SquawkBox gets more political

Paul Bedard of U.S. News & World Report writes about how the CNBC morning show “SqauwkBox” is now more political in its coverage.

Bedard writes, “As Washington has weighed in with bank and auto bailouts and healthcare reform, politics and business have gone from holding hands to marriage. And that suits Squawk host Joe Kernen and his cohosts, Becky Quick and Carl Quintanilla, perfectly. It used to be, says Kernen, that Washington and Wall Street issues had little overlap. Now, he says, ‘the parts that don’t overlap are smaller than the parts that do.’

“Popular with political insiders — over 60 percent of the ‘guests of note’ this year are policymakers — the show went viral in the spring when Chicago contributor Rick Santelli, outraged about government spending, excitedly called for a protest tea party. That prompted Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs to suggest that Santelli start drinking decaf. ‘It got a little surreal,’ says Kernen.

“While not a ranter, Kernen is political. ‘My deal is that I’d rather have the markets do it. I think government is ineffective,’ says Kernen, who sneers at ‘Government Motors’ and the ‘activist administration.’ Still, he likes President Obama.”

Read more here.