CNBC Hosts Challenge Rep. Rangel

Did the higher-ups at CNBC send a memo to their on-air personalities in the wake of the Jim Cramer situation last week, advising them to take a harder line against their guests?

After watching an interview with Rep. Charlie Rangel on CNBC earlier today, I definitely got the feeling that this is the case.

Rangel was brought on to the show to discuss the Bonus Tax Bill that was passed by the House earlier today.

About halfway into the interview, the conversation took a hostile turn as Rangel starts to get bombarded with questions about "rumors of his own tax evasion", according to CNBC.com.

I have embedded the video at the end of this article - to be honest, I don't think that I have ever seen two regulars on CNBC take it to a guest this hard, and I suspect that this is going to be representative of a "new" CNBC.

One of the biggest criticisms of CNBC that Jon Stewart leveled against Jim Cramer last week is that CNBC doesn't use their resources and on-air talent to expose some of the shady dealings that take place on Wall Street and in Washington. Rather than try to break stories and get their guests to answer tough questions, many feel as though CNBC simply panders to their guests and just acts as a platform for CEOs to promote their companies.

Can CNBC resurrect itself as a "hard-hitting" financial news network in the wake of the Jim Cramer debacle, or will they eternally be known as the network that pandered to its guests during the good times, when there was (as we know now) a monumental amount of skeletons in the closet, waiting to spring on the investing public?



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