TONIGHT: Hillary Clinton Speaks To CNN

CNN reports:

Hillary Clinton on Tuesday will give the first nationally televised interview of her presidential campaign to CNN senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar. The Democratic front-runner has largely stayed away from the press, only occasionally taking questions from reporters and granting interviews to local news outlets in early-voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire. But she hasn't granted national outlets interviews since jumping into the 2016 race in April. The first one, with Keilar, will take place in Iowa City, as Clinton campaigns in the first state to vote in the presidential nominating process. Clinton's status as her party's favorite isn't in doubt, but Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has narrowed the gap in recent polls, particularly in New Hampshire and Iowa.

Wingnuts sites are screaming "conflict of interest" because Keilar recently attended the wedding of a Clinton aide.

CNN Yanks Story After Reporter Claims ISIS Flag Was Seen At London Pride

Via Raw Story:

A man trolling the violently homophobic Islamic State at a London gay pride event got extra troll points Saturday for duping CNN. CNN reporter Lucy Pawle was at the event when she stumbled upon that man, who to her bewilderment, everyone seemed to be ignoring. Turns out his fake “ISIS flag” was made up of images of dildos, Mediaite discovered. Pawle tells CNN anchors that she was leaving work when she happened upon the annual London Gay Pride festival. She was shocked to see a man dressed in black and white carrying what she called “a very bad mimicry” but a “very clear attempt to mimic the ISIS flag.” Taking a closer look, she could tell the writing was not Arabic. No one else seemed to be concerned about it, so she went to the event organizer and the police, both of whom seemed to brush her off.

CNN quietly removed the story from its site but the below mirror of the clip has gained over 700K views since last night.

CNN Host Brianna Keilar Grills Ben Carson On LGBT Rights: You Haven't Answered My Very Simple Question

Ben Carson phoned into CNN this afternoon following their report on his claims that gay rights are not civil rights. Host Brianna Keilar attempted to get a direct answer out of Carson, but he tried to turn the conversation back to Christian persecution. Of course. Even Carson supporters were likely cringing during this interview.

Jeb Bush Leads New CNN 2016 Poll

The official announcements of three Republican presidential candidates has done little to shake up the tight GOP field.

Overall, 17% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents back Bush for the GOP nomination, while 12% support Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Paul and Rubio stand at 11% each, with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at 9% and Cruz at 7%. Former neurosurgeon Ben Carson and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, both of whom placed second in CNN/ORC polls as recently as last fall, are now well behind the leader at 4% each.

Bush's edge in the nomination contest extends across several attributes viewed as key to winning the presidency. He is most often named as the candidate with the right experience to be president (27%), as the one with the best chance of beating the Democratic nominee in the general election next November (26%) and as the strongest leader in the large field of GOP contenders (21%). He is also more often seen as the candidate with the clearest vision for the country's future (19%), who cares the most about people like you (18%), and who most closely shares your values (19%).

On one metric, however, Bush has an emerging challenger. While 18% see Bush as the candidate who best represents the future of the Republican Party, the same share say fellow Floridian Rubio is the best representation of the GOP's future. Paul, at 10%, is the only other candidate in double digits on this question.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton continues to lead all other potential contenders by more than 50 points. Only Joe Biden is in the double-digits at 11%.

A Remake Of CNN's Doomsday Video

Franklin Graham: CNN Is Trying To Bully Christians Into Accepting Homosexuality

"Now Who’s the Moral Majority? This headline was plastered across CNN’s website yesterday. Claiming victory in the attempt to bully the American people into fully embracing the homosexual lifestyle, the op-ed says Bible-believing Christians and traditional Americans 'had better adjust to a new reality.' Last year the Centers for Disease Control determined that less than 2% of the U.S. population identifies as homosexual. Where is the majority in that? But they are intent on trying to force the true majority into silence—they want us to just sit down and be quiet. Even if the majority of Americans did support gay marriage, God’s Word doesn’t need a majority vote. God’s Word is true regardless of the winds of moral change, and we must stand up for biblical truth in the midst of a depraved society." - Franklin Graham, writing on his Facebook page.

New CNN Poll: Hillary Leads All

CNN breaks down its latest poll:

Hillary Clinton continues to be a dominant force heading into the 2016 presidential election, according to a new CNN/ORC poll. The former secretary of state maintains a broad lead over the field of potential Democratic challengers she could face in a nomination contest and sizable advantages over the leading contenders from the Republican side in general election match-ups. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush tops the possible field for the Republican Party's nomination race, followed by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former neurosurgeon Ben Carson all in a tight cluster.

