Jack Cafferty of CNN-This is Journalism?

I've been catching snippets of CNN's political commentator Jack Cafferty for quite some time now. Make no mistake, Cafferty's style is partisan, just as is Sean Hannity's and Keith Olbermann. Cafferty's basic stance is that George Bush and the Republicans are the bad guys. Fine. As long as he tells us what he is, he can slug it out with Hannity and the Republicans all he wants. When I listen to Cafferty, I know I am getting opinions as opposed to facts-same as when I listen to Hannity, Olbermann and Rush Limbaugh.

But what kind of reporting is his latest caper this week? Cafferty, on the CNN show, The Situation Room, has jumped on this latest book by Ron Suskind (The Way of the World) that alleges that Bush ordered the CIA under George Tenet to forge a letter establishing a link between Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaida in order to justify the war. (Both Tenet and the White House have issued statements calling the book's accusations "ridiculous." Two former CIA offials, Robert Richer and John McGuire, who are quoted by Suskind in the book, have also issued statements denying the story.)

So now, Cafferty throws out Suskind's accusation and asks his listeners to send him e-mails on the topic, which he reads on air. Of course, Cafferty's audience is overwhelmingly anti-Bush, so about 95% of the e-mails called Bush every name in the book, called for his impeachment and on and on and on. Jack proceeded to read several of these e-mails on the air including one that called for the president to be locked up and executed. This is journalism?

I personally have no idea whether Suskind's accusation is true or not. If true, then let's name the sources who told him these things. If there are folks in the CIA who have personal knowledge of this and told Suskind, let's bring them forth and put everybody under oath. It is a serious accusation. I am no admirer of George Tenet, but again, I don't know what the truth is.

I realize that I am inviting charges of hypocrisy because I have been criticizing the mainstream media for ignoring the John Edwards story put out by the National Enquirer. So, if I may rebut those charges ahead of time, let me say that the National Enquirer story about what happened at the Beverly Hilton Hotel two weeks ago is based on the personal observations of seven Enquirer reporters, two of whom are named in the story. There is also the Fox interview of the security guard who was involved in the incident (He is not been identified by name.)

I am willing to keep an open mind here on Suskind's book. The accusation is serious enough that Suskind's sources, if not named in the book, should be brought forth.

As for Jack Cafferty, reading an e-mail that calls for the execution of the President (if the charges are true, of course) is in poor taste to say the least.

Keith Olbermann must be proud.