Mistakes Were Made. . .

The Washington Post reports this morning that CNN is admitting problems with their vetting process for questioners at last Wednesday night's You Tube Republican Presidential debate. This controversy erupted after it emerged that a questioner on the issue of gay service in the military was an advisor to Hillary Clinton. The questioner, a retired California Army National Guard Brigadier General) -- is a member of Hillary Clinton's steering committee on gay/lesbian issues.

Another questioner, on abortion issues, was wearing a "John Edwards 08" tee-shirt. A third questioner, on gay issues, is identified on the Barack Obama website as one of his supporters, and says that St. Barack ". . .inspires me with his sincerity, his earnestness, and his vision for change." Presumably, none of these people plan to vote in their Republican Presidential primary, much less for a Republican candidate in the general election.

I don't think much of Presidential debates in general -- they are cattle shows where candidates are careful to never say anything too important, and where the winner is the one who demonstrates the ability to make his opponent look like an idiot with a well-placed zinger, or makes the best joke out of a particularly stupid question.

Quite aside from the doubtful relevance of questions on gays in the military and abortion at a Republican debate (most Republican primary voters have made up their minds on these issues, one way or another), the problem I have with Wednesday's proceedings is that I doubt CNN has Republicans questioning Hillary Clinton. If CNN wants to have Democratic questioners at Republican debates, fine -- but it could have shown at least a pretence of even-handedness by similarly stuffing the Democratic You Tube debate with McCain, Giuliani and Romney supporters.