Larry Kudlow -- CNBC's Answer to Glenn Beck

Every cable news network these days, it seems, wants to have a resident crackpot to draw an audience of gawkers, the masses H.L. Mencken once referred to famously as "the boob-wa-sie."

CNN has Lou Dobbs. Fox News, of course, has cap-and-bells guy/rubber-room candidate Glenn Beck, and MSNBC has Joe Scarborough, who once stormed off the set last fall when Rachel Maddow offended his tender sensibilities. Even a sober outfit like C-SPAN has Cong. Michelle Bachmann, the best-known of the GOP psychic exiles who crawl out from under rocks for the Congressional cameras. (Bachman is the go-to gal on Ed Schultz's "Psycho Talk" MSNBC segment. )

Even a usually serious business network -- when the stock market is open, anyway -- CNBC, has not one but two sideshow acts in residence -- Jim Cramer, of course, but also Larry Kudlow. But Cramer's far more consumer-friendly than Wall Street shill Kudlow, who's yet to have his comeuppance, unlike Cramer. It's long overdue.

Kudlow, possibly the only guy on cable to interrupts people more often than Chris Matthews, hasn't gotten the critical attention he deserves lately. But it's hardly for lack of trying.

We've learned a lot lately about what happens when capitalism goes off the rails after being virtually unregulated. Examples are Matt Taibbi's brilliant financial reporting on the predatory, bubble-creating Goldman Sachs recently in Rolling Stone, and New York Times columnist Bob Herbert's piece on the financial industry and banks fighting pro-consumer reforms ("Chutzpah on Steroids").

Kudlow, who until recently showed an interest in running for the Senate from Connecticut (we dodged that bullet) as, natch, a Republican, feels your pain. If you're a banker or a free trader, that is -- not, of course, if you're one of those millions of whiners who are out of work or have lost their 401(k)'s. Kudlow, undaunted by history, is the cable world's staunchest defender of the indefensible.

There's no more prominent supply-sider in the media today than Kudlow -- his Kudlow Report weeknights on CNBC supplies more pure B.S. about delusional "government interference" in an hour than the Fox Business Network does in a day. (But Kudlow doesn't show half as much leg as FBN's babes. Another bullet dodged.)

To demonstrate his serious approach to examining major financial issues, one day this week Kudlow invited the estimable tin-foil-hat lady, Rep. Bachmann, on The Kudlow Report to discuss her imaginative plan to audit the Fed.

Then, on a segment about looming income-tax increases, the abrasive Kudlow showed charts, a CNBC staple, that were helpfully supplied one of his nutty panelists -- and the, um, Cato Institute.

The chart supposedly showed the current U.S. tax rate at 42 % (it's actually closer to 30%), and next to it a graph labeled "with Obama tax hike" at 47%. With national health-care, another chart showed, it will supposedly rise to 51%, which, Kudlow indignantly barked, "is substantially above Germany, Italy and France."

"Those charts are misleading," said another panelist off-camera, but Kudlow waved him off. Imagine.

Here's another Kudlow-ism uttered this week you may wish to laminate for your wallet:

"China is not playing along with all this global-warming hysteria."

One wonders: Is the preternaturally annoying Kudlow really the best front man the Wall Street booster club Teddy Roosevelt memorably described as "the malefactors of great wealth" can produce?

If so, those of us Kudlow referred to as "G-8, Obama, and that crowd" can take solace.

Fox News boor Bill O'Reilly is constantly whining about NBC's supposed liberal bias. Someone should remind this clown about Larry Kudlow, the capitalist tool.

In fact, a better name for Kudlow's CNBC show: "Tool Time."

 

Follow Bill Mann on Twitter: www.twitter.com/newsmann

Comments

[ejhickey]

On yesterday's program, Kudlow praised Hank Paulson and indirectly President bush and implied they saved the economy. He defended Paulson's actions even while admitting that some of them may has crossed the line of legality.

