Administration Attack on FoxNews Makes President Look Petty
You know, if the president really wanted to look like he’s secure in his leadership and confident of the merits of his policies, instead of regularly dispatching his minions to trash FoxNews, he’d given them a talking point like this:
In this era of multiple sources of news, we’re pleased to see them out there. They may give our critics greater voice, but, that just gives us a greater opportunity to expose the flaws in their arguments and so make a better case for our policies.
But, rather than address the various arguments made by pundits and advanced by politicians (and scholars) on FoxNews, White House senior adviser David Axelrod joined the Administration’s chorus in attacking the news network, telling George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week”:
Mr. [Rupert] Murdoch has a talent for making money, and I understand that their programming is geared toward making money. The only argument [White House communications director] Anita [Dunn] was making is that they’re not really a news station if you watch even — it’s not just their commentators, but a lot of their news programming.
The Obama advisor said the programming of Fox is “not really news.”
“IF YOU STRIKE ME DOWN I SHALL–” Oh, hell, you know the rest. New York Times declares Fox News winner in fight with Obama.
If the Old Gray Lady declares Fox the winner, how do you think the American people, far more to the center (and right) than the Times, are reacting?
Someone’s credibility is going to take a hit, but it won’t be that of FoxNews.
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This was a stupid fight for the White House to pick. Obama looks more like Hugo Chavez each and every day.
Comment by GayPatriot — October 19, 2009 @ 12:50 pm - October 19, 2009
Obama is just proving the malice in the child, who won’t say why he broke the lamp on the table. When he was caught on tape doing so.
Comment by Pamela — October 19, 2009 @ 1:10 pm - October 19, 2009
Stupid is as stupid does….hehe
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — October 19, 2009 @ 1:59 pm - October 19, 2009
Funny, when Bush took the criticism and personal attacks without so much as a an agitated sigh in public, the media tried to crusify him as being unable to handle the job.
Now we have a petulant child in office… And the media heralds him as the ideal leader.
Real Presidential Barry…. Real Presidential.
Comment by Stone K — October 19, 2009 @ 2:32 pm - October 19, 2009
The title of this post is the understatement of the year.
Comment by CattusMagnus — October 19, 2009 @ 2:41 pm - October 19, 2009
I remember when Bush 43 was accused of ripping up the constitution.
Who exactly is overtly attacking the first amendment? Freedom of the press?
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — October 19, 2009 @ 2:54 pm - October 19, 2009
Attack FoxNews, attack talk radio, silence campus critics … next target, the Internet.
Hugo must be proud. Are Americans really that stupid?
Comment by Joe — October 19, 2009 @ 4:02 pm - October 19, 2009
They are all piling on I really don’t know how to respond to Frum except maybe just maybe he should look in a mirror.
http://www.newmajority.com/do-limbaugh-and-beck-believe-what-they-say
Comment by keyboard Jockey — October 19, 2009 @ 6:27 pm - October 19, 2009
Does the title “Banana Republic” start to fit. How Presidential of Obama to stoop and keep on stooping so low that his real personality, as well as, those of his keepers continues to shine so brightly on who they really are!!!
Comment by Duffy - Native Intelligence — October 19, 2009 @ 7:01 pm - October 19, 2009
I feel pretty,
Oh, so pretty,
I feel pretty and witty and bright!
And I pity
Any girl who isn’t me tonight.
I feel charming,
Oh, so charming
It’s alarming how charming I feel!
And so pretty
That I hardly can believe I’m real.
Comment by A Conservative Teacher — October 19, 2009 @ 8:14 pm - October 19, 2009
Sorry to jar what apparently is a very dim memory of our former president (see comment #4 and #6):
BUSH WHINES ABOUT THE MEDIA
“There’s a sense that the people in America aren’t getting the truth,” Bush said recently. “I’m mindful of the filter through which some news travels.”
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=129019&page=1&page=1
BUSH WHINES ABOUT THE MEDIA AGAIN, AND SO DOES RUMSFELD
“We’re making good progress in Iraq,” Bush said. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell it, when you listen to the filter.” Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld put it more bluntly, when he said, “The part of the picture that’s negative is being emphasized, and the part of the picture that’s positive is not.”
BUSH’S FATHER WHINES ABOUT THE MEDIA
President George W. Bush’s father accused the news media of “personal animosity” toward his son and said he found the criticism so unrelenting he sometimes talked back to his television set. “It’s one thing to have an adversarial … relationship — hard-hitting journalism — it’s another when the journalists’ rhetoric goes beyond skepticism and goes over the line into overt, unrelenting hostility and personal animosity,” former President George Bush said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2639658120070126
BUSH’S WIFE WHINES ABOUT THE MEDIA
Interviewed with her husband on “Larry King Live” on Thursday night, Laura Bush once again charged that “good polls” for the president never end up on the front page. She also said that she did not trust the polls at all, because polls that reveal the president’s low approval rating “are not what we we when we travel around the country.” She added: “As I told you before, you don’t see good polls on the front page.”
http://www.reclaimthemedia.org/media_literacy/laura_bush_complains_good_polls_never_show_up_on_the_front_page
BUSH PICKS AND CHOOSES HIS MEDIA
Given how meticulously the White House picks and grooms Bush’s audiences to avoid any unpleasantness, it should come as no surprise that the press office is very careful about who gets to interview Bush. It’s certainly no secret that Bush has his favorite interlocutors. (Fox News host Neil Cavuto comes to mind.) And he habitually avoids potentially contentious sit-down interviews with journalists — and entire news organizations, for that matter — known for their accountability reporting.
http://busharchive.froomkin.com/BL2007092601266_pf.html
BUSH REFUSES TO TALK TO ONE NEWS OUTLET IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE HE DOESN’T LIKE THEIR COVERAGE:
“The New York Times, for instance, has had a standing request to interview President Bush since well before I came on this beat in May 2006. So far, no interview — and the reason why is hardly a secret. “White House officials are quite open about the fact that we have not gotten an interview because they don’t like our coverage. I get e-mails to that effect from them all the time. But the request still stands, and we are hoping for an interview before Mr. Bush leaves office.”
