Speaking of Odd media effects, I received a moveon.org email just now that called my attention to an unusually unsavory, even for CNN, attempt by Anderson Cooper to distort the first Democratic debate.
Many of us recall Mr. Cooper’s rather blunt attempt to discredit Bernie Sanders as “unelectable”, based on the opposition of Mr. Sanders to Ronald Reagan’s illegal CIA-sponsored war in Nicaragua.
As it turns out, Anderson Cooper worked (as an intern) for the CIA during that time. Here’s what Mr. Cooper had to say on his own blog when this was first revealed in 2006 (emphasis mine):
As a college student, I had a number of summer jobs and internships, including working at the CIA. Keep in mind, we are talking about nearly 20 years ago. The Bangles “Walk Like An Egyptian” was on the radio. I was 19 years old, and like many college students was curious about a variety of careers.
Unless my arithmetic is wrong, Mr. Sanders was working for the CIA at CIA headquarters in Langley, VA in 1986 — “nearly 20 years” before his 2006 blog post. That was literally AT THE SAME TIME that Ronald Reagan began using the CIA to conduct an illegal war in Nicaragua (emphasis mine):
In 1986, the Reagan government, secretly and illegally, transferred to the contras the proceeds of clandestine sales of military equipment supplied to Iran.
When journalists exposed what was going on, congressional opposition to the funding of the contras grew. And eventually Washington was forced to stop.
In my view, Anderson Cooper should not have participated in ANY discussion of the war in Nicaragua, given his undisclosed and flagrantly conflicting personal interest in that topic.
Even though the damage is done (to the extent there was any), CNN and Mr. Cooper owe Bernie Sanders a very public apology. A reputable news organization would take commensurate disciplinary action to ensure that such ethical lapses are not repeated — by Mr. Sanders or by any other CNN journalist.
