NBC Suits Warn CNBC Staff Against 'Obama Bashing,' Becoming 'Too Conservative'

April 18th, 2009 5:52 AM

Are "the suits" looking for Rick Santelli's head?

General Electric CEO Jeffery Immelt, thought to be one of Keith Olbermann's biggest supporters, and NBC Universal President Jeff Zucker are reported to have called some of CNBC's on-air talent to a secret meeting at least if the The New York Post's Page Six column for April 16 has it right. The meeting was called to scold the cable yackers for being too harsh on the Obammessiah, with the duo ala Jeffs warning that CNBC is turning into "the Obama bashing network" and that the cable outlet is becoming "too conservative."

OK... now how did that lefty mantra go again? Doesn't it go that the media couldn't possibly be lefitwing because "the suits" that own the media are conservative corporate types? Once again it looks like the truth is a different animal than the leftist trope pretends.

After all, Immelt and Zucker can hardly be considered in the any way conservative yet they do happen to be corporate bigwigs. And in true leftwing fashion, they are trying to push CNBC even further left.

"It was an intensive, three-hour dinner at 30 Rock which Zucker himself was behind," a source familiar with the powwow told us. "There was a long discussion about whether CNBC has become too conservative and is beating up on Obama too much. There's great concern that CNBC is now the anti-Obama network. The whole meeting was really kind of creepy."

Don't be surprised if conservative hero Rick Santelli is soon to find himself looking for a job. It was Santelli whose comments earlier this year help spur the anti-tax enthusiasm that recently resulted in nearly one million Americans turning out at tax day tea parties all across the country. Apparently the Boss Jeffies weren't too happy with Santelli's new found celebrity as a result of his tea party comments.

One topic under the microscope, our insider said, was on-air CNBC editor Rick Santelli's rant two months ago about staging a "Chicago Tea Party" to protest the president's bailout programs -- an idea that spawned tax protest tea parties in other big cities, infuriating the White House. Oddly, Santelli was not at the meeting, while Jim Cramer was, noted our source, who added that no edict was ultimately handed down by the network chieftains.

Were I Rick Santelli, I'd be polishing up my resume before my more tolerant, more caring bosses decided that my services are no longer required.

(Photo credit: jossip.com)