But none of the top candidates in this field gets within 10 points of Hillary Clinton in a series of hypothetical general election matchups. Rand Paul comes closest, with 43% saying they'd be more likely to back him while 54% choose Clinton. The two candidates who currently top the GOP field, Bush and Walker, match up equally against Clinton, with each carrying 40% to her 55%. Huckabee gets 41% to Clinton's 55% and Carson has 40% to Clinton's 56%. In the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, Clinton holds a nearly 50-point lead over Vice President Joe Biden, her closest competitor in the field, 62% to 15%. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren rounds out the top three on the Democratic side with 10%. No other potential candidate tops 5%.

See the full results.

Kevin Spacey To Host 2016 CNN Series Titled Race To The White House

Via Mediaite:

In the first move to collapse the distance between reality and House of Cards that could only end with him running for office, Kevin Spacey, better known to Acela corridor binge-watchers as President Frank Underwood, will produce and narrate a six-part series for CNN called Race to the White House, set to air in 2016. “Using previously unseen archive footage, interviews with key players and dramatic recreations, each episode narrated by Spacey will tell the story of one campaign for the Presidency of the United States,” CNN wrote in a release Monday. “Each hour will tell the story of a four-year, no-holds-barred battle to become the most powerful person in the world, culminating in a single night of heart pounding tension. From powerful campaign speeches to the dirty tricks and Machiavellian schemes, Race for the White House will capture the drama of how a high-stakes presidential election can turn on a single issue and so much more.”

The Spacey series is one of a dozen coming from CNN as they continue to move away from 24-hour live news coverage.

CNN On Gays Living Under ISIS Rule

In a report on the ISIS executions of allegedly gay men, CNN today interviewed a gay couple who fled Syria just before ISIS took control. CNN reports that gays still living in ISIS-controlled regions are living in terror.

Ben Carson To Sean Hannity: CNN Edited My Comments To Make Me Look Bad

Via Mediaite:

During a radio discussion this afternoon with Sean Hannity, Carson blamed the ordeal on CNN. “It was a 25 minute interview they chopped, and you see what part they emphasized,” he said. “I did learn something very important: For certain networks, never do a pre-taped interview. Always do it live.” In the interview, flagged and cut down into a shorter clip by conservative site The Right Scoop, Hannity agreed with Carson that pre-taped interviews allow for quotes to be taken out context or reshuffled in order to cast them in a certain light. Carson continued: “I simply have decided I’m not really going to talk about that issue anymore because every time I’m gaining momentum the liberal press says, ‘Let’s talk about gay rights.’ And I’m just not going to fall for that anymore.” The problem with Carson’s attempt to play victim here is that, during that sequence of the CNN interview, there were clearly no jump-cuts and no edits — just a straight back-and-forth about whether homosexuality is a choice.

Following that ridiculous lie, Carson issued an non-apology about the comments made on CNN:

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson apologized for commenting Wednesday that prisoners' changes after they leave jail proves being gay is a choice, but said that the science is still murky on the issue. In a statement, Carson said he "realized that my choice of language does not reflect fully my heart on gay issues." "I do not pretend to know how every individual came to their sexual orientation. I regret that my words to express that concept were hurtful and divisive. For that I apologize unreservedly to all that were offended," he added. Carson referenced his medical education and his work at Johns Hopkins Hospital and asserted that the verdict is still out on whether people are born either gay or straight. "Some of our brightest minds have looked at this debate, and up until this point there have been no definitive studies that people are born into a specific sexuality," he said.

The audio Hannity clip is below. Let's see how long it takes before Carson breaks his pledge to stop talking about gay people.

HomoQuotable - Sally Kohn

"I’m gay. And I want my kid to be gay, too. Many of my straight friends, even the most liberal, see this logic as warped. It’s one thing for them to admit that they would prefer their kids to be straight, something they’ll only begrudgingly confess. But wanting my daughter to be a lesbian? I might as well say I want her to grow up to be lactose intolerant. 'Don’t you want her to be happy?; one friend asked. Perhaps he just meant that it’s easier to be straight in a homophobic culture. But this attitude complies with, even reinforces, that culture in the first place. [snip]

"Time will tell, but so far, it doesn’t look like my 6-year-old daughter is gay. In fact, she’s boy crazy. It seems early to me, but I’m trying to be supportive. Recently, she had a crush on an older boy on her school bus. She was acting as any precocious, socially awkward child would, which is to say not very subtle. I confided in a friend who has an older daughter. 'She wants to give this kid a card and presents,' I e-mailed. 'The other kid is so embarrassed. It’s painful to watch. What do I do?' My friend wrote back with a slew of helpful advice, ending with a punch to my gut: 'Bet it wouldn’t bother you so much if her crush was on a girl.' She was right. I’m a slightly overbearing pro-gay gay mom. But I’m going to support my daughter, whatever choices she makes." - CNN commentator Sally Kohn, in a Washington Post column that has rocketed across right wing sites.

