http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/archive.aspx America's Media Watchdog http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 20100209033555.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100209033555.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-09-MSNBC-Todd2.jpg NBC White House correspondent and MSNBC daytime host Chuck Todd called it "crazy" for Fox News Washington managing editor Bill Sammon to say "the mainstream media hates the tea party movement almost as much as it hates Sarah Palin." Todd condemned Sammon's opinion as part of a cynical strategy by Fox News to "undermine the 'mainstream media' because it's good for their business." Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:27:00 -0400 20100209024820.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100209024820.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-07-CBS-SM-Singer.jpg In a story on American charitable giving on CBS's Sunday Morning, correspondent Mark Strassmann cited liberal Princeton University bio-ethics professor Peter Singer on how much people should give: “[He's] worked up a giving guide. The more you make, the more he believes you should give....He believes it's within our power to virtually end world poverty.” Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:42:00 -0400 20100209022118.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100209022118.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-09-ABC-GMA-Steph.jpg Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos on Tuesday became emotional over the passing of John Murtha, named by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington as one of Congress' most corrupt politicians. He lauded the Democrat as "one of those guys who make the [House of Representatives] work." Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:15:00 -0400 20100209010330.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100209010330.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-08-CBS-EN-Palinhand.jpg From Monday's evening newscasts: CBS and NBC found hypocrisy in Sarah Palin scolding President Obama's incessant use of a Teleprompter while she had "crib notes" written on her hand, CBS followed by giving Obama two-straight minutes to explain why the public will come around to "connect" with him again and ABC devoted a full story to whether the GOP is the "Party of No?" Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:15:00 -0400 20100208090859.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100208090859.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-08-CNN-RL-Sanchez.jpg On Monday's Rick's List program on CNN, Slate.com's Fred Kaplan attacked Republicans for politicizing national security, accused the GOP of being in an alternate reality, and blasted Sarah Palin for "talking...complete and utter nonsense." Kaplan also wrote off the tea parties as not a "mass movement," and, along with anchor Rick Sanchez, accused Palin of forwarding "anti-intellectualism." Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:45:00 -0400 20100208034946.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100208034946.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-08-NBC-Lauer.jpg NBC's Matt Lauer, along with MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, spent a whole segment on Monday's Today show wondering if Sarah Palin, and the Tea Party supporters she appeals to, posed a problem for the GOP, with the Today co-anchor going as far to boldly state: "Republicans are afraid of Sarah Palin. Republicans have a right to be afraid of some of the people she was talking to also." Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:46:00 -0400 20100208010208.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100208010208.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-08-CBS-TES-Rodrigue.jpg While discussing Sarah Palin's Saturday Tea Party Convention speech with political analyst John Dickerson on Monday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez remarked: “She was really scrutinized because she wrote those notes on her hand during her speech....I want to show real quick....boy, are her critics having fun with that one.” Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:58:00 -0400 20100207113257.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100207113257.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-07-ABC-WN-Halperin.jpg Sarah Palin and the Tea Party movement "both have far less support in the country at large than a gullible Old Media seems to understand or suggest," Time's Mark Halperin asserted while colleague Joe Klein showed fear of the supposedly impotent coalition as he denigrated her speech as "anti-intellectual drivel," scolding as "anti-American" those dumb enough to like her. Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:26:00 -0400 20100207094321.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100207094321.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-05-ABC-WNDS-teaanger.jpg "Barely scratch the surface, and there's a tone of anger and confrontation," at the Tea Party convention, ABC's John Berman insisted Friday night. Berman concluded: "One of the goals of this convention is to turn this movement into a political force. The question is, does the harsh rhetoric keep them on the fringe?" Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:34:00 -0400 20100205053311.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100205053311.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-04-MSNBC-Palin[1].jpg On Thursday, MSNBC continued its quest to link conservatives with birthers. Previewing an unrelated segment on this weekend's tea party convention, Norah O'Donnell played a clip of Obama criticizing those who raise the issue. She then compared, "President Obama sends a message to those who question his citizenship, this as the tea party movement gets ready for its first big convention." Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:30:00 -0400 20100205052920.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100205052920.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-05-CNN-RL-Sanchez.jpg CNN's Rick Sanchez failed to mention the party affiliation of former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon on Friday's Rick's List program, but made every effort to identify former Congressman Tom Tancredo as a Republican. Sanchez ranked Tancredo higher on his "List You Don't Want to Be On" for his remarks at the Tea Party Convention, despite Dixon's conviction for illegally using donated gift cards for the needy. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:55:00 -0400 20100205051716.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100205051716.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-05-ABC-GMA-Panel[1].jpg Two prominent journalists appeared on Friday's Good Morning America and casually admitted that Barack Obama has received glowing coverage from the press. Former Vanity Fair and New Yorker editor Tina Brown announced, "No, [Obama] got the best press known to man. Let's face it." Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:30:00 -0400 20100205012033.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100205012033.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-04-CBS-EN-Couric.jpg On Thursday's CBS Evening News, anchor Katie Couric lamented the impact ClimateGate and other recent scandals involving fraudulent global warming data have had on the climate change debate: “Experts insist the overall conclusion remains the same, that climate change is real, but...such errors provide ammunition to skeptics.” Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:15:00 -0400 20100205123150.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100205123150.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-04-FNC-SRBB-Grape1.jpg File under: you read it here first. "The Washington Post ignored a few historical facts when it proclaimed in a front page article Wednesday that President Obama is quote, 'a rare President who comes from the middle class,'" FNC's Bret Baier pointed out during his Thursday "Grapevine" segment. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:24:00 -0400 20100204014832.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100204014832.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-04-CBS-TES-Rodrigue.jpg In an interview with Florida Governor Charlie Crist on Thursday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez turned to the hotly contested Senate race: “your opponent in the primary, fellow Republican Marco Rubio, and you...are in a dead heat in this race. Critics say that it's because he is a true conservative and you are...a RINO, a 'Republican In Name Only.' How do you respond to that criticism?” Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:41:00 -0400 20100203055414.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100203055414.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-03-ABC-GMA-Roberts[1].jpg Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts didn't even try for objectivity on Wednesday when she talked to pay czar Kenneth Feinberg about his attempts to stop AIG CEOs from receiving bonuses. "We can feel the fire in your belly," she enthused after Feinberg touted the administration's efforts at reining in bonuses. "And that's great to see," Roberts opined. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:20:00 -0400 20100203053742.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100203053742.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-03-CNN-AM-Cap.jpg CNN's Jim Acosta continued his network's bias against tea party protesters on Wednesday's American Morning by depicting them as "recession raging," and questioned one participant over her depiction of President Obama as the personification of death: "Do you think having the President dressed up as the Grim Reaper is a little over-the-top?" Acosta then asked, "You think it's appropriate?" Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:54:00 -0400 20100203030523.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100203030523.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/WashingtonPostHomePageImg.jpg Washington Post reporter Eli Saslow befuddled readers on Wednesday by claiming Barack Obama "is a rare president who comes from the middle class." Did the Post forget the humble origins of Clinton, Carter, Reagan, and Nixon? Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:38:00 -0400 20100203013049.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100203013049.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/DessonThomson.jpg "Former Washington Post film critic Desson Thomson will join the Obama administration and head to London as a speechwriter for Ambassador Louis Susman," Washington Post "Federal Eye" blogger Ed O'Keefe reported on Monday. By O'Keefe's count, "Thomson is one of at least 14 journalists to join the Obama administration." Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:28:00 -0400 20100203114806.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100203114806.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-03-NBC-Lauer.jpg Michelle Obama sat down for an exclusive, multi-part interview with NBC's Matt Lauer on Wednesday's Today show and as expected with any QA with a First Lady the co-host tossed the perfunctory softballs on topics like family life in the White House and her cause of childhood obesity, but Lauer also extended the favorable treatment when discussing health care reform as he pressed: "Will it pass? Can your husband get it done?" Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:39:00 -0400 20100203101538.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100203101538.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-02-ABC-WNDS-Sawyer.jpg Only ABC led with the comments from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) against "don't ask/don't tell" as anchor Diane Sawyer called it "a dramatic day on Capitol Hill" and reporter Martha Raddatz trumpeted: "This will be dramatically-debated for days to come, but what we heard today from the military on Capitol Hill was truly historic." Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:09:00 -0400 20100202070735.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100202070735.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-02-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Chris Matthews demanded Republicans be punished for their, as he put it on Tuesday's Hardball, opposition to "everything that tries to solve the country's problems." Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:03:00 -0400 20100202042240.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100202042240.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-02-MSNBC-Guthrie.jpg Reporting on Obama's push for another $100 billion in "jobs" spending, NBC's Savannah Guthrie chose not to amplify critics who argue we can't afford more massive spending, and instead saluted the President for making a "judgment call" that "all economists" could support. Guthrie pooh-poohed Obama's $100 billion in new spending as like "the proverbial deck chair off the Queen Mary, in terms of deficits," but castigated Bush-era policies: "It's the 2001, 2003 tax cuts that weren't paid for, the prescription drug benefit -- that adds a lot to the deficit." Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:11:00 -0400 20100202041528.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100202041528.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-02-CBS-TES-Rodrigue.jpg In the 8:30AM ET half hour on Tuesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez teased an upcoming animal segment: “...we have some visitors to the studio of the animal variety. Some of them are cute and cuddly....But they're all in trouble due to climate change and you're going to see these animals from the San Diego Zoo and hear about their precarious situation ahead this morning.” Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:05:00 -0400 20100202023343.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100202023343.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-02-MSNBC-Shuster[1].jpg MSNBC's David Shuster on Tuesday used a poll by the liberal website Daily Kos to assert that "most Republicans" don't believe Barack Obama was born in America and, thus, are birthers. Shuster marveled, "...As the Democrats try to talk about working with Republicans, given those numbers of Republican supporters, how is that possible?" Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:30:00 -0400 20100202121938.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100202121938.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-02-CBS-TES-Smith.jpg Quoting from the film A Few Good Men, on Tuesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith asked openly gay Army Lieutenant Dan Choi if the U.S. military was prepared for the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy to be overturned by the Obama administration: “Older members of the military are not very interested in seeing this policy changed at all....Do you think the military can handle the truth?” Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:12:00 -0400 20100202085009.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100202085009.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NewYorkTimes-Logo.jpg Checking the weekend box-office receipts for Mel Gibson's thriller, "Edge of Darkness," NYT reporter Brooks Barnes quickly reminded readers of the actor's "anti-Semitic outburst" and pondered: "Had moviegoers forgotten his rant and the subsequent tabloid brush fire? Many people in the movie business still harbor raw feelings about it." Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:39:00 -0400 20100201115810.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100201115810.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-01-NBC-NN-Todd.jpg Cautioning the Obama administration's “deficit projections...are just that, projections,” NBC's Chuck Todd on Monday evening bought into the claim health care reform bills are actually spending reduction measures, as he warned: "If health care doesn't pass, because this budget assumes health care will pass, that's yet another $150 billion that would be tacked on to the deficit." Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:15:00 -0400 20100201064621.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100201064621.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-30-CNN-NR-Lemon.jpg On Saturday's Newsroom, CNN's Don Lemon deferentially took President Obama's advice and interviewed a stimulus "skeptic" turned "believer," whom the Democrat cited as an example of the success of the stimulus during his recent State of the Union address. Lemon talked up the stimulus and the Obama administration's energy efficiency tax credit with his guest Alan Levin, whose company produces windows. Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:19:00 -0400 20100201054417.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100201054417.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/msnbc.jpg MSNBC's Tamron Hall on Monday interrogated a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate and tried to associate conservatism with believing in a conspiracy theory. Talking to Patrick Hughes of Illinois, she challenged, "For example, one of the questions was, do you think the President was born in the United States? Is that your definition of conservative or is it in the perimeter of a conservative?" Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:36:00 -0400 20100201035527.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100201035527.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-01-CBS-TES-Smith.jpg On Monday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith introduced a bizarre story designed to show how desperate the situation is for people lacking health insurance: “A California woman has launched a unique online search for a husband. Not for love, but for health care.” Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:50:00 -0400 20100201030203.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100201030203.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-02-01-ABC-GMA-Edwards[1].jpg Since Friday, ABC has devoted 60 minutes to interviews covering the most salacious details of John Edwards' sex scandal. Yet, the network's anchors have refrained from referring to him as a Democrat. 20/20 on Friday spent the entire hour talking to Andrew Young, a former top Edwards aide who allegedly holds a sex tape involving the politician. Reporter Bob Woodruff never used the D-word. Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:00:00 -0400 20100201021112.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100201021112.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-31-NBC-Connolly.jpg Newsweek's Katie Connolly, on the syndicated Chris Matthews Show over the weekend, determined that Barack Obama, even in the face of the stunning loss in Massachusetts, needs to become more entrenched in his liberal ways and not bother working with the GOP as she advised the President to “bully Republicans.” Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:09:00 -0400 20100201020034.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100201020034.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-29-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Appearing on the January 29 Rachel Maddow show, fellow MSNBCer Chris Matthews compared Republican conservatives to the Khmer Rouge, the murderous Communist regime that racked up a body count of some two million during its reign of terror: "What's going on out there in the Republican Party is kind of a frightening, almost Cambodia re-education camp." Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:53:00 -0400 20100201120345.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100201120345.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-26-FNC-Bozell.jpg In a lengthy front-page article, the Washington Post details how conservatives, including the Media Research Center, have capitalized on new media innovations over the past few years to become a more formidable movement. The Post relayed how MRC President Brent Bozell now "operates a mini-empire with seven Web sites, including Eyeblast.tv, a conservative version of YouTube." Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:54:00 -0400 20100201125159.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100201125159.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/CharlesPierce.jpg In a contribution to the Boston Globe Magazine nine days before the Jan. 19 Senate election won by Republican Scott Brown, the Globe's Charles Pierce ridiculed the idea Brown could win: "Well, we're almost here, aren't we? The end of a long, arduous, four-month campaign for a Senate seat that you have approximately the same chance of filling as you did the pilot's chair of the Starship Enterprise." Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:46:00 -0400 20100131012127.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100131012127.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-31-ABC-TW-Walters.jpg Barbara Walters began her This Week interview with Scott Brown by reciting how "at 12 you were arrested for shoplifting" and "at 22 you posed nude," before she pressed him from the left to distance himself from GOP positions on abortion, same-sex marriage and "don't ask, don't tell." She informed Brown "you replaced a beloved figure" in Ted Kennedy: "Do you think he'd be disappointed?" (with video) Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:08:00 -0400 20100131094729.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100131094729.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-29-CBS-EN-Couric.jpg Reporting on President Obama's appearance before GOP House members at their retreat in Baltimore, Chip Reid was in awe of Obama and delivered lines that might as well have been formulated by White House Press Secretary Roberts Gibbs: "It was a command performance by the President.... Throughout what was essentially a policy debate, the President demonstrated intimate knowledge of the issues." Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:39:00 -0400 20100129055553.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100129055553.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-29-MSNBC-Ratigan.jpg At the top of Friday's Dylan Ratigan Show on MSNBC, the show announcer teased a story on President Obama speaking a meeting of House Republicans in Baltimore: “What will Republicans do with President Obama's olive branch? He's reaching out to the GOP yet again, despite a year of push backs and criticisms. Is he being naive or crazy like a fox?” Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:51:00 -0400 20100129040632.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100129040632.aspx http://www.mrc.org/BiasAlert/uploads/2010-01-28-HLN-BeharCap.jpg On HLN's Joy Behar Show on Thursday, Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg gave a racial explanation for Chris Matthews' recent "I forgot he was black" remark about President Obama. Goldberg cracked that "this has been quite a year for the white man." Behar replied, "Traumatic," and Goldberg continued it was "traumatic in many ways because...you have to think before you speak." Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:37:00 -0400 20100129033155.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100129033155.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-27-MSNBC-Mat[1].jpg Wednesday night on MSNBC, as Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews discussed the upcoming State of the Union speech, Matthews seemed to lament that Obama would not be able to deliver a divisive FDR-style speech which would "spook" the middle class, and, as he credited Democrats with actually "creating" the middle class, he argued that Democrats are a victim of their own success. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:12:00 -0400 20100129031421.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100129031421.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-29-CBS-TES-Plante.jpg At the top of Friday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith declared: “President Obama meets with GOP leaders as he tries to tackle the growing employment problem. Will it be a monologue or a dialogue?” White House correspondent Bill Plante later reported: “The President is also reaching out to Republicans today, speaking to the GOP House retreat. But it could be a tough crowd.” Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:09:00 -0400 20100128060034.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100128060034.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-28-MSNBC-Brewer-Gre.jpg On the soon-to-be canceled 'It's the Economy' program on MSNBC on Thursday, co-host Contessa Brewer grilled Republican New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg on his calls to reduce out-of-control government spending: “Which programs are you willing to cut? Are you willing to tell schools, no money for you?” Gregg shot back: “What an absurd statement to make. And what a dishonest statement to make.” Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:56:00 -0400 20100128035620.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100128035620.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2004-09-20-HardballShales.jpg Washington Post TV writer Tom Shales was glowing for Obama at the keyboard again in his State of the Union review on Thursday. Obama had the ability to "snatch humility from the jaws of hubris." He was so enthralling, "they could have had a live shot of purple people-eaters watching from Mars and not upstaged Obama." Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:55:00 -0400 20100128014021.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100128014021.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-27-MSNBC-Fineman.jpg Despite its laundry list of liberal initiatives, Newsweek's Howard Fineman declared Wednesday's State of the Union address "one of the most conservative speeches that a Democratic president has given," and he was giddy over Obama's showmanship: "If presidential leadership were only about giving speeches, the jackhammers would already be at work on Mt. Rushmore." Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:33:00 -0400 20100128114847.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100128114847.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-27-ABC-Meacham.jpg Immediately following President Obama's State of the Union address Wednesday night, ABC's George Stephanopoulos got reaction from Newsweek editor Jon Meacham, who observed: “There were at least three moments where he expressed explicit humility. 'I'm not – I know that people aren't sure I can deliver this change. I take my share of the blame for not explaining health care.'” Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:41:00 -0400 20100128111526.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100128111526.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-28-NBC-Today-Todd[1].jpg The three morning shows on Thursday reacted to Barack Obama's State of the Union address by highlighting the risk Republicans run in continuing to oppose the President's agenda. On NBC's Today, Meredith Vieira fretted to Joe Biden, "What risk do the Republicans run by continuing to say no, by being the party of no?" Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:45:00 -0400 20100128040645.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100128040645.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/MoranvidpicforMRC.jpg Nightline anchor Terry Moran started laughing Wednesday night just as George Will finished his critique of President Obama's State of the Union address while Democratic activist Donna Brazile was also not impressed by Will's assessment. (with video) Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:54:00 -0400 20100128012959.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100128012959.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-27-CBS-SOTU-poll.jpg Following President Barack Obama's State of the Union address, on CBS Katie Couric revealed her reading interests as she endorsed the take on Obama from a liberal New York Times columnist: "Well, as Tom Friedman said, 'he's better at making us smarter than making us angry.'" Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:24:00 -0400 20100127094027.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100127094027.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-27-ABC-Sawyer.jpg Both ABC's Diane Sawyer and CBS's Katie Couric interviewed White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel as part of their networks' run-up to Wednesday's State of the Union address, but while Sawyer attempted to feel Emanuel's pain over the setbacks for health care legislation, a much feistier Couric interrogated Emanuel over the White House's political failings. Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:30:00 -0400 20100127081644.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100127081644.aspx http://www.mrc.org/BiasAlert/uploads/2010-01-27-CNN-AM-OKeefe.jpg The Associated Press on Wednesday insinuated there might be a wider conservative plot behind James O'Keefe's alleged misdeeds at Senator Mary Landrieu's office, and invoked the Watergate scandal in their lede: "Was it an attempt at political espionage? Or just a third-rate prank? How high did it go? And what did the right wing know and when did they know it?" Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:43:00 -0400 20100127064121.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100127064121.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NewYorkTimes-Logo.jpg When the ACORN scandal broke, the New York Times dragged its feet six days before issuing a story on footage from James O'Keefe showing the left-wing group giving advice to a “prostitute” and “pimp” on sheltering illegal income from taxes. But the paper wasted no time issuing a story on O'Keefe's arrest for tampering with the phones of Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu. Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:31:00 -0400 20100127042029.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100127042029.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-27-ABC-GMA-Thomas[1].jpg All three morning shows on Wednesday highlighted the revelation that a conservative activist had been arrested in connection to an attempt to tamper with the phones of Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu. Despite jumping on the "Louisiana Watergate" story only 17 hours after it was first reported, the networks took five days to file full reports on James O'Keefe and his expose of ACORN. Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:25:00 -0400 20100127031048.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100127031048.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-27-CBS-TES-Smith.jpg On Wednesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith spoke to former White House Communications Director Anita Dunn, who claimed the GOP “made a decision a year ago that they weren't going to cooperate on anything.” Smith noted: “I don't think you can say what you just said and look at what happened with health care, especially in the last month, and be honest about it.” Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:15:00 -0400 20100127022950.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100127022950.aspx http://media.eyeblast.org/newsbusters/static/2009/12/2009-12-03-ABC-TV-Beh.jpg Discounting the pro-life argument of a planned Focus on the Family Super Bowl ad featuring Tim Tebow's mother, Joy Behar told the audience of the January 26 "View" that the Florida Gators quarterback just as easily could have been a "rapist pedophile." Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:18:00 -0400 20100127012457.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100127012457.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-27-WPostPearlsteain-240.jpg Scott Brown replacing Ted Kennedy in the Senate really irritated Washington Post business section columnist Steven Pearlstein, who cited Brown's victory as an example of the "wretched" state of the nation while he scolded Massachusetts voters for selfishness in picking Brown to replace Kennedy who had fought "for social justice." Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:15:00 -0400 20100127101033.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100127101033.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/FNCLogo.jpg After years of CNN touting itself as "the most trusted name in news," a survey released Tuesday from Public Policy Polling (PPP) discovers that among major news sources, only the Fox News Channel enjoys a plurality of respondents (49%) saying they "trust" the network (vs. 37% who disagree). For CNN, only 39% trust the network's news product, vs. 41% who do not, and the distrust is even higher when the public is asked about the broadcast networks, ABC, CBS and NBC. Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:05:00 -0400 20100126052619.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100126052619.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-1-20-MSNBC-Obama.jpg A new study from the Center for Media and Public Affairs found President Obama fared far better on ABC, CBS and NBC during his first year in office than did Presidents Reagan and George W. Bush. But the Fox News Channel was about as tough on Obama as the broadcast nets were on the GOP Presidents. Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:17:00 -0400 20100126051528.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100126051528.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NewYorkTimes-Logo.jpg The Times recently offered up a 780-word article on a protest for illegal immigrants - with four marchers walking from Miami to Washington. But on Saturday, tens of thousands of Americans gathering in Washington for Friday's annual March for Life received - part of a sentence. Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:10:00 -0400 20100126050743.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100126050743.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-26-ABC-GMA-Rosie[1].jpg Rosie O'Donnell appeared on Tuesday's Good Morning America and lectured host George Stephanopoulos, "You just have to relax and remember that not everyone's a politician. And you don't have to grill them." The liberal comedienne needn't have worried. Stephanopoulos only gently approached O'Donnell and the topic of her new gay-themed HBO documentary. Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:00:00 -0400 20100126040643.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100126040643.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-26-ABC-GMA-Steph[1].jpg Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos played defense for the White House on Tuesday. While talking with John McCain about Obama's 2010 proposals, he sounded annoyed that the Senator's ideas for job creation would include tax cuts: "But, those tax cuts are going to increase the deficit, aren't they, sir?" Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:15:00 -0400 20100126013302.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100126013302.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-26-CBS-TES-Obama.jpg At the top of Tuesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez highlighted the latest attempt at populism by the Obama administration: “President Obama calls for a big spending freeze and focuses on plans to help the struggling middle class, but does he have the political support he needs?” Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:27:00 -0400 20100125083504.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100125083504.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-25-ABC-WNDS-showpics.jpg Diane Sawyer's interview with President Barack Obama wasn't nearly as sycophantic as the one conducted last Wednesday by George Stephanopoulos, but in her "if you were a tree, what kind would you be?" moment, a beaming Sawyer held up photos of Obama at the inauguration and his first congressional speech and wondered: "What would you say to him?" Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:28:00 -0400 20100125064547.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100125064547.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/WashingtonPost-Logo.jpg The front page of Monday's Washington Post featured an adulatory tribute to President Barack Obama's brilliance in gathering information so he can take care of the little people, a tribute enabled by sycophantic assessments from friends and those on Obama's payroll which reporters Anne Kornblut and Michael Fletcher eagerly advanced. "The seeker as problem-solver," read the front page headline. Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:44:00 -0400 20100125061048.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100125061048.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Obama.jpg In an appeal for viewers to watch MSNBC's coverage of the State of the Union, Chris Matthews on Monday enthused that his network is a "great place to watch." He added, "You get a lot of context when you watch on MSNBC you don't get elsewhere." Of course, this is the same cable outlet that featured Keith Olbermann, Ed Shultz and Rachel Maddow. Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:02:00 -0400 20100125060616.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100125060616.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NewYorkTimes-Logo.jpg Two front-page New York Times stories suggest (hope?) the Tea Party movement may turn on the G.O.P.: "But the deeper intramural divisions are within the Republican Party, a sign of the intensity and unpredictability of the grass-roots conservative movement....Several analysts said the victory in the Massachusetts Senate race of Scott Brown, a Republican who ran with Tea Party support, could encourage more challenges and drive incumbents further right." Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:52:00 -0400 20100125054946.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100125054946.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-24-CBS-FTN-Schieffe.jpg On Sunday's Face the Nation on CBS, host Bob Schieffer twisted the meaning of a recent Washington Post poll on the election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts: “Three-fourths of those voters...said they wanted Brown to work with Democrats to get Republican ideas into legislation....the vote for Brown was not so much a vote for or against policy or party, as it was a vote against the process itself.” Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:45:00 -0400 20100124093128.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100124093128.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-24-ABC-TW-panel.jpg With the exception of George Will, the panel on ABC's This Week (hosted by Terry Moran) roundtable insisted Scott Brown's Massachusetts Senate seat victory was less an anti-liberal or anti-Obama vote than simply a "pox on both your houses" and "throw the bums" out choice when Democrats happened to be in power. Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:22:00 -0400 20100124090718.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100124090718.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-22-FNC-SRBB-Krauthammer.jpg Quip of the day, from columnist Charles Krauthammer on Friday's Special Report with Bret Baier on FNC: "This is an amazing week. Massachusetts goes Republican, health care dies and the Supreme Court unshackles the First Amendment. It's the best week I've had since spring break in medical school - and I don't even remember it." Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:23:00 -0400 20100124084655.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100124084655.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NBC-Franken-forMRChome.jpg When the liberal radio network Air America debuted on March 31, 2004, NBC trumpeted it as the "counterweight" to the "right-wing bent" of talk radio. Katie Couric enthused that Al Franken and his colleagues hoped "to break into what has been a conservative lock on the radio." However, when Air America died on Thursday, NBC skipped the story. (with video) Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:30:00 -0400 20100122090607.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100122090607.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/New Picture.jpg.bmp Near the end of the 3PM ET hour of CNN's Rick's List on Friday, host Rick Sanchez couldn't seem to figure out who was protesting at the March for Life in Washington D.C.: “It's the 37th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade case....both sides being represented today, but it does appear to me, as I look at these signs that – which side is represented the most....Do we know?” Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:44:00 -0400 20100122040347.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100122040347.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-22-CBS-TES-Smith.jpg Speaking to former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean on Friday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith urged Republicans and Democrats to quickly pass some form of health care reform: “...to help the 40 some million that don't have insurance or the vast majority of other folks who are one medical catastrophe away from bankruptcy.” Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:58:00 -0400 20100122025209.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100122025209.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-22-ABC-GMA-Shipman.jpg On Friday's Good Morning America, Claire Shipman gushed over Elizabeth Edwards as a "smart, passionate, sometimes fierce woman with many different sides to her personality." She lauded the wife of John Edwards as a complex "heroine" who is "increasingly hard to define." At the same time, Shipman downplayed the negative portrayal of Mrs. Edwards in a new campaign book. Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:45:00 -0400 20100122094333.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100122094333.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-21-MSNBC-CWO-Olbermann.jpg Even more unhinged than usual, and that's saying a lot, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann delivered a tirade Thursday night in a "Special Comment" in which he declared the Supreme Court's ruling, that corporations have a free speech right to participate in elections, was "a decision that might actually have more dire implications than Dred Scott." Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:39:00 -0400 20100121083618.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100121083618.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-21-CBS-EN-SCOTUS.jpg Instead of painting a victory for free speech in the Supreme Court's ruling that corporations can spend money to influence elections, Thursday night newscasts feared a ruinous future: "Opening floodgates" to "big money" with "corporate interests having even more of a say" by "attacking political candidates," resulting in "the real danger...that the candidates are just going to get drowned out" as "special interests" may "take over political campaign advertising." Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:30:00 -0400 20100121070356.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100121070356.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-21-CNN-TSR-Cafferty.jpg CNN's Jack Cafferty blasted the Defense Department's report on the Fort Hood massacre as a "joke" on Thursday's Situation Room, singling out how there was "no mention in the report of the suspect's [Major Nidal Hasan] views of Islam." Cafferty also highlighted a recent Gallup poll that found that "43 percent of Americans admit to feeling at least a little prejudice toward Muslims." Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:23:00 -0400 20100121063731.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100121063731.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-21-CBS-TES-Henderso.jpg Appearing on Thursday's CBS Early Show, Politico.com White House reporter Nia-Malika Henderson argued to co-host Harry Smith that Senator-elect Scott Brown's humorous remark that his daughters were “available” during his Tuesday night victory speech showed that: “this might be a senator who is gaffe-prone, who has to kind of walk back from remarks that he – that he makes.” Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:33:00 -0400 20100121013217.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100121013217.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-21-NBC-Odonnell.jpg NBC's Kelly O'Donnell, over the last three days on the Today show, has refused to acknowledge Scott Brown's success as something for the GOP to celebrate. Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:27:00 -0400 20100121010058.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100121010058.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-21-ABC-GMA-Steph[1].jpg With a complete lack of irony, Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos on Thursday commented on the revelation that John Edwards had fathered a love child. The former top aide to Bill Clinton marveled, "How did he ever think he was going to get through a presidential campaign sitting on all this?" Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:51:00 -0400 20100121094008.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100121094008.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-20-MSNBC-CWO-Olb.jpg On Wednesday's Countdown show, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann defended his recent attacks on Massachusetts Republican Senator-elect Scott Brown by insisting that some of the incorrect claims he made are true when, in fact, two are factually without merit while the third represents one of Olbermann's typical episodes of distorting the words of a target. Thu, 21 Jan 2010 07:36:00 -0400 20100120082542.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100120082542.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-20-ABC-WNDS-ObamaSteph.jpg The day after President Obama's policies were rebuked in one of the most liberal states, the White House turned to George Stephanopoulos and an accommodating Stephanopoulos, in the excerpt run on Wednesday's World News, asked Obama to confirm he was "surprised and frustrated by the vote" and to agree "this has been about the most packed year of your life" and "the most fulfilling?" Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:24:00 -0400 20100120052222.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100120052222.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-20-CNN-AM-Cap.jpg CNN's Carol Costello reminisced enthusiastically about President Obama's inauguration a year ago on Tuesday's American Morning, highlighting how, at the time, "the hearts of millions of Americans were ready to burst- with a Woodstock kind of love." Costello also took a shot at Republicans, stating that they "used the President's strategy [on health care] to create fear and confusion among voters." Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:28:00 -0400 20100120045453.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100120045453.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-20-ABC-GMA-DeNies[1].jpg Good Morning America's Yunji de Nies on Wednesday used the one year anniversary of Michelle Obama's tenure as First Lady to file a fawning look at the "every woman." And while many were focusing on the crushing Democratic defeat in Massachusetts, de Nies gushed, "He may have won the presidency, but when she set foot on Pennsylvania Avenue, Michelle Obama captivated the country." Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:44:00 -0400 20100120025316.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100120025316.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-20-CBS-TES-Rodrigue.jpg Speaking to political analyst John Dickerson on Wednesday's CBS Early Show about Republican Scott Brown winning the Massachusetts Senate race, co-host Maggie Rodriguez lamented: “When it comes to health care, I think it's so ironic that the late Ted Kennedy's passion was health care. He dedicated his career to it. And the man who will replace him could be the one to derail it.” Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:45:00 -0400 20100120024837.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100120024837.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Shuster.jpg MSNBC's David Shuster on Wednesday used the victory of Republican Scott Brown in Massachusetts as another opportunity to trash the tea party movement. Teasing an interview with one of the organizers, he smeared, "The first anniversary of President Obama's inauguration. The Hitler mustaches and the Joker and everything else." Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:41:00 -0400 20100120112852.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100120112852.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-20-NBC-Brown.jpg NBC's Meredith Vieira, on Wednesday's Today show, rained on Scott Brown's parade as she wondered if the Senator-Elect's post-victory call to Ted Kennedy's widow Vicki was an awkward moment since, as the Today co-anchor pressed, "You plan to do whatever you can to derail...the cause of his lifetime?" Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:22:00 -0400 20100120092615.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100120092615.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-19-CNN-Yellin.jpg When Democrats lose, liberal reporters tend to see anger and fear, and never positive motivations. CNN reporter Jessica Yellin found the "anger and fear" during live coverage just after 10 pm Tuesday night from the Coakley campaign after the Democrat's concession speech, painting Coakley as a "very subdued woman" swamped by "a tidal wave of voter rage." Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:21:00 -0400 20100120084741.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100120084741.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-19-MSNBC-CWO-Olb.jpg While it is well known that MSNBC's Keith Olbermann is the most viciously liberal voice to host a news program within the mainstream media, he usually tones down his anti-conservative, anti-Republican vitriol when anchoring special events like election results. But during MSNBC's coverage of the Massachusetts special Senate election, Olbermann's presentation was more rabidly partisan than if the Democratic National Committee itself were producing the show. Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:41:00 -0400 20100119083633.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100119083633.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-19-CBS-EN-Dickerson.jpg Less than two hours before the polls closed in Massachusetts, CBS News political analyst John Dickerson argued on Tuesday's CBS Evening News that if Republican candidate Scott Brown wins, "it's just going to get a lot uglier in Washington," declaring that Republicans "feel excited and they see glory in attacking the President." Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:30:00 -0400 20100119065704.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100119065704.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-19-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Chris Matthews left no doubt for Massachusetts voters what was at stake with their vote in today's Senate election as the MSNBC host, on Tuesday's Hardball, underlined, in graphic terms, that a vote for Republican Scott Brown was a vote to kill health care. Matthews, on the 5pm edition of his show, blared: "If they go for Republican Scott Brown it's deliberate, premeditated murder for health care!" Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:52:00 -0400 20100119055931.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100119055931.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-18-CNN-Yellin-Cap.jpg On Monday's AC360, CNN's Jessica Yellin spun the rise of Republican candidate Scott Brown as coming from "folks here in Massachusetts [who] are feeling angry and scared. They're angry and scared about the economy, about jobs...and especially in this state, about health-care reform....[Brown] has tapped into that fear and sold himself essentially as a man of the people who will fight big government." Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:11:00 -0400 20100119055507.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100119055507.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-18-ABC-NL-Gus[1].jpg Nightline's Brian Ross on Monday filed a hyperbolic report on "secret Jesus codes" that are on the sights of rifles used by the U.S. military in Afghanistan. Ross featured two voices highly critical of the fact that Bible versus can be found on these weapons, but no clip of the opposing side. Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:46:00 -0400 20100119044844.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100119044844.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-19-NBC-Odonnell.jpg On Tuesday's Today show NBC's Kelly O'Donnell -- apparently reaching to find something negative to say about the surging Scott Brown -- accused the Republican Massachusetts Senate candidate of running away from his own party as she questioned: "You don't mention the Republican Party much in your campaign. Why is that?" Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:39:00 -0400 20100119040749.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100119040749.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-19-CBS-TES-Rodrigue.jpg Appearing on Tuesday's CBS Early Show, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele criticized potential Democratic efforts to delay seating Republican Scott Brown as the Senator from Massachusetts as “unseemly,” but co-host Maggie Rodriguez replied: “Is that fair? Because wouldn't your party do the exact same thing?” Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:01:00 -0400 20100119011900.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100119011900.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-18-NYT-Pfieiffer.jpg During a Monday video interview with the New York Times' The Caucus blog, the new White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer, joined his predecessor Anita Dunn in declaring that Fox News Channel is not a news organization: “I have the same view of Fox that Anita had, which is that Fox is not a traditional news organization.” Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:14:00 -0400 20100119010852.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100119010852.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-19-ABC-GMA-Steph.jpg On Tuesday's Good Morning America, former Democratic operative turned journalist George Stephanopoulos appeared glum about the prospects of Democrats in Massachusetts' special Senate election. He intoned, "And White House and congressional Democrats are hoping for a miracle but they're expecting, right now, the Democrat, Martha Coakley to lose." Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:03:00 -0400 20100119093025.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100119093025.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-18-MSNBC-Olbermann.jpg In an obvious last-minute attempt to tip the vote in Massachusetts, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann unleashed against GOP Senate candidate Scott Brown on Monday's Countdown, calling him "an irresponsible, homophobic, racist, reactionary, ex-nude model, teabagging supporter of violence against woman." Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:27:00 -0400 20100119091354.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100119091354.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2008-03-17-ABC-WNCG-Wright11.jpg The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz found it amazing Barack Obama was portrayed so well in background quotes provided by Obama's own aides to the authors of 'Game Change.' Kurtz credibly recounted how Obama aide Anita Dunn thought "this is a guy I want in a foxhole with me" while top staffer David Axelrod claimed to be "blown away" by Obama. Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:05:00 -0400 20100119032159.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100119032159.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-18-ABC-WNDS-Steph.jpg ABC on Monday night again empathized with the Obama White House's disbelief that they could lose "Ted Kennedy's Senate seat" -- and thus ObamaCare -- if Republican Scott Brown beats Democrat Martha Coakley in Tuesday's special election. George Stephanopoulos saw a "Shakespearean" tragedy just over a week after PBS's Judy Woodruff, on ABC's This Week, described such a scenario as "a tragedy of Greek proportions." Mon, 18 Jan 2010 23:55:00 -0400 20100118041249.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100118041249.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-18-MSNBC-Halperin.jpg In a bizarre twist of logic, on Monday's Morning Joe program on MSNBC, Time magazine's Mark Halperin argued that if Democrat Martha Coakley lost the race for the Massachusetts Senate, it would improve chances of health care reform passing: “I actually think they may get health care more easily than if they win.” Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:08:00 -0400 20100118024520.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100118024520.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-01-18-ABC-Panic.jpg Assuming bad news for the Democrats in Tuesday's special Senate election in Massachusetts, ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Monday worried about a "Plan B" for passing ObamaCare: "You have top Democrats like Barney Frank of Massachusetts who said flatly if Martha Coakley, the Democrat, loses, health care is dead. So what kind of planning is the White House doing right now for backup? What's their Plan B?" Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:39:00 -0400 20100118020919.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100118020919.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-18-NBC-Brokaw.jpg NBC's Tom Brokaw, on Monday's Today show, joined in the chorus of those depicting Rush Limbaugh as some sort of insensitive lout who doesn't want Americans to donate to the Haitian earthquake victims. The former NBC Nightly News anchor, in response to a question from Today co-anchor Matt Lauer, praised America's generosity to the disaster, but then took a swipe at the conservative radio talk show host: "It's a tribute to this country, Rush Limbaugh aside, that you have former President Clinton and former President George Bush, who are political arch enemies, coming together to say, we have to do something about this poorest place in the western hemisphere." Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:05:00 -0400 20100118120859.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100118120859.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-18-CBS-TES-Rodrigue.jpg While concluding a story on the Massachusetts Senate race on Monday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez acknowledged the possibility that Republican Scott Brown could win the long held Democratic seat but wondered: “It'll be interesting to see if Brown, the Republican, wins, if the Democrats can defer his swearing in and get health care passed. We will watch that.” Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:03:00 -0400 20100118101644.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100118101644.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-17-NBC-MTP-Halperin.jpg On Sunday's Meet the Press, Mark Halperin of Time and formerly with ABC News, hailed Barack Obama as having done "an extraordinary job [as President]...under difficult circumstances." On the same panel, the Washington Post's Bob Woodward scoffed at conservative criticism of the President: "Calling him a European socialist is just not even in the ballpark." Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:54:00 -0400 20100118100811.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100118100811.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-17-NBC-T-poll.jpg On Sunday's Today, co-anchor Jenna Wolfe targeted the state of the economy and Republican opposition -- not the substance of President Obama's policies -- for his drop in popularity. Wolfe lectured Republican Andy Card: "Yes, the economy accounts for much of that drop. How much of it can be linked to unified opposition from Republicans for initiatives like health care?" Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:33:00 -0400 20100118100021.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100118100021.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-16-NBC-T-Rob.jpg On Saturday's Today, co-anchor Amy Robach referred to a potential Republican victory in the Massachusetts Senate race as "a crisis potentially looming here at home" for President Obama. Guest Joe Scarborough told Robach: "Believe it or not, health care reform more unpopular up there [in Massachusetts] than popular." Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:15:00 -0400 20100116015520.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100116015520.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-13-GRITtv-DannyGlover.jpg Far-left actor Danny Glover, during an online interview this week, proposed global warming caused the devastating earthquake in Haiti: "They're all in peril because of global warming....When we look back at what we did at the climate summit in Copenhagen, this is the response." Sat, 16 Jan 2010 11:48:00 -0400 20100115052031.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100115052031.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Matthews.jpg An ad for a new Chris Matthews special featured the MSNBC host complaining about tea party protesters who are "threatened" by an African American President. As pictures of protests appeared onscreen, Matthews derided, "For the first time, we have an African American head of state. But, there's always going to be people who challenge it, who are threatened by it." Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:16:00 -0400 20100115034154.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100115034154.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/RasmussenLogoMRC.jpg A new survey from Scott Rasmussen finds that more than half of all voters (51%) believe "the average reporter is more liberal than they are," and two-thirds (67%) think the media have "too much power and influence over government decisions." Rasmussen also found strong belief in political bias: "72% say most reporters try to help the candidate they want to win." Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:36:00 -0400 20100115023311.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100115023311.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-15-CBS-TES-Smith.jpg On Friday's CBS Early Show, People magazine editor Betsy Gleick discussed the latest issue, featuring an interview with Barack and Michelle Obama on their one-year anniversary in the White House, declaring: “I think the headline is that they are feeling optimistic that the country is back on track, and that they do feel that there are still some, obviously, huge challenges ahead.” Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:22:00 -0400 20100115125135.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100115125135.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Guthrie.jpg Perhaps providing a window into the mind of journalists, MSNBC's Savannah Guthrie on Friday appeared shocked that a Democrat might lose in next week's Massachusetts Senate election. "This is bad," fretted the Daily Rundown co-host. Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:46:00 -0400 20100115121614.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100115121614.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-15-NBC-Odonnell.jpg With Massachusetts State Senator Scott Brown surging in the polls, NBC's Today show, on Friday, assigned Kelly O'Donnell to highlight the race for the open Senate seat in Massachusetts pitting Brown against Martha Coakley and the NBC reporter – even after airing Brown's zinger that "it's not the Kennedy seat...it's the people's seat," – ordained it "the Kennedy seat." Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:11:00 -0400 20100114072434.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100114072434.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-14-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Chris Matthews, on Thursday's Hardball, trashed Sarah Palin, for all things, not quickly responding to a Glenn Beck question about who her favorite Founding Father was. After playing a clip of Palin telling Beck, initially, that she liked, "all of them," before settling on George Washington as her favorite Founding Father, the MSNBC host portrayed Palin as the dumb student. Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:57:00 -0400 20100114042212.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100114042212.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2008-09-25-CBS-EN-Couric.jpg In yet another testament to liberals celebrating liberals, on Thursday the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism announced that CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric won the Alfred I. duPont award for excellence in broadcast journalism for her slanted 2008 interview with vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:17:00 -0400 20100114030920.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100114030920.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-14-ABC-GMA-Shipman[1].jpg Good Morning America's Claire Shipman on Thursday highlighted Keith Olbermann's slam of Pat Robertson as "the devil" for comments he made about the earthquake in Haiti. Co-host also George Stephanopoulos questionably spun Reverend Robertson as "one of America's top religious leaders." Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:02:00 -0400 20100114110709.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100114110709.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-13-MSNBC-CWO-HaitiHealthreform.jpg The devastating earthquake in Haiti, which may have killed tens of thousands or more, "reminded" MSNBC's Keith Olbermann of why ObamaCare is needed in the United States as he saw "what health care reform really means" in Haiti's "awful message of nightmarish reality." (with video) Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:21:00 -0400 20100114110525.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100114110525.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-13-MSNBC-HB-MatthewsLee.jpg On Wednesday's Hardball, Chris Matthews played an out-of-context clip of Rush Limbaugh to accuse the talk radio host of exploiting the Haiti earthquake, asking left-wing Rep. Barbara Lee of Limbaugh: "What do you make of that kind of commentary, stirring the pot on race in this country?" Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:50:00 -0400 20100113072955.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100113072955.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-02-CNN-TSR-Cafferty.jpg CNN's Jack Cafferty highlighted the research of "some scientists [who] insist the earth is entering a cooling trend" in a commentary on CNN.com. Cafferty detailed the harsh winter weather in the northern hemisphere over the past weeks, and noted that the research "could undermine...what we've been told about the warming of the Earth being caused only by man-made greenhouse gas emissions." Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:16:00 -0400 20100113032621.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100113032621.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-13-ABC-GMA-Steph.jpg Former Democratic aide turned Good Morning America host George Stephanopoulos on Wednesday derided Sarah Palin's debut as a Fox News analyst, asserting that she "was in pretty loving hands there with Bill O'Reilly." He also seriously added, "It's very different going from being an advocate to someone who steps back and analyzes the news." Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:16:00 -0400 20100113010402.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100113010402.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-13-CBS-TES-Rodrigue.jpg While speculating that Tonight Show host Conan O'Brien may move to Fox in the wake of NBC shaking up its late night schedule, on Wednesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez referred to Sarah Palin becoming a contributor for Fox News: “Sarah Palin his sidekick? Because she's on Fox now, too.” Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:59:00 -0400 20100113092246.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100113092246.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-07-MSNBC-CWO-Fin.jpg Talking about Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid's "Negro dialect" crack about Barack Obama on MSNBC's Countdown Tuesday night, Newsweek's Howard Fineman suggested "pretty much" all Americans view the Democrats more favorably on racial issues, and declared of Republicans: "They have a terrible record" on race. Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:13:00 -0400 20100112073521.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100112073521.