MSNBC's Contessa Brewer, who on Monday argued that overturning Don't Ask,
Don't Tell is a "civil rights issue," will appear at a July 24 fundraiser in
Kentucky to support gay rights in the state.
According to a press
release [1]: "As the evening's featured guest, MSNBC's Brewer, who has several
family ties to Kentucky, will speak on the need for a statewide
anti-discrimination Fairness law in the Commonwealth from a national news
perspective."
On Monday's News Live, Brewer
implored [2], "My big question today: Why aren't more American leaders
itching for a fight on gay rights?" She also said of ending Don't Ask, Don't
Tell, "Is it time for our American leaders to stand up for what's right and no
matter what public opinion polls say to have the leadership and the courage to
take a stand on it?"
At no time did Brewer mention her speaking engagement or her conflict of
interest. According to the Courier-Journal [3],
last year's "Fairness Over Louisville" raised $10,000 for gay rights.
Brewer has previously made her opinion known on gay issues. On May
12, 2009 [4], she Tweeted this about the then-Miss California, Carrie Prejean:
The Donald announces at 11am whether Miss California gets to keep her crown, though she hates gay marriage but likes to take her shirt off.
[Emphasis added].
This type of conflict of interest certainly isn't new for journalists. In
2009, former CBS anchor Dan
Rather [5] appeared at a $200 a person fundraiser for the hard-left Nation
magazine.
-Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here [6] to follow him on
Twitter.