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/11/george-bush-nyt.html
WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL ED GILLESPIE WHINES ABOUT THE MEDIA AND TRIES TO INTIMIDATE THEM:
Mr. Capus, I’m sure you don’t want people to conclude that there is really no distinction between the “news” as reported on NBC and the “opinion” as reported on MSNBC, despite the increasing blurring of those lines. I welcome your response to this letter, and hope it is one that reassures your broadcast network’s viewers that blatantly partisan talk show hosts like Christopher Matthews and Keith Olbermann at MSNBC don’t hold editorial sway over the NBC network news division.
Sincerely,
Ed Gillespie
Counselor to the President
http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/articles/1043229.aspx
FOX NEWS REPORTER ENCOURAGES DANA PERINO, BUSH WHITE HOUSE SECRETARY, TO WHINE ABOUT THE MEDIA
MIKE EMANUEL (Fox News): On the back-and-forth between you guys and NBC News, one of the issues Ed Gillespie brings up is NBC calling Iraq a civil war for a period, and then Ed notes that it stopped around September of 2007. Then Ed asks in his exchange with NBC, “Will the network publicly declare the civil war has ended, or that it was wrong to declare it in the first place?” I’m wondering if you guys have gotten a response on that matter, and if not, are you still calling for a response from NBC?
DANA PERINO (WH Press Secretary): We have not heard back from them on that specific matter. We anxiously await any response that we would get on it. But I think it’s quite telling that they have been silent.
The reason that we sent the letter yesterday is because we had gotten fed up with the way that the President’s policies are being mischaracterized, or the situations on the ground weren’t being accurately reflected in the reporting. We had complained before. And it just reached a boiling point when things had boiled over when we believed that NBC News specifically edited out — intentionally edited out — something that the President said in response to a question in an interview regarding Iran, and that it mischaracterized the whole interview because of it.
As regards the civil war, I remember very distinctly how there was quite the pomp and circumstance when NBC, on the Today Show, decided to declare — that they were declaring that Iraq was a civil war. But since then, after the surge and things certainly improved in Iraq, NBC has never had a corresponding ceremony to say that Iraq is not in a civil war. I was just curious to find out what they believe.
And the same goes with the economy. When we got the numbers just two weeks ago on the GDP for the economic growth, it said that we had grown at 0.6 percent. And yet the anchor that night decided to disavow that number. We’re just curious what part of the official government data that’s been coming out for years do they not agree with. So we haven’t had a response on that.
And just another point on this is that President Bush is going to continue to state what United States policy is for the next eight months, and certainly during the six months that there’s an election going on. If, for example, if tomorrow President Bush says that he believes that the tax cuts should be made permanent, that doesn’t mean he’s attacking anybody; he is stating his policy. And we just want to make sure it’s really clear that we’re not going to allow the President’s policies to be dragged into the ‘08 election unnecessarily and unfairly.
Oh, and here’s one for you, #7…
BUSH GOES AFTER THE INTERNET
The Bush campaign lodged a complaint against 30-year-old Zach Exley shortly after he created his parody Web site, GWBush.com, nearly a year ago. On Friday, the Federal Election Commission quietly dismissed the complaint on the grounds that it was too low a priority to warrant use of FEC resources.
http://news.cnet.com/Election-commission-dismisses-Bushs-Web-complaint/2100-1023_3-239409.html
Comment by william — October 19, 2009 @ 9:13 pm - October 19, 2009
william, thank you or your talking point, but not once do you provide evidence of a broad attack on any specific network, but you do show (with the quote from Ms. Perino) the Bush White House doing what the Obama White House did not do in its celebrated attacks on FoxNews, attack specific mischaracterizations made by the MSM.
You fail to provide evidence of a concerted attack on one particular network.
Comment by B. Daniel Blatt — October 19, 2009 @ 9:39 pm - October 19, 2009
Exactly DBB…an entire sitting administrations policy to cut out and ignore the most watched news network. I wonder if the other 9 networks are feeling like trained pet poodles yet?
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — October 19, 2009 @ 10:05 pm - October 19, 2009
Exactly Gene… Obama has now cast Fox in the role of Brave Defender of the First Amendment. And the others, by implication and contrast, are gutless.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — October 19, 2009 @ 10:12 pm - October 19, 2009
One can only admire Sarah Palin all the more–she’s been under much more attack, and has handled it beautifully. She had the guts to go on SNL when they were mocking her the hardest. If Sarah Palin has the guts to face down Tina Fey, Obama should be able to handle Glenn Beck.
Comment by Ashpenaz — October 19, 2009 @ 10:55 pm - October 19, 2009
Sorry. I grew up in Mississippi. Where, exactly, is the intimidation there?