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-12-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Provoked by charges made in Game Change that Sarah Palin had to be tutored in foreign policy, Chris Matthews, on Tuesday's Hardball, took shot after shot at the former vice presidential candidate's intelligence as he wondered, "Is it possible that her head was really that empty?...Has she ever taken an SAT afternoon exam?" and mocked "Don't put her on Jeopardy!" Matthews invited on Game Change co-authors John Heilemann and Mark Halperin to discuss the book but it was their stories about Palin that got the MSNBC host revved up as he painted an absurd picture of neo-cons taking a "cruise" to Alaska where they found Palin "standing at the docks with an empty head saying, 'I'm willing to say what you want me to say.'" Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:32:00 -0400 20100112061055.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100112061055.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-11-CNN-AC-Panel.jpg On Monday's Anderson Cooper 360, CNN's Anderson Cooper extensively questioned authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann about their new book "Game Change" on subjects other than Sarah Palin, unlike his earlier interview of the writers on 60 Minutes. Most of the two segments from the interview dealt with Bill and Hillary Clinton's role in the 2008 presidential election and in the Obama transition. Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:15:00 -0400 20100112034946.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100112034946.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-12-ABC-GMA-Harris[1].jpg Good Morning America reporter Dan Harris on Tuesday lamented the fact that Barack Obama has "repeatedly been thrust into the role of America's racial referee," this time over Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's controversial "Negro" remark. Harris even spun previous racial issues involving the President, saying Obama has, "once again, [been] dragged into a race-based scandal." Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:41:00 -0400 20100112031356.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100112031356.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-12-CBS-TES-Smith.jpg On Tuesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith followed President Obama's lead by wondering if it was time to move on from the Harry Reid racial controversy, as he asked Republican strategist Leslie Sanchez and Democrat Dee Dee Myers: “Is the Reid story over and should it be?” Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:04:00 -0400 20100112124748.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100112124748.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/MerylStreep.jpg "Hollywood actress Meryl Streep has admitted that the only person she has been star-struck by is U.S. President Barack Obama," an India Times item posted on Sunday reported, quoting the actress: "I went to the White House and was star-struck by our President and First Lady." Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:41:00 -0400 20100111050144.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100111050144.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-10-NBC-Mitchell.jpg NBC's Andrea Mitchell, on the syndicated Chris Matthews Show over the weekend, claimed that the United States' wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have not helped in the fight against terrorism, going as far as to say "They've hurt," and "we have inspired more Jihadis against us." Mitchell also played defense for Barack Obama on his terrorism policy as she hailed the President's recent speeches on the issue have been "strong" and "substantive," and "he's now trying to...take the reins and be the CEO," in the fight against al Qaeda. Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:58:00 -0400 20100111043344.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100111043344.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-11-ABC-GMA-Steph[1].jpg Good Morning America co-host George Stephanopoulos on Monday talked to the authors of a new book on the 2008 presidential campaign and appeared unsurprised that journalists knew about the affair John Edwards was having, but ignored it. Stephanopoulos blithely acknowledged, "And a lot of Edwards insiders, Mark, and you even say reporters covering the campaign, knew something about this." Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:24:00 -0400 20100111042623.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100111042623.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-11-CBS-IE-Norville.jpg On Monday's Inside Edition, distributed by CBS, host Deborah Norville cited Sunday's 60 Minutes interview with McCain campaign adviser Steve Schmidt and proclaimed: “'A debacle of historic and epic proportions.' That's how a former McCain campaign strategist is describing Sarah Palin's performance as the Governor prepared for the vice presidential debate.” Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:17:00 -0400 20100111041131.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100111041131.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-11-FNC-60Min[1].jpg Fox News correspondent Eric Shawn on Monday hit 60 Minutes for spending ten minutes out of a 13 minute segment highlighting negative dirt on Sarah Palin. The news magazine also ignored remarks made by Harry Reid. Shawn analyzed Anderson Cooper's January 10 interview with the authors of Game Change, observing, "...Most of the CBS story was critical of Sarah Palin." Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:03:00 -0400 20100111040910.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100111040910.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-11-CNN-AM-Kristof.jpg CNN made no accommodation for balance during a panel discussion segment on ObamaCare on Monday's American Morning, bringing on two journalists- New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and Time magazine's Karen Tumulty- who both dismissed the Democrats' lack of transparency in the congressional negotiations over the health care "reform" bills, and both shilled for the legislation. Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:16:00 -0400 20100111013014.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100111013014.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-10-CBS-60M-Cooper.jpg While a story on Sunday's 60 Minutes about the new book, 'Game Change,' about the 2008 campaign, focused heavily on attacks against Sarah Palin by McCain staffers, it ignored numerous revelations of controversial statements by prominent Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid describing Barack Obama as “light skinned” and lacking a “negro dialect.” Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:23:00 -0400 20100111115207.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100111115207.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-0-1-11-NBC-Ifill.jpg NBC's Today show, on Monday morning, invited on former Democratic liberal Congressman Harold Ford Jr. and PBS' liberal Washington Week moderator Gwen Ifill to discuss whether Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid should step down for his "Negro dialect" comments about Barack Obama and not surprisingly neither guest suggested Reid should go. Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:46:00 -0400 20100110113044.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100110113044.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/StephRoberts-2009-12-14.jpg At the end of Sunday's This Week, George Stephanopoulos announced it was his last broadcast as the host and an item in Sunday's Boston Herald revealed that ABC had to purchase a special chair for Stephanopoulos, in his new job as co-host of Good Morning America, so Robin Roberts would no longer "tower over" the "diminutive talking head." Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:21:00 -0400 20100110102403.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100110102403.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-07-MSNBC-CWO-Fin.jpg Appearing as a guest on Thursday's Countdown show on MSNBC to discuss Obama's latest speech on terrorism, Newsweek's Howard Fineman charged that, referring to Republicans, "they're about division and they're about fear." Sat, 09 Jan 2010 09:18:00 -0400 20100108051724.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100108051724.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Steph.jpg On Friday's Good Morning America, co-host George Stephanopoulos aggressively pushed Rudy Giuliani to admit that Barack Obama has "taken responsibility" for the government's reaction to a failed Christmas Day bombing. However, when he chatted with Democratic operative, and friend, James Carville on Thursday, the ABC anchor mostly worried about the "political fallout" for the President. Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:10:00 -0400 20100108051719.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100108051719.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-07-CNN-LKL-Miller.jpg Left-wing talker Stephanie Miller inaccurately claimed on CNN's Larry King Live on Thursday that former President Clinton "put the Cole bombers in jail." Miller also predictably blasted former President Bush for not "taking responsibility for 9/11," in contrast to President Obama's recent acceptance of responsibility for intelligence failures prior to the attempted underwear bombing on Christmas. Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:10:00 -0400 20100108023249.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100108023249.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-07-BBC-Koppel.jpg Thursday night on BBC's World News America, Ted Koppel insisted President Obama's first (non)reaction to the attempted bombing of a U.S. airline on Christmas Day "was the right one," but media "yapping" and "24-hour cable channels going at it, hour after hour after hour" pressured Obama into an "overreaction." Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:27:00 -0400 20100108123847.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100108123847.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Ross.jpg For the second time in two days, ABC attempted to exonerate Barack Obama from responsibility for a failed Christmas Day airline bombing. On Friday's Good Morning America, Brian Ross spun, "Well, like another young president almost 50 years ago, Barack Obama found the so-called intelligence professionals, the veterans, the old hands, failed him and failed the country." Fri, 08 Jan 2010 13:28:00 -0400 20100108123143.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100108123143.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-08-CBS-TES-Schmidt.jpg Friday's CBS Early Show previewed an upcoming "60 Minutes" interview with former McCain campaign adviser Steve Schmidt as co-host Harry Smith declared: “John McCain's former top adviser comes out swinging and tells "60 minutes" Sarah Palin often struggled with straight talk.” A clip was played of Schmidt claiming “there were numerous instances” when Palin “said things that were not accurate.” Fri, 08 Jan 2010 13:25:00 -0400 20100108092524.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100108092524.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-07-ABC-Snow.jpg On Thursday's World News, ABC correspondent Kate Snow filed a report that avoided portraying Tea Party activists as extremists, instead conveying the movement's growing appeal and the fact that even some former Barack Obama supporters have signed on. Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:18:00 -0400 20100108023413.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100108023413.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-ABC-WNDS-Sawyerbuckstops.jpg ABC anchor Diane Sawyer heard “an echo of another young President in another time” in President Obama's "the buck stops here" taking of responsibility for the failed Christmas Day terrorist plot as George Stephanopoulos explained her reference: "John Kennedy after the Bay of Pigs." (with video) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:27:00 -0400 20100107044643.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100107044643.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-07-NBC-Lyon.jpg Andrea Lyon, the attorney for accused child murderer Casey Anthony, was invited on Thursday's Today show to discuss the case and promote her new book and was given a platform to call the death penalty "A barbaric institution," and to spout that the U.S. is in the "company of Iraq and Iran and China." Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:43:00 -0400 20100107041632.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100107041632.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-06-CNN-CB-Brown.jpg CNN continued its spin on the retirement of Senator Byron Dorgan on Wednesday. Anchor Campbell Brown one-upped Wolf Blitzer's "moderate Democrat" tag of the senator, going so far to label the liberal a "conservative Democrat." Correspondent Dana Bash also noted how the outgoing senator is apparently "popular" in his state, contrary to recent polls. Not once was Dorgan labeled "liberal" or "left." Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:56:00 -0400 20100107022305.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100107022305.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-07-CBS-TES-Mitchell.jpg While the Democratic Mayor of Baltimore, Shelia Dixon, resigned on Wednesday amid a criminal scandal, the evening news programs on NBC, ABC, and CBS all failed to mention the political downfall. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:18:00 -0400 20100107125639.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100107125639.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-07-NBC-Today-ODonne[1].jpg Nine days after ABC announced on Good Morning America that financial correspondent Bianna Golodryga would be marrying top Obama official Peter Orszag, NBC's Today made sure to highlight the revelation that the budget director has also fathered a child with his (now) ex-girlfriend. Good Morning America skipped this development, as did CBS's Early Show. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:53:00 -0400 20100106061033.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100106061033.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-06-FNC-SB-Smith.jpg In an interview on Fox News Channel's Studio B on Wednesday, New York Congressman Peter King criticized President Obama for his “race to close Guantanamo,” prompting host Shepard Smith to parrot left-wing talking points on the subject: “[Obama] said that gave us a black eye around the world and studies seem to suggest that's exactly what it did.” Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:06:00 -0400 20100106051702.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100106051702.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-06-CNN-TSR-Cafferty.jpg On Wednesday's Situation Room, CNN's Jack Cafferty surprisingly blasted top Democrats, especially President Obama, over the secret negotiations being conducted to reconcile the House and Senate versions of health care "reform" legislation: "President Obama hasn't even made a token effort to keep his campaign promises of more openness and transparency in government. It was all just another lie." Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:01:00 -0400 20100106033545.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100106033545.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-06-ABC-GMA[1].jpg Despite promises from ABC to the contrary, Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts appears to have been almost completely shut out from political and policy interviews since George Stephanopoulos joined the show on December 14. The former Democratic operative has now anchored 11 mornings and conducted all but one of the big interviews. Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:40:00 -0400 20100106031301.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100106031301.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-06-CBS-TES-Rodrigue.jpg Speaking with Republican New York Congressman Peter King on Wednesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez declared: “Congressman, here you are a Republican talking about everything that's wrong and everything that went wrong....Tom Kean, who was the co-chairman of the 9/11 Commission said quote, 'we should dismiss the partisan bickering over the security failures over this issue.” Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:07:00 -0400 20100106121432.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100106121432.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-06-NBC-Lauer.jpg NBC's Matt Lauer dismissed the idea that Barack Obama was weak on terrorism, as the Today co-anchor, on Wednesday's show, wanted to "get rid" of the notion that "the President doesn't take the threat of terrorism seriously enough because he's not out there talking about it every day." Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:10:00 -0400 20100106111528.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100106111528.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-05-CNN-TSR-Blitzer.jpg On Tuesday evening, CNN tried to put the best spin on Senator Byron Dorgan's announcement that he wasn't running for reelection, labeling the pro-abortion, union-friendly liberal who was trailing in the polls a "moderate Democrat....[who] was expected to easily win a fourth term." Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:15:00 -0400 20100106094400.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100106094400.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-MSNBC-CWO-OlbermannComment.jpg Keith Olbermann turned his attention to Neal Boortz -- whom he called a "hate radio host" and referred to as being "dehumanized" -- and others who oppose the implementation of ObamaCare, accusing them of "killing 45,000 people every year," and suggesting that those who seek to block universal health care are as bad as terrorists. Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:36:00 -0400 20100105064552.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100105064552.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-05-Matthews.jpg Chris Matthews just can't stop implying some sort of racist motives behind tea-partiers as on Tuesday's Hardball, the MSNBC host – in a segment about which candidate they would gravitate towards – asked his guests why the protestors were all "monochromatic," and to add insult to injury repeatedly called them "teabaggers." Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:43:00 -0400 20100105022140.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100105022140.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-05-NBC-Vieira.jpg Meredith Vieira peppered RNC chair Michael Steele, on Tuesday's Today show, with a line of questioning that made the GOP out to be "partisan" in its criticisms of Obama's national security policies and questioned recent comments by Dick Cheney's were "hurting the Republicans." Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:19:00 -0400 20100104055201.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100104055201.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-01-04-MSNBC-Shuster.jpg During the 3PM ET hour of live coverage on MSNBC, anchor David Shuster claimed that Fox News political analyst Brit Hume "denigrated Christianity" when suggesting that scandal-ridden golfer Tiger Woods convert to the faith. Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:48:00 -0400 20100104052240.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100104052240.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NewYorkTimes-Logo.jpg A “march” from Miami to Washington on behalf of illegal immigrants consisting of four marchers somehow merited a 780-word New York Times article Saturday by reliably pro-amnesty reporter Julia Preston. By contrast, a massive anti-Obama rally that attracted over 100,000 people to the Capitol September 12 resulted in virtually the same level of coverage: A 932-word article. Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:10:00 -0400 20100104051928.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100104051928.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-04-NBC-Census.jpg NBC's Today show invited on Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Census Bureau Director Robert Groves to promote their Portrait of America road tour as a way to encourage people to fill out the Census forms or risk, as Locke warned, miss out on "$400 billion of federal funds," to which Matt Lauer underlined, "This is vitally important to communities." Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:16:00 -0400 20100104030235.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100104030235.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Steph1.jpg On Monday's Good Morning America, ABC featured Democratic aide James Carville to sing the praises of former Democratic aide George Stephanopoulos, now the co-host of the ABC program. Carville cooed, "I once said, 'If you converted his IQ to Fahrenheit, you could boil water.'" An ABC graphic reinforced this by proclaiming, "George Is Smart." Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:00:00 -0400 20100104010042.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100104010042.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-01-01-10-CBS-EN-Glor.jpg On Saturday's CBS Evening News, anchor Jeff Glor teased an upcoming story on Switzerland's health care system by wondering: "Could Switzerland's health care be a model for America?" He later introduced the segment by claiming that the Swiss system could be "a glimpse of what the U.S. health care system of the future might look like." Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:53:00 -0400 20100104114408.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100104114408.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-04-NBC-Lauer.jpg NBC's Matt Lauer, on Monday's Today show, used the occasion of the bombing attempt of Northwest Flight 253, to press Republican Senator Jim DeMint to stop being the last "hold-out" and "come around," on approving Obama's pick for TSA director Errol Southers. Mon, 04 Jan 2010 11:36:00 -0400 20100104103942.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100104103942.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-03-CBS-SM-Palinmontage.jpg CBS's Sunday Morning featured a commentary in which New Yorker magazine staff writer Rebecca Mead looked back at the past decade and hailed the "remarkable...election of a certified intellectual as President" before she cited "unforeseen blights of the era," listing: "Small plates, Sarah Palin, Chinese dry wall, jeggins." Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:55:00 -0400 20100104103310.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100104103310.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/LimbaughvideoforMRChome.jpg On Sunday's This Week, fill-in host Terry Moran, along with Ron Brownstein and Cynthia Tucker, took swipes at Rush Limbaugh for his contention that his good experience at a Honolulu hospital demonstrated the U.S. health system doesn't need repair. Sun, 03 Jan 2010 14:26:00 -0400 20100104102527.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100104102527.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2010-01-02-ABC-WN-14blost.jpg "Congress let renewing the estate tax slip through the legislative cracks and gone with it is $14 billion for the U.S. Treasury," ABC anchor John Berman fretted in setting up a Saturday night World News story which didn't consider any of the costs of the death tax, which ABC only referred to as the "estate tax." Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:19:00 -0400 20100104101820.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100104101820.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/HowellforMRChome.jpg Deborah Howell, the Washington Post's ombudsman from late 2005 through the end of 2008, "suffered fatal injuries when struck by a vehicle" while vacationing in New Zealand. She recognized and documented liberal media bias in some of her weekly ombudsman columns. Sat, 02 Jan 2010 14:08:00 -0400 20100104100348.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2010/20100104100348.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-31-CBS-EN-GlorReid.jpg The failures that allowed the unsuccessful Christmas Day terrorist attack have marred President Barack Obama's relaxation schedule in Hawaii, CBS's Jeff Glor and Chip Reid regretted Thursday night as Reid fretted Obama had "hoped to spend this vacation recharging his batteries, but now he appears to be spending most of it working." Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:08:00 -0400 20091231044746.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091231044746.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/WashingtonPost-Logo.jpg Post writer Dan Zak insisted that "we" cheered the inauguration of Barack Obama and that "everyone" suggested this decade with two terms of President Bush was the "decade from Hell." Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:34:00 -0400 20091231122506.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091231122506.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-31-BrownCap.jpg The Daily Beast's Tina Brown targeted Rush Limbaugh for ruining 2009, particularly after Obama's inauguration, on Thursday's Today show on NBC, blaming him for the "big discord and toxic atmosphere in politics," and likened him to the "the bad fairy at Sleeping Beauty's christening" for uttering his famous words about the President, "I hope he fails." Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:54:00 -0400 20091231031158.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091231031158.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NQAnnounce.jpg The third runners-up quotes in the MRC's "Best Notable Quotables of 2009: The Twenty-Second Annual Awards for the Year's Worst Reporting." Today's quotes include: "The Republican National Convention....literally look[s] like Nazi Germany." Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:44:00 -0400 20091230101850.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091230101850.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-30-ABC-WNDS-WHreac.jpg ABC on Wednesday night reported on criticism from the right of how President Barack Obama is addressing terrorism, but correspondent David Wright tried to discredit the critics' points by reacting with astonishment and sarcastic snipes: "Do you really feel like President Obama has made the country less safe?" Sarcasm: "So you say water-board him, torture him?" Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:07:00 -0400 20091230071931.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091230071931.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/BostonHerald-forMRCorg.jpg Naming his ten best movies of "the first decade of the 21st century," Boston Herald film reviewer James Verniere on Tuesday in his list, "Closing credits: As decade fades to black, 10 films deserve kudos," put Gore's discredited movie at #7: "An Inconvenient Truth” (2006) - Rock star Al Gore takes on climate change. How did this guy not get to be president?" Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:14:00 -0400 20091230054804.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091230054804.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-30-NBC-TDY-Adubato.jpg MSNBC.com's Steve Adubato went so far to compare Sarah Palin's notoriety to a reality show during a segment on Wednesday's Today show on NBC. Adubato acted as an apologist for Levi Johnston's move to open his child custody dispute with Bristol Palin: "Sarah Palin's reality show that she's been on for the past couple years...It has an impact on this baby as well....and it's not good for the kid either." Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:55:00 -0400 20091230105421.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091230105421.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NQAnnounce.jpg The second runners-up quotes in the MRC's "Best Notable Quotables of 2009: The Twenty-Second Annual Awards for the Year's Worst Reporting." Today's quotes include Newsweek: "Spock's cool, analytical nature feels more fascinating and topical than ever now that we've put a sort of Vulcan in the White House..." Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:21:00 -0400 20091229054910.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091229054910.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-29-ABC-Golodryga.JPG Just when you thought journalists could not possibly get any cozier with the Obama administration, it was revealed that ABC News economics and business reporter Bianna Golodryga, a regular contributor to Good Morning America, will marry Obama budget chief Peter Orszag next fall. Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:37:00 -0400 20091229043350.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091229043350.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-29-NBC-TDY-Cap.jpg On Tuesday's Today show, NBC's Jenna Wolfe singled out Sarah Palin and grouped her with "flabby thighs, cheap men, [and] rude people" as subjects some people chose to ritually "purge" from their minds in an annual event in New York City called "Good Riddance Day." Participants wrote down their worst memories of 2009 on sheets of paper and fed them into a giant shredding machine to mark the upcoming new year. Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:31:00 -0400 20091229095236.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091229095236.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NQAnnounce.jpg The first runners-up quotes in the MRC's "Best Notable Quotables of 2009: The Twenty-Second Annual Awards for the Year's Worst Reporting." Quotes today include: Newsweek's cover adulation: "The Thinking Man's Thinking Man: Al Gore's New Plan for the Planet" and NBC's Andrea Mitchell on rain during Ted Kennedy's funeral: "The heavens were weeping for Teddy Kennedy today." Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:25:00 -0400 20091228052630.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091228052630.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2006-06-30-PBS-WW-LindaG41.jpg Former New York Times Supreme Court reporter Linda Greenhouse donated to the Obama campaign, she revealed in a nytimes.com column on stringent restrictions on campaign speech. That comes as no surprise to anyone who read her reporting lavishing love on liberal justices, or her speech lamenting “the sustained assault on women's reproductive freedom and the hijacking of public policy by religious fundamentalism." Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:10:00 -0400 20091228021013.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091228021013.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NQAnnounce.jpg The winning quotes in the MRC's "Best Notable Quotables of 2009: The Twenty-Second Annual Awards for the Year's Worst Reporting." The awards issue was posted, with videos, on Monday, December 21, and following tradition, today, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday - last weekdays of the year - MRC.org's BiasAlert will run the winning quotes followed on succeeding days by the runners-up. Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:10:00 -0400 20091228124449.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091228124449.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-27-NBC-MTP-Mitchell.jpg On Sunday's Meet the Press, NBC's Andrea Mitchell insisted the "Obama Doctrine" has "borne fruit," but "it is not perceived yet" -- though the President has already "united the world behind the United States." Citing all those who "camped out" for the Sarah Palin book signings, Mitchell denigrated her appeal as evidence "there's an anger out there" she hasn't seen since George Wallace. Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:36:00 -0400 20091228123102.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091228123102.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-24-ABC-WN-Saw.jpg On Thursday's World News, ABC anchor Diane Sawyer took the time to devote an entire story to 92-year-old Democratic Senator Robert Byrd's health bill vote, which he dedicated to the late Ted Kennedy, whom Sawyer described as "health care champion Ted Kennedy." Sawyer oozed: "Old comrades, old friends – one gone, one carrying on." Sun, 27 Dec 2009 12:22:00 -0400 20091227120917.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091227120917.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/FNCFoxNewswatch-videoforMRC.jpg Saturday's Fox Newswatch on FNC highlighted two "winners" in the MRC's "Best Notable Quotables of 2009: The 22nd Annual Awards for the Year's Worst Reporting." Viewers were treated to Katie Couric pining to Barack Obama: "You're so confident, Mr. President, and so focused. Is your confidence ever shaken? Do you ever wake up and say, damn, this is hard?" Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:59:00 -0400 20091222042854.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091222042854.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-22-MSNBC-ODonnell.jpg Early in the 1PM ET hour on MSNBC on Tuesday, anchor Norah O'Donnell pressed New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg on Republican efforts to slow down passage of ObamaCare: “You guys are going to probably be there late on Christmas Eve....And a lot of people say it's the Republicans' fault, that you could easily go ahead and move forward with this legislation. Are you the Grinch that stole Christmas?” Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:23:00 -0400 20091222122922.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091222122922.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-21-CBS-EN-Couric.jpg More than a year before the end of "the first decade of the 21st century," Katie Couric publicized a non-CBS News poll which, she relayed, found "as we get ready to close the chapter on the first decade of the 21st century, most of us are ready to say 'good riddance.' In a poll released today, Americans 2-to-1 expressed a negative view of the past ten years." Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:23:00 -0400 20091221025551.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091221025551.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-21-MSNBC-Harwood.jpg Appearing Monday on MSNBC during the 10AM ET hour, CNBC White House correspondent John Harwood worked to whip up support for the health care bill passed by Senate Democrats while slamming its liberal opponents: “...so much of the commentary I've heard has been really idiotic. Liberals who want universal health care ought to be thanking Harry Reid for getting this thing done...” Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:52:00 -0400 20091221010158.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091221010158.