Why was CNBC's John Harwood allowed to moderate a GOP debate?

So CNBC and New York Times “reporter” John Harwood, who was a moderator at one of the Republican debates, point-blank asked Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, “What should I ask Jeb?” He was asking before an interview with then Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush last September, according to the latest Podesta email batch from Wikileaks.

A reminder that John Harwood was allowed to moderate a GOP primary debate. https://t.co/iKHEgVYuGy – pic.twitter.com/o14LqlQAnL

— Jimmy (@JimmyPrinceton) November 6, 2016

Brit Hume weighed in.

Nothing wrong with talking with the opposition before doing an interview. But "what should I ask?" Good grief. https://t.co/GPuj2Yygzx

— Brit Hume (@brithume) November 6, 2016

This is FAR from the first time something of this nature has been associated with Harwood.

In the tank much? CNBC’s John Harwood cemented as über-hack in #PodestaEmails https://t.co/ekIJcy3sTk

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) October 19, 2016

Spin machine, ACTIVATE! John Harwood tries (and fails) to rescue Hillary from Colin Powell’s email blaze https://t.co/PXfN6xI0bA

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 15, 2016

'Typical': John Harwood sends out Cruz quote without full context; Updates with full quote after backlash https://t.co/QIiEiREf3Y

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) February 7, 2016

But seriously, what do you expect?

How does @NBCNews justify paying @JohnJHarwood to be a campaign operative?https://t.co/EkFEjYjH7s

— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) November 6, 2016

??? Wow. Unbelievable….what an absolute hack. https://t.co/uccZ1HQgIW

— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) November 6, 2016

You've got to be kidding me. And yes, John Harwood was accepted as a debate moderator. FFS. https://t.co/ZymG68lRKI

— Jazz Shaw (@JazzShaw) November 6, 2016

https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/795325291975606277

Perhaps, the GOP will someday refuse to participate in interviews and debates where the questioners are so obviously opposed to them and their positions, if not all-out working against them.

https://twitter.com/PMBrief/status/795281030588440577

Great question.