Did Time's Mark Halperin just admit to being ex officio member of RNC?

[zaj]

On Mourning Joe, while discussing how long Steele will stay leader of the GOP, it sounded like Halperin admitted to being a formal (though ex officio) member of the RNC.

Joe turned to Halperin and said, "your a voting member, aren't you?" and Halperin replied "Ex Officio".

The context didn't sound sarcastic or playful, but a genuine question.

If true, that certainly would explain quite a bit.

I don't have any conception that a journalist would or should be be completely non-partisan in their personal life. And maybe I'm confused on the nature of what it means to be an ex officio voting member of a national party. But that came across to me as a highly partisan leadership role that has no no official voting rights.

If I'm not making too much out of this, then I would say it's both objectionable and a not too small of an admission.

[babylonsister]

1. Yep...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8303555&mesg_id=8303555

[KharmaTrain]

2. A Rare Moment Of Clarity

If Halperin isn't a voting member of the RNC, they should make him one. He spreads enough of their manure and talking points. Worthless stenographer who owes his nice paycheck to his buddy Drudge and rushbo.

[leveymg]

3. For ten years he was Political Director for ABC News.

Can you imagine one of the major networks hiring Gov. Dean for that job?

[zaj]

7. George Stephanopoulos

[leveymg]

4. Wiki doesn't show RNC membership - major omission, if true

Would explain a lot about ABC coverage, as well.

[leveymg]

6. RNC reference may have been to his 2008 coverage of Republican National Convention

I don't see reference to Halperin having been a Committee member anywhere else.

[zaj]

8. That's why it caught my eye...

... they were talking about Steele's status, and how hard it is to remove a sitting chair. I don't think it had anything to do with the convention.

[leveymg]

10. RNC press office denies any association

You might want to get in touch with Halperin and get clarification. Please then get back to us.

[SpiralHawk]

5. corporate media serves the Republicon Homeland, not America or the truth

That is the ugly reality. And that is why more and more people turn away from its spin and slick diversionary propaganda.

[kstewart33]

9. Not surprising.

His partisanship was obvious when he edited ABC's The Note all those years.

He's tamped down the partisanship while editing Time's The Page, but occasionally it seeps through.

[Orsino]

11. He does more for the party than any current RNC official could.

Whether or not he was on the inside doesn't seem all that important.

[onenote]

12. pretty clear he was trying to be cute - the context was absolutely not "genuine"

YOu left out the part where Halperin (who, for the record, is doofus), said "whatever that means" right after saying he's an ex officio member of the RNC. He was plainly trying to make a joke.

And its equally plain, for anyone who knows what ex officio means, that he's not an "ex officio" member of the RNC.

Tempest, meet teapot.

And again, for the record, Halperin is a clown who doesn't deserve airtime.