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Hillary Clinton's NEW Plant Problem (It's CNN's Problem, Too)
The gay general (as he shall forever be known) who asked a question about gays serving in the military at the just-completed Republican YouTube Debate is apparently a member of a Hillary Clinton's "LGBT Americans For Hillary Steering Committee." This was not disclosed by the general, the Clinton campaign, or by CNN during the debate.
The man's name is Keith Kerr and he's a retired Brigadier General who served for 43 years. He was actually seated in the crowd tonight and was invited by Anderson Cooper, CNN's host, to provide comments after the candidates tried to answer his question. (Romney's answer was particularly pathetic, because he once said he "looked forward" to the day when gays could serve openly in the military, causing yet another flip-flop. Romney has a troubled history with gay rights, from the Republican point of view.) Kerr went on for some time, drawing scattered boos from the Republican crowd.
They would have booed louder if they had known that Kerr is with the Clinton campaign. The questions become: Did Cooper know about this? If so, why didn't he disclose it? Did the Clinton campaign coordinate with Kerr? If so, is it accurate to say Hillary Clinton has another plant problem? And if not, Kerr probably just gave the campaign he supports an additional headache.
Kerr's question is after the jump.
Update: Clinton camp denies the General was planted. CNN denies knowing he is affiliated with the Clinton campaign. "Certainly, had we had that information, we would have acknowledged that in using his question, if we had used it at all," said Anderson Cooper.
Why does it matter that this questioner is a member of Hillary Clinton's steering committee. Is he not an American? Should he not have the right to ask a question just because he's a passionate activist? Or are you suggesting that the only people worthy of posing a question to the candidates for the presidency are the uninvolved? I thought Anderson Cooper and CNN handled this issue of "disclosure" terribly. Why should a questioner's background or political stance matter? All Americans deserve the chance to ask their questions and get answers. For the candidates to act as though they were "blindsided" is absurd. American citizens have been "blindsided" by the idiocy of George W. Bush for going on eight years now. I don't hear anyone apologizing and saying it should have been disclosed that Bush is a nitwit.
yea, abny, i absolutely agree. sure, it's rotten and cynical, but that seems to be the way the game is played now. when you've got jeff gannon asking questions a presidential press conference there's nowhere to go but down. additonally, after the swift-boating fiasco democrats are more than willing to fight fire with fire. for these reasons, i don't see any issue whatsoever with a planted questioner at a lousy debate.
It should have been disclosed, but this guy isn't a political pro, just a campaign volunteer. Besides, did CNN disclose at the Democratic debate that Campbell Brown was married to a Romney staffer? And for crying out loud, one question came from Grover Nordquist, who gets interviewed somewhere daily! Why not just have useless pundits and lobbyists ask questions on a webcam?