The Republican National Committee has launched an online campaign to get CNN and NBC to pull the plug on a planned miniseries/documentary, respectively, about former First Lady, senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, threatening to disinvite those news operations from Republican debates if they don't comply.
A web page sponsored by the RNC features an online form where surfers can sign the following petition:
"Hold The Liberal Media Accountable!
"Tell CNN and NBC to drop their planned programming promoting Hillary Clinton or no 2016 debates!"
RNC Chair Reince Priebus sent letters NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt and CNN President Jeff Zucker Monday asking them to cancel the shows he said were effectively promotions for the likely Democratic presidential candidate or risk losing access to Republican presidential debates.
"If you have not agreed to pull this programming prior to the start of the RNC's summer meeting on Aug. 14, Priebus said, "I will seek a binding vote of the RNC stating that the committee will neither partner with you in 2016 primary debates nor sanction primary debates which you sponsor."
"CNN Films, a division of CNN Worldwide, commissioned a documentary about Hillary Clinton earlier this year. It is expected to premiere in 2014 with a theatrical run prior to airing on CNN," said CNN in a statement. "This documentary will be a non-fiction look at the life of a former First Lady and Secretary of State. Instead of making premature decisions about a project that is in the very early stages of development and months from completion, we would encourage the members of the Republican National Committee to reserve judgment until they know more. Should they decide not to participate in debates on CNN, we would find it curious, as limiting their debate participation seems to be the ultimate disservice to voters."
Spokespeople for NBC were not immediately available for comment, but the nets has indicated it plans to move ahead with the projects.
