Why is CNN hiring conservative misinformer Bill Bennett?
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The weblog TVNewser recently reported that CNN has hired radio host and former Reagan administration Secretary of Education Bill Bennett as a political analyst to replace outgoing conservative columnist Robert D. Novak. According to the report, which CNN would not confirm, Bennett is scheduled to go on air early this year. CNN is reportedly hiring Bennett despite his controversial September 28, 2005, comment on his radio show that "it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime ... you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down."
Bennett has defended his statement with falsehoods. CNN reported on the controversy surrounding Bennett's inflammatory remarks, and Media Matters for America has documented other examples of Bennett advancing conservative misinformation in the national media.
In December, we asked for your help in urging CNN not to renew Novak's contract. Novak's contract was not renewed, and CNN could have found another commentator to fill the vacancy -- one who does not have a history of advancing conservative misinformation. But they didn't. We need you to ask CNN to justify why they hired someone who has such a strong track record of conservative misinformation and inflammatory comments.
Take Action! Click here to contact CNN and ask them why Bennett's conservative misinformation has earned him a place on a major cable news outlet.
Resources:
Previous misinformation by Bill Bennett
Media Matters exposes Bennett: "[Y]ou could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down"
Bennett defended racial comments with falsehood
The "liberal" voices allowed on the right-wing propaganda machine tend to be vapid, inaticulate, and easily cowed. The machine's reluctance to allow a strong progressive presence demonstrates its own weakness.
If the progressive view is as correct as we claim, we should be able to tolerate a Bill Bennett whose extreme views can be examined by our audience, and compared to ours.
Who better to replace the snarly right-wing voice of Robert Novak than America's self-styled moral arbiter, Bill Bennett?
theoldguy77