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-21-CNN-Gergen.jpg CNN senior political analyst David Gergen went so far to compare the Senate's cloture vote early Monday morning on ObamaCare to the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. Seconds after the Senate concluded its vote, Gergen lamented the party line vote, and contrasted it with the unanimous finding of the Supreme Court which ended the segregation of schools. Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:59:00 -0400 20091221122502.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091221122502.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-20-ABC-TW-Roberts.jpg "There's a lot in" the health care bill "lot of people are going to like a whole lot once they see what's in it," ABC News veteran Cokie Roberts contended on Sunday's This Week as she blamed Democratic messaging, not the substance, for declining support: "It's just a question of understanding it and the Democrats should have been getting that out there more." Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:15:00 -0400 20091219074632.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091219074632.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-18-ABC-WNCG-Gibson.jpg ABC's Dr. Tim Johnson shared his view he "absolutely" favors passage of the current ObamaCare bill, though "I would personally prefer to have public option and/or Medicare expansion directly challenging private insurance." Without irony, minutes later, Charles Gibson lamented "objectivity is not universally in favor in our business these days." Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:39:00 -0400 20091219073804.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091219073804.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-18-CBS-EN-Byrdwheelchair.jpg Centering a Friday night story on how, as anchor Katie Couric explained, "Republicans are doing everything they can to block" the "health reform" bill, "including delaying tactics in this race against the clock," CBS put front and center Senator Robert Byrd's "shame, shame" admonition of Republicans. Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:52:00 -0400 20091218111449.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091218111449.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Lieberman.jpg All three morning shows on Friday skipped Senator Al Franken's disrespectful snub of Joe Lieberman during a health care debate. Good Morning America, bizarrely, played video of the incident over a news brief, but never once mentioned what happened. While presiding over debate in the Senate on Thursday, Franken cut off Lieberman and then denied him an opportunity to finish his remarks. Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:10:00 -0400 20091217054008.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091217054008.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-17-NBC-Curry.jpg Just a day after Today featured a wildlife expert exploiting the cuteness of an Arctic fox to scare viewers about the threat of global warming, NBC's Ann Curry, on Thursday's Today, invited on a polar photographer to show off his pictures of cuddly creatures, he believes are threatened by climate change. Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:37:00 -0400 20091217042959.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091217042959.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-17-CNN-AM-Roberts.jpg CNN's John Roberts and his guest, Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University, pushed for President Obama to break a campaign promise to not increase taxes on those who make less than $250,000, and implement a more "broad-based" tax hike. Sachs revealed his leftist stance by blaming the trillions of dollars in debt on not taxing the rich and banks enough and calling for an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:29:00 -0400 20091217032946.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091217032946.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/steph.jpg New Good Morning America co-host George Stephanopoulos and the rest of the morning show crew couldn't help laughing at Sarah Palin on Thursday. News anchor Juju Chang highlighted a story broken by the tabloid TMZ that the former vice presidential candidate was seen in Hawaii wearing a blacked out McCain visor. Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:24:00 -0400 20091217030551.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091217030551.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-17-CBS-TES-Cordes.jpg At the top of Thursday's CBS Early Show, correspondent Nancy Cordes excitedly proclaimed that Senate Democrats “are tantalizingly close” to passing a health care bill and derided Republicans for trying to “thwart” the legislation using “stall tactics.” Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:02:00 -0400 20091216084746.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091216084746.aspx http://www.mrc.org/BiasAlert/uploads/GibsonObama-oneonone-forMRC.jpg In his swan song interview with President Barack Obama, which consumed more than ten minutes of World News, ABC's Charles Gibson couldn't have provided a friendlier or more empathetic platform to Obama on the "weight" of sending troops to war and how "devilishly difficult" it's become to pass a health care plan because of a few rogue Senators. (with video) Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:43:00 -0400 20091216073712.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091216073712.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-16-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg In what had to be a tough admission for him to make, Chris Matthews, on Wednesday's Hardball, claimed the 2 to 1 positive rating for the tea party movement, in a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, was a sign of "The power of Fox." Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:34:00 -0400 20091216061130.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091216061130.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-14-TVNewser-Rather.jpg n the third part of an interview on MediaBistro.com's Media Beat, ex-CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather shared some thoughts on various media personalities. He labeled Fox News host Glenn Beck “controversial,” while hailing MSNBC Countdown host Keith Olbermann: “Love him, as a person, as a journalist. Don't always understand what he's trying to do on his program, but I like Keith.” Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:09:00 -0400 20091216031638.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091216031638.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-16-NBC-Mizejewski.jpg On Wednesday's Today show, the co-hosts of the 10am hour, Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, invited on David Mizejewski of the Wildlife Federation to participate in that talk-show time honored tradition of the animal segment but viewers couldn't enjoy the cuddly creatures without getting a dose of global warming alarmism. As the camera closed-in on the eyes of the Arctic fox that he was trying to control, Mizejewski preached to the Today audience: "If anybody needs a reason to care about global warming it's animals like this, they are threatened by the Arctic warming up." Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:13:00 -0400 20091216122312.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091216122312.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Steph.jpg Former Democratic operative turned journalist George Stephanopoulos on Wednesday pleaded with Howard Dean, warning that his opposition to the current health care bill could harm Barack Obama. The new Good Morning America co-host fretted, "The President's poll numbers at new lows. And a lot of leading Democrats believe that if this bill goes down, it will cripple the Obama presidency." Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:17:00 -0400 20091216011059.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091216011059.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-15-CBS-EN-publicoption.jpg CBS's Nancy Cordes expressed exasperation at how a few Senators have "successfully blocked the public option even though the other 55 Democrats support it...leading some liberals to complain their agenda is being hijacked by a few." She demanded of Lieberman: "Does it trouble you that you're going against an overwhelming majority of your caucus?" Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:43:00 -0400 20091215064319.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091215064319.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-14-CNN-LKL-King.jpg CNN's Larry King equated efforts against further regulation of the banking industry to letting the mentally ill run their psych wards on his program on Monday. King pressed conservative columnist S. E. Cupp: "Banks are lobbying against a bill to tighten regulatory controls. Are you going to let the inmates run the asylum? You don't think we should regulate banks?" Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:57:00 -0400 20091215060221.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091215060221.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-14-CNN-AC-Gergen.jpg CNN's David Gergen played up the difficulties that President Obama has faced on Monday's Anderson Cooper 360, underscored the importance of the coming week for the executive, and compared him to an iconic movie damsel in distress: "For a president who's had more trials than anybody I can remember in a long time, sort of 'The Perils of Pauline' all year, this has become a climactic week for his presidency." Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:57:00 -0400 20091215052327.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091215052327.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/bashir.jpg On Monday's Nightline, co-host Martin Bashir conducted a one-sided, hostile profile of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's "brutal regime" and attacked his crackdown on illegal immigration as "racial profiling." The 11 minute investigation of the Maricopa County law enforcement official was almost totally negative. Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:18:00 -0400 20091215012425.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091215012425.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-14-TVNewser-Rather.jpg In a Monday interview on MediaBistro.com's weekly video series Media Beat, disgraced former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather shared his concerns over the credibility of internet journalism: “The difficulty with some of the things on the internet...is transparency and accountability about who's responsible for what's on.” Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:21:00 -0400 20091215012059.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091215012059.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-15-NBC-LauerVieira.jpg In advance of Time magazine's Person of the Year choice being revealed on Wednesday's show, NBC's Today show brought on managing editor Richard Stengel yesterday, to reveal the seven finalists, and on Tuesday's show NBC's Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira gave the results of an on-line poll of their viewer's picks and it wasn't good news for Nancy Pelosi. The Speaker of the House finished dead last among the seven candidates but Lauer pitied Pelosi as he cheered on: "C'mon Nancy you can do better." Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:16:00 -0400 20091215120259.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091215120259.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-15-MSNBC-MMgraphic1[1].jpg Some of the clearest examples of MSNBC's liberal bias can be found in the onscreen graphics selected for the network's programming. In the span of 20 minutes on Tuesday, three such Morning Meeting images stated a pretty clear opinion about Joe Lieberman's opposition to parts of the health care bill. At 9:20am, one whined, "Joe Blowing Health Reform?" Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:56:00 -0400 20091215014223.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091215014223.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-14-ABC-WNCG-oldGibson.jpg Beginning his last week as anchor of ABC's World News before retiring on Friday, Charles Gibson ended his final Monday newscast by reminiscing about the political stories he's covered over his career. But he displayed distinct favoritism toward liberals over conservatives. Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:55:00 -0400 20091214061142.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091214061142.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-03-17-ABC-WNCG-Carr.jpg Let no one say the New York Times is blind to media bias. It's uncovered it at the (conservative) New York Post and (conservative) Fox News - although admissions of the paper's own clear liberal tilt are few. And now, David Carr's Monday media column, "Tilting Rightward at Journal," discovered it at the Wall Street Journal. Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:04:00 -0400 20091214053030.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091214053030.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-14-NBC-Stengel.jpg Time's managing editor Richard Stengel joined Meredith, Matt, Ann and Al, on Monday's Today, to play a guessing game of who will become his magazine's Person of the Year and praised one of the finalists, Nancy Pelosi, as the "strongest Speaker of the House in decades," who has "piloted what is probably the most important legislation in decades." Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:27:00 -0400 20091214043724.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091214043724.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-14-ABC-GMA-TheView[1].jpg World News anchor Charles Gibson appeared on Monday's edition of The View to tout his own objectivity and to swear, "I'm very fond of John McCain. I carry no water for Obama." Speaking of the 2008 election, he marveled, "It was an amazing moment to say to the country that we have elected and African American as the 44th president of the United States...." Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:29:00 -0400 20091214030513.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091214030513.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-14-NBC-Cameron.jpg Prompted by NBC's Meredith Vieira, on Monday's Today show, Avatar director James Cameron revealed the liberal undertones in his new blockbuster as he told the Today co-anchor the plot centers on how greed and imperialism "tends to destroy the environment..." and how the human characters in the sci-fi flick "are doing the same thing on another pristine planet that we've done on earth." Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:01:00 -0400 20091214123706.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091214123706.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-13-CBS-60M-Kroft.jpg In an unusually tough interview with President Obama on Sunday's 60 Minutes on CBS, correspondent Steve Kroft described the President's West Point speech as being “greeted with a great deal of confusion” and that “some people thought it was contradictory.” He later said of the health care bill: “some people think is incomprehensible....I've not met anybody who's read it.” Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:32:00 -0400 20091214112208.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091214112208.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-14-NBC-Lauer.jpg NBC's Matt Lauer, on Monday's Today show, in his first question to RNC Chair Michael Steele, asked if opponents to Barack Obama's health care reform bill, were going to deprive the President of politically joyous holiday season, as the Today co-anchor pressed: "So is the President's stocking going to be empty on Christmas Day?" Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:17:00 -0400 20091214105927.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091214105927.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Steph.jpg On his first day as the new co-host of Good Morning America, George Stephanopoulos lobbied for a windfall profits tax on bankers. Also on Monday's show, White House advisor David Axelrod reminded viewers of Stephanopoulos' liberal background. After the GMA anchor asserted that Axelrod "has an office right next to the President," the Obama official retorted, "Used to be your office, George." Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:45:00 -0400 20091214023532.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091214023532.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/WP-FairandBalanced.jpg In "sharing my do's and don'ts" as a journalist, Washington Post humor columnist Gene Weingarten found good fodder in the presumption journalists are out to help liberals and Democrats while hurting conservatives and Republicans. Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:30:00 -0400 20091214022617.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091214022617.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-12-NBC-NN-commieflags.jpg Network journalists who were quick to see racists amongst the "tea party" protesters were oblivious on Saturday to communists in the "climate justice" march in Copenhagen whose cause they trumpeted -- even as the video they showed included brief shots of marchers waving red flags displaying the Soviet Union's hammer and sickle. Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:44:00 -0400 20091214021533.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091214021533.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-13-NBC-CMS-Mat2.jpg On the syndicated Chris Matthews Show, as he ended with words of praise for Morgan Freeman's latest film, Invictus, and its depiction of Nelson Mandela uniting blacks and whites in South Africa, Matthews referred to "white tribalism" having been stirred up in America, and showed clips of anti-Obama protesters. Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:38:00 -0400 20091211074858.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091211074858.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-11-CNN-TSR-Cafferty.jpg CNN's Jack Cafferty all but endorsed a global version of China's oppressive one-child policy on Friday's Situation Room. He repeated the argument of Canadian journalist Diane Francis, that population control is the only way to fight global warming, and mentioned the opposition of "fundamentalist leaders" and others only in passing. All but one of the viewer e-mails that Cafferty read endorsed the idea. Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:15:00 -0400 20091211042611.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091211042611.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-11-CBS-TES-Smith.jpg In an interview with actor Matt Damon on Friday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith discussed the star's role in a liberal documentary on American history: “'The People Speak,' based on one of Damon's favorite books, 'A People's History of The United States'....examine's America's founding and expansion from the perspective of the revolutionaries, rebels, and rarely heard voices of dissent.” Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:21:00 -0400 20091211031417.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091211031417.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Obamastatue-forMRC.jpg NBC's Brian Williams took time Thursday night to show video a statue of President Barack Obama at age 10, then known as Barry, being unveiled in Jakarta, near where he attended school. "The statue was put there to remind children in Indonesia to follow their dreams and remind them their future is without limits," Williams helpfully explained. Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:26:00 -0400 20091210091305.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091210091305.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-10-CNN-TSR-Friedman.jpg Thomas Friedman of the New York Times dismissed the ClimateGate scandal during an interview on Thursday's Situation Room on CNN, labeling it "nonsense" and an "idiot debate." Anchor Wolf Blitzer only pressed Friedman slightly when he repeated his call for a "price on carbon that would trigger mass innovation in green technology," meaning a large surtax on fossil fuels. Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:50:00 -0400 20091210071822.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091210071822.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/WillSmith-forMRC.jpg Barack Obama as an idea marks an evolutionary flash point for humanity," gushed actor Will Smith, who will co-host Friday's Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo. His idealization of Obama came during a recorded interview, from Norway, with CNN's Dan Lothian run shortly before 5 PM EST on Thursday's The Situation Room. Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:10:00 -0400 20091210055712.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091210055712.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-10-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Chris Matthews, on Thursday's Hardball, cast Barack Obama in the role of savior of the neo-cons as he pondered if the President's Nobel Peace Prize speech could, "Lead those neo-cons...out of the valley of evil?" Matthews wondered if Obama could rescue Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Michael Gerson and other neo-cons from their "belief in torture and Gitmo." Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:54:00 -0400 20091210054931.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091210054931.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-09-MSNBC-HB-Deutsch.jpg MSNBC host Chris Matthews strongly objected to Cheney's declarations on Fox News that offering 9/11 architect Khalid Sheikh Muhammad a courtroom forum is giving "aid and comfort to the enemy." Matthews suggested Cheney was headed into "birther country," and former CNBC host Donny Deutsch added Cheney was an "evil and dangerous" man who should go away, as should Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:40:00 -0400 20091210051113.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091210051113.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2007-04-18-ABCGMAChampion[1].jpg Good Morning America weatherman and global warming alarmist Sam Champion asserted on Twitter that ClimateGate is "not reportable as such." This analyst queried him on the site about why the morning show has completely ignored hacked E-mails showing that some climate scientists are faking data on global warming. Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:58:00 -0400 20091210044843.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091210044843.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-10-CNN-AM-Amanpour1.jpg CNN's Christiane Amanpour lashed out at the widespread criticism of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama on Thursday's American Morning: "Can I just say, I think it's overdone, this pushing back against his award. He's obviously done something very significant, and that is...the United States has now had a new relationship with the rest of the world." Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:42:00 -0400 20091210010754.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091210010754.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-10-ABC-GMA[1].jpg On Thursday's Good Morning America, it was announced that news anchor Chris Cuomo would be leaving the program and taking over as co-host of 20/20. Since joining ABC in 1999, the journalist has frequently spun for liberals and slammed conservatives. This has included worrying about American "racism" and wondering if it would be better to "nationalize the whole economy?" Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:01:00 -0400 20091210100936.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091210100936.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-09-CBS-EN-logos.jpg ABC and CBS discounted the scientific relevance of the admissions and obfuscations displayed in the ClimateGate e-mails, but on Wednesday night they finally devoted full stories to the controversy and quoted the "most-damning" of the e-mails. "Just as the world seems finally poised to do something about global warming, an inconvenient scandal," ABC's David Wright despaired. Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:35:00 -0400 20091209055401.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091209055401.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Maddow.jpg MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Wednesday used the very loaded term of "denier" to deride global warming skeptics. Talking to liberal host Rachel Maddow, she referenced Sarah Palin's opposition to the Copenhagen climate conference and chided, "Her Facebook entry says, you know, 'Mr. President, boycott Copenhagen.' How do you rationalize the deniers and the impact that they are having?" Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:30:00 -0400 20091209050249.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091209050249.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/SusanMolinari.jpg Thursday morning, ABC News is expected to announce that former Clinton campaign operative George Stephanopoulos will start Monday as co-anchor of ABC's Good Morning America. One yardstick for measuring the MSM's response: After CBS picked an ex-Republican congresswoman to co-host Saturday Morning back in 1997, NPR's Nina Totenberg exclaimed: "This really makes me want to puke." Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:52:00 -0400 20091209113910.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091209113910.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-09-NBC-Zinn.jpg NBC's Meredith Vieira, on Wednesday's Today, invited on radical leftist Howard Zinn to promote a new History Channel documentary, The People Speak. Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:34:00 -0400 20091209094739.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091209094739.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-08-NBC-NN-Williams.jpg CBS and NBC on Tuesday nightly eagerly pounced on the latest UN pronouncement about a warming world. NBC's Brian Williams touted "a big headline from that climate meeting going on in Copenhagen. The United Nations weather experts reported today this decade is on track to become the warmest since it started keeping records back in 1850." Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:40:00 -0400 20091209090737.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091209090737.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/WPostheadlineforMRC-091208.pspimage On Tuesday, the Washington Post's Health Science section was headed by a story contending global warming skeptics need a psychologist. David Fahrenthold's piece was headlined: "It's natural to behave irrationally: Climate change is just the latest problem that people acknowledge but ignore." Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:01:00 -0400 20091208065802.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091208065802.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-08-MSNBC-Granholm.jpg Inspired by Chris Matthews complaining about all the money spent on defense, instead of upgrading America's rail system, Michigan Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm endorsed the MSNBC host, on Tuesday's Hardball as she exclaimed: "You should run for office!" Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:53:00 -0400 20091208040223.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091208040223.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Steph.jpg ABC's George Stephanopoulos appeared on Tuesday's Good Morning America to spin and minimize Senator Harry Reid's contention that opponents of health care reform are similar to supporters of slavery. After ABC played a truncated version of Reid's quote, Stephanopoulos, hopefully observed, "My guess is this is going to blow over." Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:25:00 -0400 20091208035852.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091208035852.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-07-CNN-CB-Panel.jpg CNN made a real, day-long effort on Monday to address the climate-change debate as a debate, giving skeptics of manmade climate change a series of chances to match the leftist view, especially during its evening programming. CNN is also the only U.S. TV news outlet so far to send an anchor to the Climate Research Unit at the center of the ClimateGate controversy. Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:56:00 -0400 20091208031340.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091208031340.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-08-NBC-Curry.jpg On Tuesday's Today show, there was no mention of Climategate -- apparently the one mention of it on yesterday's show was enough for them –- but NBC's Ann Curry did pass along more global warming hysteria from the Copenhagen conference, including an admonition of the United States. Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:10:00 -0400 20091208024352.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091208024352.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-08-CBS-TES-Smith.jpg While interviewing Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele on Tuesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith referred to recent comments by Senator Harry Reid: “[He] said Republicans are on the wrong side of history when it comes to this health care bill and very soberly...compared those who opposed health care to those who opposed civil rights legislation....How would you respond to that?” Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:31:00 -0400 20091208012600.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091208012600.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Hansebookcover-forMRC.jpg Prepare for more panic talk about the end of the world as Dr. James Hansen, a leading global warming alarmist whose temperature data has come under question, launches a media tour for his new book out this week, 'Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth About the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity.' Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:21:00 -0400 20091208085010.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091208085010.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-07-CBS-EN-Phillipssub.jpg "Facing a clock some say has ticked down to zero, today 192 nations came together to take on a potential global catastrophe," a dire ABC reporter Bob Woodruff ominously intoned from Copenhagen on Monday's World News. CBS's Mark Phillips stood in water up to his neck and then became completely submerged to illustrate the feared impact of rising sea levels. Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:55:00 -0400 20091207075008.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091207075008.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-07-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Chris Matthews mocked Sarah Palin, her supporters and even some in the press who covered her as he went on one diatribe after another on Monday's Hardball. Matthews insulted Palin and her supporters by asking the Politico's Jonathan Martin if the Palin supporters he interviewed "take her seriously," and "Were they all white people?" Matthews then went on to chide Martin and the USA Today's Susan Page for being "softened up" by Palin who "tickles all you guys under your chin" at her Gridiron Club appearance over the weekend, as he prodded, "Don't you essentially disrespect somebody who walks in and puts a book on the table and said they wrote it, when you know somebody else did?" Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:47:00 -0400 20091207053748.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091207053748.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-07-MSNBC-Brewer.jpg Near the end of the 2PM ET hour on MSNBC, anchor Contessa Brewer discussed the ClimateGate scandal only to claim there was no scandal in the emails that seemed to show climate scientists manipulating global warming data: “I mean is someone using differences in semantics to try and play up a controversy that's not really there?” Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:34:00 -0400 20091207050945.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091207050945.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-07-NBC-Lynch.jpg As part of an ongoing series called Today's Buzziest Stories of the Decade, NBC's Meredith Vieira, on Monday's Today, featured a segment with former Iraq war POW Jessica Lynch, and with it brought back some of the "Buzziest" bias of the decade as Vieira declared Lynch's story was "exaggerated to sell a war hard up for appealing heroes." Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:06:00 -0400 20091207123152.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091207123152.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-07-CBS-TES-Rodrigue.jpg On Monday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez pressed Republican Senator Lamar Alexander on the GOP's opposition to ObamaCare: “...there's been a lot of criticism that Republicans have done nothing but oppose this bill, nothing to help pass it, just try to kill it....have you done more than say 'no, no, no, no, no'?” Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:25:00 -0400 20091207120957.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091207120957.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-07-NBC-Thompson.jpg NBC's Anne Thompson, on Monday's Today, covered the Climategate story only to essentially dismiss it in a nothing-to-see here, move along fashion. CBS's The Early Show had a brief mention of it, and ABC's Good Morning America did nothing. Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:03:00 -0400 20091207091326.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091207091326.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-06-NBC-NN-iceinwater.jpg More than two weeks after ClimateGate broke, ABC's World News finally got around to mentioning it Sunday evening, but not to explore how the e-mails discredited leading scientists who insist mankind is causing global warming. Instead, ABC declared "the science is solid" and NBC assured viewers "the evidence is overwhelming that man is behind climate change." Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:20:00 -0400 20091207090222.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091207090222.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-06-CNN-RS-Kurtz.jpg On Sunday's Reliable Sources, CNN's Howard Kurtz brought up the scarcity of media attention paid to the revelation that high-profile Democratic Senator Max Baucus nominated his girlfriend to be a U.S. attorney for his home state of Montana, as the CNN host even took to task CNN for ignoring the scandal, calling it a "stunning lapse in judgment." Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:57:00 -0400 20091206022645.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091206022645.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-06-ABC-Smokestack.jpg ABC's Good Morning America maintained its blackout on ClimateGate this weekend, even as Sunday's show previewed the Copenhagen climate summit. Reporter Clayton Sandell showcased two scientists, both of whom hit the Obama administration from the left, and he seemed distressed that public faith in the claims of a human-caused catastrophe are on the decline in spite of "growing scientific evidence." Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:17:00 -0400 20091206122918.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091206122918.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/DorisKearnsGoodwin-Pagliuca-small.jpg Before the Democratic primary vote on Tuesday in Massachusetts to replace the late Senator Ted Kennedy, a chance to catch up with how historian Doris Kearns Goodwin -- a favorite of NBC News -- crossed into partisan politics to campaign for one of the four liberal candidates. Boston Herald: "Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin backs 'pro-choice' candidate." Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:23:00 -0400 20091205022418.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091205022418.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-04-NBC-NN-climategate.jpg NBC Nightly News on Friday night became the first broadcast network morning or evening news program to inform viewers about "ClimateGate," but only in the most cursory manner as Anne Thompson despaired the e-mails may "delay taking action to reduce emissions. The government's leading scientist told Congress there is no time to lose." Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:15:00 -0400 20091204065015.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091204065015.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-04-MSNBC-HB-Matthew.jpg Responding to President Obama criticizing media coverage of the White House jobs summit, on Friday's Hardball on MSNBC, host Chris Matthews wondered why the President wasn't more appreciative of all the media's help: “Why would you ride the ref when he's calling all the plays for you? What's he out there bashing the media for?” Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:46:00 -0400 20091204034827.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091204034827.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-04-CBS-TES-Schieffe.jpg On Friday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith asked Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer about all the problems facing President Obama: “it was Afghanistan, now it's jobs...healthcare....Do you remember a time when a president had as many irons – critical irons – in the fire, as this one seems to have right now?” Schieffer replied: “Oh, I suppose during the dark days of World War II.” Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:46:00 -0400 20091204032548.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091204032548.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Ratigan.jpg MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan on Friday aggressively took on the subject of ClimateGate, informing a global warming scientist that the "perceived integrity of what you are saying is diminished by scientists who appear to be hiding something." If MSNBC can debate this serious subject, why have the three major networks ignored it for 14 days? Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:19:00 -0400 20091204022152.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091204022152.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-03-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Chris Matthews, on Thursday's Hardball, admonished one of his panelists, April Ryan of American Urban Radio Networks, for using the term "homeland," because "it sounds like Russia," and worried that use of that term could lead to calling the United States "motherland," and "fatherland," and "that's when we are getting imperial." Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:16:00 -0400 20091204111405.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091204111405.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-03-ABC-WN-Gibson.jpg Yet again the Thursday network evening newscasts on NBC, ABC, and CBS failed to cover the ClimateGate scandal. However, ABC World News did manage to devote a two minute story to the release of singer Susan Boyle's first album. Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:53:00 -0400 20091203094729.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091203094729.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-03-CNN-NR-Sanchez.jpg CNN anchor Rick Sanchez fairly moderated a debate between glacier photographer James Balog and Marc Morano of ClimateDepot.com on Thursday's Newsroom about the issue of climate change. Sanchez did not side with either one of the debaters in his questions during the segment, and asked both reasonable questions. Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:27:00 -0400 20091203064045.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091203064045.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-03-NBC-Snyderman.jpg NBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman, on Thursday's Today, couldn't let a segment on advances in cerebral palsy treatments go without tipping her hat to the Obama administration's change in stem cell policy. After Today co-anchor Vieira prompted Snyderman to list new therapies "on the horizon," Snyderman took the opportunity to celebrate Obama as she hailed: "On the horizon? Keep your eyes open for stem cells, especially now that we have new stem cell lines under this new administration." Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:35:00 -0400 20091203063702.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091203063702.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-23-NBC-NN-Williams[1].jpg On Newsweek.com, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams absolutely gushed over the lefty comedy of the "indispensable" Jon Stewart. The post, which was promoted in the December 7, 2009 edition of the magazine, featured Williams fawning, "In just the span of a short few years, Jon Stewart has gone from optional to indispensable." Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:45:00 -0400 20091203053635.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091203053635.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-03-CBS-TES-Plante.jpg While ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's Today questioned Obama White House senior advisor Valerie Jarrett on the breach of security at last week's state dinner, her appearance was conspicuously absent from the CBS Early Show on Thursday. The CBS morning show has made a consistent effort to downplay the administration's role in party crashing scandal. Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:32:00 -0400 20091202071909.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091202071909.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-02-CNN-TSR-Cafferty.jpg Jack Cafferty went above and beyond many of his colleagues in the media by highlighting the ClimateGate scandal on Wednesday's Situation Room. He presented both sides of the controversy, noting the "thousand pages of leaked e-mails and documents," while summarizing the side of the defenders of the theory of climate change. Most of the viewer e-mails he read sided with the critics of the theory. Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:13:00 -0400 20091202064018.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091202064018.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-02-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Talk about taking one step forward and two steps back. Chris Matthews, on Wednesday's Hardball, opened the show by offering an apology to members of the military and their families for his infamous West Point is the "enemy camp," quote made during coverage of Obama's Afghanistan speech, as caught by the MRC's Jeff Poor, but immediately after that went to an interview with John Murtha, who himself got in trouble with servicemen and women for falsely accusing Marines of killing innocent civilians in Iraq. Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:36:00 -0400 20091202052515.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091202052515.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-02-CBS-TES-Solorzan.jpg On Wednesday's CBS Early Show, correspondent Bianca Solorzano reported on the couple who snuck into the White House state dinner, but avoided fully explaining the role a Pentagon official played in the scandal. She claimed emails between Pentagon liaison Michele Jones and Michaele and Tareq Salahi: “actually undermine their claims that they were invited...” Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:20:00 -0400 20091202030145.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091202030145.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/dixon_sheila[1].jpg Imagine if you will that former Alaska governor Sarah Palin was accused of taking gift cards donated to her office for redistribution to needy constituents and using them instead for a personal spending spree. There'd be a media firestorm. But when this actually happened with the Democratic mayor of Baltimore, the networks were virtually silent on the matter until after she was convicted. Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:52:00 -0400 20091201074959.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091201074959.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/JohnTierney-NYT.jpg Unpredictable New York Times science columnist John Tierney reads the hacked Climate-gate emails and finds "smug groupthink" and revenge plots "against those who question the dangers of global warming." Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:50:00 -0400 20091201072234.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091201072234.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NewYorkTimes-Logo.jpg On Tuesday, New York Times reporter Timothy Williams led his story from Baghdad, "Now With Foothold in Iraq, Oil Companies Look to the Future" with a "blood for oil" accusation the hard left has been making for years, couched as something that supposedly "many believed." Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:18:00 -0400 20091201055312.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091201055312.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-01-ABC-GMA-Sawyer[1].jpg Good Morning America host Diane Sawyer on Tuesday badgered Robert Gibbs from the left, quizzing the White House press secretary about Democratic resistance to a troop surge in Afghanistan. She began by fretting, "Is this the last time the President is going to ask for American troops from the American people?" Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:49:00 -0400 20091201050722.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091201050722.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-01-Newsweek.jpg Writing for Newsweek magazine's feature on the top ten “startling scoops” of the past ten years, ex-CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather identified the most shocking: “Abu Ghraib has opened our eyes, serving as a dark icon that reminds us our fiercest enemies – hubris, cruelty, and ignorance – wage war from within.” Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:04:00 -0400 20091201114511.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091201114511.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-12-01-NBC-Rove.jpg Previewing the President's speech tonight, NBC's Matt Lauer invited on Karl Rove, on Tuesday's Today show, and pressed the former White House senior adviser if the reason Afghanistan still required the U.S.'s attention is because the previous administration "took its eye off the ball in Afghanistan," and "concentrated too heavily on Iraq." Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:41:00 -0400 20091201105906.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091201105906.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Palin.jpg ABC's David Wright again attacked Sarah Palin on Tuesday, slamming her for using a private jet for her book tour. On Good Morning America, he sniped, "But, while her fans camped out in the bitter cold, just for the chance to meet her, the former vice presidential candidate was quietly traveling in style, aboard this Gulfstream II private jet. Price tag, $4,000 an hour." Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:53:00 -0400 20091201011912.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091201011912.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-30-CBS-EN-Couric.jpg Serving as a stenographer to Obama operatives trying to magnify the import of the President's schedule, Katie Couric trumpeted: "White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel says this will be an 'historic week in an already historic year,' with the Afghanistan decision, the Senate opening debate today on a health care reform bill, and the President's schedule jam packed." Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:12:00 -0400 20091130125953.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091130125953.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/washingtonpostlogo[1].jpg In a 10,500 word story on the state of the Republican Party, Washington Post writers on Monday waited until paragraph 36 of a 37 paragraph article to highlight the overwhelming belief that the press is biased against Republicans. Jon Cohen and Dan Balz belatedly noted, the "broad perception among moderates, conservatives, and younger and older Republicans alike that television news is biased..." Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:53:00 -0400 20091130125716.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091130125716.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-30-CBS-TES-Smith.jpg The first question in a poll conducted by CBS's 60 Minutes and Vanity Fair magazine asked Americans to nominate a fifth face for Mt. Rushmore and included Barack Obama among the contenders. While President Kennedy took the lead with 29%, Obama came in fourth with 16%, just behind Franklin Roosevelt at 18% and Ronald Reagan at 20%. Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:37:00 -0400 20091130022544.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091130022544.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-29-CBS-FN-open.jpg CBS devoted half of Sunday's Face the Nation to the pressing question of "divisions within the Republican Party: Is there room for moderates?" Fill-in host Harry Smith posed loaded questions, such as, "Is this litmus test a good idea?" and "some have called it a suicide pact," as well as: "Is moderate a dirty word now in the Republican Party?" Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:19:00 -0400 20091130021823.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091130021823.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-25-FNC-SRBB-Cen.jpg In the past several days, FNC has given attention to the plight of three Navy SEALs who helped capture one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq – a man named Ahmed Hashim Abed who is believed to have planned the savage murder of four Blackwater security guards in Fallujah in 2004. Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:12:00 -0400 20091130020901.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091130020901.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-25-CNN-TSR-Bal.jpg Even though all three of Wednesday's broadcast network evening newscasts reported on President Obama's decision to attend the climate change summit in Copenhagen, they also continued to ignore email evidence that scientists who push global warming theory have distorted data to support their assertions while trying to suppress the views of dissenters. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:02:00 -0400 20091125102633.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091125102633.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/ABC-V-Anna.jpg Actress Morena Baccarin, who plays "Anna," the leader of the malevolent aliens on ABC's sci-fi 'V' series, told USA Today that "I would love to meet Obama" since he's "charming" and a "smart, smart guy," though, she lamented, "it took us all of 30 seconds to turn against him." Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:17:00 -0400 20091124033356.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091124033356.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-24-CBS-TES-Smith.jpg Speaking with Brookings Institution analyst Michael O'Hanlon on Tuesday about President Obama's upcoming decision to increase troop levels in Afghanistan, CBS Early Show co-host Harry Smith worried: “...how much is this going to cost him on the Left? Because I'm – I've got this sense that there will be people on the Left of President Obama who are not pleased by this.” Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:30:00 -0400 20091124124528.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091124124528.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2007-01-30-NBC-NN-Williams.jpg So far, the broadcast networks haven't uttered a single word about revelations showing scientists on the left-wing side of the global warming debate plotting to hide data and silence those on the other side. But when liberals charged dissenting scientists with a "conspiracy" to tilt the debate, the networks eagerly jumped on the story and castigated the evil "deniers." Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:34:00 -0400 20091124121445.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091124121445.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-23-NBC-NN-crossingline.jpg Monday's NBC Nightly News took up the story of liberal Rep. Patrick Kennedy's public feud with the Catholic Church, and NBC's Ron Allen implied something improper in how "the Catholic Church is flexing its religious and political muscle." NBC's screen graphic asked if the church was "Crossing the Line?" A secular-left lobbyist accused the church of being "not above spiritual and political blackmail." Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:55:00 -0400 20091124025623.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091124025623.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-23-CBS-EN-healthdebt.jpg Long after conservatives and the American people figured it out, CBS on Monday night came to the realization President Barack Obama has a "credibility" problem fueled by the "disconnect" between Obama's promise to reduce the deficit as he pushes for massive new spending. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:38:00 -0400 20091124024212.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091124024212.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-23-CNN-TSR-Malveaux.jpg On Monday's Situation Room, Suzanne Malveaux became the latest CNN personality to use the offensive "teabagger" label to describe opponents of ObamaCare: "Do we expect to see the kinds of big rallies and...the circus atmosphere that we saw...over the summer when you were talking about controversial policy, 'teabaggers' and all that other thing?" Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:32:00 -0400 20091123060422.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091123060422.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-22-CBS-FTN-Schieffe.jpg At the end of CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday, host Bob Schieffer fretted over massive government spending but avoided blaming current Democratic proposals: “I'm not even talking about the cost of health care....It is now costing $1 million a year to keep one U.S. soldier on the ground in Afghanistan, not to mention that for every soldier there, we have one civilian contractor.” Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:01:00 -0400 20091123054623.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091123054623.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-22-ABC-GMA-Weir[1].jpg Good Morning America's Bill Weir on Sunday defended the $300 million in pork that Senator Mary Landrieu acquired for her state, spinning, "The people of Louisiana sent her to Washington to get as much sausage as they could, you know, she could." Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:40:00 -0400 20091123052812.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091123052812.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NewYorkTimes-Logo.jpg NY Times environmental reporter Andrew Revkin on the trove of damning emails swiped from climate scientists: "The documents appear to have been acquired illegally and contain all manner of private information and statements that were never intended for the public eye, so they won't be posted here." Since when has that ever stopped the Times from exposing classified anti-terrorist programs? Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:01:00 -0400 20091123014614.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091123014614.aspx Over the weekend, Newsweek's Evan Thomas offered an intriguing insight into the MSM's approach to the liberal health care bill rolling its way through Congress. After conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer accurately pointed out how the Senate bill only pretends to be "deficit-neutral," Thomas agreed: "Charles is right. This bill is a fiscal fraud." But he quickly added: "I'd still vote for it." Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:40:00 -0400 20091123112921.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091123112921.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/bill_maher.jpg Newsweek's 20/10 Project has a list of the Decade's Worst Tactical Blunders. It might not be a shock that Newsweek decided three of the top four were made by Team Bush. What might be surprising are the authors of the little articles that accompany the list. The number one blunder was "Bush's Katrina Flyover." The author was Bush-hating atheist scold Bill Maher Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:20:00 -0400 20091122094739.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091122094739.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-21-FNC-FoxPalinpoll.jpg MSM polls may say a majority don't consider Sarah Palin qualified to be President (60 percent), but just as many people recognize the media's unfair hostility toward her. "About six in 10 Americans (61 percent) think Palin has been treated unfairly by the press," a Fox News-Opinion Dynamics survey released on Friday discovered. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:42:00 -0400 20091122093758.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091122093758.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-20-ABC-WNCG-Johnson.jpg In contending America already has health care rationing, ABC's Dr. Tim Johnson, a universal coverage advocate, on Friday night's World News asserted "a recent Harvard study estimated that 45,000 people died each year in this country because of lack of health insurance. If that's not rationing, I don't know what is." Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:29:00 -0400 20091120063756.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091120063756.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-20-MSNBC-HB-Matthew.jpg At the top of Friday's Hardball on MSNBC, host Chris Matthews discovered the reason for President Obama's political difficulties in recent months: “President Obama has his chin out on just about every hot issue out there....He's exposed and vulnerable. His poll numbers are dropping. Is he just too darned intellectual? Too much the egg head?” Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:32:00 -0400 20091120052333.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091120052333.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Cavett.jpg Talk show host Dick Cavett, whose TV show went off the air in 1982, appeared on MSNBC, Friday, to trash Sarah Palin as a "know nothing" and someone who has "no first language." Mostly, however, he seemed interested only in talking about himself, prompting News Live host Norah O'Donnell to chide, "Dick, this segment is about Sarah Palin, not about you, Dick." Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:35:00 -0400 20091120043342.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091120043342.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-20-MSNBC-MM-Ratigan.jpg Citing a Democratic congressman who recently proposed a no whining day, on Friday's Morning Meeting on MSNBC, host Dylan Ratigan asked: “...unemployment, health care, a couple of wars, Americans got plenty to be frustrated about these days...But some people say stop the whining....Is 'shut up and deal' the new American mantra?” Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:28:00 -0400 20091120032331.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091120032331.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-20-MSNBC-Dyson.jpg MSNBC publicized Ebony's "Power 150" picks by bringing aboard two left-wing honorees, Al Sharpton and Michael Eric Dyson, during Friday's 11 AM EST hour. Dyson rejoiced: "We have a man in the White House who has made... thinking sexy, who's brought sexy brilliance back to the White House." Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:18:00 -0400 20091120010210.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091120010210.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-20-ABC-GMA-Golodryg[1].jpg CBS's Early Show on Friday completely ignored the grilling Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner received on Capitol Hill on Thursday and the calls for his resignation by members of Congress. ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's Today both covered the contentious exchanges. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:57:00 -0400 20091120120636.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091120120636.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-20-NBC-Gregory.jpg At first glance it appeared that NBC's Meredith Vieira and David Gregory, on Friday's Today show, did a decent job of recounting all of the struggles the Obama administration is dealing with from unemployment to foreign policy, but ultimately the pair concluded, in every instance, they weren't actual problems, but merely problems of "perception." Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:04:00 -0400 20091119083414.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091119083414.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Palin-Turkeycarnage.jpg One year ago, Thursday, November 20 -- like today, the Thursday one week before Thanksgiving -- MSNBC ridiculously plastered “BREAKING NEWS” on-screen for video of Sarah Palin at a turkey farm just after pardoning one, running more than three minutes of video of some turkeys being slaughtered by a man in the background behind her. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:24:00 -0400 20091119065547.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091119065547.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-19-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Chris Matthews, on Thursday's Hardball, took GOP Congresswoman Virginia Foxx to task for claiming that Republicans "passed civil rights bills in the sixties" as he accused her of having a bad memory, going as far as to compare her to one of the androids from the science fiction classic Blade Runner. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:53:00 -0400 20091119050838.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091119050838.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Odonnell.jpg MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell on Wednesday interrogated a young woman who supported Sarah Palin in 2008, demanding this new voter explain her reasons for admiring the ex-Alaska governor. "What is it that you most like about her? What policy," she repeatedly grilled. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:41:00 -0400 20091119010318.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091119010318.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-19-CBS-TES-Smith.jpg On Thursday's CBS Early Show, after Rudy Giuliani suggested the Obama administration was trying to “satisfy left-wing critics” by trying 9/11 terrorists in civilian court, incredulous co-host Harry Smith saw no such connection: “But Hang on. So it's – so the idea of them being tried in open court is a left-wing political agenda?” Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:58:00 -0400 20091119125511.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091119125511.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-19-ABC-GMA-Roberts[1].jpg ABC's Robin Roberts on Thursday pressed a government official on rationing and a new recommendation that women under the age of 50 shouldn't get regular mammograms. Talking to one of report's authors, she chided, "Dr. [Thomas] Wilt, you know many are feeling that this is trying to save money, that this is a political move." Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:50:00 -0400 20091119091748.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091119091748.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-18-NBC-NN-ToddObama.jpg NBC's Chuck Todd and CBS's Chip Reid both concluded their interviews with President Obama conducted in Beijing by worrying about the "stress" of his job. "He laughed off the speculation about his reported weight loss," Todd relayed on Wednesday's NBC Nightly News, "but admitted the burden of the office does weigh on him." Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:08:00 -0400 20091118041833.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091118041833.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Snyderman.jpg MSNBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman appeared on Wednesday's Morning Joe and justified reducing the number of women in their 40s who get mammograms. "No, it is rationing. Let's be clear," she admitted. Snyderman bizarrely compared, "But you ration what food you eat. You ration how much sleep you get. And this is saying we should question about how we spend our health care dollars." Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:09:00 -0400 20091118014545.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091118014545.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-18-NBC-Klaidman.jpg NBC's Matt Lauer invited on Newsweek managing editor Dan Klaidman, on Wednesday's Today, to answer Sarah Palin's charge that the magazine's recent cover photo of her, in a jogging outfit, was "sexist," but Klaidman denied the accusation. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:41:00 -0400 20091118011746.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091118011746.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-18-CBS-TES-Reid.jpg Citing an interview the President gave to White House correspondent Chip Reid, at the top of Wednesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith declared: “An outraged President Obama says heads may roll when he returns from Asia, telling CBS News he's furious over leaks about Afghanistan.” The leaks in question have highlighted the administration's inaction on the war. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:14:00 -0400 20091117071100.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091117071100.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-17-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Chris Matthews got together with the Politico's Jeanne Cummings and the Chicago Tribune's Clarence Page to look down their collective noses at the concept of Sarah Palin as a writer on Tuesday's Hardball, with Matthews even questioning the former vice presidential candidate's mental state as he pondered: "Is this delusion here?" Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:09:00 -0400 20091117051408.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091117051408.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-16-ABC-WN-Graphic[1].jpg NBC and CBS's morning shows on Tuesday completely ignored the revelation that the Obama administration's Recovery.gov website claims to have saved or created jobs in congressional districts that don't exist. ABC's Good Morning America devoted 21 seconds to the developing story. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:07:00 -0400 20091117023221.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091117023221.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-17-MSNBC-MM-Brewer[1].jpg Only four days after airing faked photographs purporting to be of Sarah Palin wearing a bikini and holding a gun, MSNBC hosts on Tuesday decided to fact check the ex-governor of Alaska. Contessa Brewer chided Palin's new memoir: "But can this book really be classified as fact, fiction or a little of both? Okay, so here is a bit of fact-checking." Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:05:00 -0400 20091117125617.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091117125617.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-17-CBS-TES-Johnston.jpg On Tuesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez previewed an exclusive interview with Levi Johnston on the CBS entertainment show, The Insider: “Levi Johnston says he is winning the war of words between Sarah Palin and him. We'll hear from him.” Later, correspondent for The Insider, Chris Jacobs, declared: “Sarah Palin lashing out at Levi and now Levi fires back.” Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:53:00 -0400 20091117115905.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091117115905.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-17-NBC-Dobbs.jpg NBC's Matt Lauer, on Tuesday's Today show, actually asked Lou Dobbs, formerly of CNN, if he and the network parted ways because he was "too conservative," and if CNN was okay with Dobbs' push for immigration reform when he was attacking George W. Bush but wasn't happy when Dobbs started slamming the Obama administration on the issue, as he queried the former CNN host, "You got much less kickback from CNN than when you started to speak out about the policies of Barack Obama. So, was this an issue that CNN wants to appear neutral but maintain a more liberal stance?" Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:56:00 -0400 20091116061726.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091116061726.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-15-CBS-SM-Meek.jpg On CBS's Sunday Morning, New York Daily News Washington correspondent James Meek related President Obama's visit to the graves of Iraq and Afghanistan war dead at Arlington National Cemetery: “Now, cynics may say this was just an Obama photo-op. But they weren't there looking him in the eye. I saw a man fully carrying the heavy burden of command on a weighty day.” Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:14:00 -0400 20091116040222.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091116040222.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Ratigan.jpg MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan apologized on Monday for using photoshopped images of Sarah Palin firing a gun while wearing a bikini. The pictures, which were first brought to light by the Media Research Center, appeared during a November 13 segment on the former governor and also included a doctored photo of the Republican in a black mini-skirt. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:53:00 -0400 20091116025440.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091116025440.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-16-ABC-ObamaLongBow.jpg ABC's Good Morning America finally picked up on the deep bow President Obama performed for the Emperor of Japan over the weekend. Co-host Diane Sawyer ran through how other U.S. Presidents have either bowed or not, claiming that Americans are "not trained to greet royalty" and "it's just too confusing." Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:41:00 -0400 20091116011551.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091116011551.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-16-ABC-GMA-Snow[1].jpg Good Morning America on Monday began a week of coverage on Sarah Palin's new book by repeatedly fact checking claims from the Republican and highlighting a attack by the liberals' favorite "conservative," New York Times columnist David Brooks. Reporter Kate Snow asserted that "even conservatives are on the attack" against Palin. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:09:00 -0400 20091116124722.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091116124722.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-16-CBS-TES-Schieffe.jpg Appearing on Monday's CBS Early Show to discuss Sarah Palin's upcoming book tour, Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer dismissed the former vice presidential candidate's political ambitions: “I think she's going to sell a lot of books. I think she'll be a great attraction out, you know, as an amusement....But I can't imagine that she has much future in politics. I really don't.” Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:39:00 -0400 20091116011741.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091116011741.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-15-NBC-NN-fishslimed.jpg Looking at Sarah Palin's new book, NBC's Andrea Mitchell caught a passage about herself in which Palin recalled that when she invited some reporters to go fishing with her that "I wanted to see Andrea and her colleagues sporting fish-slimed waders, banging around in a skiff, stuck in the mud," but, she regretted, the weather was too good so "dang it - none of them got slimed." Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:52:00 -0400 20091116011121.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091116011121.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-15-ABC-TW-Brooks.jpg The roundtable members on Sunday's This Week derided or dismissed Sarah Palin, with David Brooks, the putative conservative columnist for the New York Times, declaring "she's a joke" and insisting "Republican primary voters just are not going to elect a talk show host" - leaving it to PBS's Gwen Ifill, of all people, to come to her defense as a fellow woman. Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:35:00 -0400 20091116125257.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091116125257.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-13-ABC-WNCG-Jefferson.jpg Former Congressman William Jefferson, the New Orleans Democrat, was sentenced Friday to 13 years in prison, yet the CBS Evening News didn't utter a word about it, just as that newscast ignored his August conviction, while ABC's World News didn't bother to mention his party affiliation. Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:45:00 -0400 20091113055101.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091113055101.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-13-CBS-TES-Smith.jpg Speaking to the defense attorney for Ft. Hood shooter Major Nidal Hasan on Friday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith asked: “Do you think – and this is not from a scientific or even legal standpoint, but just as you've been able to speak with him, do you think he's competent to stand trial?” Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:39:00 -0400 20091113052916.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091113052916.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2008-12-04-ABC-GMA-Stephano21[1].jpg The Daily Beast on Friday reported that former Democratic aide turned journalist George Stephanopoulos has now pulled ahead of ex-Democratic Governor Mario Cuomo's son, Chris Cuomo, in the race to become the new co-host of Good Morning America. Correspondent Rebecca Dana quoted an ABC source as saying, "It's George's now to lose." Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:24:00 -0400 20091113035138.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091113035138.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Palin.jpg On Friday's edition of Morning Meeting, host Dylan Ratigan featured fake photos of Sarah Palin during a mocking segment on why Americans are fascinated with the former vice presidential candidate. While listing the show's top ten reasons, Ratigan showed a doctored photo of Palin's head on the bikini-clad body of a woman holding a weapon. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:38:00 -0400 20091113030106.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091113030106.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2008-10-31-MSNBC-1600-Drehl.jpg A liberal journalist is feeling Barack Obama's pain, that he would be instantly judged by the media. Wait, the Obama-mythologizing, pinch-me-history-is-happening media? Yes. Time Senior Writer David Von Drehle wrote an article titled "Obama's Fort Hood Speech: Lost in Translation." He compared it to...the Gettysburg Address. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:45:00 -0400 20091113014107.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091113014107.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-13-CBS-TES-Coulter.jpg Appearing on Friday's CBS Early Show to discuss the release of Sarah Palin's book, 'Going Rogue,' author Ann Coulter told co-host Harry Smith: “[John] McCain...was the media's favorite Republican. So any criticism his side made of Palin was instantly printed and now we finally get the pay back. And I'm looking forward to it.” Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:38:00 -0400 20091113093210.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091113093210.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-12-CBS-EN-concerns.jpg News that President Obama is demanding new Afghanistan options and answers, after months and eight meetings with top officials on General Stanley McChrystal's request for more troops, led ABC's Charles Gibson to express exasperation: "What new questions are there to be asked after all this time?" CBS and NBC, however, weren't so dubious. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:17:00 -0400 20091112061746.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091112061746.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Snyderman.jpg MSNBC's Nancy Snyderman attacked Catholic bishops on Thursday for opposing abortion funding in the health care bill, agreeing with the President of NOW that the IRS should investigate them. The "Dr. Nancy" host also complained, "This is going to be a Pollyannaish statement. The Catholic bishops appearing and having a political voice seems to be a most fundamental violation of church and state." Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:12:00 -0400 20091112023319.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091112023319.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/JerryAdler2.jpg Newsweek senior editor Jerry Adler on Thursday posted a bizarre poem on the publication's website, mocking Lou Dobbs for leaving CNN and insinuating that the cable anchor might be crazy: "So wily Lou has picked the locks That kept him in his padded box And tiptoed off, in just his socks." [Punctuation original to the poem.] Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:29:00 -0400 20091111032034.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091111032034.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-11-CBS-TES-Smith.jpg Interviewing Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki on Wednesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith cited a cause of the shooting at Ft. Hood: “...the Iraq war, the escalation in number of cases of post traumatic stress disorder...the more people go back to these fields, these theaters of war, either in Iraq or Afghanistan, it multiplies the incidence of these kinds of things occurring.” Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:15:00 -0400 20091111011331.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091111011331.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2008-06-04-ABC-WNCG-history[1].jpg World News anchor Charles Gibson admitted on Tuesday, "I worry about the lack of objectivity and the future of the news business." The ABC host spoke before the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and said of Fox News and MSNBC: "I don't like the fact that they're delivering news based on the conviction of its viewers." Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:07:00 -0400 20091111110052.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091111110052.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-09-CouricNotebook.jpg CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric's online commentary on the Berlin Wall focused on a separated-twins analogy rather than on the victory of democracy, freedom, and Western civilization. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:40:00 -0400 20091110095431.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091110095431.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-10-ABC-WNCG-lovedeath.jpg Tuesday night ABC's Brian Ross highlighted how in 2007 Nidal Hasan had exposed his radicalism and threat when he declared: "We love death more than you love life." But neither CBS nor NBC cited the quote for their viewers. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:42:00 -0400 20091110094748.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091110094748.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Matthews-video-forMRChome.jpg "The clergy should stay off Capitol Hill," MSNBC's Chris Matthews flatly declared on Tuesday's Hardball. Matthews fumed with disgust as Politico's Jonathan Allen told him that Catholic bishops lobbied Democrats to pass the pro-life Stupak Amendment to the Democratic health care reform bill last week. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:39:00 -0400 20091110093527.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091110093527.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-07-07-CNN-Michael-Aura.jpg ABC and CBS aired hours of Michael Jackson' memorial service in July, but on Tuesday afternoon the two networks weren't so interested in the memorial service for the victims at Fort Hood. The two networks limited coverage to President Obama's remarks, re-joining soap operas as soon as he finished. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:29:00 -0400 20091110055901.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091110055901.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/WashingtonPost-Logo.jpg The Washington Post is still having trouble with how the voters rejected their favorite Democrats. The bias erupted in a front page headline on Tuesday. It read:"'Scozzafava' turns into epithet: It's a Grand Old Purging as moderate's ouster spotlights Republican dysfunction." Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:47:00 -0400 20091110043604.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091110043604.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-10-NBC-Prejean.jpg Invited on Tuesday's Today show to promote her new book, Carrie Prejean defended the latest scrutiny surrounding her as the latest example of "liberal bias in the media," of "conservative women" being attacked. When confronted by Today co-anchor Meredith Vieira about her assertion she's been "Palinized," Prejean threw back "Do you think Sarah Palin has been attacked," to which Vieira dodged the liberal bias charge simply stating: "I think Sarah Palin has certainly been criticized, absolutely, by a lot people, as have many politicians." Prejean also slammed Vieira's NBC colleague Keith Olbermann. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:31:00 -0400 20091110031650.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091110031650.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Brewer.jpg MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan anchored a segment on Tuesday's Morning Meeting that worried about the "far right" and wondered whether "super conservatives" are alienating "GOP centrists." The host hyperbolically spun that these people could send the GOP careening "toward the edge of irrelevance." Later, Contessa Brewer inadvertently referred to Florida conservative Marco Rubio as the "great white hope." Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:15:00 -0400 20091110123537.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091110123537.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-10-NBC-Todd.jpg Only in the mind of a liberal media journalist would Sen. Joseph Lieberman and Sen. Bernie Sanders be considered ideological "polar opposites," but that's what NBC's Chuck Todd, during a piece aired on the health care debate on Tuesday's Today show, declared. While the two are currently may split on a government-run health care option, that's just one of the very rare times the two disagree as Lieberman's lifetime ACU rating is 15.96 and Sanders comes in at 6.44, hardly "polar opposites." Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:30:00 -0400 20091109061057.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091109061057.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-08-CBS-SM-Phillips.jpg Reporting for CBS Sunday Morning, correspondent Mark Phillips marked the 20th anniversary of the fall the Berlin Wall by noting the economic difficulty East Germany has faced in the aftermath: “It still isn't easy for many. East German industry without government subsidy could not compete. The economy shrank by an estimated 50%.” Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:08:00 -0400 20091109053741.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091109053741.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-08-NBC-Levin.jpg On the syndicated The Chris Matthews Show, over the weekend, conservative radio talk show host Mark Levin was mocked by Chris Matthews for playing to the "wingnuts" at a Capitol Hill rally. Before running a clip of Levin, MSNBC host broke down the new GOP coalition as "regular Republicans," "energized conservatives," and "the wingnuts!" and added: "Talk show host Mark Levin spoke to all of them!" Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:33:00 -0400 20091109051929.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091109051929.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-09-MSNBC-Snyderman.jpg MSNBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman went on a tear shortly after 12:30pm ET on her November 9 "Dr. Nancy" program, denouncing the "infuriating" anti-abortion Stupak Amendment to the Democratic health care bill passed on Saturday: "A white man deciding a woman's responsibility in her own procreation. I mean, I find it infuriating.... I think it's outrageous." Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:16:00 -0400 20091109051328.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091109051328.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/BostonLegal-video-forMRC.jpg Two-and-a-half years before Army Major Nidal Hasan, a Muslim medical doctor, murdered 13 at Fort Hood in Texas in what more-and-more looks like a jihadist terrorist attack, ABC's since-canceled Boston Legal drama ridiculed the idea a doctor could be a terrorist. (with video) Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:12:00 -0400 20091109021742.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091109021742.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-08-CBS-FTN-Schieffe.jpg On Sunday's Face the Nation on CBS, host Bob Schieffer tried to provide some perspective on the Fort Hood shooting, committed by an Islamic extremist: “It's looking more and more like he was just, sort of, a religious nut. And you know Islam doesn't have a majority – or the Christian religion has its full, you know, full helping of nuts too.” Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:09:00 -0400 20091109121802.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091109121802.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-09-ABC-GMA-Johnson.jpg Dr. Tim Johnson, ABC's medical editor and longtime fan of government-run health care, appeared on Monday's Good Morning America to tout the great benefits of passing congressional legislation. Restricting pre-existing conditions is a "real advance." Offering government grants to encourage people to stay healthy "will help a lot of people." Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:08:00 -0400 20091109121042.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091109121042.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-09-NBC-Brokaw.jpg Reporting live from the Berlin Wall NBC's Tom Brokaw, on Monday's Today show, never once mentioned Ronald Reagan's name and his role in helping to end the Cold War, but did find time to praise Mikhail Gorbachev and Today co-anchor Matt Lauer even wondered if it was "a little egocentric" to look at the fall of the Wall as an "American victory." Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:08:00 -0400 20091108080255.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091108080255.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-08-ABC-TW-Donaldson.jpg Friday's report on October, two old hands in the Washington press corps appeared on Sunday morning shows where they asserted that means we need another stimulus bill and/or the problem is the current “stimulus” bill wasn't big enough. On This Week, ABC News vet Sam Donaldson maintained "we're going to have to have more stimulus, more spending." Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:57:00 -0400 20091108075239.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091108075239.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/EvanThomasIW-videoforMRC.jpg Newsweek's Evan Thomas regretted the Fort Hood mass murderer is a Muslim because of how that will be abused by conservatives: "I cringe that he's a Muslim. I mean, because it inflames all the fears. I think he's probably just a nut case. But with that label attached to him, it will get the right wing going and it just -- I mean these things are tragic, but that makes it much worse." (with video) Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:45:00 -0400 20091108074137.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091108074137.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-07-FNC-H-Joh.jpg On Saturday's Huckabee show on FNC, host Mike Huckabee interviewed the former director of the Planned Parenthood clinic in Bryan, Texas, Abby Johnson, who became a pro-life activist after witnessing an ultrasound of an abortion while she assisted in a procedure. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:24:00 -0400 20091108071109.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091108071109.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-06-ABC-WNCG-Gibson.jpg ABC doubled the length of its evening newscast on Friday night and World News used its second half hour to suggest an exculpatory reason behind Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan's mass killing at Fort Hood -- "treating the mentally wounded can be stressful" -- then a story to the plight of Muslim soldiers: "With America fighting Islamic enemies overseas, Muslim troops face a unique burden." Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:04:00 -0400 20091108010052.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091108010052.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-08-NBCToday.jpg Noting Monday's 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw claimed on Sunday's Today that East Germans were "still adjusting to the harsh economic realities" of life after communism. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:54:00 -0400 20091106053908.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091106053908.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-06-MSNBC-DN-Cressy.jpg Appearing on the Dr. Nancy program on MSNBC Friday, NBC News terrorism analyst Roger Cressy warned against labeling the mass shooting at Ft. Hood as terrorism, despite the apparent radical views of the shooter: “We've heard some family references that he was being criticized for his Muslim faith, that's all we know right now....It's still premature to draw the terrorism conclusion.” Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:36:00 -0400 20091106023926.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091106023926.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-06-ABC-GMA-shooter[1].jpg All three morning shows on Friday identified the man who killed 12 at an Army base in Texas as a Muslim. However, Good Morning America's Diane Sawyer repeated a concern from Thursday's World News: "...We heard Martha Raddatz say last night that the wife of a soldier said 'I wish his name had been Smith,' so no one would have a reflexive question about [a religious motive]." Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:10:00 -0400 20091106094441.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091106094441.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-05-NBC-NN-AARP.jpg The ABC, CBS and NBC newscasts Thursday night squeezed in full stories pegged to a "kill the bill" anti-Pelosi/ObamaCare rally outside the U.S. Capitol attended by "angry protesters" as all the stories also stressed how President Obama got a "boost" from "big," "powerful" "key" and "major" endorsements from the AARP and AMA. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:45:00 -0400 20091105085345.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091105085345.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-05-NBC-NN-Hasan.jpg Neither CBS nor NBC, in their East coast feeds Thursday night, noted the Muslim religious beliefs of the mass killer at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas, but ABC anchor Charles Gibson wasn't cowed by political correctness. ABC's Martha Raddatz concluded a story on reaction at Fort Hood: "As for the suspect, Nadal Hasan, as one officer's wife told me, 'I wish his name was Smith.'" Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:48:00 -0400 20091105062120.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091105062120.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/V.jpg Scott Wolf, the star of a new show about evil aliens who use superficial journalists to take over the planet, appeared on Monday's Good Morning America and compared his "morally compromised" character to real-life CNN anchor Anderson Cooper. The V star asserted that "Chad Decker" doesn't have much "gravitas" and added, "He's more of Anderson Cooper-y." Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:16:00 -0400 20091105054415.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091105054415.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-05-CBS-TES-Murrow.jpg Thursday's CBS Early Show looked back at 1954 as part of its 'Time Machine' series, with co-host Harry Smith praising former CBS anchor Edward R. Murrow for taking on Senator Joseph McCarthy: “McCarthy was on a kind of a witch hunt. Ed Murrow boldly recognized that and took him on....It was very gutsy and very risky on Murrow's part....McCarthy was a bully. Ed Murrow said 'I'm not going to stand for it.'” Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:40:00 -0400 20091105042000.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091105042000.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NewYorkTimes-Logo.jpg Reporter David Herszenhorn posted early Thursday afternoon on the paper's health care blog from an anti-Obama-care rally taking place on Capitol Hill. His unsympathetic description of the protest, organized by conservative Rep. Michele Bachmann, started with the meant-to-be-menacing image painted by his lyrical headline: "On the Hill, Protesters Chant 'Kill the Bill.'" Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:14:00 -0400 20091105023443.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091105023443.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/1989-11-09-ABCReagan.jpg Just a few hours after word that the Berlin Wall would be opened, ABC's PrimeTime Live hosted former President Ronald Reagan to celebrate what would turn out to be the death blow against communism in Eastern Europe. Co-anchor Sam Donaldson told the former President he would "get a lot of credit for helping bring this moment about." Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:27:00 -0400 20091105010157.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091105010157.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/washingtonpostlogo[1].jpg During the 2009 Virginia gubernatorial election, the Washington Post waged a relentless campaign to defeat Republican Bob McDonnell. Starting on Wednesday, after the GOP nominee received almost 59 percent of the vote, the newspaper began dispensing advice: Raise taxes. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:58:00 -0400 20091105090301.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091105090301.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-04-CBS-EN-Schieffer.jpg CBS's Bob Schieffer on Wednesday night offered the hindsight that everyone knew the Democratic gubernatorial candidates in Virginia and New Jersey would lose, they did lose and so the losses mean nothing. "I think what we saw last night were snap shots. I don't think we saw predictors," Schieffer declared in absolving President Obama of any culpability. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:57:00 -0400 20091105085150.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091105085150.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Nagourney2.jpg The New York Times' Election Day 2009 coverage emphasized three liberal themes: The Republicans won by appearing moderate, the congressional race in upstate New York revealed deep divisions within the G.O.P., these off-year elections don't mean much anyway (except when Democrats win). Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:45:00 -0400 20091104061118.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091104061118.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/washingtonpostlogo[1].jpg How much is a Washington Post endorsement worth? Not a lot, apparently. The Post endorsed 26 candidates in Virginia's November 4 elections. Only 12 of them won. The liberal newspaper's picks for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, all Democrats, lost, averaging only 42.4 percent of the vote. Almost 239,000 Virginians voted against the wishes of this establishment news outlet. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:59:00 -0400 20091104053914.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091104053914.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-02-20-CBS-TES-Glor.jpg Maine's successful referendum to repeal a newly-imposed "same-sex marriage" law would have been a huge national story if the gay left had won. But since they narrowly lost, the broadcast network morning shows on Wednesday barely acknowledged it. CBS offered 20 words, ABC 44. NBC said nothing in four hours. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:37:00 -0400 20091104010020.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091104010020.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-04-ABC-GMA-Stephano[1].jpg Former Democratic aide turned journalist George Stephanopoulos appeared on Wednesday's Good Morning America to spin the loss of a Conservative Party congressional candidate in New York as a "big loss for Sarah Palin." He enthused, "A big win for the Democrats who poured it on in the final days especially Vice President Biden who came in the final day." Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:56:00 -0400 20091104115945.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091104115945.aspx http://media.eyeblast.org/newsbusters/static/2009/11/2009-11-04-FNC-SB-Garrett.jpg At 10:15AM ET during America's Newsroom on Fox News Channel, co-host Martha MacCallum reported that in a gaggle with reporters Wednesday morning White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs claimed that President Obama did not watch election results Tuesday night but rather watched an HBO special about his 2008 campaign. That report was incorrect, Gibbs made no such statement. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:10:00 -0400 20091104103754.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091104103754.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-04-NBC-Gregory.jpg NBC's David Gregory, on Wednesday's Today show, downplayed the huge GOP wins in New Jersey and Virginia as merely reflecting the "anti-incumbency mood," and "the change message that Obama" started last year. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:28:00 -0400 20091104094432.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091104094432.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-05-CNN-LKL-12am-King.jpg During a live midnight EST hour Larry King Live Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, CNN's Larry King repeatedly employed the "far right" pejorative to describe those who backed the unsuccessful New York congressional bid of the Conservative Party's Doug Hoffman. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:38:00 -0400 20091103074922.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091103074922.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-03-CBS-EN-Schieffer.jpg Shortly before the polls closed, CBS's Bob Schieffer rejected any effort to tie President Barack Obama to two the Democratic gubernatorial candidates for whom Obama campaigned, insisting on Tuesday's CBS Evening News the contests were more about local issues and so "I don't think they had much to do with anything but New Jersey and Virginia." Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:33:00 -0400 20091103073430.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091103073430.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-02-CNN-AC-Cooper.jpg On Monday's AC360, CNN's Anderson Cooper forwarded the media's new talking point about the New York congressional race, that "tea Party protesters and other conservative voices are...driving moderates out of the GOP." Tom Foreman asserted that "angry conservatives...[are] forcing the party to choose between...its base and attracting more moderate Americans." Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:05:00 -0400 20091103064305.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091103064305.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-03-MSNBC-Whitman.jpg If you're a skeptic of climate change or want to educate your child at home Chris Matthews probably thinks you're an oddball. On Tuesday's Hardball, the MSNBC host egged on the former liberal Republican New Jersey governor and former EPA head Christine Todd Whitman to turn to the camera to scold all the global warming non-believers in the GOP as he urged: "Would you tell your Republican colleagues right now – look in the camera and say, 'There is climate change and we have to do something about it?'" And later on in the show Matthews stereotyped all homeschoolers as some sort of anti-social shut-ins that don't want their children to "go to public school 'cause you don't want to mix with other people." Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:40:00 -0400 20091103050540.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091103050540.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/ABC-V-promo.jpg ABC's 'V' mini-series, which will debut tonight (Tuesday) in the first hour of prime time, is "nominally a rousing sci-fi space opera about alien invaders bent on the conquest (and digestion) of all humanity," but "it's also a barbed commentary on Obamamania that will infuriate the President's supporters and delight his detractors," Miami Herald TV critic Glenn Garvin asserted. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:05:00 -0400 20091103034539.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091103034539.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/USAToday-banner-forMRC.jpg "President Obama may not have delivered on all the policy changes he promised since his election a year ago, but he and his family have brought dramatic social change to the nation's capital and to the country's collective image of its first family," USA Today's Mimi Hall and Maria Puente gushed in a front page story on Tuesday. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:45:00 -0400 20091103123650.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091103123650.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-03-CBS-TES-Smith.jpg While analyzing the off-year elections across the country on Tuesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith asked Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer about the New York 23rd congressional race: “...this notion that an insurgent conservative, orthodox conservative, would come in and really unseat the party's choice for nominee there...is this a precursor of what might be happening a year from now?” Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:33:00 -0400 20091103122603.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091103122603.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Beck.jpg Good Morning America's Diane Sawyer conducted a surprisingly tough interview with Al Gore on Tuesday, pressing him on profiting from global warming and whether or not climate change legislation is pointless in light of pollution-spewing countries such as China. She also forced the ex-Vice President to respond to a challenge from Glenn Beck. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:11:00 -0400 20091103091527.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091103091527.