Phantom ‘N-Word’ Narrative Does a 180 On Cooper’s 360

Last night on Anderson Cooper 360, there was a political panel discussion that focused on the growing doubts over whether racial epithets had, in fact, been hurled at members of the Congressional Black Caucus on the day of the Health Care vote in Washington, D.C.  The segment led with video of Andrew Breitbart repeating his offer of $100,000 to be donated to the United Negro College Fund if anyone provides video and audio proof of the alleged event.

The exchange that follows is notable for a handful of reasons.  First, the way Cooper frames the subject and introduces the discussion:

COOPER:  On March 20th, near the end of the bitter health care debate, Representative John Lewis, Andre Carson, Emanuel Cleaver say that some demonstrators, many of them Tea Party activists, yelled the “n” word as the Congressmen walked from House office building at the Capitol…

… Roland (Martin, CNN Political Analyst), what about that? I mean, if — if this happened, you would think there would be video by now. Does that — the fact that it is still being discussed. Is that a win for the Tea Party?

This is a new direction for CNN, which is desperately trying to reposition itself between Fox and MSNBC as the“objective” alternative, as well as other news outlets.  Until recently, the “N-word” slur has been reported as engraved-in-stone fact.  Now, the discussion is no longer about the alleged racism of the activists as much as it is about the validity of the charges.

Read the rest here.