CNN Reporter Calls Out Colleague on the Air for Anti-Tea Party Rhetoric

CNN’s Jim Acosta called out one of his colleagues on the air Thursday for referring to members of the Tea Party as “radicals.”

The admonishment came during a larger discussion about the partial government shutdown and who is to blame for the 16-day halt in federal activity.

“The sort of Tea Party radicals, if you like, who kicked all of this off, they electorally are safe. They're not going to lose their seats because of redistricting and the like,” CNN anchor Michael Holmes said. “They're more about ideology than pragmatism or bipartisanship. What chance they're going to change their minds at all when we get to January and it's talk time again?”

Acosta, CNN’s senior White House correspondent, wasn’t exactly thrilled with Holmes’ characterization of the Tea Party.

“Well, Michael, I mean, first of all, let's be careful about using the term ‘radical,’ because a lot of those folks feel like they're standing on principle today, even though they didn't come out on top in this,” Acosta said.

(H/T: Mediaite, NewsBusters)

Editor's note: This headline originally referred to Acosta as a CNN anchor. He is CNN's senior White House correspondent.

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