I guess it is to the point where the media no longer tries to pretend that it is not an arm of the Democrat party.

In the last Democrat debate, Anderson Cooper asked hard-hitting questions like, in the words of [mc_name name=’Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’C001098′ ], “which of you is the most handsome and wise.” In fact, Cooper pointedly said that he did not intend to have candidates engage each other. The reason for this is simple. Hillary Clinton’s mind is about as sharp as your typical Krispy Kreme donut. If she is answered anything that is not scripted she inevitably says really stupid stuff (like coming out against president’s disclosing their criminal record) or resorts to that braying, snorting laugh of hers. If she is put in a position where she has to think independently of Cheryl Mills and Huma Abedin then she reveals herself as the ungainly poseur she is.

Not to be outdone by Anderson Cooper’s exercise in shadow boxing, CBS News’s John Dickerson, the moderator of tonight’s debate, is taking it one step further. He seems to be vetting his questions with the Democrat candidates:

This Saturday’s second Democratic debate will be a much smaller affair than the first. With only three candidates on stage, CBS News plans to delve deep into the issues with each candidate and have taken advantage of the smaller pool by doing some intense research.

Moderator John Dickerson and his team met with each of the campaigns for more than an hour to discuss the major issues at play in the race, sources on the campaigns said, describing the pre-interview as “informational in nature.” Dickerson is not giving candidates previews of his questions for the debate.

Prior to the CNN debate, the campaigns said moderator Anderson Cooper did not reach out directly to them before the candidates took the stage.

“[Dickerson] and his team were very interested in getting to better know the senator’s stand on a wide spectrum of issues, what he would do about income inequality in this country,” said Bernie Sanders’ spokesman Michael Briggs. He said they discussed issues where there are real differences between the candidates — including gun control, the death penalty and raising taxes on the middle class. “John Dickerson’s a smart, impressive guy who cares a lot about the issues,” Briggs said. “I’m sure we’ll see a smart, issues-oriented debate.”

What Dickerson is doing is the equivalent of conducting an interview only after submitting your questions in advance. By discussing with them the issues he is not only warning them about what issues he will discuss but they are previewing his questions. This is not journalism. This is simply shilling for the Democrats.