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 2 days ago RNC moves to freeze out networks on
debates<http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/08/16/rnc-moves-to-freeze-out-networks-on-debates/>
[image: mug.hamby]
Posted by
CNN Political Reporter Peter
Hamby<http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/tag/cnn-political-reporter-peter-hamby/>

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*Boston (CNN)* - The Republican National Committee approved a resolution
Friday vowing to sideline CNN and NBC from the presidential primary debate
process in 2016 unless the networks abandon plans to produce programs about
Hillary Clinton.

CNN recently commissioned a documentary film about Clinton, the former
first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state, that is scheduled to run
in theaters and on CNN sometime in 2014.

NBC, meanwhile, is developing a dramatic miniseries about Clinton, who is
considering a second presidential bid and would almost certainly enter the
race as the Democratic frontrunner in 2016.

"For the first time our party rules allow us to take action on these
debates. So it is time that we do what's right for our party and our
candidates. And by the way, it is the right thing to do for our voters,"
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said at the meeting.

In a statement released after the vote, CNN responded: "CNN Films, a
division of CNN Worldwide, commissioned a documentary about Hillary Clinton
earlier this year. It is expected to premiere in 2014 with a theatrical run
prior to airing on CNN. The CNN broadcast date has not been determined.
This documentary will be a non-fiction look at the life of a former First
Lady and Secretary of State. The project is in the very early stages of
development, months from completion with most of the reporting and the
interviewing still to be done. Therefore speculation about the final
program is just that. We encouraged all interested parties to wait until
the program premieres before judgments are made about it. Unfortunately,
the RNC was not willing to do that."

The seven-point resolution, which passed by voice vote, describes the
television projects as "little more than extended commercials promoting
former Secretary Clinton," promises that the RNC "will neither partner with
these networks in the 2016 presidential primary debates nor sanction any
primary debates they sponsor" unless they halt production of the programs.

The language also notes that Robert Greenblatt, the chairman of NBC
Entertainment, contributed to Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign
and President Barack Obama's re-election bid in 2012.

The measure goes to the heart of what Republican insiders believe was a
major problem for the party during the 2012 primary process – a marathon
debate schedule that kept GOP candidates off the campaign trail and led
several of them to make a string of damaging statements in full view of the
national electorate.

Republican nominee Mitt Romney staked out hard-line immigration positions
in several primary debates – he famously called for illegal immigrants to
"self-deport" – and the comments were used against him to devastating
effect by the Obama campaign during the general election.

A group of Republican officials who were asked to draft a post-election
"autopsy" report and plot a path forward for the party called the number of
primary debates in 2012 – 20 in all - "ridiculous."

The RNC "shall endeavor to bring more order to the primary debates and
ensure a reasonable number of debates, appropriate moderators and debate
partners are chosen, and that other issues pertaining to the general nature
of such debates are addressed," Friday's resolution said.

The committee has no formal power to prevent Republican candidates from
participating in network debates, but they could decide to enact penalties
for candidates who might choose to ignore the resolution.

Before the vote, Priebus earned a standing ovation from the 168-member
committee when he accused the two networks of "obvious bias" and said CNN
and NBC "won't be hosting a single Republican primary debate."

"We're done putting up with this nonsense," he said. "There are plenty of
other news outlets. We'll still reach voters. Maybe more voters. But CNN
and NBC anchors will just have to watch on their competitors' networks."


Filed under: RNC <http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/category/rnc/>


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