Did Crossfire Newt Cross CNN Disclosure Rules?

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The quartet of co-hosts of CNN-resurrected Crossfire (see "TUOL" post 6/27/13) have barely had time to settle into full-throated shouting at one another, and already former House Speaker and perpetual presidential candidate Newt Gingrich may be headed for a woodshed spanking, Politico reports.

According to a report by the decidedly not impartial liberal watchdog Media Matters for America, Gingrich seems to have run afoul of standards and practices set by CNN ("Crossfire? No! No!") by allegedly not disclosing political contributions made by him or a PAC in which he is involved to candidates who appear on, or are the subject of discussion on the program. CNN didn't respond to Politico's request for comment.

Mother Jones magazine claims Gingrich's PAC recently has sweetened the respective pots of Sen. Rand Paul (R.-Ky.), a Crossfire guest, and Sen. Ted Cruz (R.-Tex.), a topic of discussion on the gabfest, without Gingrich acknowledging either contribution on-air.

Much ado about nothing and "gotcha" journalism, "TUOL" unabashedly concedes. It is refreshing, however, to write about a Gingrich gaffe that doesn't involve lunar colonies or isn't serial marriage-related.

'Crossfire' Redux

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When NBC Universal/ Today Show wunderkind Jeff Zucker took the helm of CNN (see "TUOL" post 11/30/12), he promised fresh programming and a Prime Time shake-up of the cable news network mired in poor ratings (see "TUOL" posts 5/3/12, 3/30/10).

According to a story by mediabistro.com's TV Newser blog, cutting-edge tv apparently means reviving Crossfire (Crossfire 2.0?), the political debate program that anchored CNN for more than two decades before it was cancelled in January 2005.

The TV Newser item about the political gabfest announced the talking heads who will appear on the program. On the political right will be S.E. Cupp, currently on MSNBC's The Cycle and a contributor to The Blaze, and Georgia's own perennially unsuccessful GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, a veteran of Congress and marriage. On the left, will be one-time Obama White House adviser Van Jones and former Obama campaign consultant Stephanie Cutler. The audience, meanwhile, will likely be on Fox, MSNBC and the Food Network.

Does Political Punditry Have a Shelf Life?

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A failure to recognize an approaching hurricane or a prediction of an apocalyptic snowstorm that proves to be a light dusting are solid indicators that a television meteorologist may soon undergo a career change.

How many swings and misses are boob tube political pundits allowed before a network strips them of their titles and reclaims their ouija boards?

It's an understatement to say that it was a bad night for The Fox News Channel's triumvirate of fair & balanced prognosticators regarding President Barack Obama's relection.

Fox commentator Newt Gingrich, who called Mitt Romney a "vulture capitalist" when he competed against him during the GOP primaries for the party's presidential nomination, nonetheless had predicted a Romney victory in which Romney would capture more than 300 Electoral College votes. On the Wednesday morning talk show circuit, Newt conceded his prediction was wrong, but based on high unemployment figures, expensive gasoline and his reliance on a "historical (voters') pattern." If a history professor like Gingrich can misread historical patterns, can any of us be safe?

Meanwhile, former pollster turned Fox commentator Dick Morris, who had predicted a "landslide" victory for Romney in the popular vote and a garnering or more than 325 Electoral College votes, this morning on talk shows was also astute enough to admit he was incorrect, but attributed his faulty prediction to his reliance on a 2008 voting model that no longer exists.  "TUOL" can imagine an exchange between Morris and Gingrich in the Green Room before their respective appearances on gabfests this morning (Morris: "I can't believe you're a history professor and you didn't tell me that Latinos and people of color were eligible to vote!")

Finally, independent Fox commentator Karl Rove, whose Super PACS raised millions of dollars toward Romney's election, had a Norma Desmond moment on Fox News last night during which he berated colleagues Megyn Kelly and Bret Baier on-air for declaring Obama the winner and assigning blue state status to Ohio too soon.

Apparently, Fox News doesn't require that its pundits be right provided that they're "far right."

Gingrich 'Rocky' Campaign Sued by 'Eye of the Tiger' Composer

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeGOP presidential primary contender and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich may consider himself a political Survivor, but the co-composer of the Rocky III theme song "Eye of the Tiger" nonetheless has brought a copyright infringement claim in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois to get the Georgia history professor to stop blasting the tune at campaign events.

The five-page complaint in Rude Music Inc. v. Newt 2012 et al. (Case No. 1:12-cv-00640) seeks injunctive relief, along with damages and attorneys' fees against Gingrich's campaign, Newt 2012, as well as the American Conservative Union. Plaintiff Frank Sullivan, owner of Rude Music Inc., co-wrote the Grammy-winning "Eye of the Tiger" with Jim Peterik, and registered the copyright in 1982, according to accounts by Reuters and Associated Press wire services.

The complaint alleges Gingrich co-opted the song without the creators' permission, and has been using it since 2009 to signal his arrival at rallies and other public appearances. Gingrich's campaign has yet to respond to the suit, preferring to direct its invective at front-runner Mitt Romney, President Barack Obama and the news media.

Republican candidates have not had much luck against musicians angry over their works being used in political settings, ranging from Jackson Browne (see "TUOL" post 7/21/09), David Byrne (see "TUOL" post 5/26/10) and Don Henley (see "TUOL" post 6/3/10). If  Rep. Gingrich decides to change his tune, so to speak, the music-loving staff of "TUOL" recommends Frank Sinatra's "Love is Lovelier the Second (er...Third) Time Around," Tina Turner's "Let's Pretend We're Married," Blue October's "Hate Me" or Lisa Marie Presley's "Idiot."