CNN POLL: 63% Say Same-Sex Couples Have The Constitutional Right To Marry

From the poll: "63% of Americans say that gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry and have their marriages recognized by the law as valid. That's up from 49% in August 2010. Over that time, the share who see marriage as a constitutional right has climbed 15 points among Republicans to 42% and 19 points among Democrats to 75%."

CNN's Chris Cuomo Battles Judge Roy Moore In Blistering 25-Minute Interview

Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore was interviewed this morning by CNN's Chris Cuomo, who attacked Moore relentlessly over his position on same-sex marriage. While some of the interview devolved into back-and-forth bickering, Cuomo landed blow after blow, at one point telling Moore that he was merely spewing "word salad." For his part, Moore repeatedly demanded that Cuomo say whether he would have enforced Plessy v Ferguson or Dred Scott, had he been a jurist at that time. Because gay marriage is exactly like slavery. Several times Moore retreated to familiar Christianist talking points about secular laws being based on the word of God, after which Cuomo went ballistic. The clip below is long but every minute is worth watching.

Mike Huckabee: Gays Can Be My Friends, Just Like People Who Drink And Curse

Via CNN:

Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee says expecting Christians to accept same-sex marriage is "like asking someone who's Jewish to start serving bacon-wrapped shrimp in their deli." He also called homosexuality part of a lifestyle, like drinking and swearing. The former Arkansas governor, winner of the 2008 Iowa caucuses and likely 2016 contender's comments came during an appearance Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," as he defended an excerpt from his new book in which he says he has friends and associates who are gay. "People can be my friends who have lifestyles that are not necessarily my lifestyle. I don't shut people out of my circle or out of my life because they have a different point of view," Huckabee told CNN's Dana Bash, while deflecting a question about whether he believes being gay is a choice. "I don't drink alcohol, but gosh -- a lot of my friends, maybe most of them, do. You know, I don't use profanity, but believe me, I've got a lot of friends who do. Some people really like classical music and ballet and opera -- it's not my cup of tea," Huckabee said.

Huckabee also said today that there's "room in the tent" for Republicans who support same-sex marriage. You may recall that just a couple of months ago he threatened to leave the GOP entirely over the issue.

Anderson Cooper, Game Show Host?

Via TVNewser:

CNN is producing a political game show, TVNewser has learned. The blocking and testing of the show is happening this week at CNN’s New York studios. Insiders tell us the show will be hosted by Anderson Cooper and will air on Presidents’ Day, Feb. 16. If it’s successful, further episodes would go into production. We hear the program will be a quiz style game show, focused on presidential politics. As the Sony email hacking story unfolded last month, one of the more interesting TV news stories to emerge was that CNN Worldwide chief Jeff Zucker had asked a Sony TV executive if the company would consider producing “Political Jeopardy!” for CNN. That was a nonstarter. But now it appears Zucker is going his own way on a quiz show.

Anderson Cooper On The Gay Agenda

TRAILER: I Am Santa Claus

Catholic League blowhard Bill Donohue is very angry about this documentary.

CNN executives are very excited that one of their own, Morgan Spurlock, is the man behind “I Am Santa Claus.” To prove how happy they are, they are flagging a supremely positive article about the flick by one of their online columnists, John D. Sutter. The source of their ebullience has nothing to do with the artistic quality of the documentary: it has everything to do with Santa’s homosexuality. They like that a lot. How do we know that Santa is a homosexual? Not by his dress—he looks like a regular Santa. It’s by his behavior: he likes to kiss men and boasts about his job working in a strip joint. Reference is made, of course, to male genitilia [sic]. But at least Santa is prudent: he points to a sign above a food station that warns homosexuals to keep their pants on. This reminds me of San Francisco where homosexuals are told to put a towel below their bottom before sitting down in a restaurant. Warning signs are a thoughtful, if regrettable, gesture. We will know the day when homosexuals are just like the rest of us when they stop stereotyping themselves. Until then, play it safe and “make the yuletide” straight.

CNN Panel: Obama's Legacy Will Include Making Sure Gay Marriage Isn't Undone

This... Is CNN

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer posed with the Chippendales on Friday before the Las Vegas taping of the Soul Train Awards, which airs on BET on November 30th. (Photograph by JMG reader Michael Caprio)

TRAILER: CNN's Lisa Ling On Gay Rodeos

The show airs at 10PM on Sunday.