Comment by ThatGayConservative — October 19, 2009 @ 10:58 pm - October 19, 2009
Actually, Bush did try to single out one news outlet – the New York Times, to whom he refused to grant an interview for years (if you’d bothered to read the post).
But more generally, you’re saying you find Bush’s claims of media bias against him, which are largely directed at MOST media outlets, for not reporting “good news” on Iraq or the economy, you’re finding those MORE plausible than the Obama administration’s complaints against ONE SINGLE media outlet for trafficking in tabloid rumor and wholesale fabrication? A media outlet, whose “news” “reporters” wave their arms to make the anti-Obama rally that they’re “covering”…
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/grass-roots-or-astro-turf-video-shows-fox-news-producer-rallying-912-protesters/
You’re really saying it’s more plausible that ALL media is against the president… than it is that just ONE network, which is stocked, after all with conservative commentary (to a degree unmatched by any other TV network), where they literally have to screech that there is a distinction between their “news” and “commentary” (when, to the objective viewer, no such distinction exists)?
You’re really saying that???
Hint: if you answer YES, you’re suffering from a fatal combination of Bush Persecution Complex and Liberal Media Bias Conspiracy Theory. In which case, I really feel sorry for you.
Comment by william — October 19, 2009 @ 11:32 pm - October 19, 2009
And for anyone shameless or disingenuous enough to claim that Fox News isn’t partisan, take off your red-tinted glasses and read this MEMO from the Vice-President of News right after the Congressional elections and Rumsfeld’s resignation:
THURSDAY UPDATE:
A couple of thumpees – to use a variation of Bush’s term – speak today.
Webb has won in Virginia. The balance of power in the Senate is now 51-49 Dem (Sanders and Lieberman will organize with the D’s). He’ll come out and concede. Let’s take it.’
Rumsfeld has a previous speaking engagement in Kansas. He ought to be in a fine mood. Can one fake smile hide that much frustration? We’ll take that too.
The election and Rumsfeld’s resignation were a major event, but not the end of the world. The war on terror goes on without interruption. Jennifer Griffin sent in info on Hamas’ call for attacks on American interests. And let’s be on the lookout for any statements from the Iraqui insurgents, who must be thrilled at the prospect ofa a Dem-controlled congress.
The question of the day, and indeed, for the resto f Bush’s term, is: What’s the Dem plan for Iraq? This could be a very short live shot for Jim Angel, but he’ll try.
In the House, the newly empowered Dems will shed some fraternal blood before settling in. Murtha will challenge Hoyer for the leadership. A former hawk v. a political hack. Garrett will observe.
We’ll continue to work the Hamas threat to the US that came hours after the election results. Griffin and Tobin will include in their lives. Just because Dems won, the war on terror isn’t over.
source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/11/14/fox-news-internal-memo-be_n_34128.html
Comment by william — October 20, 2009 @ 12:01 am - October 20, 2009
To my knowledge, he didn’t grant an interview to the Mulberry Press. I’m guessing underneath your piles of bullshit here, you have a point?
AGAIN, where’s the intimidation? Where’s the “WHINING” in mocking NBC?
Do you just comment so you can see your name on the internet?
Comment by ThatGayConservative — October 20, 2009 @ 1:41 am - October 20, 2009
william, did President Bush ever move to isolate the New York Times?
Comment by B. Daniel Blatt — October 20, 2009 @ 2:15 am - October 20, 2009
Actually, what’s really funny about that is how Barack Obama is TELLING the other news channels what to do.
Obama senior adviser David Axelrod went further by calling on media outlets to join the administration in declaring that Fox is “not a news organization.”
“Other news organizations like yoursought not to treat them that way,” Axelrod counseled ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. “We’re not going to treat them that way.”
Now I’m sure the puppet william, in his infinite worship of Barack Obama, can tell us how it’s a GOOD thing that Barack Obama dictates what news organizations can and cannot do.
And finally, here’s the biggest hilarity of all; william screaming and blubbering that anyone who attacks the media, anyone who complains about coverage, anyone who does anything of the sort is evil and awful and incompetent…..and then claiming that Obama’s attacking the media, complaining about coverage, and doing all those things is brilliant and wise and wonderful.
William and Barack Obama truly are delusional children. They honestly believe that they can fabricate stories and try to sell them to the American public.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — October 20, 2009 @ 2:27 am - October 20, 2009
[...] Crossposted at GayPatriot. [...]
Pingback by Administration Attack on FoxNews Makes President Look Petty | Right Wing News — October 20, 2009 @ 3:46 am - October 20, 2009
There is a very big difference between making a valid comment (and the Bush comments regarding the behaviour is valid) and the attacks on Fox News.
Rupert Murdoch is a very experienced news man. He is the Australian media magnate who is now an American citizen. He is not necessarily a conservative and he will have an each way bet.
I am starting to wonder if the attack on Fox is due to Murdoch not giving enough support to the DNC… certainly it seems that he is not falling into line like the other media whores.
Comment by straightAussie — October 20, 2009 @ 4:17 am - October 20, 2009
Im sorry, are you talking about CNN or MSNBC making up quotes about Rush Limbaugh? Or perhaps you are talking about CBS getting caught red handed fabricating documents and trying to pass them off as real?
Hell, even HELEN THOMAS agrees with us about Fox News
Wow, you really are a hack when even Helen Thomas is more reasonable than you!
