Rachel Maddow Smacks Down CNN For Airing Bachmann's SOTU Response (VIDEO)

Rachel Maddow criticized CNN for airing Michele Bachmann's Tea Party-themed response to the State of the Union, calling it an "inexplicable" decision.

CNN was the only network to air both the official Republican response, given by Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan, and Bachmann's speech. Speaking on Tuesday night, after the response had aired, Maddow said she was at a loss to explain CNN's choice.

"Michele Bachmann is not the national spokesperson for the Republican Party," she said. "She is unlikely anytime soon to be chosen to be the spokesperson for her party. But tonight, inexplicably, a national news network decided that they would give Michele Bachmann a job that her own party never did."

Maddow called it "a remarkable act of journalistic intervention to elevate, in effect, a group with which they are co-sponsoring a presidential debate...to the level of the major parties in this country."

CNN, Maddow said, "decided tonight not to just cover the news about the State of the Union, they decided to make their own."

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Comments

[ednavb]

10:25 AM on 01/30/2011

For Rachel Maddow regarding the Bachman sotu coverage by CNN.
Rachel is called "Freedom of the Press". One of the 5 freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment of our Constitution. You should try it. You will feel good.

[mapmaker515]

09:29 PM on 01/29/2011

CNN was promoting a future Nancy Grace episode devoted to investigating Bachmann's missing brain.

[Wonderwheel]

05:55 PM on 01/29/2011

Michele Bachman is not even a national spokesperson for the Tea Party! What a joke. CNN has no credibility.

[Bali Boy]

05:17 AM on 01/29/2011

She must be trying to retain the two people watching MSNBC, and the two posters using multiple names to post on this site?

[notingle]

04:01 AM on 01/29/2011

and she daily rants on and on about lbgt rights.

[notingle]

03:59 AM on 01/29/2011

why

[twinkledawnn]

12:06 AM on 01/29/2011

I find it surprising that there are so many posts stating they are upset with Maddow for stating her well informed, educated, articulate opinion. Maddow is incredibly intelligent and when she makes a comment about something people should take notice. There is so much anti intellectualism in this country. This is why Maher calls it a dumb country. You folk seem to be proving his point.

[TallThinMan]

11:47 PM on 01/28/2011

How dare Maddow say a specific group has no right to be heard on air!
This is America after all and ALL voices should be heard.
She's allowed to give HER opinion day after day, yet just because her and other like her deem the Tea Party "inadequate" then I guess it makes it okay to silence them.
This is why people at times dont take liberal commentators like her seriosuly because they shout all day for "equal rights", yet dont want to extend the same to "those people"...

[James Lopez]

11:30 PM on 01/28/2011

If I thought my countrymen would "get it" I'd put her on TV too, but sadly most people don't realize how stupid she sounds -- least of all her.

[Chris1962]

09:52 PM on 01/28/2011

Wow, Maddow sure does sound panicky over the prospect of the Tea Partiers being heard.

[SeattlePepe]

09:22 PM on 01/28/2011

If only, only anyone had been watching Maddow it might have been impacting!

[CrzyRussell]

08:37 PM on 01/28/2011

I can't believe this thread is still active.

Change the channel and get a life.

[Algonquin]

08:56 PM on 01/28/2011

And yet, here you are.

[Bat Wrangler]

08:29 PM on 01/28/2011

I agree with Rachel. Why wasn't the Black Congressional Caucus, or the Hispanic Caucus afforded an opportunity to reply? Is Bachmann a Republican or a Tea Party member? If she's a Tea Bagger, than place a (T) after her name, not an (R). She is trying to have it both ways. I personaly don't want to see a bunch of caucuses spouting off after the SOTU, as network t.v. is too boring as it is. But if we give the Tea Party air time, we should do it with all the other caucuses as well.

[CrzyRussell]

08:39 PM on 01/28/2011

why didn't maddow offer it to them?

The more free speech the better.

[TheKurgan9]

09:18 PM on 01/28/2011

Because the Tea Party has a much bigger impact...look at the seats that changed hands this past election for proof.

[mike dougles]

08:12 PM on 01/28/2011

Even Maddow isnt watching MSNBC, she is watching CNN it looks like, funny.

[dgvb]

06:36 PM on 01/28/2011

I think a lot of people are missing a golden opportunity here. CNN especially. Instead of Tea Party response featuring a Republican, why not a REAL Tea Party member? But follow up with a Libertarian, Green, & Socialist as well. Even if it's only five or ten minutes each, it might expand a few people's horizons and maybe a station's ratings. But why limit it to SOTU speeches? Why not have issues spoken about by each? One issue from rep from one "minor" party per night? Tea, Lbertarian, Green, Socialist Mon-Thur. On Friday do an online poll on whose ideas seem best. Or each night let viewers rate their reaction on a scale of 1-5 or 1-10. At the end of the week see who makes more sense. Working title: "What Everybody Else Thinks". As a courtesy, the station could even stream party contact info along the bottom of the screen. Handled right by both station & participants, it could be both novel & informative. Ain't that what it's supposed to be about? How 'bout it CNN, MSNBC, Huffpost? Be nice to start somewhere...

[drummer 40]

01:36 AM on 01/29/2011

"why not a REAL Tea Party member"

That would be must see TV.

"I'm tired of my TAX DOLLARS paying for your anti-Christian socialist beliefs being taught to my kids in PUBLIC SCHOOLS!!!"

*forehead smack*