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Despite Buchanan's defense of book as "not partisan," Dobbs did not discuss her role in Tancredo campaign

May 18, 2007 8:04 pm ET

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On the May 17 edition of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight, host and CBS Early Show special contributor Lou Dobbs interviewed Bay Buchanan, who is promoting her new anti-Clinton book, The Extreme Makeover of Hillary (Rodham) Clinton (Regnery Publishing), but he allowed Buchanan to claim that her book was "not partisan" and "completely objective," without noting that she now works as a senior adviser to Republican presidential hopeful Rep. Tom Tancredo (CO). It was only near the end of the interview that on-screen text identified Buchanan as "Rep. Tancredo's campaign manager," without identifying Tancredo's party or the fact that Tancredo is seeking the same office Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) is running for.

Buchanan resigned from her position as a CNN commentator in March when she announced that she had joined Tancredo's presidential exploratory committee as a senior adviser.

In contrast to Dobbs, who, at the beginning of the interview, did not acknowledge Buchanan's role on the Tancredo campaign, CNN host Paula Zahn introduced Buchanan as "a former CNN political analyst who's now advising Republican Tom Tancredo's presidential campaign" on the May 17 edition of CNN's Paula Zahn Now.

In addition to Buchanan's identification as "Tancredo's campaign manager," toward the end of the interview, CNN posted on-screen text under Buchanan's name at various points that read: "TEAM America PAC" and "Republican Strategist."

From the May 17 edition of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight:

DOBBS: Well, Bay Buchanan is here now. She has a brand new book out. It's entitled The Extreme Makeover of Hillary (Rodham) Clinton, suggesting a little partisanship in its approach. How are you, Bay?

BUCHANAN: Hi, how are you doing?

DOBBS: Congratulations on the new book.

BUCHANAN: Thank you very much. It's not partisan, it's completely objective review of who Hillary is and where she wants to take this country.

From the May 17 edition of CNN's Paula Zahn Now:

ZAHN: Tonight, the polls have Senator Hillary Clinton well ahead of her rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, but one conservative is already looking ahead to the general election and launching a book-length attack on Senator Clinton.

The author is Bay Buchana -- "chanan," that is -- a former CNN political analyst who's now advising Republican Tom Tancredo's presidential campaign.

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    • Author by mefirst (May 18, 2007 8:22 pm ET)
         

      she should have written a book about bush.  he's totally delusional.

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    • Author by MickD (May 18, 2007 9:22 pm ET)
         

      I don't understand why she would lie like that. This is the easiest "you're busted" since Nixon got a tape recorder installed in the Oval Office.

      Lou Dobbs, congrats master. Then the lie. Priceless.

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    • Author by Mike Mid-City (May 18, 2007 10:26 pm ET)
         

      Lou, Lou, Lou... shame.

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      • Author by HuntingtonBeachLefty (May 19, 2007 12:29 am ET)
           

          I'm not sure if this was linked to before at MM, but here is a  review of Buchanan's book that's probably about as objective as the book itself. Enjoy!

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        • Author by HuntingtonBeachLefty (May 19, 2007 12:31 am ET)
             

          Sorry, not a review, but a reprinting of crazy excerpts disguised as a review. Sort of.

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    • Author by wolf kotenberg (May 19, 2007 3:51 pm ET)
         

      Non - partisan ? Why did she write the book ?

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    • Author by Pithaughn (May 19, 2007 6:19 pm ET)
         

      Here's a little association game, quick, whose name pops into your head after reading this?

      "These character flaws, writes Buchanan, make (Blank) overly dependent on gurus and outside experts, with no internal compass to guide him\her -- or the country."

       

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    • Author by yahavhis6653 (May 20, 2007 8:07 pm ET)
         

      I saw the whole broadcast that night. Before the commercial break that preceded Buchanan coming on, Dobbs did mention that she works with Tancredo. The only ones who would not have known this would have been those who tuned in during the commercial or after she was already in the interview. It cannot accurately be portrayed as having been hidden. Pretending that it was is as bad as anything the media spins.

       

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