Comment by American Elephant — October 20, 2009 @ 4:45 am - October 20, 2009
Or CNN not reporting on events in Iraw to keep Sadam Hussain happy?
Or NBC blowing up cars in their ‘crash tests’
It goes on and on.
Well at least we know William knows how to use the C&P function from where he’s getting his talking points out there.
Comment by The_Livewire — October 20, 2009 @ 6:42 am - October 20, 2009
The news editor is simply saying they will cover Allen’s concession speech.
I suspect #18 william reads the “Let’s take it” statement as: “Chins up Republicans, we will make it through the day.”
Each part of the memo is a straight news outline that puts things in perspective.
I am sure that Jim Angel had little to say about the Dems war plans. They didn’t have any.
william, please explain why this memo is some sort of smoking gun.
Comment by heliotrope — October 20, 2009 @ 8:16 am - October 20, 2009
Oops, maybe the “He’ll come out and concede” is referring to the President Pro Tem of the Senate. But not likely, because the change over would not happen until January.
Comment by heliotrope — October 20, 2009 @ 8:19 am - October 20, 2009
I really feel for our little friend william…
All that furious and self-righteous typing and for what? He ends up being hoisted on his own petard.
Honesty’s a real bitch sometimes, but it has a habit of making itself known eventually.
Comment by Eric Olsen — October 20, 2009 @ 9:31 am - October 20, 2009
Ouch!
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — October 20, 2009 @ 9:49 am - October 20, 2009
The Left’s condemnation of Fox News as a wing of the Republican Party does nothing but reveal that their idea of “bias” means being anything less than a cheerleader network for the Obama administration. What makes that obvious is that idiots like william are only willing to discuss internal memos and the fact that Bush (like any politician) might have given interviews to some news outlets and not others. What they are not willing to discuss is FORMAT.
The undisputable truth is that if you turn on Fox News at anytime, day or night, you see exactly the same thing: liberals debating conservatives on the news items of the day. That’s true for both Fox’s news coverage AND its news/commentary shows. For example, if you turned on Sean Hannity’s show a couple of weeks ago, you would have seen Michael Moore in the studio being given the opportunity to promote his new documentary and argue his opinions about what caused the financial meltdown. (And this was on a COMMENTARY SHOW where the host has virtually 100 percent editorial control.) No other network follows that format in its news programming and its commentary shows more consistently than Fox.
But fools like william refuse to even acknowledge the fact that Fox employs a huge roster of liberal correspondents to balance their coverage because in his world, “balanced coverage” means having no need to have liberals on the air arguing the Left’s side of the story because the story IS the Left’s version. Fox gets no credit for giving democratic strategists equal time on its news and commentary shows because liberals believe “balanced coverage” is exclusively positive coverage of the Obama Administration where there’s no need for liberals to go on the air to defend anything. That’s the format at all of the other networks and that’s why they haven’t been attacked by the White House.
Comment by Sean A — October 20, 2009 @ 9:59 am - October 20, 2009
P.S. The final sentence in Jacob Weisberg pathetic column that called Fox News “un-American” tacitly admits what I’m talking about: “And no, I don’t want to come on The O’Reilly Factor to discuss it.”
The fact is that whenever a liberal pundit has an opposing viewpoint from the host of a show on Fox, the response is consistently the same: come on the show and let’s debate it. But the Left doesn’t want debate. The Left wants their viewpoint, and their viewpoint alone on the airwaves and in the media. To actually have to debate their ideas would involve them making the distasteful concession that there ARE legitimate opposing viewpoints, and liberals find that intolerable. Thus, instead of a format in which liberals and conservatives debate the issues (i.e. Moore appearing on Hannity’s show), they prefer Olberman’s chicken sh*t “worst person in the world” segments, during which Olberman condemns conservatives as evil, demonic maniacs (or, more recently, “big bags of meat with lipstick”) and he never provides any opportunity for the targets of his derision to respond. That’s “balanced” news coverage to the Left.
Comment by Sean A — October 20, 2009 @ 10:15 am - October 20, 2009
Fox was certainly biased in the Bush years, which drove me finally to CNN. When ObamaCare came around, CNN started their non-stop infomercial. All hands on deck, we got a job to do … promote ObamaCare. It was a virtual pep rally posing as a news channel.
The point is that most ‘news’ has a point of view. To say that Fox is more biased than CNN is delusional. Really, really delusional. It makes me nervous that so many higher-ups are unable to get a grip on simple reality.
BTW, I am just short of amazed at how supportive O’Reilly has been of Obama’s performance. He goes out of his way to cut him slack, and actually supports many of his policies … to some degree. There’s a bit of working class populism in that old Irish fella, and they buy into some of the economic hogwash of the Democrats.
Do the Obamites ever even watch O’Reilly? Maybe not.
Comment by Joe — October 20, 2009 @ 11:10 am - October 20, 2009
America’s Newsroom (9-11 a.m. ET): Obama official never reported “statutory rape”; Dems “protect pedophiles”; tea parties recruitment
Hemmer advances smear that Jennings knew of “statutory rape” and “never reported it.” During the October 1 edition of America’s Newsroom, co-host Bill Hemmer joined his network’s smears against Department of Education official Kevin Jennings by claiming that Jennings knew of a “statutory rape” case involving a student but “never reported it.” In fact, the student in question was of legal age of consent at the time he was counseled by Jennings.
