Howard Kurtz does it again: Last Thursday night, Anderson Cooper did a truly remarkable thing.
First, he said the Obama health law “is actually nowhere near the biggest tax increase in history.” See THE DAILY HOWLER, 7/6/12.
Then, a right-wing con man stamped his foot. So Cooper rolled over and died:
ERICKSON (7/5/12): And Anderson, I do have to take one issue when you said it wasn't the largest tax increase in history. Remember that the CBO window only looks at 10 years and the individual mandate doesn't start for a few years. If you actually move the CBO window to when the individual mandate starts and when it goes into complete effect, it is the biggest tax in American history.Truly, that was pathetic. And it concerned the biggest political topic of the preceding week!
COOPER: OK. Point taken.
Three days later, Howard Kurtz aired his weekly CNN program, Reliable Sources. It would have been the perfect time to examine the press corps’ treatment of this major political claim.
By now, this had been the biggest political topic of the preceding ten days. In the face of an attack from the right, Cooper had made a strange instant reversal.
And sure enough! Kurtz did discuss Anderson Cooper on Sunday! In fact, he did a whole segment on the weak-minded, unprepared sack of Schick.
Kurtz discussed Cooper at great length. But uh-oh! Here’s how he opened the segment:
KURTZ (7/8/12): It wasn't exactly stunning news, but it was news he had never before publicly acknowledged. And when Anderson Cooper said, "Yes, I'm gay," he didn't do it in front of the television cameras where he makes a living but in an e-mail.People! Who cares if voters are being misled? Cooper came out as gay!
"I've always been open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, my family, my colleagues. In a perfect world, I don't think it's anyone else's business. But I do think there is value in standing up and being counted."
So is it any of our collective business? And why did the CNN anchor finally feel compelled to come forward?
We’re glad that Cooper came out as gay. We’re especially glad that he felt he could. (Without jeopardizing his $11 million, that is. Heaven forbid the guy should come out and get bumped back to maybe nine million.)
But Kurtz’s program is massively driven by bougie values. The RNC can mislead voters as much as it likes! Only “life style” counts!
Kurtz’s program gets dumber by the week. It’s now thoroughly driven by bougie concerns, some of which are important.
The RNC can say what it likes! That may be the choice of Kurtz's owners. But it's Kurtz who is making it stick.
I had to look up "bougie" on urbandictionary.com.
ReplyDeleteKurtz is as big a corporate shill as he can be. He sucks up to all for access, and only covers the most talked-about stories in a cursory way. He truly is insufferable.
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