CBS's primetime drama NCIS: L.A. on Tuesday took a gratuitous swipe at a prominent conservative strategist, referring to a murderous Venezuelan villain as "the Karl Rove of Caracas." As if to emphasize the point, the jab was repeated later in the episode.
The March 22 show, titled, "Enemy Within," revolved around a Venezuelan politician who was supposedly pro-American, but turned out to be opposed to the U.S. During a visit to Los Angeles, "Gutierrez" is targeted for assassination. A Navy lieutenant explained, "Look, there's a hard-line faction in the country led by a guy named Miguel Cortez. He's like the Karl Rove of Caracas."
Later in the episode, the insult is needlessly repeated. "Special Agent Callen," played by Chris O'Donnell parroted, "Cortez is the leader of the hard-line faction in Venezuela." Another agent, played by Daniela Ruah, reminded, "Yeah, Chambers said he's the Karl Rove of Caracas."
This isn't the first time the NCIS franchise has resorted to liberal propaganda. On December 15, 2009, the program featured an episode about a Christian suicide bomber.
(Hat tip to NewsBusters reader Suzanne Smith for the heads up.)
A transcript of the two exchanges from the March 22 episode follows:
NCIS: L.A.
03/22/11
9:45
"SPECIAL AGENT SAM HANNA" (LL COOL J): Found this inside. Surveillance photos from your meeting at the Malibu pier are on the memory card.
NAVY LIEUTENANT COMMANDER DANIEL CHAMBERS" (Joshua Biton): I can't believe that I fell for this.
HANNA: They set you up good.
"SPECIAL AGENT G. CALLEN" (Chris O'Donnell): Question is, who are "they"?
CHAMBERS: Look, there's a hard-line faction in the country led by a guy named Miguel Cortez. He's like the Karl Rove of Caracas. They stand to gain the most out of this. They eliminate their biggest opponent on American soil. We take the blame and anti-Americanism just runs rampant.
...
9:52
CALLEN: Cortez is the leader of the hard-line faction in Venezuela.
"SPECIAL AGENT KENSI BLYE" (Daniela Ruah): Yeah, Chambers said he's the Karl Rove of Caracas.
— Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
