Via Gothamist, the Post reports: [rquoter]CNBC SWEATS 'OBAMA-BASHING' April 16, 2009 -- THE top suits and some of the on-air talent at CNBC were recently ordered to a top-secret meeting with General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt and NBC Universal President Jeff Zucker to discuss whether they've turned into the President Obama-bashing network, Page Six has learned. "It was an intensive, three-hour dinner at 30 Rock which Zucker himself was behind," a source familiar with the powwow told us. "There was a long discussion about whether CNBC has become too conservative and is beating up on Obama too much. There's great concern that CNBC is now the anti-Obama network. The whole meeting was really kind of creepy." One topic under the microscope, our insider said, was on-air CNBC editor Rick Santelli's rant two months ago about staging a "Chicago Tea Party" to protest the president's bailout programs -- an idea that spawned tax protest tea parties in other big cities, infuriating the White House. Oddly, Santelli was not at the meeting, while Jim Cramer was, noted our source, who added that no edict was ultimately handed down by the network chieftains. CNBC flack Brian Steel confirmed the get-together, but insisted: "The dinner was to thank CNBC for a job well done in our in-depth reporting throughout the financial crisis. As far as our coverage is concerned, we are built for balance and we are unabashedly pro-investor." Our source retorted: "That is complete bull[bleep] . . . they didn't invite a lot of people to [the meeting]. There were many staffers who were working 24/7 during the crisis who weren't asked to attend, even Santelli, who was a big star for the network during those weeks. Why not?" In addition, the insider said: "News of the meeting is starting to leak out and people are contacting a number of the on-air people to ask if they've been muzzled by GE."[/rquoter]
If it were true that would be bad. But the Post in general has a horrible track record, and page 6 specifically is the GOSSIP page. It has no validity at all. There are so many stories I've seen in page 6 about events I was actually at, that have no relation to reality.
The stupidity of this story is that the same conservatives who bash obama for being socialist, now is claiming that one of america's largest and most profitable companies doesn't want to criticize him?
Barack is very sensitive and doesn't like his feelings to be hurt. His entire political presence is predicated on positive publicity. Without it, he's the unqualified fraud that the non-Kool Aid drinkers see. CNBC ripping into him is very damaging, since they essentially represent the business community. The Obama marketing campaign simply can not allow any negative press to occur. I can't imagine many of the Obama Sheeple watch CNBC anyways -- especially in the mornings when cartoons are competing for their attention.
