Just when you thought the sickeningly deep collusion between the Clinton campaign and the mainstream media could not get any more, well, deplorable, it does.

The latest effusion of Wikileaks emails exposes a discussion between CNBC's John Harwood, Clinton campaign Chairman John Podesta, and Clinton campaign Director of Communications Jennifer Palmieri.

The story starts with CNBC's John Harwood writing a story in May 2015: "How's Hillary Doing? Wish We Could Tell You"

I've been inside Hillary Clinton's national campaign headquarters in Brooklyn. I've talked with "senior officials" about her bid for the White House. They sat in these chairs. Wish I could tell you more. But they said very little. Notice that I typed very little and not "very little," because under the ground rules of Thursday's briefing reporters were not allowed to quote their words directly. ...

Not exactly the most damning of stories, but clearly made John Podesta angry - in that it did not suck up enough to his candidate - judging by his terse email to Harwood...

"Won't waste your time again."

Which prompted a very quick reply from Harwood (with 20 minutes)...

"He's joking, right?"

To which Jennifer Palmieiri snapped back, clearly disappointed in the reporters' honesty...

"No, he is not joking. He and I are both put off by your piece. The briefing was just meant to help give context to the press for how we are thinking about the race and how summer is likely to go. Never intended for it to be newsmaking event. We thought it would be helpful and you turned it into another hit piece on how our campaign interacts with the press. Seemed like a cheap shot. And odd coming from you."

Which clearly shocked Harwood, who rapidly penned the following apology letter...

" I don't take cheap shots at Hillary Clinton or anybody else. But this wasn't a shot of any kind. It was humor. I was poking fun at a campaign ritual. I didn't expect big news either. Did you notice I didn't ask a single question in the briefing? I don't really care where her announcement will take or whether Charlotte will be onstage or when she'll take her vacation or how many rallies she'll have. I knew that the stuff I care about - most importantly what she plans to do on the economy - was not going to yield answers now. You've told me that and I believe you. I just thought it was funny to go through the ground rules jazz and have all these reporters firing questions and scribbling notes with Fox live truck parked outside with few definitive answers about anything. Did it matter? No. Have you heard me complaining on any media about how Hillary is campaigning or interacting with the press? No. Do I participate in the whole Politico-style meme/narrative bullshit conversation along these lines? No. But when my bosses asked me to write what I learned, humor seemed more honest and appropriate than anything else. The value of the event, to me, was seeing you guys. "

And that, dear American average joes, is how your independent media works.

While Donna Brazile was fired by CNN for what some leaked/unofficial/Russian-propaganda emails said, one wonders how long CNBC can defend their own staff's clear lack of independence.

Is it any wonder, Trump calls this election a "last stand" against the media's omnipotence and control (fwd to 2:47)