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Couric-Gore-video-MRChome.jpg Earning a chuckle even from Al Gore himself for the over the top glorification, CBS's Katie Couric opened her "@katiecouric" CBSNews.com Web show interview with Al Gore by extolling: "I'm honored to be joined today by the Godfather of Green, the King of Conservation: Former Vice President Al Gore." (with video) Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:10:00 -0400 20091102090813.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091102090813.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-02-ABC-WNCG-Gibson.jpg ABC's Charles Gibson delivered the usual liberal media upset over the GOP's inadequate “big tent,” asking: "A liberal Republican gets forced out of the race by a more conservative guy who was actually not a Republican, was running on the Conservative ticket. What happened to the big tent in the Republican Party?" Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:05:00 -0400 20091102065008.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091102065008.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-02-MSNBC-MatthewsFin.jpg Chris Matthews, on Monday's Hardball, claimed the GOP is purging moderates from the party like it was 1930s Russia, and Newsweek's Howard Fineman said the dumping of RINOs like Dede Scozzafava in New York was leading to "the crack cocaine of reduced Republicanism." Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:47:00 -0400 20091102061312.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091102061312.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-31-ABC-GMA-Weir[1].jpg Good Morning America's Bill Weir on Saturday interviewed Nancy Pelosi and wistfully responded to the House Speaker's reminiscing about the "stillness" and "silence" of Barack Obama's inauguration. He cooed, "What happened to that sense? That was such a day of, of unity. You think it's still there?" Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:07:00 -0400 20091102054354.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091102054354.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2007-09-07-CBS-LSDL-Rich.jpg Though he's predicting Democrats will prevail in the end, former theatre critic turned New York Times over-dramatic liberal columnist Frank Rich sounded even more skittish than usual in his pre-election column in the Sunday Week in Review, "The G.O.P. Stalinists Invade Upstate New York." Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:40:00 -0400 20091102045529.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091102045529.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-02-CBS-TES-Smith[1].jpg Interviewing Mitt Romney on Monday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith alluded to the special election in New York's 23rd congressional district and the success of Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman: “There's a battle going on right now for the soul of the Republican Party. Conservatives say there's no room for moderates there. Will this tactic save or kill the Republican Party?” Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:30:00 -0400 20091102025258.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091102025258.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-02-ABC-GMA-Stephano[1].jpg Former top Democratic aide turned journalist George Stephanopoulos on Monday spun the upcoming November 3 congressional election in New York as a Republican "civil war." Recounting the battle between the Conservative Party nominee, a Democrat and a liberal Republican, he claimed, "But, what's most interesting here is civil war inside the Republican Party." Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:47:00 -0400 20091102113533.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091102113533.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-01-NBC-Fineman.jpg When a despondent Matthews worried that Barack Obama wasn't more aggressive in pushing health care reform, Fineman calmed Matthews down by assuring him that "one of his great qualities...is patience" which prompted Matthews to ponder: "Howard is he smarter than us?" to which Fineman affirmed: "Of course he is! Much smarter!" Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:32:00 -0400 20091102024534.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091102024534.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Rosie-MRCfront.jpg Rosie O'Donnell returns to the media today, but in quite a step down the media ladder from national TV prominence -- with a daily two-hour show on XM and Sirius satellite radio. "Rosie Radio is a radio show that is compelling, intriguing, unpredictable, and thought-provoking," the radio service proclaims. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:38:00 -0400 20091102023616.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091102023616.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Schieffer-Axelrod-MRC.jpg Rush Limbaugh's tough criticisms of President Barack Obama on Fox News Sunday "broke" the White House's truce with Fox News, Bob Schieffer suggested during an interview with Obama's Senior Adviser, David Axelrod, on Face the Nation. (with video) Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:28:00 -0400 20091102022217.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091102022217.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-11-01-ABC-TW-Brownstein.jpg In the wake of liberal Republican Dede Scozzafava suspending her congressional campaign, Los Angeles Times veteran Ron Brownstein fretted over how it's "a sign that the leash that the base is holding on the party is tightening and that the Palins, the talk radio, Rush Limbaughs, the Fox, the definition of what is acceptable as a Republican I think is narrowing." Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:16:00 -0400 20091030042145.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091030042145.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-30-NBC-Today-Starwa[1].jpg All three network morning shows on Friday skipped a Washington Post report revealing that powerful congressional Democrats such as John Murtha, James Moran and others on a defense panel are the subject of an ethics investigation for a relationship with a lobbying firm. Instead, Today show hosts found time to dress up as Star Wars characters. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:19:00 -0400 20091029064715.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091029064715.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-29-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Chris Matthews, on Thursday's Hardball, in discussing Dick Cheney's endorsement of Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Texas governor's race compared the former Vice President to the sons of Saddam Hussein as he sneered: "You might think an endorsement from Dick Cheney would be like a dinner invite from Uday and Qusay Hussein, but not in Texas." Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:45:00 -0400 20091029055328.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091029055328.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-29-PBS-Rose-Tanenhaus.jpg Did Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush "probably" commit "impeachable offenses"? That's what influential New York Times editor Sam Tanenhaus thinks. On Wednesday night, the influential editor of both the "New York Times Book Review" and the "Weekend Review" sections again appeared on Charlie Rose's late night PBS chat show to discuss his no-longer-new book "The Death of Conservatism." Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:43:00 -0400 20091029054532.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091029054532.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-28-CBS-TES-Rodrigue.jpg For the third time in six months, the CBS Early Show provided a soap box for Levi Johnston to continue his vicious personal attacks against Sarah Palin, as co-host Maggie Rodriguez proclaimed: “He is back on the offensive in this he-said-she-said battle that began shortly after the presidential election....he says he's trying to show the world the real Levi.” Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:37:00 -0400 20091029035610.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091029035610.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-29-NBC-Harris.jpg NBC's Matt Lauer, on Thursday's Today show, handed San Francisco Democrat District Attorney Kamala Harris a virtual campaign contribution in the form of a full interview segment in the 8:30am half-hour as he billed her as the "Female Barack Obama." Harris, who was on to plug her new book, received the full star-treament as Lauer pressed if she had "ambitions for national office." Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:51:00 -0400 20091029034502.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091029034502.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-29-NBC-Today-Sykes.jpg Comedian Wanda Sykes, invited on Thursday's Today show to plug her HBO comedy special and new late night talk show, was pressed by co-host Meredith Vieira to comment about her crass remark at the White House Correspondent's Dinner that she hoped Rush Limbaugh's kidneys would fail. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:39:00 -0400 20091029014120.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091029014120.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Newsweek-YesHeCan-forMRC.jpg Penning the lead for "Yes He Can (But He Sure Hasn't Yet)" Newsweek cover, "A Liberal's Survival Guide," Anna Quindlen defended Obama from complaints he's not enacting liberal policies fast enough. He's "saddled" by the "incremental" constitutional structure, but she fretted: "Universal health care is the area in which the gap between what's needed and what's likely is most glaring." Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:36:00 -0400 20091029122726.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091029122726.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/washingtonpostlogo[1].jpg The Washington Post on Thursday continued its quest to defeat Virginia's Republican gubernatorial candidate, bizarrely citing a "non-partisan" group that, in reality, has endorsed Bob McDonnell's Democratic opponent. The article by Anita Kumar contained this loaded headline: "McDonnell critics question ideology: Some saw agenda in legal opinions." Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:19:00 -0400 20091029094334.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091029094334.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-28-ABC-WNCG-GibsonBrooke.jpg ABC anchor Charles Gibson on Wednesday night had time to convey President Barack Obama's praise of Edward Brooke for "breaking barriers" as the first popularly-elected black U.S. Senator, but not to inform viewers he broke that barrier as a Republican. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:37:00 -0400 20091029093341.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091029093341.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/CouricNotebook.jpg "There's growing concern among some GOP leaders that controversial commentators and far-right conservatives have hijacked the message," CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric declared in her Tuesday “Katie Couric's Notebook” for CBSNews.com. Specifically, "people like Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin." Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:28:00 -0400 20091027072200.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091027072200.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-27-MSNBC-Harrelson.jpg Chris Matthews, on Tuesday's Hardball, invited on former Cheers star Woody Harrelson to promote his new movie, The Messenger, and also talk Afghanistan war policy. The Zombieland actor announced that he was opposed not only to the war in Iraq, but also to the fight in Afghanistan as he compared it to Vietnam and advised that Barack Obama should "pull those troops out." Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:18:00 -0400 20091027071227.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091027071227.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-27-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Chris Matthews, on Tuesday's Hardball, mocked former President George W. Bush making his debut as a motivational speaker as he laughed it off as a "Halloween prank, you know like toilet-papering somebody's house." Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:08:00 -0400 20091027051654.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091027051654.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-27-ABC-GMA-Sawyer[1].jpg Good Morning America co-host Diane Sawyer on Tuesday helped promote an upcoming HBO documentary on Barack Obama and allowed producer Ed Norton to gush over the "zen" presidential campaign of the Democratic candidate. Sawyer breathlessly teased the program as "the Obamas behind closed doors. The grandmother who raised him and the man you've never seen." Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:09:00 -0400 20091027015758.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091027015758.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-26-CBS-EN-vaccine.jpg Coverage Monday night made no mention of Obama or his administration in identifying a culprit for the flu vaccine shortage, as journalists instead cited "federal officials" and "the government." Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:12:00 -0400 20091027014817.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091027014817.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2007-09-07-CBS-LSDL-Rich.jpg New York Times columnist Frank Rich: "The Colorado balloon may have led to the rerouting of flights and the wasteful deployment of law enforcement resources. But at least it didn't lead the country into fiasco the way George W. Bush's flyboy spectacle on an aircraft carrier helped beguile most of the Beltway press and too much of the public into believing that the mission had been accomplished in Iraq." Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:39:00 -0400 20091026042844.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091026042844.aspx http://www.mrc.org/BiasAlert/uploads/Bidenweek.jpg It's bad enough that the new design of Newsweek came with blatant cover-story campaigning for Joe Biden. Then in the next edition, when it was time for Letters to the Editor, Newsweek reported half the letters were negative. Was an anti-Biden letter published? No. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:56:00 -0400 20091026041514.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091026041514.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2008-12-17-CNN-GarrettGraff.jpg From liberal Democrat Howard Dean to top editor of the magazine which proclaims it has "The Website Washington Lives By." The “preppy-looking 28-year-old” Garrett Graff "has eased his way up the ladder -- from presidential campaign speechwriter to media blogger, from Washingtonian freelancer to top dog -- with remarkable fluidity," Washington Post's Howard Kurtz marveled. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:10:00 -0400 20091026033803.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091026033803.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-25-CBS-FTN-Schieffe.jpg Showing that the media sees every act by the Obamas as an historic achievement, at the end of Sunday's Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer was amazed by the romping of First Lady Michelle Obama: “Michelle Obama took it to another level as she set records as the first First Lady to run barefoot across the White House lawn. She also became the first to jump rope there.” Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:31:00 -0400 20091026032725.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091026032725.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/cuomo-steph.jpg In the midst of all the elite upset over FNC's supposedly over-the-top opposition to President Obama, Washington Post media reporter Howard Kurtz pointed out that the apparent two finalists to replace Diane Sawyer (who is moving to World News in January) on Good Morning America "have politics, but little else, in common." Liberal Democratic politics, that is, since the two names in play are George Stephanopoulos and Chris Cuomo. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:23:00 -0400 20091026010736.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091026010736.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-25-CBS-EN-Dickerson.jpg On Sunday's CBS Evening News, political analyst John Dickerson brushed aside criticism from former Vice President Dick Cheney that the Obama administration was “dithering” on Afghanistan: “...it puts Cheney out there as a kind of boogie man the administration can point to. He's not terribly popular outside of conservative circles...in some ways, Dick Cheney is a gift for the White House.” Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:01:00 -0400 20091026010254.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091026010254.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/washingtonpostlogo[1].jpg The Washington Post, which touts the motto "An independent newspaper," endorsed Democratic candidates in 22 of 26 races for the November 3 elections in Virginia. In addition to supporting the Democrats running for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, the paper on Friday, Saturday and Sunday weighed in on the state's House of Delegates races and picked 19 Democrats. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:54:00 -0400 20091025101847.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091025101847.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-23-PBSIW-Totenberg.jpg Discussing the Obama White House's quest to discredit FNC, NPR's Nina Totenberg recalled how, in contrast, the Bush White House "just cut people dead, it froze them out, you know it froze whole institutions out, didn't talk about it." Putting it in the most-nefarious light, she charged: "It was much more like the Mob." Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:12:00 -0400 20091023084147.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091023084147.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-23-CBS-EN-ObamavFNC.jpg "They report and the White House decides it's not fair. The President's feud with the Fox News Channel," Katie Couric teased at the top of Friday's CBS Evening News in the first broadcast network newscast foray into the subject. Jeff Greenfield saw "irony" as he suggested FNC, by charging the rest of the media are on the left, enabled the Obama White House's line of attack. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:42:00 -0400 20091023053119.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091023053119.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-23-ABC-GMA-Coulter[1].jpg Conservative columnist Ann Coulter debated no less than two former Clinton operatives on Friday's Good Morning America, guest host George Stephanopoulos and former State Department spokesman Jamie Rubin. On the show, she decried President Obama's handling of Afghanistan as a "Hamlet routine." Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0400 20091022093339.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091022093339.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-22-NBC-NN-Williams.jpg NBC's Brian Williams noted a Pew poll found Americans who "believe there's solid evidence of global warming...has dropped off significantly." But instead of crediting people for recognizing media-fueled global warming hysteria has been undermined by reality since temperatures have not risen since 1998, he attributed the change to "in a down economy, people are less sensitive to the environment." Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:24:00 -0400 20091022055924.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091022055924.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-22-MSNBC-NL-Shuster[1].jpg MSNBC anchors David Shuster and Tamron Hall on Thursday lashed out at a speech Dick Cheney gave that was critical of Barack Obama, speculating on whether the Vice President is of a "rational, healthy mind." Attempting to attack the Bush administration's handling of Afghanistan for eight years, News Live co-host Tamron Hall dismissed, "Is it selective amnesia?" Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:54:00 -0400 20091022051552.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091022051552.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-22-CBS-TES-Smith.jpg Discussing Obama administration efforts to limit executive pay in companies that took TARP funds, on Thursday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith asked Congressional Oversight Panel Chair Elizabeth Warren: “Chuck Schumer, some others, have said...why wouldn't we...make this law across the board and put a governor on compensation for everybody in private enterprise?'” Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:03:00 -0400 20091022125915.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091022125915.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/washingtonpostlogo[1].jpg The Washington Post, which for months has been running a seemingly endless series of attack pieces on Virginia's Republican gubernatorial pick, appears to have moved on to the GOP's choice for Attorney General. On Thursday, the Post featured a column by Robert McCartney on nominee Ken Cuccinelli and included this ominous headline: "Cuccinelli: In your heart, you know he's to the right of right." Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:53:00 -0400 20091021091728.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091021091728.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-21-NBC-NN-ObamaGuthrie.jpg Tied to NBC's promotion of Maria Shriver's "A Woman's Nation" report, Wednesday's NBC Nightly News showcased Savannah Guthrie's interview with President Barack Obama in which she trumpeted how he "says he gives a lot of thought to whether the women who work here in the White House feel they're being heard, whether there are those persistent subtle biases still around." Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:15:00 -0400 20091021091000.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091021091000.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-21-CNN-AM-Costello.jpg CNN's Carol Costello again omitted the liberal source of a statistic she touted during a report on Wednesday's American Morning, that 91% of talk radio is apparently conservative. Costello also pushed the left-wing aim of localism in radio, playing three soundbites in favor of the proposal, versus two against it. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:03:00 -0400 20091021063821.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091021063821.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-21-MSNBC-Brewer.jpg Showing that Reverends Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have become interchangeable, in the 2:00PM ET hour on MSNBC, anchor Contessa Brewer mistakenly introduced Jackson as Sharpton: “Joining me now to talk about this and the nation's real problem of joblessness, the Reverend Al Sharpton....I'm so sorry, the – the script in front of me said Reverend Al Sharpton...I know who you are, Reverend Jackson.” Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:35:00 -0400 20091021052145.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091021052145.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/washingtonpostlogo[1].jpg A Washington Post staff writer on Wednesday swore that it wasn't the "goal" of the newspaper to elect Virginia's Democratic candidate for governor, despite the paper's wave of attack coverage against the Republican nominee. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:15:00 -0400 20091021125533.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091021125533.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Toddvid.jpg ABC, CBS and NBC on Tuesday night all aired stories on President Barack Obama hobnobbing with the wealthy during a recession, at Manhattan fundraisers to be attended by the very Wall Street players he's condemned. But only NBC's Chuck Todd served as a mouthpiece for self-serving rationale which painted Obama as a victim of an image of perfection susceptible to "any speck of mud." Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:50:00 -0400 20091020062759.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091020062759.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-20-MSNBC-Shuster[1].jpg At the top of the 4:00PM ET hour of MSNBC Live, co-anchor David Shuster claimed the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll “numbers appear to back up the concerns of mainstream Republicans worried about the impact of birthers, tenthers, and town hall screamers....moderates have been frightened away and party identification has dropped to the lowest level in nearly three decades, since Nixon and Watergate.” Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:25:00 -0400 20091020095528.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091020095528.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-18-NBC-MatthewsPanel.jpg Well the verdict is in and it looks like the GOP has been severely damaged by its opposition to Obamacare, well at least that was the conclusion of all the liberal members of The Chris Matthews Show panel over the weekend. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:52:00 -0400 20091019085512.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091019085512.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-19-ABC-WNCG-57Obama.jpg ABC led Monday night with a poll timed to the nine-month mark of the Obama presidency -- as if that's an important date, and spent as much time on record low affinity for Republicans. Charles Gibson announced Obama "has a 57% approval rating, his rating rising for the first time since April. And only 20% of the country now consider themselves Republican....lowest level of support in 26 years." Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:55:00 -0400 20091019073230.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091019073230.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-19-CNN-AM-Costello.jpg CNN's Carol Costello on American Morning brought on a psychiatrist to find out why conservatives dominate talk radio (they like bullies) and asserted that the industry "Talkers magazine" claimed liberals were relegated to just 9 percent of talk radio. But that study came from the left-wing Center for American Progress, and Talkers publisher Michael Harrison criticized the study "flawed and narrow." Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:21:00 -0400 20091019014826.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091019014826.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2006-05-29-PBS-NH-Downie.jpg A report from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism calls for taxpayer spending on the news media, advocating that public radio and television be "substantially reoriented" to "provide significant local news reporting" and for the creation of a "a national Fund for Local News" paid by "fees the Federal Communications Commission collects from or could impose..." Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:42:00 -0400 20091019010353.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091019010353.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/washingtonpostlogo[1].jpg In what could be described as the biggest non-surprise of the 2009 Virginia gubernatorial election, the Washington Post on Sunday endorsed Creigh Deeds, the Democratic candidate that its news section has been touting for months. Beginning in late August, the Post ran numerous hit pieces, 12 in the first 11 days, against Republican Bob McDonnell for a 20 year-old college thesis. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:05:00 -0400 20091019115313.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091019115313.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-19-CBS-TES-Reynolds[1].jpg Monday's CBS Early Show took time to highlight the selling power of the Obama family as correspondent Dean Reynolds reported: “Bill Grimshaw thinks he has the perfect sales pitch for the house he's trying to sell on Chicago's south side....he lives right next door to the Obamas....because of this...special location, the sky could well be the limit.” Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:50:00 -0400 20091019094310.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091019094310.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Rush - Sept 15 2009 - 200.jpg The Wall Street Journal featured an op-ed from Rush Limbaugh in which he outlined how "this spectacle is bigger" than left-wingers trying to keep him out of the NFL: "There is a contempt in the news business, including the sportswriter community, for conservatives that reflects...blind hatred..." Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:33:00 -0400 20091018011615.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091018011615.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-16-CBS-EN-defictnumb.jpg Back on October 7, when the Congressional Budget Office reported that the federal deficit had ballooned to a massive $1.4 trillion during President Obama's first year on the job, Katie Couric's CBS Evening News did not tell viewers. But Couric finally caught up to the bad news after the Obama White House put out its final numbers on Friday afternoon. Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:10:00 -0400 20091016044340.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091016044340.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-16-MSNBC-Shuster.jpg On Friday, MSNBC News Live anchor David Shuster admitted that his cable network had been "unable to verify" the false quotes he and others attributed to Rush Limbaugh. However, he did not apologize or retract the fake comments. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:37:00 -0400 20091016124758.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091016124758.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-16-NBC-Guthrie.jpg Last night ABC News, as the MRC's Brent Baker noted, showcased the "Why People Hate You Obama?" kid and on Friday's Today show it was NBC's turn to be charmed by the Obama-adoring child. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:42:00 -0400 20091016101956.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091016101956.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-15-ABC-WNCG-whyhate.jpg ABC's Charles Gibson on Thursday night showcased what he described as "an interesting" question President Barack Obama got from "a fourth grader" during a friendly town hall session in New Orleans: "Why people hate you, and why? They're supposed to love you." Viewers were treated to a lengthy soundbite of Obama's appreciative response. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:15:00 -0400 20091015090147.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091015090147.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/HuffPoLogoMRC.jpg In 2006, Huffington Post writer Jack Huberman disseminated quotes allegedly from Rush Limbaugh declaring sympathy for slavery and Martin Luther King's assassin. The quotes were widely cited as real by several sports writers and on CNN and MSNBC in the past week. The Huffington Post now says Huberman has failed to substantiate them, and the quotes have been pulled from their site. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:53:00 -0400 20091015063701.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091015063701.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-15-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg In an intro dripping with sarcasm, Chris Matthews, on Thursday's Hardball, opened his show by declaring Rush Limbaugh's "racially inflammatory words," have "knocked him out as a potential NFL owner." Matthews went on to mock the radio talk show host as the "master of righteous indignation," and rhymed "that it takes large forces indeed, to bring down so grand a man as he." Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:33:00 -0400 20091015122011.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091015122011.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-15-ABC-GMA-Rush[1].jpg NBC and CBS's morning shows on Thursday completely skipped any reference to the false quotes that forced Rush Limbaugh to be dropped from a group bidding to buy the St. Louis Rams. Only Good Morning America had any coverage at all. News anchor Chris Cuomo simply recapped the development and added, "[Limbaugh] had been criticized for past statements about black players." Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:14:00 -0400 20091014063035.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091014063035.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-06-03-MSNBC-Maddow.jpg On the June 3, 2009 Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, host Rachel Maddow cited a false quote attributed to Rush Limbaugh in which the radio host supposedly said he wanted to award Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassin the Medal of Honor. Since Limbaugh expressed interest in becoming part owner of the St. Louis Rams in October, several MSNBC hosts have repeated that and other false quotes. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:27:00 -0400 20091014053115.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091014053115.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-13-MSNBC-CWO-Malkinworse.jpg On Tuesday's Countdown show, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann spewed bile at conservative commentator Michelle Malkin, accusing her of possessing "fascistic hatred," and comparing her to a "mashed-up bag of meat with lipstick on it." Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:27:00 -0400 20091014022227.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091014022227.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/BryanBurwell.jpg Back on October 7, St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports writer Bryan Burwell was the first to impugn Rush Limbaugh with a quote claiming the radio host saw "merits" in slavery. In his latest column, Burwell suggested it didn't really matter if the quote was a "fabrication." Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:15:00 -0400 20091014122857.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091014122857.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Toure.jpg MSNBC contributor Touré on Wednesday continued the network's vitriolic, slanderous attacks on Rush Limbaugh. Discussing the radio host's bid to buy the St. Louis Rams, the cable commentator smeared, "Several NFL players have already said they would not play for Rush because they know he would love to say he owns a plantation full of black men." Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:19:00 -0400 20091013081218.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091013081218.