By Matthew Balan | November 21, 2014 | 1:01 PM EST

TVNewser's Chris Ariens reported on Friday that MSNBC hired current White House associate communications director Rachel Racusen to be their vice president of communications. The left-leaning network, which rarely misses an opportunity to defend President Obama, was reportedly "looking for a candidate with connections to the current administration," according to a report that Ariens linked to from sister blog PRNewser.