The Media Research Center is close buddies with right-wing radio host Mark Levin — so much so that in the first four months of this year, the MRC’s “news” division, CNSNews.com, published 33 articles that simply transcribe what Levin said on his radio show. Now, it appears that the MRC has decided to hand over partial control over CNS’ editorial agenda to Levin.
Craig Bannister dedicated a May 26 CNS blog post to Levin’s latest crusade, insisting that “the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller is unconstitutional – and he’s not the only constitutional scholar to make the case.” Bannister enthusiastically touted how “Levin credits Northwestern Law School Professor Steven Calabresi for raising many of these points with him over the weekend. ‘I agree completely with his analysis,’ Levin says.”
Two days later, CNS editor in chief Terry Jeffrey devoted his column to parroting Levin’s claims:
Calabresi concluded that those targeted by Mueller “should challenge the constitutionality of his actions on Appointments Clause grounds.”
Mark Levin, who served with Calabresi in the Reagan Justice Department, agrees.
“Every defendant, suspect and witness, etc., in this matter,” Levin said on his website, “should challenge the Mueller appointment as a violation of the Appointments Clause.”
But that wasn’t enough. With the coming of summer comes a new crop of interns to the MRC, some of which got assigned to CNS. So the interns harassed no fewer than six senators with the exact same question: “Professor Steven Calabresi of Northwestern Law School and Mark Levin have argued that Robert Mueller’s appointment violates the Appointments Clause because he is a principal officer exercising at least the authority of a U.S. attorney but was not appointed by the president or confirmed by the Senate. Do you agree that Mueller’s appointment is unconstitutional?”
That’s not reporting — that’s doing the bidding of a right-wing radio host.