Kudlow is also recommending Bank Stocks, especially Goldman Sachs and BAC. Watch those stocks and see how they do. Last night Kudlow was saying we should expect good earnings from BAC . However the stock is tanking this AM

[ktriddle]

If anyone on TV, network, cable or otherwise, is more "full of himself" than Kudlow, I've not had the displeasure of seeing him. When is the general public going to realize that CNBC is nothing but a shill for the very industries who have destroyed this country.

[ninthraphael]

The abundance of liars and distortionists in the media is overwhelming. Propagandists is too kind a word for these people. Our system can't tolerate the word "F--k " being uttered in the national television but a lot of distortionists can lie and protected by the freedom of speech. this is the most convoluted and sick situation we are in. we need a thrid party of the people.

[sailor422]

like Scarborough, Ratigan, and Mathews, Kudlow really does not need guests. Cardboard cut outs would do given the non-stop mouth these guys have.

[gloriousbeing]

Kudlow is only watchable in segments of 2 minutes. At the end of those two minutes, I want to hurl my television into traffic. He is a wealthy, mean, old, white curmudgeon who fears not being able to steal from middle class Americans at the rate he was accustomed to.

[Joseph A. Palermo - Huffpost Blogger]

Kudlow needs this kind of attention because he's been dishing out so much ideological extremist misinformation on his show he really is a propagandist like Beck -- I've seen him talk about the economy in a way where the Congress should just give Wall Street anything it wants and then shut up and not ask for anything in return -- it doesn't work that way -- I wish the FCC could do something about the propaganda we're hearing everywhere -- please Michael Copps save us!

[drjay79]

When we had a budget surplus he went on and on that the government should give it back to the taxpayer.
Never hear a peep out of him about increasing taxs now to cover the deficit, the man is a fool.

[LMPE]

I've never watched CNBC.

[petef59]

Last week: one day Kudlow is whining about European economic policy (as the wrong direction for the US); the next day he is praising the corporate tax rate in some Euro countries as much more favorable (to business) than supposedly proposed Obama Administration rates (not mentioning their sales tax rates). Another cable tv 'debate' news program where bullying moderators interrupt guests and no time for all relevant facts are given time. More appropriately cable 'shows', as in dog & pony.

[R.W. Sanders - Huffpost Blogger]

Agreed. What is with NBC and it's bastard child MSNBC? For all I hear of their liberal bias, I just don't see it that way. It seems to me that with a few notable exceptions, namely Keith and Rachael, these folks sound like republicans. "Morning Joe", a show I used to watch, is now a joke. That is disappointing as I thought it was a show with a chance to be a valuable use of air time. Before Obama was elected, they used to have a great guest list and one heard all points of view. Now, other than being an infomercial for the most important book since the bible, it rarely expresses any point of view other than Joe's republican rants. Rarely is there a real democrat who is not a paid member of the NBC staff. And what's with all the air time for Lez, er I mean Liz Cheney, whose only qualification is being the result of Dick's spoogie? It's as if they believe she has something to say. And if it's not her, it's some hack like Peggy Noonan or the ultimate homage to Jack Welch, his wife Suzy. The problem with ever getting a truly democratic voice on television is that all networks are owned by rich republicans. Sadly, there are many pundits who are willing to follow the script while drooling over their suddenly much larger bank accounts. My dream is to tune in to the Huffington Network. How about it Arianna?

[LebronJeremy]

I think the media has been infiltrated by lobbyists. Otherwise, there would have been a substantive debate about healthcare, and why senators are so opposed to reforming it. Hint: it's because of pre-meditated bribes by the insurance lobbyists.
These senators should be lambasted by the liberal and conservative media for betraying the populace. While I'm aware that no conservative in there right mind would want healthcare for the single, unemployed mother living in an inner-city, something should be said about the politicians' willingness to ignore public opinion for the right price.
Yes, the once powerful "political watchdogs" are now simply the political dogs.

[jdbid1]

Kudlow is just one of many on CNBC whose main objective is to undermine the Obama Administration.

[ejhickey]

Not exactly. Kudlow like what has been done for the banks - i.e. giving them free money and letting them lend money at 5%-6% . Kudlow like bank stocks and has said these stocks will leaad us out of the recession. Kudlow is wrong of course but he like programs that give businesses government money.