It's increasingly clear that CNN has chosen a new identity for itself in 2006, as the premiere Bush-bashing network (as opposed to just being a Bush-bashing network, they now want to be #1). CNN has given up on chasing after #1 Fox; today it more conscious of the need to consolidate its position as #2, ahead of #3 MSNBC. MSNBC, of course, has been mostly a disaster ever since it started more than 10 years ago
Which reminds me: How come there was no "thank you America" tour from MSNBC back in August? And the answer, of course, is that MSNBC doesn't anything to be thankful for, at least in terms of viewership. But wait, there is one thing for MSNBC to be thankful for: The deep pockets of NBC--that's kept them going all these ratings-shriveled, money-losing years.
OK, now back to CNN. This morning Wolf Blitzer was touting CNN's upcoming "Broken Government" specials, with the help of CNNers Jeff Greenfield, Jeffrey Toobin, and Candy Crowley. Each one is getting his or her own show this week on the theme of Broken Government--you get it? And who's in charge of the government these days? Get it? (Other CNNers on the Bush-bashing, Democrat-aiding bandwagon are Lou Dobbs and Jack Cafferty.)
That's the CNN plan, obviously intended to pre-empt Keith Olbermann, and maybe get some good access to the Democrats who might well be controlling the 110th Congress. If that sounds like advocating and lobbying as opposed to journalism--well, that's because it is.
But every bad plan shows its flaws, and this one is no exception. Blitzer told Crowley that her special was entitled, "Two Left Feet." And then he asked her where she got that name from. The answer that Bitzer was fishing for was some sort of reference to "two left feet" as a symbol of clumsiness. But instead, Crowley responded with candor: She hesitated and said of the title of her special: "Well, it came from the top."
Which is to say, somebody up at the level of Jon Klein dictated the title of Crowley's special, putting a distinctly unfair and unbalanced spin on the show.
And yet at the same time, we can be somewhat thankful for a) Crowley's candor, and b) the Freudian slip made by CNN. Two left feet, indeed.
