Two Updates On CNN’s Bill Hemmer

Here are two weekend perspectives on Bill Hemmer‘s possible departure from “American Morning” to senior White House correspondent. (By the way, I hear from sources involved with the contract negotiations that the situation could be settled in a day or two — or a week or two — or more. No one seems to know for sure.)

CNN’s Jeff Greenfield e-mails a response to the critical comments about Hemmer: “Jeffrey Toobin and the many others are absolutely right — Hemmer does his homework and more. More often than not, when our conversations on the air are over, he’s still asking questions, sharing information, referencing stuff he’s read about the topic. With all the genuinely untalented, uninformed
knuckleheads that work in this business, the only thing I can figure out is that some people can’t
stand the fact that someone who looks good on the air can also have something go on inside his
head.”

And FishBowlDC hears rumblings inside the D.C. bureau: “As for the CNNers in Washington, his potential future coworkers aren’t thrilled about some of the arrogance they’ve seen from Hemmer, and while he’s been a great anchor on ‘American Morning,’ they’re frankly rather doubtful that he’s ready to be ‘senior’ anything — let alone swoop in above the all-female team currently on Pebble Beach: Suzanne Malveaux, Dana Bash, and Elaine Quijano.”