Kelly on Sotomayor comment: “sounds to a lot of people like reverse racism.” On May 26, co-host Megyn Kelly joined conservative commentators such as Rush Limbaugh by stating that then-Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor’s “wise Latina” remark “sounds to a lot of people like reverse racism, basically. Like she’s saying that Latina judges are obviously better than white male judges, and that that’s her assumption, and people get worried about putting a person like that on the U.S. Supreme Court.” Kelly later added, “I’ve looked at the entire speech that she was offering to see if that was taken out of context, and I have to tell you … it wasn’t.” In fact, Sotomayor was specifically discussing the importance of diversity in adjudicating race and sex discrimination cases; several conservative legal figures have made similar comments.
America’s Newsroom falsehood: “House Dems vote to protect pedophiles, but not veterans.” On May 6, America’s Newsroom pushed the falsehood that Democrats attempted to “protect” pedophiles in voting in favor of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Hemmer teased a segment by stating that Democrats had reportedly “voted to give special protection to pedophiles.” During the segment, America’s Newsroom ran on-screen text that read, “House Dems vote to protect pedophiles, but not veterans”:
Henneberg repeats right-wing myth that hate crimes bill could gag ministers. During the April 29 edition of America’s Newsroom, correspondent Molly Henneberg repeated the right-wing myth that under the proposed Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, religious groups “may be prosecuted for their religious beliefs if they believe that homosexuality is a sin,” and the disputed claim that the legislation “could gag ministers who preach that [homosexuality is a sin], or even if a church may not want to marry a gay couple.”
Fox News’ Hemmer “keeping track of the stimulus money” — by lifting research from GOP website. On April 23, Hemmer repeatedly suggested information about four “interesting” projects reportedly funded by the recovery act was obtained through Fox News’ own research, even though nearly all of the information Hemmer mentioned, as well as that included in on-screen text and graphics, first appeared on Rep. Eric Cantor’s Republican Whip website.
America’s Newsroom promotes tea party organizing info on-air and online. America’s Newsroom encouraged viewers to get involved with April 15 “tea party” protests across the country, which Fox News had described as primarily a response to President Obama’s fiscal policies. The program frequently hosted tea party organizers, and posted on-screen organizing information, such as protest dates and locations. America’s Newsroom also repeatedly directed viewers to its website, which featured a list of tea party protests.
America’s Newsroom directs viewers to “virtual tea party.” America’s Newsroom repeatedly directed viewers to participate in a “virtual tea party” at Fox News’ purportedly non-biased website, Fox Nation. Hemmer told viewers, “Can’t get to a tea party? Fox Nation hosts a virtual tea party,” while Kelly said, “You can join the tea party action from your home if you go to the FoxNation.com … a virtual tax day tea party.”
America’s Newsroom pushes discredited GOP calculation of Obama’s cap-and-trade proposal. On April 2, guest host Alisyn Camerota asserted that the cost of Obama’s cap-and-trade proposal “would be $3,100 per U.S. household.” The claim was advanced by the House Republican Conference in a March 23 “Talking Points” press release, and the Republicans reportedly purported to back up the claim by pointing to a 2007 study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). But MIT professor John Reilly, one of the authors of the study, has disputed the GOP’s calculation, stating that his study “has been misrepresented” and that the Republicans’ claim of an average household cost of $3,128 is “nearly 10 times the correct estimate” based on his study’s cap-and-trade model. PolitiFact.com rated the $3,100 figure a “pants on fire” falsehood.
America’s Newsroom falsely claimed Obama budget “4x bigger than Bush’s costliest plan.” On the April 3 edition of America’s Newsroom, on-screen text falsely claimed that Obama’s $3.6 trillion FY 2010 budget is “4x bigger than Bush’s costliest plan.” In fact, President Bush submitted a $3.1 trillion budget for FY 2009 and a $2.9 trillion budget for FY 2008.
America’s Newsroom promotes McCaughey falsehood that stimulus would “hav[e] the government essentially dictate treatments.” On February 10, Hemmer and Kelly promoted the falsehood — which first appeared in a Bloomberg “commentary” by serial misinformer Betsy McCaughey and was subsequently promoted by Limbaugh and Matt Drudge — that the economic recovery bill included a provision that would, in the words of guest Stephen Moore, a Wall Street Journal economics writer, “hav[e] the government essentially dictate treatments.”
Happening Now (11 a.m.-1 p.m. ET): Home of repeated attempts to pass off GOP research as its own
Happening Now passes off GOP press release as its own research — typo and all. During the February 10 edition of Happening Now, co-host Jon Scott purported to “take a look back” at how the economic recovery plan “grew, and grew, and grew.” In doing so, Scott referenced seven dates, as on-screen graphics cited various news sources from those time periods — all of which came directly from a Senate Republican Communications Center press release. A Fox News on-screen graphic even reproduced a typo contained in the Republican press release. The following day, Scott apologized — for running the typo. Scott’s apology was criticized by Washington Post media critic and CNN host Howard Kurtz, who said: “We sometimes jab at the pundits for using talking points, but in the case of Fox News anchor Jon Scott, it was literally true this week. … You should be apologizing for using partisan propaganda from the GOP without telling your viewers where it came from. Talk about missing the point.”
Happening Now posts “FOXfact[s]” about GOP budget nearly identical to GOP Rep. Ryan’s op-ed. During two segments on the April 1, Happening Now aired “FOXfact[s]” purporting to describe facts about the House Republican budget. However, all of the seven “FOXfact[s]” displayed onscreen were nearly identical to portions of an op-ed by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) published in that day’s Wall Street Journal.
