Kurtz Mocks Fox for Hiring Sex Scandal Plagued Former GOP Governor, Doesn't Mention Spitzer and CNN

October 23rd, 2011 5:32 PM

CNN's Howard Kurtz on Sunday mocked the hiring of sex scandal plagued former governor Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) by Fox News.

Hypocritically, the "Reliable Sources" host neglected to mention his own network's prior relationship with the prostitute loving former governor Eliot Spitzer (D-N.Y.) (video follows with transcript and commentary):

HOWARD KURTZ: Speaking of Fox News, the network has added yet another Republican politician to its payroll, but I don't think we'll see this one running for president.

Mark Sanford is the former South Carolina governor who gained notoriety for carrying on with the woman he called his Argentine soul mate.

Comedian Harry Shearer tweeted that maybe Sanford will become the Appalachian Trail correspondent. That's where he claimed to be when he was visiting his gal pal, an unusual choice, but the scandal sure did boost his name recognition.

What makes this even more deliciously hypocritical is when CNN neglected to mention Spitzer in a May program about sex scandals and politics shortly after former Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) felt it necessary to expose his privates on the internet, Kurtz was displeased with this oversight:

KURTZ ON MAY 22, 2011: If you're going to do this kind of story, you have to include Eliot Spitzer, even if he does now host a primetime CNN program. Otherwise, you are airbrushing history.

I guess that means five months later Kurtz was doing a little historical airbrushing of his own.

Having begun Sunday's program asking guests why President Obama wasn't getting more credit for Moammar Gaddafi's death, this most certainly was a lousy day for one of America's best known media critics.