"Department of Jihad" & Blitzer's Controversy?

So, here's a story that caught my eye this week. Apparently, it has recently come out that 7 to 9 Justice Department lawyers, who before working in the Justice Department, represented Guantanamo detainees while they were in private practice. Therefore, questioning their patriotism.

What makes this story even more interesting? Well, a group called Keep America Safe, whom are actually associated with Dick Cheney's daughter, Elizabeth, have recently come out with a video, headlined, "DOJ: Department of Jihad?" They basically criticized these government officials and questioned their loyalty to their country. In the video, they asked, "Who are these government officials? And, whose values do they share?"

If you don't know already, Keep America Safe has been criticizing Obama and his policies since he has entered office. So, its not the first time they have been outspoken or, in this case, outspoken with a video. They created a video prior to this one after President Obama's State of the Union address, called "State of the Rhetoric?" And, Cheney's daughter seems to be associated with them. (Seems very interesting though, that Cheney's daughter be associated with a group set against Obama and his policies. Don't you think?)

But, Keep America Safe aren't the only ones concerned with these "Jihad lawyers." Republican Senators have been asking for months for the names of these nine officials and voicing concerns about whether they are trustworthy or not. Not, only that but the media has been having a field day with this. Fox News actually identified the lawyers. While CNN went on to create a controversy of their own.

If you haven't heard, last week, Wolf Blitzer had his own controversy with this whole "Department of Jihad" situation/smear. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer apologized for the segment that focused on the smear ads from “Keep America Safe” that charge Department of Justice lawyers with being in "cahoots" with Al Qaeda terrorists. The segment actually included a graphic that read “Department of Jihad?” and ended up angering viewers.

The segment was a "debate-style point-counterpoint discussion" of the “Keep America Safe” ads. They actually opened it up to the airwaves, as they do 'many a times.' But, with such a controversial subject at bay, CNN should have known better and should have addressed the controversy themselves. Instead, they allowed the audience to debate. Should CNN have allowed for such a thing? Many have stated that the answer is in fact quite easy. It is not "CNN’s job" to resolve questions one way or another. It is to keep the questions alive for the sake of drawing an audience. So, was the graphic really the problem or was it the way that CNN went about the whole situation.

Anyway, Wolf Blitzer actually offered or was "forced?" to issue an apology for the segment. Here's the statement:

"On Friday, Wolf Blitzer apologized on behalf of CNN for the graphic, saying that “CNN had no intention of suggesting the Justice Department supported terrorism, lawyers at the Justice Department are patriotic Americans and we certainly reject any confusion that may have been caused by our graphic.”

So, what do you think? Do you think CNN should have involved viewers? Did they go a little too far?