Happening Now crops clips of Obama to promote “another apology tour.” On June 2, Scott asked if “the president’s upcoming trip [to Europe and the Middle East will] be what conservatives might call another apology tour,” and both Scott and co-host Jane Skinner aired cropped clips of Obama’s remarks from an April 3 speech in France to falsely suggest that Obama only criticized the United States. In doing so, Happening Now joined conservative commentators and Fox News hosts who have cropped or misrepresented Obama’s overseas remarks to falsely suggest, in the words of host Sean Hannity, that Obama was “blam[ing] America first” and, more broadly, that Obama’s earlier overseas trip constituted an “apology tour.”
Live Desk (1-3 p.m. ET): Falsehoods, deceptive editing
Fox News presents deceptively cropped six-month-old Biden clip as new. On March 16, Live Desk co-host Martha MacCallum claimed that “after weeks of economic doom and gloom, the Obama administration is now singing a slightly different tune. Take a look at what was said in recent interviews this weekend.” Live Desk then aired clips of administration officials purportedly giving an optimistic view of the economy, which included video of Vice President Joe Biden stating, “The fundamentals of the economy are strong.” However, Biden did not make those remarks during an “interview” that weekend; he made them at a September 2008 campaign event in which he criticized statements by Sen. John McCain. MacCallum apologized the next day.
Fox’s Camerota pushes bogus stat that cap-and-trade would cost “every American family $1,761 annually.” On September 30, guest co-host Alisyn Camerota pushed the bogus stat that cap-and-trade would cost “every American family $1,761 annually.” PolitiFact.com has labeled the statistic false and noted that the talking point has been pushed by Republicans.
Jarrett suggests DOJ “thinks it’s OK to intimidate white people, not OK to intimidate black people at the polls.” On July 30, guest co-host Gregg Jarrett suggested that the Obama Department of Justice “thinks it’s OK to intimidate white people, not OK to intimidate black people at the polls.”
Live Desk: “Dems and Unions Push to Kill Workers’ Right to Secret Ballot.” During a report on the Employee Free Choice Act on the March 11 edition of The Live Desk, Fox aired a chyron stating, “Dems and Unions Push to Kill Workers’ Right to Secret Ballot.” In fact, the legislation would not eliminate employees’ right to a secret ballot; as The New York Times reported, “Business groups have attacked the legislation because it would take away employers’ right to insist on holding a secret-ballot election to determine whether workers favored unionization” [emphasis added]. Indeed, as The Christian Science Monitor has noted, “[t]he proposed law gives workers a choice of forming a union through majority sign-up (‘card check’) or an election by secret ballot.”
MacCallum agrees with Bachmann’s claim that Obama’s proposals are a “lurch toward socialism.” On March 24, MacCallum responded to Rep. Michele Bachmann’s (R-MN) claim that Obama proposals are a “lurch toward socialism” by stating: “I think you’re absolutely right about that.”
“Democrat” Mark Sanford. While airing live footage of a press conference by South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, Live Desk incorrectly identified the Republican as a Democrat. Gallagher later apologized for the error.
Special Report (6-7 p.m. ET): Video doctoring, cropped quotes, smears of Obama officials, falsehoods
Baier smears Jennings as failing to report “sexual abuse.” On October 1, host Bret Baier joined Fox News’ witch hunt against Jennings, claiming that “Education Secretary Arne Duncan is standing behind his so-called safe schools czar after revelations that Kevin Jennings did not report a case of sexual abuse he encountered as a schoolteacher.”
Wilson: Jennings “admitted” that “he failed to alert authorities when a 15-year-old boy told him he was involved in a sexual relationship with an older man.” On October 6, correspondent Brian Wilson stated: “School safety czar Kevin Jennings is currently under fire because he admitted that in 1988, when he was a high school teacher, he failed to alert authorities when a 15-year-old boy told him he was involved in a sexual relationship with an older man. One member of the House believes Jennings would not have his current job if czars were required to face Senate confirmation hearings.” Wilson repeated the 15-year old age claim even though FoxNews.com previously acknowledged that the student was of legal age — 16 years old — at the time.
Video doctoring: Goler reverses meaning of Obama quote to falsely suggest he supports European-style health care. On April 24, White House correspondent Wendell Goler cropped a comment by Obama and took it out of context — effectively reversing the statement’s meaning — to falsely suggest that Obama supports creating a health care system “like the European countries.” Goler claimed that Obama “doesn’t want to do it halfway” on health care, and then aired a clip from a March 26 online town hall event of Obama saying, “If you’re going to fix it, why not do a universal health-care system like the European countries?” Following the clip, Goler reported: “His critics worry universal health care would mean government-run health care.” In fact, Obama actually said, “Now, the question is, if you’re going to fix it, why not do a universal health-care system like the European countries?” [emphasis added] In doing so, Obama was paraphrasing the town hall question he had been asked — “Why can we not have a universal health-care system, like many European countries, where people are treated based on needs rather than financial resources?” — before explaining why he opposed such a system.
Fox’s Garrett deceptively cropped Obama remark on judicial role. On May 1, saying it was a “description of how the president hopes his nominee will interpret the law,” congressional correspondent Major Garrett aired a clip in which Obama stated: “I view that quality of empathy, of understanding and identifying with people’s hopes and struggles, as an essential ingredient for arriving at just decisions and outcomes.” Garrett then said: “That aggravates those who believe justices should follow the Constitution and legislative intent.” But Garrett omitted Obama’s very next sentence, in which he stated: “I will seek somebody who is dedicated to the rule of law, who honors our constitutional traditions, who respects the integrity of the judicial process and the appropriate limits of the judicial role.”
