Update: Santelli Stares Down Playboy... (Playboy piece pulled)

[RedEarth]

By Barry Ritholtz - March 2nd, 2009, 5:32PM

On Saturday night, I referenced an interesting accusation from Playboy against CNBC: They claimed that the now infamous Santelli rant was a plant. (Rick Santelli’s Planted Rant ?)

Today, NY Mag reports the Playboy piece was pulled.

I emailed Santelli earlier about this, but haven’t heard back yet.

The IMs are abuzz that CNBC’s legal team barked at Playboy, threatening litigation. Playboy quickly folded (insert your own badpun here).

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/03/update-santelli-stares-down-playboy/

link to Playboy now misssing article....

Backstabber: Is Rick Santelli High On Koch?
Mark Ames and Yasha Levine
Playboy, 02.27.09 1:40 PM CST
http://www.playboy.com/blog/2009/02/backstabber.html

[drm604]

1. Interesting.

I was wondering why they pulled that article. I still think there are too many coincidences, but that's obviously just my opinion.

Hopefully time will tell.

[slipslidingaway]

2. Thanks for posting n/t

[The Night Owl]

3. Santelli responds to the Playboy charges...

http://www.cnbc.com/id/29471026

[MinM]

4. CNBC Cancels Santelli's "Daily Show" Appearance"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/business/media/03cnbc.html?adxnnl=1&ref=business&adxnnlx=1236089902-oOMLm0EMyjxG5AAozCEtNA

Rick Santelli, the CNBC reporter whose on-air suggestion of a “Chicago Tea Party” to protest President Obama’s housing plan sparked an Internet sensation and a smattering of actual protests across the country, found himself on the defensive Monday...

In his blog post Monday, Mr. Santelli, who voted for John McCain in the presidential election, wrote that his comments had been spontaneous and that he had “no affiliation or association” with any of the Web sites or protests.

The attention around Mr. Santelli’s views now appears to be a distraction at CNBC. (The New York Times has a content-sharing agreement with the network.) Mr. Santelli declined interview requests on Monday, and the network canceled his appearance on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” on Wednesday. “It was time to move on to the next big story,” a CNBC spokesman said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/02/rick-santelli-not-connect_n_171239.html

"Though it has been reported that I am a registered Republican I have no political agenda and any person, organization or media outlet that claims otherwise is inaccurate," he wrote. "I hope that the president and the final stimulus plan succeed."

Santelli, who was not made available for comment, had angrily criticized the president for policies that Santelli believed would reward people who had bought houses that they could not afford.

"This is America," he said, turning to traders on the floor. "How many of you people want to pay for your neighbor's mortgage that has an extra bathroom and can't pay their bills?"

When the traders around him began booing, Santelli said, "President Obama, are you listening?"

Anthony Astolfi, a California Web developer who was active in Republican Ron Paul's 2008 presidential campaign, said he stayed up all night putting the "reteaparty" Web site together. He and others online are using Santelli's statement to promote a Boston Tea Party-style protest against the government plan.

Using Santelli's name was the most effective way of drawing attention to his site, Astolfi said. He denied it was an attempt to mislead people into believing Santelli supported what they were doing.

"We put disclosure on the bottom of the site," he said.

The description of "Rick Santelli's Re-Tea Party" had been up for 11 days, along with comments from readers praising him.

Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs was quick to criticize Santelli for his comments. He urged him to print out a copy of Obama's plan and read it.

"I'd be happy to buy him a cup of coffee," Gibbs said in a White House briefing. "Decaf."

Santelli said later he felt he had been threatened by Gibbs. He was backed up by fellow CNBC personality Larry Kudlow, who called it "the worst press relations we've seen in our lifetime." Santelli was then asked about it late last week on NBC's "Today" show.

"If you go out of your way to call out the president of the United States, you have to expect his representative to go out of his way to call you out," Matt Lauer said. "Doesn't that go with the territory?"

4httr

Santelli and his cohort Kudlow had about as much credibility as Baghdad Bob when the tanks were rolling in behind him. Santelli and Kudlow continued to claim that the economy was solid as it was sinking and that Wall Street would fix itself. They were dishing partisan propaganda when the people needed truth. As far as I'm concerned no legitimate network should employ these shills for Republican Laissez Faire policies.

Posted 09:27 AM on 03/03/2009 cltclt

oooJade, thank you for the link to that great article. I watched the "rant" and couldn't put my finger on it, but it seemed so fake and forced. I saw Matt Lauer's interview with this guy and he was mumbling and fumbling his words before finally blaming his wife for feeling Robert Gibbs "threatened" him. This guy is a fake. I don't blame him for being against the bailout. He's a former derivatives trader I heard, now that the gravy train has come to an end he needs another contract from CNBC or maybe Fox.

Posted 08:50 AM on 03/03/2009 Hope Lives

Rick Santelli, was trying to promote Rick Santelli. Whatever happened to people who stood up for their country in a crisis? Where is the man who says that he will do whatever it takes to help our country? Are all of them in Irac? I stand up for you President Obama. Thank you for trying to do the hardest job in the world in the face of these "rants".

If more than a few people showed up for his tea party he would be claiming credit in every way he could. Instead millions stayed away. Millions hope the President will be successful in his efforts to save us. You are just another silly man, concerned only with yourself. At least have the courage to say "maybe the only ranters were the derivatives traders sitting all around me". Now that your little "promote yourself" party didn't work you are trying to DISTANCE yourself from it. Show some courage... own your behavior...

[The Night Owl]

5. What an odd statement...

"Though it has been reported that I am a registered Republican I have no political agenda..."

Weasely.