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‘Horrendous’: Alan Colmes blasts Obama admin’s plan to put government spies in newsrooms

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Brendan Bordelon Contributor
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Liberal commentator Alan Colmes turned on the Obama administration over Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to install government “researchers” in American newsrooms, calling it “horrendous” and urging President Obama to renounce the plans.

Colmes spoke with Fox News’ Gretchen Carlson and right-wing radio host Chris Plante about the FCC’s proposed study, which would see government contractors placed in newsrooms with probing questions about how and why journalists report on certain topics. Republican congressional leaders sent a letter of protest to the commission on Thursday.

Almost always counted upon to defend the administration, Colmes unexpectedly attacked the White House over the planned research. “I think this is horrendous,” he claimed. “Look, I’m against the Fairness Doctrine. I’m one of the few liberals who feel that the FCC should not be involved in content.”

“And the notion of suggesting, or saying — even though they call it voluntary, there’s still nevertheless peer pressure to participate — to go into newsrooms for what?” he continued. “There’s no reason for the FCC to visit broadcast operations. You know what they’re doing by tuning them in!”

Colmes seemed uneasy about Democratic silence on the issue, saying it “should be” a bipartisan issue. “I’m a liberal,” he declared. “I don’t agree with a lot of things Democrats do. I think that the Democrats should be very outspoken about this. And I agree with Chris, which is that if a conservative administration were doing this, liberals would be all over it.”

The liberal commentator ended by urging President Obama to denounce the FCC’s plans. “He should be very clear that this is not something the government should do,” he said.

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Tags : fcc
Brendan Bordelon