Rosen: “Rats could attack us in the sewers and court systems if all of Cass Sunstein’s writings became law.” On September 9, reporter James Rosen joined Glenn Beck’s “czars” witch hunt by distorting Obama administration official Cass Sunstein’s writings about organ donation and animal rights.
Special Report packs in health care falsehoods. In an August 24 report on how, in the words of Baier, “Republicans are trying to position themselves as the party looking out for seniors’ well-being,” Rosen advanced the conservative talking point that Democrats plan to cut Medicare benefits for seniors and presented the widely debunked “death panel” falsehood as a he said/she said. Rosen also advanced the smear that Veterans Health Administration officials are referring veterans to a booklet that encourages them to end their lives prematurely.
Baier falsely suggests Obama has cited Canada as possible health reform model. On June 29, Baier falsely suggested that Obama has cited Canada’s medical system as a “possible model” for his health care reform plan. In fact, Obama has explicitly rejected a Canadian-style health care system.
Special Report falsely suggests activism question deleted from questionnaire for Sotomayor. A June 4 report by legal correspondent Shannon Bream falsely suggested that Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) eliminated a question on judicial activism from the questionnaire for Sonia Sotomayor’s Supreme Court nomination. In fact, Leahy reportedly removed the question in 2007 pursuant to a bipartisan agreement. The following day, Baier corrected Bream’s report by acknowledging that the question was deleted “long before Sotomayor was picked for the high court.”
Fox News Sunday: “Death book,” health care misinformation
“Death book” distortions abound on Fox News Sunday. On the August 23 edition of Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace hosted former Bush administration aide Jim Towey to discuss his Wall Street Journal op-ed, “The Death Book for Veterans,” and in doing so promoted numerous distortions about an end-of-life educational booklet used by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). In addition to forwarding the smear that the booklet is a “death book,” Wallace promoted Towey’s distortion that the booklet encourages veterans to “pull the plug” — it doesn’t; Wallace and Towey both suggested that the Bush administration suspended use of the booklet — it didn’t; and Wallace claimed that a VHA document requires doctors to direct veterans to the booklet — it doesn’t.
Wallace revives rationing bogeyman. On August 16, Wallace repeatedly advanced the conservative talking point that Democrats’ health care reform proposals would create a system of rationing care, omitting the fact that rationing already happens under the current system. Indeed, Wallace did not acknowledge that rationing already occurs, even after his guest, American Medical Association president J. James Rohack, said, “[T]here’s a myth that rationing doesn’t occur right now. … That’s why this bill’s important. It gets rid of some of the rationing that’s occurring right now.”
Wallace claimed Holder, confirmed 75-21, “got into office by the skin of his teeth.” On February 22, Wallace claimed that Attorney General Eric Holder “got into office by the skin of his teeth.” However, Holder was confirmed by the Senate in a 75-21 vote, and the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 17-2 in favor of reporting his nomination to the full Senate.
Wallace on Obama: “pettiness,” “childishness”; Obama admin. “biggest bunch of crybabies.” Wallace has claimed Obama did not appear on his show because of “pettiness” and “childishness,” and has called the Obama administration the “biggest bunch of crybabies I have dealt with in my 30 years in Washington.”
Comment by william — October 20, 2009 @ 12:43 pm - October 20, 2009
wow, william, you really are obsessed, sounds like you’ve been spending a lot of time at george soros’ site, media mutters. so what if you mind minor errors on Foxnews, I’m sure if I were as obsessed as you, I could find even more for just msnbc, not to mention the other networks
and you still haven’t shown Bush’s moves to isolate msnbc or the new york times or to mount a serious media offensive against them as the obamafolk have done.
please address our points and don’t keep engaging in left-wing rants, lest we wonder why you’re so obsessed with a thread on a “right-wing” blog
Comment by B. Daniel Blatt — October 20, 2009 @ 12:52 pm - October 20, 2009
It’s odd that william has mastered the CTRL+C and CTRL+V function, but the use of the shift key still eludes him.
So far, the New York Times, The Nation, and Helen Thomas have all said that declaring war on FoxNews was a bonehead decision on Obama’s part. But I’m sure Chairman Zero takes comfort that the little letter people are still in his corner.
Comment by V the K — October 20, 2009 @ 1:08 pm - October 20, 2009
Wow, so william can C&P but not think on his own.
Hint William, I just read the first one before the eyes glazed over but a) Jennings said repeatedly he was 15, we’ve no proof otherwise. and b) he still was to report it by MD state law, so he still hid it.
That the boy may have been too old for Tim doesn’t make it legal.
I assume the rest of your C&P is as inaccurate
Comment by The_Livewire — October 20, 2009 @ 1:16 pm - October 20, 2009
And wait, there’s more; turns out Barack Obama Chavez is attempting to ban Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and others from the airwaves for “hate speech”.
By the bye, Ashpenaz and Livewire, you may wish to note that the ELCA has allegedly signed on to this — and unleash hell accordingly.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — October 20, 2009 @ 1:38 pm - October 20, 2009
Jake Tapper at ABC News also criticized the White House for declaring War on FoxNews.
