actually, is that Sanchez was fired for these intemperate comments and not really for what he did on CNN, which is seen by many people in the industry as kind of a joke... it's OK to be entertaining, and I think people want that in television news. But what's missing there a lot of times is the context. And in the course of doing that, he did a lot of sort of things that came off as very silly."

So either the author of the quote is saying "what he did on CNN" was "seen by many in the industry as kind of a joke" or that CNN itself was "seen by many in the industry as kind of a joke..." The use of the pronoun "which" before " is seen by many in the industry as kind of a joke" supports my point.

[truthisneeded]

04:01 PM on 10/05/2010

Should Kurtz apologize to Sanchez?

"Washington Post/CNN media critic Howard Kurtz has repeatedly failed to disclose his financial relationship with CNN when writing about the cable channel... "

[MarshaMarshaMarsha]

04:01 PM on 10/05/2010

Clearly, CNN does not want any of it's news people expressing their own personal views. Too many have fallen before Rick. I liked Rick's show, but didn't like his constant commenting on the plight of illegal immigrants. I also don't like the way he was summarily fired. There have been many incidents over the years with other anchors who've made fools of themselves, apologized, and life as they knew it went on. I don't think CNN would have given Rick a 2-hour time slot it they didn't like his style & he didn't have a following. I'm sad for Rick.

[KIR10]

03:48 PM on 10/05/2010

Excuse the typos. sorry

[KIR10]

03:46 PM on 10/05/2010

Carole Simpson it right it was in the back of his mind. Paul Farhihad said his credibility was destoryed because he was not neutral and objective a objective news man? Has he ever watched a news show on Fox, MSNBC and CNN. He was fired for not being objective about Juos and Northeast Liberals. Both seem to fell that they are above beening bigoted. Farhihad.... is a bigot.

[truthisneeded]

02:53 PM on 10/05/2010

CNN / Time Warner treated Rick Sanchez in a very un-American way, my opinion

[OnlyIfIHaveTo]

03:24 PM on 10/05/2010

How so? They gave a high profile poisition to a clearly unqualified person. Watched as viewers ran away in droves as he performed miserably. How could you watch him and be entertained or learn anything?

[opprobrious]

03:46 PM on 10/05/2010

Sums it up nicely.

[wm1066]

05:27 PM on 10/05/2010

Hey, I can answer that but first we'll have to go to a break!...........

[Geogravee]

11:31 AM on 10/05/2010

People like Jamie McIntyre are followers and slaves of people they work for. "You were so boring that you could have been part of the wall-paper". Sanchez is a welcome change even if I disagree with some of his exaggerations. He has guts that you Jamie cant dream of. For Carole Simpson a double-minority AA recipient of special rights to employment in mainstream media and everywhere else to join Jamie in denigrating Sanchez is to say the least disgraceful. These guys are now jumping on the bandwagon attacking Sanchez in the hope that the powers that be will throw some crumbs their way.

[violettefemme]

12:50 PM on 10/05/2010

His "exaggerations" are exactly the problem. News needs to be delivered straight up.

His kind of "journalism" belongs over at PhauxNooz.

[Marcus1]

02:01 PM on 10/05/2010

All true and fanned.

[justoverit333]

11:26 AM on 10/05/2010

Sanchez was overdue to be fired. He's a silly little man who was not
getting enough attention and recognition.