CNN Promotes Liberal Presidential Bid, 'Gay-Friendly' Cities

     CNN’s “In the Money” offered a special slant on business news June 23 – a slant leaning left.

     Far left.

     In the first 16 minutes of the supposed business show, it gave a positive view of liberal Michael Bloomberg’s potential White House bid, relied on left-wing commentary about low graduation rates in Detroit, and examined a sociologist’s claim that ‘gay-friendly’ policies lead to high-tech booms.

     In those stories, CNN interviewed five people including: one from the liberal think tank Center for American Progress; another from a liberal Harvard professor commenting on the Bloomberg candidacy; then one that showed viewers that communities that aren’t “open-minded” damage the economy in places like Detroit, Buffalo and Pittsburgh.

     The only thing missing from that part of the show was any conservative viewpoint or expert.

     Then, later in the show, former anchor Miles O’Brien did a piece on a liberal rating system that scored companies on their global warming record.

     Anchors Ali Velshi and Christine Romans began the show, considering, “What a CEO can bring to the White House that a career politician can’t, and why it matters to you.” This turned into almost an advertisement for New York Mayor Bloomberg’s potential candidacy.

     Velshi remarked that Bloomberg has recently switched his affiliation from “Republican” to “Independent,” but left out that Bloomberg had previously switched from the Democrats to the GOP.

     The anchors then turned to Harvard Business School Professor Richard Tedlow, to describe why Bloomberg “might have what it takes to lead the country.” Tedlow wasn’t exactly a neutral observer. He is a Harvard professor, the school where Bloomberg got his MBA, and Tedlow has shown widespread financial support for liberal Democrats.

     According to Opensecrets.org, Tedlow gave $2,000 to Sen. John Kerry in 2000 and $2,300 to Barack Obama just last March. His liberal preferences were borne out in the interview, as he lauded Bloomberg as “a man of extraordinary vision” and “an impressive individual.” Tedlow even fantasized about a “Gore-Bloomberg” ticket.

     The next segment decried a national high school dropout rate of 30 percent, and highlighted the high rate in Detroit, where a third to three quarters fail to graduate. Only two experts were interviewed – both liberal. First, Detroit Principal Anthony Womack, who urged higher government speding – that “money, financial state aid, that whole piece, is needed to make it work.”

     Next came Cindy Brown of the left-wing think tank Center for American Progress, who told viewers that public institutions’ tax base have shrunk in places like Detroit.

     The third segment tried to connect the dots from that problem to what Velshi called “openness and diversity initiatives” that can help out depressed cities.

     The show brought on Richard Florida, who described a way to measure those factors, namely “the gay index.” Florida’s theory stated that young, skilled workers congregate in “open-minded” cities, “forcing business to follow.”

      Even when CNN was done with its 16 minutes from the left, Miles O’Brien took the show back that direction, looking at a report card rating companies and how they handle global warming.

     According to O’Brien, “Your choice between a Whopper and a Big Mac may have an impact on the health of the planet.” He then turned to the founder of the new non-profit Climate Counts, Gary Hirshberg.

     Hirshberg, also CEO of “famously deep green yogurt maker Stoneyfield Farm, who urged corporate America to “take responsibility for the climate crisis.”