Comment by V the K — October 20, 2009 @ 1:51 pm - October 20, 2009
*sigh* And people wonder why I’m a heritic. Time to send e-mails and boil the blood pressure of my sister.
Comment by The_Livewire — October 20, 2009 @ 2:01 pm - October 20, 2009
It’s the Euro-Commie way. Any speech that challenges the elites *must*, by definition, be hateful and a cause of social disruption.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — October 20, 2009 @ 2:20 pm - October 20, 2009
william has a bit of selective outrage. Even his second paragraph…Jennings young man was “not underage when counceled” by Jennings. Ummm he was underage when he was molested! Are the rest of his “charges” similarly inaccurate?
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — October 20, 2009 @ 3:09 pm - October 20, 2009
Some more hope n change….
Barack Obama has held 22 fundraisers so far in his inept Presidency. At this point Bush 43 had done 8. This from MSDNC! wow
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — October 20, 2009 @ 3:10 pm - October 20, 2009
I wonder if it would be too much to ask william to go back and provide the actual quotes to go with the MediaMorons nit picks. All we have in #33 is someone’s (doubt william can think enough) OPINION of tiny quotes.
STILL waiting for his answers to #16 & 19.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — October 20, 2009 @ 3:23 pm - October 20, 2009
No surprise, william’s list of “falsehoods” that Fox News anchors and correspondents “suggested” or “pushed” includes no mention of FORMAT. Fox example, if the day after Sarah Palin made the statements about “death panels,” a Fox News anchor brings up the topic of her statements for a Republican strategist and a Democratic strategist to debate the issue of government healthcare rationing, in william’s world, that means the news anchor “promoted” or “pushed” the “falsehood of death panels.” He believes that a “balanced” network would never mention the issue at all because it allows the debate to include viewpoints that aren’t 100% positive toward Obama and Obamacare.
Comment by Sean A — October 20, 2009 @ 3:31 pm - October 20, 2009
This just in: MoveOn.org calls on Democrats to punish Fox News for being biased while simultaneously admitting to what makes Fox News the least biased news outlet in the industry.
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/10/20/moveon-demands-that-democrats-stay-off-fox-news/
That’s right. MoveOn.org believes the solution to the bias at Fox News is to encourage a boycott of Democrats refusing to go on Fox News to represent the liberal viewpoint. These people are unbelievable.
Comment by Sean A — October 20, 2009 @ 4:12 pm - October 20, 2009
Without Fox News, that child pornographer Bernie Ward wouldn’t have gotten on TV. Let’s not forget, too, that Ellis Henican would only be known as Stormy and Harper Ellis from Sealab 2021 and Frisky Dingo.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — October 20, 2009 @ 5:48 pm - October 20, 2009
William,
I hate to break it to you, but the poisonously partisan “Media Matters” lies far more than FOX News.
Comment by American Elephant — October 21, 2009 @ 4:56 am - October 21, 2009
Speaking of Media Matters lies, they were caught in another big one just today.
Comment by American Elephant — October 21, 2009 @ 6:13 pm - October 21, 2009
LOL….exactly how is the President going to silence Fox, Limbaugh, etc? Deny FCC re-licensing? I doubt it.
I watch Fox, as well as the rest of the evil “main stream media” (funny that Fox never gets lumped in with that moniker). I truly love Glenn Beck ranting – completely Bat$*t. So – the commentary makers on these networks is beside the matter.
The issue comes down to their so-called news reporting. Not on any other network do I see the so-called reporters continually offer their biased, personal commentary that I see on Fox. They clearly cheer on “conservative” related stories and attack “liberal related stories”.
Check out Jon Stewart’s piece on their coverage of the March on Washington last week. Fox can’t even send a crew out (in a city where they have a major bureau) – they used footage from ABC. Yet on the same day, they reported on a New Jersey protest of the “Obama song” by school children, devoted more than double the time to this “news story” and had a single reporter pointing to a small empty field where a protest had supposedly taken place (even the day before, I believe?)
If fair and balanced means running the opposite of Murdoch’s twisted view of the liberally-biased media, then Fox certainly has hit the mark in droves.
Comment by Kevin — October 22, 2009 @ 4:43 am - October 22, 2009
LOL….exactly how is the President going to silence Fox, Limbaugh, etc? Deny FCC re-licensing?
Yup. And less subtle things, such as his trying to ban them from the press pool today. Which you of course supported, right little Kevvie?
The issue comes down to their so-called news reporting. Not on any other network do I see the so-called reporters continually offer their biased, personal commentary that I see on Fox.
Of course, Kevvie, because you are one of those liberals who thinks that everything Barack Obama does is right, believes that any criticism of Barack Obama is wrong, and insists that anyone who dares criticize or disagree with Barack Obama is a racist wingnut.
For you, reporting anything that is negative about Obama is “biased”. Your idea of news reporting is that everything said about Obama must be positive. Hence, to you, Fox News is “biased” because they report positive and negative things about Obama, while other networks are “fair” because they only report positive things about Obama and ignore or cover up anything that makes Obama look bad.
We understand that you are incapable of acknowledging that Barack Obama is not your perfect god-king, Kevvie. It’s just getting funnier and funnier to watch you and your fellow pedophiles swirl farther and farther down the drain as you desperately spin to cover up his mistakes.
Do you really believe that Obama’s mistakes will go away if no media reports them? Is that the theory here, Kevvie?
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — October 23, 2009 @ 2:54 am - October 23, 2009