CNN's Managing Editor sent an email around the office today, praising Candy Crowley and trying to blunt criticism that she was unfair to Mitt Romney.
The email -- sent by Mark Whitaker and obtained by TMZ -- is almost a series of talking points to address Candy's critics.
Here's the full email:
"Let's start with a big round of applause for Candy Crowley for a superb job under the most difficult circumstances imaginable. She and her team had to select and sequence questions in a matter of hours, and then she had to deal with the tricky format, the nervous questioners, the aggressive debaters, all while shutting out the pre-debate attempts to spin and intimidate her. She pulled it off masterfully.
The reviews on Candy's performance have been overwhelmingly positive but Romney supporters are going after her on two points, no doubt because their man did not have as good a night as he had in Denver. On the legitimacy of Candy fact-checking Romney on Obama's Rose Garden statement, it should be stressed that she was just stating a point of fact: Obama did talk about an act (or acts) of terror, no matter what you think he meant by that at the time. On why Obama got more time to speak, it should be noted that Candy and her commission producers tried to keep it even but that Obama went on longer largely because he speaks more slowly. We're going to do a word count to see whether, as in Denver, Romney actually got more words in even if he talked for a shorter period of time."
TMZ broke the story ... some honchos at CNN want the criticism to go away, even though it's shining a light on one of their most high-profile personalities -- and you just can't buy this type of publicity.
Another positive sign for Kobe Bryant's marriage -- the NBA star took his estranged wife Vanessa out on a romantic lunch date today ... and they totally SPLIT A SANDWICH & SOUP COMBO MEAL!!!
The two rolled in to the PDM Bakery and Cafe in Newport Beach, CA this afternoon looking and acting very coupley -- despite the fact their divorce is still pending.
Sources tell us ... Kobe and Vanessa split the Tuscan chicken sandwich (served hot) and tortilla soup combo meal -- and washed it down with a pair of iced teas.
We're told the Bryants hung out at the restaurant for about an hour ... and couldn't have been nicer.
Vanessa filed for divorce back in December ... but it seems like they're all but reconciled these days. Not only did Vanessa support Kobe in London during the Olympics, she also attended the Lakers pre-season game last night.
The bloodletting continues for Lance Armstrong ... the disgraced cyclist just lost THREE more huge sponsors ... including his bike deal.
Trek Bicycles has officially ended their deal with Armstrong ... ditto for the FRS energy drink company. Anheuser-Busch has also announced it will NOT renew Lance's deal to endorse its Michelob Ultra line when it expires at the end of the year.
Of course, Lance was already fired by Nike this morning -- and hours later, his bike helmet company followed suit.
The bike helmet company that crafted Lance Armstrong's $15,000 helmet for the 2010 Tour de France -- and launched a full line of Lance Armstrong helmets -- has DROPPED the disgraced cyclist in the wake of the doping scandal, TMZ has learned.
A rep for Giro Helmets tells TMZ, "We will not be continuing our sponsorship of Lance Armstrong moving forward. We continue to support the cancer community through our association with LIVESTRONG."
Giro's not the first company to boot Armstrong -- Nike announced it would no longer be sponsoring him either, claiming Armstrong "misled" the company for more than a decade.
FYI -- the U.S. Anti-Doping released a report last week, detailing Armstrong's direct involvement in what it called "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen."
Armstrong -- who's been banned from pro cycling for life -- still denies the doping allegations.
You'd think CNN would be thrilled with all the controversy over Candy Crowley's performance at last night's Presidential debate, but we've learned network honchos are NOT happy she's become part of the story.
Multiple sources connected with CNN tell TMZ ... the honchos think Candy did a good job, but they're freaking out over allegations that she was pro-Obama and harsh on Romney. As one source put it, "They want to make all of the publicity over Candy just go away, because it calls into question CNN's impartiality."
Another well-connected CNN source scoffs at the reaction, telling us, "It's typical. This type of publicity is great. More people know who Candy Crowley is than ever before, and CNN is blowing the chance of exploiting it."
A CNN source says putting Candy on the network last night immediately following the debate was not because CNN was bragging about her performance ... it was "damage control."
The source added, "What CNN cares about is the brand. It's all about the brand."
Britney Spears' mom is afraid Sam Lutfi will paint her an anti-Semite during their imminent trial -- so she just got an order blocking him from making Jew-hating allegations ... TMZ has learned.
The order stems from Lynne Spears calling Sam Lutfi a "Svengali" in her book -- a name used to describe a person who controls others through deceitful means.
But the word arguably has anti-Semitic roots as well, referring to the "Wandering Jew" character in Christian mythology.
Lynne was afraid Sam -- who is Jewish -- would run with the "Svengali" reference and use it to label her an anti-Semite during the defamation trial -- by calling an expert witness to testify about the anti-Semitic roots of the word.
