On Monday's News Live, MSNBC's Contessa Brewer expressed incredulity at the
revelation that journalist Andrew Breitbart will be appearing at a Republican
fundraiser. "I mean, really? Is he going to be a good fund-raiser for the
Republicans?"
Reporter Richard Wolffe lectured, "
Because if he is that much of a
political activist that he is raising money for the RNC, then he is not quite
the journalist he describes himself as."
Yet, those exact words could be put to Brewer. On
July
24, she was the featured guest at a fundraiser in Kentucky for gay rights.
This despite the fact that the anchor has also reported on gay rights for MSNBC.
On the July 12 News Live, she wondered why American politicians weren't "taking
a stand" on ending Don't Ask, Don't tell.
Brewer lectured, "Why aren't more American leaders itching for a fight on gay
rights?" Wouldn't this be the type of journalistic contradiction that Brewer and
Wolffe were complaining about?
At
Saturday's
event, which took place in Kentucky, Brewer asserted, "I've never taken a
public stand on a controversial issue. Gay rights are civil rights. Gay rights
are human rights and given the invitation to speak, I could not, in good
conscience, remain silent."
This neatly matches the lobbying Brewer did on July 12, this time as a
supposedly objective journalist: "It is a civil rights issue...Is it time for
our American leaders to stand up for what's right and no matter what public
opinion polls say to have the leadership and the courage to take a stand on it?"
A transcript of the July 26 segment, which aired at 12:33pm EDT, follows:
CONTESSA BREWER: Hey, I gotta ask you, something we just found out from NBC
News that the RNC has a fund-raiser next month and scheduled to speak at this
Republican fund-raiser, Andrew Breitbart, whose website was called into question
here about the Shirley Sherrod edited video before. I mean, really? Is he
going to be a good fund-raiser for the Republicans?
MSNBC GRAPHIC: Breaking News: Andrew Breitbart to Speak at Republican
Fundraiser
RICHARD WOLFFE: Well, he may well serve a purpose for them in terms of
rallying the base and raising money. But, it should at least raise questions
about his role in terms of putting information in the mainstream media and how
his, quote-un-quote, "news" is reported. Because, if he is that much of a
political activist that he is raising money for the RNC, than he is not quite
the journalist he describes himself as.
-Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on
Twitter.
