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Well, this is quite a story on Drudge right now:
At 11:04:45 AM ET Monday CNN was airing Vice President Dick Cheney's speech live from the American Enterprise Institute in Washington -- when a large black 'X' repeatedly flashed over the vice president's face!
I just got an e-mail from someone who says Drudge will be on Fox News at 9:45 p.m. to talk about it. I'm guessing CNN won't cover the story tonight.
UPDATE 9:50 p.m.: Drudge is on now (without a hat!)and says the X showed up each time for 1/15 of a second, so you couldn't see it unless you slowed down the tape. No one at CNN is talking to Drudge about it.
Alan Colmes: Do you think it was purposeful?
AC: Is it possible this only happened on your set?
Drudge: No, this has been confirmed.
AC: Do you think it's evidence of the liberal media?
Drudge: I don't know...I just find it rather alarming that this is being subliminally sent out on the airwaves.
UPDATE 10:01 p.m.: The Political Teen has video of the Cheney speech, slowed down for the X-effect.
UPDATE 11:42p.m.: Jeff Harrell has a full analysis and serious questions about the video linked above. He has written The Political Teen for clarification, but hasn't heard from him yet. More as soon as I hear it.
Right at the end of the segment, Alan Colmes read a statement from CNN, which I found at TV Newser but not at CNN.com.
Responding to TVNewser's request for comment this evening, a CNN spokesperson explained: "This was a technolgical malfunction, not an issue of operator error. A portion of the switcher experienced a momentary glitch."
Not much of an "official statement," as Colmes called it. Considering how suspect the X incident looks, I think we deserve just a little more than that-- especially those of us who remember this little incident. Bias? What bias?
UPDATE 12:09a.m.: Michelle Malkin gets an e-mail from someone with apparent technical knowledge who says, "It's possible it was a mistake. It isn't likely it was a mistake."
UPDATE a.m.: The Political Teen follows up on the video clip he posted, and another blogger defends the clip.
This guy found the X in the video and the text under it, which reads "Transition begins after five frames of black." That makes it look glitchy to me, and Michelle Malkin has an e-mail from a TV guy, who agrees.
But Drudge has an interesting update this morning. CNN has started an investigation and is taking the incident seriously, which is a good thing compared to the "statement" of last night.
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