RNC To CNN, NBC: Drop Hillary Films Or We’ll Pull Presidential Primary Debates

[DonViejo]

CATHERINE THOMPSON 12:12 PM EDT, MONDAY AUGUST 5, 2013

Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus on Monday called on both NBC and CNN to drop their planned film productions of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or face losing their partnerships with the RNC for 2016 presidential primary debates.

In letters to the chairman of NBC Entertainment, Robert Greenblatt, and CNN President Jeff Zucker, Priebus slammed the networks' "thinly-veiled attempt at putting a thumb on the scales of the 2016 presidential election" as unfair to other potential candidates from both parties.

NBC announced last month it was planning a miniseries starring Diane Lane that would follow Clinton's trajectory beginning in 1998, the height of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. The series was to air before Clinton could launch a hypothetical White House run. Days later CNN also announced it would produce a documentary to be released in 2014, according to the New York Times.

"If you have not agreed to pull this programming prior to the start of the RNC's Summer Meeting on August 14, I will seek a binding vote of the RNC stating that the committee will neither partner with you in 2016 primary debates nor sanction primary debates which you sponsor," Preibus wrote to the networks.

NBC Hillary Clinton Letter

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http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/rnc-to-networks-drop-hillary-productions-well-pull

[factsarenotfair]

1. I thought corporations were people with the right of free speech and money is speech.

Am I missing something?

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Here we go again!

[djean111]

3. Since those debates are really only good for comic relief,

who cares? Do they generate that much income for the networks?
I have to admit i watch very very very little political programming anyway.
I would hate to see the RNC or the DNC show that much clout.

[Politicalboi]

4. Shakin in their boots they are

CNN and NBC are just terrified of Rinse Penis. When 2014 comes around, Rinse Penis will be begging CNN and NBC for time. Go away little "man".

[ceonupe]

5. So what does CNN / MSNBC do?

Do they run the shows or kick it to affiliates like TNT or NBC to other properties.

Do they take a stand and run the piece and get cut out of the debates.

The ball is in there courts now. This will be interesting.

The question however won't come down to ethics or anything like that it will be about how much the think they will make on the docudrama vs how much they will make on te debates.

[monmouth3]

6. Rinse thinks he will be the decision maker by then? He's an optimist...LOL...n/t

[Xipe Totec]

7. Reince Lathers. Repeat... nt

[Myrina]

8. Those channels & others have done bio's of the major candidates every cycle ...

For chripes sakes it's not like nobody knows who she is already!!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. Won't cutting off debate access hurt the RNC and their candidates too?

Not that I'm sure most people care about seeing more Republican debates.

[yellowcanine]

14. Yep. Clearly a "cutting off nose to spite the face" situation.

As well as, be careful what you wish for. Seems to me that if the choice is between a HRC docudrama and Pubbie Candidate Clown Show Debate docudrama, the RNC loses that matchup.

[LiberalFighter]

25. Exactly! Of course...

it might be better for the R's if as few as possible see their debates.

[FSogol]

10. LOL, not airing the GOP primary debates would be the biggest act of mercy for the GOP imaginable.

Does Prebuis really think all those idiotic debates improved their party?

LOL at Cain, Santorum, Perry, Bachmann, Romney, and Newt. They each had a moment to show how ridiculous they were. Even long time GOP clowns cringed when a debate would start.

[Jamaal510]

18. They live

"Does Prebuis really think all those idiotic debates improved their party?"

in a parallel universe. What is an embarrassment to everyone else is, to them, an improvement for their party. Just like how lowering the deficit is somehow out-of-control spending now.

[geek tragedy]

11. They're moving to Comedy Central anyways nt

[hrmjustin]

12. Poor baby cries again.

[Zorro]

13. This is a very clever Republican ploy

The smaller the audience is for their primary debates, the smaller the exposure of their toxic candidates to the voting public.

[SunSeeker]

16. Exactly. The GOP is looking for an excuse to hide their primary debates.

They don't want the public to see all their wackadoodle GOP candidates and cringe-worthy GOP audience reactions. It showcases what an out of touch, insane party the GOP is. They want to keep everything on the down low this time, until Christie is crowned their nominee.

[yellowcanine]

15. Well let's see: HRC Docudrama vs. Pubbie Candidate Clownshow Docudrama.......thinking, thinking ...

[DFW]

17. If the Republican primary debates are anything like the ones last year.....

They would be more suited to Comedy Central in the first place

[Little Star]

19. Oh no! How will I ever live if I don't get to see Clint talking to a chair again? lol

[boston bean]

20. Didn't the citizens united supreme court case come about because

the FEC blocked a film about hillary, that was a hack job against hillary, prior to the 2008 elections? And it went to the supreme court made up of 5 republican assholes that ripped to shreds the mccain feingold act. and allowed unfettered access for corporations to buy our politicians??

[Rhiannon12866]

21. Good grief!

[Beacool]

22. Let's see, two Hillary pics and no Republican Convention on the major networks.

Again, what was the problem?

[WI_DEM]

23. blackmail--will CNN & NBC back off due to blackmail?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

24. childish as usual