Politics

Kurtz rips own network for omitting 2008 Eliot Spitzer sex scandal in report

Jeff Poor Media Reporter
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You have to give credit where credit is due. And CNN “Reliable Sources” host Howard Kurtz, also a contributor for The Daily Beast, certainly deserves credit for holding his network accountable.

On Sunday’s broadcast of “Reliable Sources,” Kurtz took a look at a CNN report on prior political sex scandals in the wake of accusations of sexual misdeeds by former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former International Monetary Fund Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

“It was supposed to be a look back at the major sex scandals involving politicians in recent years,” Kurtz said. “But, there was one glaring omission in the CNN report.”

That CNN report was filed by Suzanne Malveaux and took a look back at the marital infidelity of politicians. However, Kurtz in a sort of ombudsman role took a harsh tone with his critique of that particular report for omitting former New York governor and current CNN host Eliot Spitzer.

“Others in this hall of shame included Mark Sanford, Newt Gingrich, Bill Clinton, David Vitter, Larry Craig,” Kurtz said. “But there was no mention of a New York governor who resigned in disgrace three years ago after patronizing prostitutes. I’m sorry, if you’re going to do this kind of story you have to include Eliot Spitzer, even if he does now host a prime time CNN program. Otherwise you are airbrushing history.”

According to Kurtz, that report’s omission of Spitzer was intentional.

“CNN says the omission was decided by an individual producer and that other reporting did make mention of the Spitzer scandal,” Kurtz said.

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