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CNN: The Ensign/Sanchez Interview Was No Ambush
Rachel Slajda | January 4, 2010, 4:19PM
CNN's Rick Sanchez and Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)
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On New Year's Eve, CNN anchor Rick Sanchez was doing an interview with Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) about terrorism when Sanchez suddenly swung the conversation around to Ensign's sex/lobbying/pay-off scandal involving two of his former aides.
As TPM noted, the senator seemed caught off guard. But CNN tells us that Sanchez didn't violate any ground rules.
"There were no pre-conditions for the interview with Sen. Ensign," a spokesman for CNN wrote in an email.
Sanchez himself defended his interview tactics in a segment the day after the interview.
"Sen. Ensign was made aware that no subject was off the table when he sat down for the interview with me New Year's Eve," Sanchez says. He said it's "not true" that he ambushed the senator.
Ensign's office has not returned requests for comment.
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LynneinAlabama
January 4, 2010 5:06 PM
I amazes me that Republicans can do and say whatever they want, but when
held to the fire, they evade the issue. They create lies and fail to
condemn others who do the same but rarely self-evaluate and hold themselves accountable -- what hog-wash! Never, ever answered the questions as an
innocent person would.
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EastWest
January 4, 2010 5:11 PM
Well, Sanchez is the exception that proves the rule that the MSM is complicit in the "innocence" charade. These people lie because so-called "journalists" let them lie.
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rbeats
January 4, 2010 5:19 PM
Well thank 'God' Ensign is a Christian cause now his adulterer ass will be saved, unlike that non Christian Tiger Woods.
At least Woods didn't need his parents to pay off the people he screwed.
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lousgirl84
January 4, 2010 7:19 PM in reply to rbeats
Good point - good post.
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lamonth
January 4, 2010 5:28 PM
i was curious why the word ambush was used in the title also - i thought mr sanchez was just doing his job as a journalist. the title leads me to think that journalist negotiate bounderies for an interview all the time and then do not tell the public. the public in turn thinks that journalist interview like crap, but in reality journalist are (to an extent) paying for an interviews (you doing something that benefits the interviewee in turn to get the interview)
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Sambam
January 4, 2010 5:58 PM
If the definition of "ambush" is that the interviewer asks the interviewee inconvenient questions that he doesn't want to answer, then it's unfortunate that EVERY MSM interview isn't an ambush. Holier-than-thou hypocrites like Ensign have much to answer for.
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ohyeathatsright
January 4, 2010 6:18 PM
I was confused why TPM labeled this an ambush in the first place. This type of investigative journalism should be the rule not the exception.
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gtodon
January 4, 2010 6:59 PM
So who said anything about an "ambush"? Oh, TPM did. Ensign is a jerk, but this is a story about nothing.
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lousgirl84
January 4, 2010 7:19 PM
It never looked like an ambush to me and why does CNN have to apologize or explain doing their job., Thank goodness they have one reporter who does.
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M. Digby IV
January 4, 2010 7:58 PM
CNN was very fair. Ensign keeps getting caught in the street by reporters with cameras yelling questions. He was asked in a very respectful way to explain what he thinks, about sleeping with his best friend's wife, having Sen. Tom Coburn act as his payoff negotiator, using RNSC funds to pay his mistresses son big bucks (age 19) to work as a "consultant" while he headed it,also his mistress was his employee ( I think that is unethical),lying to his religious "Family" brothers in Christ(and hating gays brotherhood), then using his mom and dad to pay $96,000 in hush money etc....?
OK I was going to say it is always best to just come clean in life but after listing just what I know from memory. Maybe it is best for Sen. Ensign not to ever speak to another journalist ever. I mean how do you explain the above. Even if he does he will always have his ex mistresses husband just pop up and drop a the dime on him again.
I like Rick Sanchez he got Tazered for better ratings and he asks the hard questions. I just wish he would do both at the same time. Then I would watch him every night. Just imagine it "Senator how can you explain a blatant payoff" THEN ZAP with the tazer. Even the Sen. might start to feel sorry for him and start answering the questions.
Happy New Year,
MD IV
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gobydoc
January 4, 2010 10:58 PM
Regardless, this will decrease the chance that any right leaning politician will go on CNN (or at least talk to Rick Sanchez). Ensign will now speak only on Fox News, where they wouldn't think of challenging him. The net effect is a reduction in honest communication about what politicians are saying and why. How was it that Palin characterized these stacked interview questions?
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