Did you know that CBS hired Fox's Frank Luntz? Yes, the news organization that brought us Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather, Mike Wallace, Charles Kuralt, Roger Mudd, Ed Bradley, Bob Schieffer and Harry Reasoner now brings us Scott Pelley and Frank Luntz. That's probably old news for most of you, as Luntz joined CBS about a month ago. But, I was wondering, does Luntz have a date for the debates? Not according to CBS. They posted this yesterday:
CBS News has slated its 2012 Presidential and Vice Presidential debate coverage plans. “CBS Evening News” anchor Scott Pelley will be anchoring CBS’ coverage from the debate cities.
Bob Schieffer will be moderating the October 22 debate in Boca Raton, FL, so “Face the Nation” will originate from there the Sunday before the debate. “CBS This Morning” will also originate from Florida that week, with Charlie Rose and Norah O’Donnell in Florida, and Gayle King in New York.
Contributors to CBS News coverage will include former Fox News correspondent an current National Journal writer Major Garrett, Bloomberg TV’s Julianna Goldman, Rana Foroohar of Time magazine, Rajiv Chandrasekaran of the Washington Post, CBS News Senior National Security Analyst Juan Zarate, and Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal.
Is Luntz out to lunchtz? As
Media Matters noted in a recent post, the mainstream media mainstay has used the GOP-paid pollster and strategist at least three times since his hire. The former news giant has an hilarious problem figuring out what to call Luntz given his ... ahem ... recent activities that not only include Dick-Morris-level shillery on Fox News, but also, according to Media Matters, the following:
According to a search of Federal Election Commission records, Luntz and his firm Luntz Global LLC have received payments from several Republican groups this cycle:
■The Alabama Republican Party paid Luntz Global a total of $20,288 in March and April for "Party Meeting-Keynote speaker." Luntz was the party's keynote speaker at its 2012 Chairman's Dinner in February.
■House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's (R-VA) congressional campaign paid Luntz Global $8,000 on April 9 for "speech writing."
■Rep. Jeff Denham's (R-CA) congressional campaign paid Frank Luntz $5,000 on September 15, 2011, for a "fundraising event." The campaign also disbursed Luntz $879 for "fundraising catering."
■Rep. Tom Price's (R-GA) congressional campaign paid Luntz Global $11,658 total in April, May and July for polling.
The super PAC American Crossroads also paid Luntz Global $46,301 on March 23 for "SURVEY / POLLING." Karl Rove is a senior adviser and co-founder of Crossroads.
The Republican National Committee disbursed $2,585 to Luntz Global on July 18, and $245 on September 15, 2011, for "travel expenses."
Luntz has also reportedly given several strategy talks to various Republican groups this cycle, such as House Republicans, the Western Republican Leadership Conference (schedule), Georgia Republicans (additional reporting), and Tennessee Republicans.
In an interesting development, the worst and most-obviously-biased pollster, the guy who makes "Mirror, mirror on the wall" seem fair and balanced, has recently appeared back in his old stomping grounds at
Fox News on September 25 decrying Harry Reid's attacks on Mitt Romney. Yet, Luntz won't be part of the Fox debate coverage, according to
Fox. Instead, we're being treated to most of the same Fox crew that brought us THE REPEAL OF OBAMACARE, including Brit Hume, Megyn Kelly, Charles Krauthammer (watch closely as Satan's lips move while he works Krauthammer), Bret Baier and Carl Cameron. What sweet, sweet memories
that crew has brought us:
Take the jump over the fold to see my guess as to what Luntz will be doing in his bedroom without a debate date, which is like missing Senior Prom for pundits. (And if he shows up on CBS News tonight, we need to create a big-assed stink about that. That's bait and switch with really stinky bait.).