Farewell Rick Sanchez. It was time for you to go. After his appearance on a radio talk show last week where Sanchez spewed anti-semitic rhetoric, his bosses at CNN took swift action and dismissed Rick forever from their network. Maybe.
CNN acted quickly in terminating Sanchez after his appalling and distasteful comments regarding Jon Stewart's Jewish background along with Sanchez's equally distasteful remarks about Jews running the media. Adding insult to injury, the CNN official comment was nothing more than a whisper. The anonymous CNN bosses thanked Sanchez for his work and wished him well. Nothing more.
While the network could have published a stern statement proclaiming outrage at Sanchez's remarks, the "suits" opted to proffer a benign comment as if Sanchez's time at CNN was inconsequential, an afterthought.
Getting rid of Rick as quickly as CNN did speaks volumes. And it was the right thing to do. It seems he simply forgot where he was and who he was. Had this been some other high-profile celebrity, Sanchez and his television news peers would have covered the story with vigor.
South Floridians have long been familiar with Sanchez's theatrically smarmy style of news coverage. He just doesn't have the chops to be taken seriously. Ironically, he's probably better suited to perform as a cast member on Stewart's award-winning The Daily Show. But then there's that pesky Jewish thing. Could be a problem for Rick.
Meanwhile, CNN is touting its new political talk show with Kathleen Parker and Eliot Spitzer, another odd choice for a journalistic environment. Spitzer, who rightfully earned a national reputation prosecuting white collar crime, followed by an abbreviated turn as Governor of New York, got the heave ho for frolicking frequently with call girls...something one could appropriately presume that he should have known was problematic on so many levels.
Just as quickly as Sanchez disappeared, Spitzer was soiled and elevated to "breaking news" for daaaaays.
Now he's a CNN pundit, partnered with with a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist. Huh?
From a public relations perspective, CNN moved decisively and quickly leaving no question where network management stands when it comes to inflammatory comments made publicly by their employeees. CNN demonstrated sound judgment and a commitment to integrity.
But then there's Eliot Spitzer.
It's creepy that CNN has elevated him to a position where he can share opinions nightly on the most widely watched news channel. I'm not sure who cares what he thinks, quite frankly. He's already demonstrated supremely bad judgment. It is equally as creepy watching Kathleen Parker squeezed so closely next to him on their new set.
But it's a weird enough concept and pairing to make me think that Rick has a shot at returning to CNN, perhaps as the religion correspondent.