RNC votes to boycott CNN, NBC over Hillary Clinton projects

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Though Hillary Clinton said she is “thinking” about a second presidential run, the former secretary of State has reportedly made no decision. But a slew of public appearances, a forthcoming book and support from Super PACs and prominent Democrats suggest another bid is on the horizon. (Theo Wargo / Getty Images)

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Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida has kept a high public profile in recent months. His family has even weighed in on a possible run. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images)

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Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) profile has been on the rise, speaking out against the Obama administration’s drone and surveillance policies. Tapping into his father’s libertarian base, the first-term senator placed first in the 2014 CPAC straw poll. (Alex Wong / Getty Images)

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Vice President Joe Biden, who has run several times, has decades of experience. However, Biden’s age and predilection for gaffes could impair a future effort. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

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Mitt Romney’s running mate in 2012, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), has built a reputation on budgetary issues. Ryan didn’t walk away from 2012 unscathed, but carries clout as the House Budget Committee chairman. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images)

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Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie cemented his place in the 2016 conversation with a landslide gubernatorial re-election victory. But a scandal involving a top aide has cut into his popularity and position as a GOP front-runner.

(Kena Betancur / Getty Images)

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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is a key player in Republican opposition to President Obama’s signature healthcare law. A favorite of the tea party, Cruz’s 21-hour “filibuster” increased his popularity on the right and sparked 2016 speculation. (C-SPAN / Associated Press)

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has said repeatedly that she is not running for president. But her book, “A Fighting Chance,” fueled talk that she has presidential hopes. Warren, who built her reputation as an advocate for consumers, is highly popular among liberals. (Darren McCollester / Getty Images)

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Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor who ran in the 2008 presidential primary, remains popular even in a crowded Republican field. (Jim Cole / Associated Press)

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Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) saw his national profile soar during the 2012 campaign as a surrogate for Mitt Romney and, in 2013, working to pass bipartisan immigration reform. But Rubio’s openness to compromise on the issue has subjected him to criticism from the right. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)

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One of the more liberal members of the Democratic crop, Gov. Martin O’Malley (Md.) has been at the forefront of his state’s fight over gay marriage and signed a bill decriminalizing marijuana. Plus, O’Malley has passed the Iowa litmus test, headlining a steak fry event in 2012. (Patrick Semansky / Associated Press)

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is a more quiet figure on the national stage, but with solid approval ratings and proven success in fundraising, he remains part of the conversation. (Richard Drew / Associated Press)

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Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana has earned a reputation as a policy expert within the Republican Party, particularly on healthcare, though his first chance at the national stage, the 2009 Republican response to Obama’s State of the Union address, was ineffectual and poorly reviewed. (Patrick Kane / Associated Press)

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Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced he will not seek re-election in 2014, freeing up his calendar for another presidential run. Perry notably left the door open to future political endeavors. But his poor reviews in the 2012 race still cast a long shadow over his 2016 chances.

(Eric Gay / Associated Press)

By Morgan Little

Aug. 16, 2013 10:14 AM PT

WASHINGTON – The Republican National Committee voted Friday to boycott CNN and NBC if the networks produce films on Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is seen as the Democratic Party’s strongest potential contender for the 2016 presidential election.

Reince Priebus, the RNC chairman and a vocal opponent of the two films, said the party is “done putting up with this nonsense.”

“There are plenty of other news outlets. We’ll still reach voters, maybe more voters. CNN and NBC anchors will just have to watch on their competitors’ networks,” he told RNC members during their summer meeting in Boston. “The media overplayed their hand this time.”

During the last presidential primary, the GOP held 20 debates, seven of which were sponsored by CNN and four of which were sponsored by NBC News or affiliated networks.

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Both networks have defended their projects. CNN’s documentary, commissioned by its films division, is expected to debut in theaters next year before airing on the network.

“Instead of making premature decisions about a project that is in the very early stages of development and months from completion, we would encourage the members of the Republican National Committee to reserve judgment until they know more,” CNN said in a statement prior to the vote.

NBC’s miniseries about the former first lady, senator and secretary of State, which tentatively stars Diane Lane as Clinton, is being managed by NBC Entertainment, and the network has stated its news division “has no involvement in this project.”

Despite those assertions, Republican leaders enthusiastically resolved to formalize their concerns with the network’s films and reform the next round of presidential primary debates.

“If CNN and NBC continue to move forward with this and other such programming, the Republican National Committee will neither partner with these networks in the 2016 presidential primary debates nor sanction any primary debates they sponsor,” according to the nonbinding resolution.

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In addition to threatening a cessation to the party’s cooperation with the two networks, the resolution includes a provision to “bring more order to the primary debates and ensure a reasonable number of debates, appropriate moderators and debate partners are chosen.”

The last round of debate moderators included CNN’s John King, NBC News’ Brian Williams and Fox News’ Megyn Kelly, among others.

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