Lynne filed papers asking the court to block Sam from calling such an expert witness -- and the judge signed off because it's not relevant and ridiculously prejudicial.
The woman who claimed she was torn between voting for Barack Obama or Mitt Romney last night during the Presidential debate tells TMZ, she's STILL undecided -- even after both candidates answered her tax cut question.
You probably recognize her -- her name's Mary Follano, and she asked what the candidates' positions were on tax breaks, and how each prospective administration would make up for losses in government revenue, blah blah blah.
Mitt and Barack both gave stock responses -- feel free to argue, we don't care -- and 54-year-old Follano says she's no closer to a decision now than she was before last night's debate.
Follano tells us, "I see positive things in both their plans ... I look forward to the next debate."
As for her little slip-up -- when she blanked on part of her question -- Follano says she did her best to memorize, but she stumbled at the last second.
FYI -- Follano's a registered Republican who claims she voted for John McCain in 2008. In her words, "He's an American hero."
It's widely regarded as the WORST MOVIE OF ALL TIME -- and even Lea Thompson, star of the 1986 catastrophe, agrees ... "Howard the Duck" was a steaming pile of animatronic crap.
The 51-year-old actress was out in NYC yesterday when we asked about the cult classic -- and she bit her tongue, telling TMZ, "I'm happy that people like it, but I don't think it was a great movie."
No kidding, it won the 1987 Razzie Award for Worst Picture ... and critics PANNED the George Lucas-produced movie for years thereafter.
Then again, Lea did that incredible underwear scene...
Flavor Flav was arrested early this morning in Vegas after allegedly threatening a teenager in his house with a deadly weapon, TMZ has learned.
Law enforcement sources tell us, the teenager is the son of Flav's fiancee -- and the rapper had allegedly gotten into a heated verbal argument with both the teenager and his mom before it turned violent.
According to police, Flav -- real name William Drayton Jr. -- is accused of getting physical with his fiancee and then threatening her son with a knife. During the altercation, the fiancee called 911.
Flav was arrested around 3am and booked on two charges -- felony assault with a deadly weapon and misdemeanor domestic violence (battery).
Britney Spears' lawyers will come out of the gate swinging in Sam Lutfi's lawsuit against her and her family ... calling BS on his argument that the singer was on drugs and he was trying to save her.
Sources connected with the case tell us ... lawyers for the conservatorship will scoff at Lutfi from the get-go, noting that he is suing her because he claims she signed a contract making him her manager.
Their point -- how can someone deep into drugs be competent enough to sign any contract, and what's the point of signing a contract if she's too wasted to perform?
Lutfi claims Britney was on meth and other drugs and he worked 24/7 to rehab her, to no avail. Lawyers for Britney and Lynne Spears will make the case that Sam was like a sleazy drug pusher and fame whore who fueled Britney with drugs to control her and isolate her from her friends and family.
Sarah Silverman's father is TEARING INTO an Orthodox rabbi who criticized his daughter's life choices ... calling the guy an a-hole ... and warning him -- "You don't f*ck with my family."
Papa Silverman is responding to an open letter published by Rabbi Yaakov Rosenblatt -- in which he goes after the comic for living an un-Jewish life -- which includes choosing her career over having a family.
Rosenblatt wrote -- "I think, Sarah, that marriage and childrearing are not in the cards for you because you can’t focus on building life when you spend your days and nights tearing it down."
He went on ... "Nothing you say or stand for, Sarah, from your sickening sexual proposal to a Republican donor to your equally vulgar tweet to Mitt Romney, has the slightest thing to do with the most basic of tenets which Judaism has taught the world – that the monogamous relationship is the most meaningful one and that a happy marriage is the key to wholesomeness."
Now for the response -- Sarah's dad, Donald Silverman, issued the following letter back to the rabbi:
"Hey a**hole.
Daughter #1 is a rabbi. Not by your standards. She's reform. How dare she, a lowly woman think god wants her to be a rabbi, created from a mere rib. Her hubby, three times nominated for a nobel peace prize was listed by the Jerusalem Post as the 49th most influential jew in the world built the worlds largest solar field in Israel.
By the way, Sarah was also on the list. I missed your name. Oldest granddaughter is serving in the Israel Defense Forces. I'm sure you also served.Oh I forgot the orthodox don't do that.
Paul Ryan's soup kitchen stop totally blew up in his face ... or did it?? Did Ryan really wash dirty pots and pans? Are the soup kitchen folks just playing CYA -- and most importantly: is a blown photo-op going to affect your vote, anyway?Plus, Britney Spears' ex-manager is…
First Lady Michelle Obama and Ann Romney were both tickled hot pink at last night's presidential debate at Hofstra University.