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-13-ABC-WNCG-Gibson.jpg "In 1912, almost a hundred years ago," ABC's Charles Gibson trumpeted, "Teddy Roosevelt called for universal health care. It now may be closer than at any time since then." Katie Couric championed "a major victory for President Obama" and how “health care reform cleared a major hurdle” so "health care reform is closer than it's ever been," but, she warned, "the battle is still far from over." Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:12:00 -0400 20091013071046.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091013071046.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-13-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Chris Matthews, on Tuesday's Hardball, went all blue when discussing Rush Limbaugh's interview with his NBC News colleague Jamie Gangel. After showing a clip of Limbaugh playing word association, in which the talk show host bashed Matthews' old boss Jimmy Carter as "An utter disgrace and embarrassment," the Hardball host fired back with this odd rejoinder: "You say Rush Limbaugh, I say phone sex for the traveling salesman. Think about it." Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:58:00 -0400 20091013061953.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091013061953.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-13-CNN-Sanchez.jpg On Monday, CNN's Rick Sanchez claimed radio host Rush Limbaugh once said of slavery: "It had its merits," but offered no documentation. On Tuesday, Sanchez relayed Limbaugh's strong denial, but the CNN anchor did not retract his inflammatory charge - yet he still offered zero evidence that it is true. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:06:00 -0400 20091013051004.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091013051004.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-12-CNN-AC-Sharpton.jpg CNN's Anderson Cooper brought on Rev. Al Sharpton- a person with an actual racially-divisive past- on his program on Monday to expound on his argument that Rush Limbaugh is "divisive" and even "anti-NFL." Sharpton went so far as to claim that the issue of the talk show host's involvement in the purchase of the St. Louis Rams is "whether or not the NFL is going to have standards." Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:21:00 -0400 20091013031041.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091013031041.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-13-ABC-GMA-Roberts[1].jpg ABC's Good Morning America on Tuesday devoted two stories to whether the "controversial" Rush Limbaugh would be able to buy an NFL team, but skipped any discussion of the false quotes that have been circulating about the radio host. Co-host Robin Roberts instead fretted, "Opponents say Limbaugh has a history of making racially offensive comments, some directed squarely at NFL players." Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:01:00 -0400 20091013122435.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091013122435.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-13-ABC-GMA-Williams.jpg Legendary singer Andy Williams has backed off the sharp edge of his criticism of President Obama. About three weeks after he told a British magazine Obama "wants the country to fail," Williams, prompted by ABC's Chris Cuomo on Tuesday's Good Morning America to agree he was "taken out of context," concurred. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:17:00 -0400 20091013113108.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091013113108.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-13-NBC-Limbaugh.jpg In the second part of her interview with Rush Limbaugh, on Tuesday's Today show, NBC's Jamie Gangel attempted to broker a beer summit between the radio talk show host and the President. Gangel, during the mostly friendly interview with Limbaugh, suggested a meeting between the two to promote "more unity," Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:25:00 -0400 20091012062200.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091012062200.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-12-MSNBC-NL-Graphic[1].jpg For the second time on Monday, MSNBC cited a dubious "quote" from Rush Limbaugh in which the conservative radio host supposedly said that "slavery had its merits." The source? A linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. David Shuster asserted that "James Farrior says Limbaugh should be denied the privilege of owning an NFL franchise for comments like 'slavery had its merits.'" Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:10:00 -0400 20091012062146.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091012062146.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-11-NBC-Viqueira.jpg NBC's Today show on Sunday devoted a three-minute report to President Obama's speech to "gay rights" proponents, where he promised a repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The report had several sound bites from homosexual critics of the President, and none from proponents of keeping the policy. On the other hand, ABC's GMA on Sunday had only one 23-second news brief on Obama's speech. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:52:00 -0400 20091012050944.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091012050944.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/USATodaySportsforMRCfront.jpg Add USA Today to the list of media outlets smearing Rush Limbaugh as a racist to support their opposition to Limbaugh becoming an NFL team owner. In a column featured in Monday's Sports section, Drew Sharp argued the league can't be "left with no alternative but embracing someone whose occupational practice is making people feel more comfortable within their own prejudices." Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:05:00 -0400 20091012042927.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091012042927.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-12-CBS-TES-Smith[1].jpg Speaking with political analyst John Dickerson on Monday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith asked about the latest Obama administration attack on Fox News: “Anita Dunn, the communications director for the White House, pushed back against Fox. This is the first time that we've seen somebody really come out, out loud and say what she had to say....Now there seems to be a full frontal assault.” Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:23:00 -0400 20091012024058.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091012024058.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Zirin.jpg MSNBC on Monday featured the Nation magazine's sports editor to rant against Rush Limbaugh as a "unreconstructed racist," a "swine" and also lobby that the conservative host shouldn't be allowed to purchase the St. Louis Rams football team. Morning Meeting guest host Contessa Brewer completely ignored the left-wing affiliation of Dave Zirin and identified him only as "sports writer." Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:25:00 -0400 20091012023016.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091012023016.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-12-CBS-TES-Plante[1].jpg On Monday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez declared: “Washington's largest gay rights rally in a decade puts pressure on President Obama.” Co-host Harry Smith later introduced the story: “An issue that was on the back burner for President Obama suddenly got turned up to high over the weekend. Thanks to a group that is normally supportive of the President, gay rights activists.” Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:45:00 -0400 20091012125615.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091012125615.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2008-05-11-ABC-TW-Marcus.jpg Long-time Washington Post reporter and editor Ruth Marcus, in a Saturday column, called Obama's Nobel "ridiculous." Then she offered up what gives her the credibility to make such a judgment: "I admire President Obama. I like President Obama. I voted for President Obama." Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:51:00 -0400 20091012124908.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091012124908.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2005-01-19-CNNEdsall[1].jpg Veteran reporter Thomas Edsall is again sounding the alarm on the political imbalance of today's news media, though his proposed solution, illustrated by the headline to his Thursday post at Columbia Journalism Review, might not satisfy critics: "Journalism Should Own Its Liberalism." Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:45:00 -0400 20091010014515.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091010014515.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-09-ABC-WNCG-Nobel.jpg ABC, CBS and NBC all led Friday night with the "surprise" pick of President Barack Obama for the Nobel Peace Prize and acknowledged the choice was meant as a slap at former President George W. Bush, but that didn't prevent them from touting the honor. NBC's Brian Williams championed how it's "one of the last remaining towering honors on Earth." Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:35:00 -0400 20091010013351.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091010013351.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-09-MSNBC-Alter.jpg Rush Limbaugh for attack, on Friday's MSNBC Live. While acknowledging that "everybody agrees it was premature" to award the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama, Alter singled out the two groups that, in his view, were actually voicing criticism: "You've got the mullahs in the Taliban, and then you've got Mullah Rush." Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:28:00 -0400 20091010011458.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091010011458.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-09-CNN-Lothian.jpg CNN's Dan Lothian, on Friday morning, saw nothing but pluses for President Obama's reception of the Nobel Peace Prize. Lothian guessed Obama "obviously is getting an 'A' for effort here," and even went so far to speculate about whether the reward could help "push through on...health care as well...so this could help him." Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:07:00 -0400 20091009055810.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091009055810.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Shuster.jpg MSNBC's David Shuster on Friday slammed Rush Limbaugh as "un-American" and "extreme" for criticizing Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize win. The liberal co-host of News Live applauded the President's speech on the award and asserted, "...It makes the harsh comments from Michael Steele, from Rush Limbaugh, the rest, seem even more extreme and, as some would argue, un-American." Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:51:00 -0400 20091009042738.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091009042738.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-09-CBS-TES-Schieffe[1].jpg On Friday's CBS Early Show, Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer wondered about negative political fallout from President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize win: “one European commentator who said 'will this become a poison chalice?' In other words, is this going to hurt the President rather than help him?...is this going to widen the part of partisan divide rather than bring people together?” Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:24:00 -0400 20091009025941.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091009025941.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Gibson.jpg Anchoring live coverage on Friday of Barack Obama's speech about receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, ABC's Charles Gibson enthused that the President won the award because he inspires. The World News host extolled, "The Nobel Committee feeling that he has inspired a new sense in the world." Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0400 20091009010234.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091009010234.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-09-CBS-EN-Obamashotblock.jpg Hours before the Nobel committee awarded its "Peace Prize" to Barack Obama, the CBS Evening News found another "achievement" to tout: A White House-released photo of Obama blocking a basketball shot. Fill-in anchor Maggie Rodriquez explained how it shows Obama impressively "blocking a shot by his aide, Reggie Love, who is younger, taller, and by the way, a former ball player at Duke." Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:04:00 -0400 20091009114647.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091009114647.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-09-ABC-GMASawyer[1].jpg Good Morning America co-host Diane Sawyer on Friday used an odd expression to fawn over Barack Obama's Nobel Prize win. She cooed that the award is "the Olympic gold of international diplomacy." (Was this Sawyer's way of saying the prize makes up for the Chicago Olympic failure?) Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:42:00 -0400 20091009104100.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091009104100.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-09-NBC-Today-Lauer.jpg Even Barack Obama's fan club on NBC's Today were stunned at the President's winning of the Nobel Peace Prize. Co-host Matt Lauer found it baffling: "We're less than a year into the first term of this president and there are no - I'm not trying to be, you know, rude here - no major foreign policy achievements, to date." Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:37:00 -0400 20091009102109.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091009102109.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-08-CBS-EN-81b.jpg The Senate Finance Committee's ObamaCare bill will spend $829 billion, but CBS Evening News Maggie Rodriquez trumpeted how "according to a new report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the plan costs less than expected and would actually reduce the deficit. So why do Republicans still oppose it?" Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:15:00 -0400 20091008040516.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091008040516.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-08-ABCGMAgraph[1].jpg Wednesday's CBS Evening News With Katie Couric and Thursday's Early show completely ignored any mention of the fact that the deficit has risen to a staggering $1.4 trillion, triple what it was a year ago. The Early Show, however, did find time to report the incredibly important news that Levi Johnston will be posing for Playgirl. Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:30:00 -0400 20091008010551.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091008010551.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-08-CBS-TES-Cordes[1].jpg Following the talking points of the Democratic Party, at the top of Thursday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez declared a win for health care legislation being pushed by Montana Senator Max Baucus: “President Obama's health care plan gets a green light from the Congressional Budget Office, as a key bill not only pays for itself, but actually saves billions.” Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0400 20091008022052.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091008022052.aspx http://www.mrc.org/BiasAlert/uploads/NewsweekRussiaMRChomepage.jpg The October 12 issue of Newsweek asked: "Was Russia Better Off Red?" The "Back Story" page of the magazine featured a graphic comparing life under communism to now: "Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has seen an increase in oligarchs and Louis Vuitton outlets. But by many other measures, Russians are worse off." Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:45:00 -0400 20091007034305.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091007034305.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/WashingtonPost-Logo.jpg Hard-left "anti-war" protesters topped the front of The Washington Post on Wednesday and drew most of an inside page. It wasn't until paragraph 25 that the Post admitted they only counted 176 protesters. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:04:00 -0400 20091007021208.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091007021208.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Brewer.jpg MSNBC's Contessa Brewer on Wednesday angrily agreed with Democratic claims that the National Republican Congressional Committee made a sexist slam against Nancy Pelosi. Appearing on Morning Meeting, Brewer attacked the critique of the House Speaker as "not good" and a "poor move." Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:06:00 -0400 20091007095114.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091007095114.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/SmithsonianArt.jpg "You can't see it, but there's a quiet cultural revolution under way at the White House," gushed the AP's Nancy Benac in the lead to her Tuesday night dispatch headlined: "Modern art hits 1600 Pa. Ave." Benac heralded: "The Obamas are decorating their private spaces with....Bold colors, odd shapes, squiggly lines have arrived." Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:45:00 -0400 20091006093410.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091006093410.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-06-CBS-EN-Logan.jpg For the second night, CBS devoted time in its “Afghanistan: The Road Ahead” series to stressing how the decision to go into Iraq undermined success in Afghanistan. Lara Logan: "What many here see as the gravest error of all: Afghans were wary as the U.S. turned its attention to invading Iraq. And they were right." Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:34:00 -0400 20091006092500.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091006092500.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Paul Begala.jpg Democratic strategist Paul Begala can be relied upon to use the "drug card" against Rush Limbaugh and he was true to form on Tuesday's Situation Room. When CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked what it would mean if Limbaugh bought the St. Louis Rams, Begala snarked: "Just don't put him in charge of the team's drug policy....Don't give him access to that medicine cabinet." Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:19:00 -0400 20091006062236.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091006062236.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-06-NBC-CurryThom.jpg NBC's Ann Curry, on Tuesday's Today show, called longtime liberal White House correspondent Helen Thomas her "inspiration." As part of an ongoing series "Today's Mentors and Inspirations," Curry visited the former UPI reporter and current Hearst columnist in Washington and offered a bouquet of a profile to her hero as, over video of Thomas challenging former presidents Curry gushed: "Affectionately called the First Lady of the White House press corps, Helen Thomas has made 10 presidents sweat, stammer, and answer to the people. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:18:00 -0400 20091006033537.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091006033537.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2008-11-12-ABC-GMAShipman[1].jpg According to ABC correspondent Claire Shipman, the botched Olympic bid by Barack Obama is actually a "good" thing for the President. Writing an online column for True/Slant, Shipman bizarrely spun, "It would have been great had he come home a winner. Great for all of us. But maybe not so much for him. Why? Because then he would have then [sic] really irked his critics." Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:29:00 -0400 20091006020249.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091006020249.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/obama_doctors_healthcare1.jpg The New York Times played up "White Coats in Rose Garden," a photo-op of doctors shipped in to support Obama's health care overhaul, but reporter Sheryl Gay Stolberg managed to miss the embarrassing image of White House staffers passing out coats to doctors who didn't have one. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:02:00 -0400 20091005090018.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091005090018.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-05-CBS-EN-CouricMap.jpg On Monday's CBS Evening News, Katie Couric delivered a "How We Got Here" review of Afghanistan after eight years of U.S. troops on the ground, culminating with Couric conveying as fact -- based on the view of Clinton administration Secretary of State Madeleine Albright -- the relatively simplistic liberal critique of how Iraq distracted the U.S. from the more important battle in Afghanistan. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:55:00 -0400 20091005085454.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091005085454.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-05-CNN-AM-Toobin.jpg CNN'st Jeffrey Toobin again turned to his usual labeling of the ideological split on the Supreme Court on Monday's American Morning. Toobin tagged Justices Scalia, Thomas, Alito and Roberts "very conservative" three times, as opposed to the mere "liberal" justices on the Court. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:49:00 -0400 20091005065129.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091005065129.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-05-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Chris Matthews, on Monday's Hardball, accused the right wing of achieving an "orgiastic level" of excitement in its rooting against Barack Obama to deliver the Olympics to Chicago. Matthews, joined by the Chicago Tribune's Clarence Page and CNSNews.com's very own Terry Jeffrey, opened his show by declaring that the "Right roots against America." Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:46:00 -0400 20091005040814.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091005040814.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-05-CBS-FTN-Schieffe[1].jpg n a display of the ever lowering standards by which the media judge Barack Obama's presidency, on Sunday's CBS Face the Nation, host Bob Schieffer downplayed the President's failed Olympic bid: “this is going to come as a surprise to some but the world did not end Friday....a lot of people thought it might if the President flew to Copenhagen and failed to bring home the Olympics.” Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:01:00 -0400 20091005031149.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091005031149.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Ratigan.jpg Morning Meeting host Dylan Ratigan on Monday smeared conservatives, saying that the right doesn't care if "half the country dies" in order to "take down Obama" on health care. Ratigan made his vitriolic remark while discussing glee over the President's botched handling of the Chicago Olympic bid. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:20:00 -0400 20091005025345.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091005025345.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NoTrust.jpg A Gallup poll released October 1 confirms that few Americans trust the media and about three times as many see the press as "too liberal" (45%) as opposed to "too conservative" (15%). Far more Democrats express confidence in the media than Republicans, but even a slight plurality of Democrats describe the press as "too liberal" (21%) rather than "too conservative" (20%). Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:48:00 -0400 20091005085735.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091005085735.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/GarofaloVideo.jpg Janeane Garofalo used another media appearance to smear anti-Obama protesters as racists, this time, Friday night on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, insisting "it's obvious to anybody who has eyes in this country that tea-baggers, the 9-12ers" are "clearly white power movements" led “by the Glenn Becks, the Michelle Bachmans, the Rush Limbaughs." Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:48:00 -0400 20091005084526.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091005084526.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-02-ABC-WNCG-StephGibson.jpg The broadcast evening networks all led Friday night not with the jump in the unemployment rate to 9.8%, but with the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) rejection of Chicago's bid, stories which reflected the premise Chicago lost "despite" or "in spite" of the "star-studded U.S. appeal from Oprah to the Obamas." Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:37:00 -0400 20091002060441.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091002060441.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-02-ABC-GMAdeNies[1].jpg On Friday, just hours before the International Olympic Committee rejected Barack Obama's appeal for Chicago to be awarded the 2016 Olympic games, ABC's Yunji de Nies swore that Michelle Obama and her husband thrilled the crowd. She enthused, "Their work here is done. They are on their way home. The presentation was everything they promised, emotional, heartfelt, energetic." Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:58:00 -0400 20091002043916.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091002043916.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-02-MSNBC-O'Donnell.jpg A week after aggressively defending school children in New Jersey literally singing Barack Obama's praises, on MSNBC on Friday, anchor Norah O'Donnell once again expressed her support of the song and went after critics: “I think this is sort of a silly issue, I do, I'll just say that, you know, and I'm not an ideologue. And I got hammered in the blogs for making that comment.” Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:34:00 -0400 20091002041146.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091002041146.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-01-MSNBC-Tanenhaus.jpg New York Times Week in Review and Book Review editor Sam Tanenhaus, on Slate, useed a well-known lefty vulgarism: "Even today the right insists it is driven by ideas, even if the leading thinkers are now Limbaugh and Beck, and the shock troops are tea-baggers and anti-tax demonstrators." Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:07:00 -0400 20091002032634.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091002032634.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Charlie-Gibson.jpg World News host Charlie Gibson appeared bewildered on Friday as ABC broke into regular coverage to report the "stunning," crushing" news that Barack Obama had lost his bid to secure the 2016 Olympics for Chicago. The anchor reported live from the disappointed city and fretted over how this failure was a "kick in the pants for the President." Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:10:00 -0400 20091002124824.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091002124824.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-02-CBS-TES-Obama[1].jpg On Friday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez speculated on the impact of President Obama's personal appeal for the 2016 Olympics to be held in Chicago: “President Obama arrives in Copenhagen, carrying the torch for Chicago as the best candidate for the 2016 summer Olympics...Will he bring home the gold?” When the announcement came, Chicago was immediately eliminated from contention. Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:44:00 -0400 20091002032625.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091002032625.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-01-NBC-NN-Williams.jpg Just over two weeks after NBC's Brian Williams pushed former President Jimmy Carter's racism charge, Williams devoted more than two minutes of Thursday's NBC Nightly News to marking Carter's 85th birthday by cuing him up to put in his own words how he "stands out" from other ex-Presidents, "what has set you apart from other chief executives – in mind set and your wiring?" Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:15:00 -0400 20091002030516.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091002030516.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/MatthewsVideoimage.jpg It would be "absurd" for Florida Rep. Alan Grayson (D) to apologize for insisting recently that Republicans stand behind a health care "holocaust," MSNBC's Chris Matthews argued on Thursday's Hardball. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:56:00 -0400 20091001045429.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091001045429.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-01-ABC-GMA-Shipman[1].jpg ABC's Claire Shipman on Thursday fawned over Jimmy Carter, celebrated his 85th birthday and the "incredible" presidential library bearing his name. Offering few tough questions, the Good Morning America correspondent instead thrilled, "This is really incredible. I mean, the center looks amazing." Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:48:00 -0400 20091001025354.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091001025354.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-30-NBC-NN-diequickly.jpg The NY Times moralized over Rep. Joe Wilson's "disrespectful" outburst ("You lie!") during Obama's health care address to Congress. But when a Democrat said the GOP's health care plan was for Americans to "die quickly" and compared the current health care system to the Holocaust, it's not worthy of a mention. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:46:00 -0400 20091001125309.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091001125309.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/De-Nies.jpg Good Morning America correspondent Yunji de Nies on Thursday touted White House talking points when she highlighted Michelle Obama's pitch for the 2016 Olympics to be in Chicago. De Nies parroted, "We're told there won't be a dry eye in the house by the time she's done." She was "told" this? Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:44:00 -0400 20091001123620.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091001123620.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-30-NBC-NN-Wil.jpg Uniquely among the broadcast network evening newscasts on Wednesday, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams gave attention to "incendiary" comments made by Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson of Florida, who charged that the Republican plan for health care is that people should "die quickly" if they get sick. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:32:00 -0400 20091001122900.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091001122900.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-10-01-NBC-Morales.jpg NBC's Natalie Morales, on Wednesday's Today, was bowled over by the First Couple's "tag-teaming" effort to lure the Olympics to their home city of Chicago. Reporting live from Copenhagen, Morales cheered that "it doesn't get any better in terms of PR blitzes than this," and effused the First Lady was "turning on the charm, as only she can." Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:24:00 -0400 20090930092941.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090930092941.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-30-CBS-EN-CouricOlympic.jpg With First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey now in Copenhagen, CBS anchor Katie Couric on Wednesday night declared "the 'Dream Team' pushing Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympic summer games is nearly complete" and is now just awaiting "the team captain" -- that would be President Barack Obama, who "arrives Friday ahead of the final vote." (with video) Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:22:00 -0400 20090930092000.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090930092000.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-30-CNN-TSR-Cafferty.jpg CNN's Jack Cafferty and Wolf Blitzer endorsed Thomas Friedman's "scary and sobering column" in the New York Times where the liberal writer compared the American political climate to Israel in 1995 prior to Yitzhak Rabin's assassination. After Cafferty remarked that "Friedman's right," Blitzer labeled the column "powerful." Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:11:00 -0400 20090930062550.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090930062550.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2008-11-20-CC-TCR-Fried.jpg Making a truly odious comparison, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman claimed parallels between the behavior of anti-Obama protestors (who have been quite peaceful) to that of "extreme right-wing settlers" in Israel before the 1995 assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:19:00 -0400 20090930123447.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090930123447.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-30-ABC-GMAJohnson[1].jpg On Wednesday's Good Morning America, co-host Diane Sawyer and Dr. Tim Johnson touted the treatment members of Congress get as an example of the unfairness of the health care system. Sawyer speculated, "The question is continually raised, in this land of equal opportunity, should all Americans have, do all Americans deserve the same access to health care that members of Congress have?" Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:29:00 -0400 20090929083423.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090929083423.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-29-ABC-WNCG-JohnsonGibson.jpg In the wake of a Senate committee's rejection of the "public option," ABC's Dr. Tim Johnson argued we must follow Switzerland and Germany which have "very heavy government regulation" on health insurance. "One way or another, public option or regulation, the government has to play a role," Johnson, who in March declared it a "national shame" that the U.S. lacks universal coverage, maintained. Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:28:00 -0400 20090929044906.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090929044906.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NewYorkTimes-Logo.jpg A reader could assume the Sept. 12 conservative protest in DC and the anarchist protest in Pittsburgh were of the same magnitude, as both described the crowd as in "thousands." Headline from the conservative rally, where the low end of crowd estimates was 70,000: "Thousands Attend Broad Protest of Government." Headline for the 4,000 left-winger: "In Pittsburgh, Thousands Stage a Peaceful March for Multiple Causes." Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:43:00 -0400 20090929030404.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090929030404.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-29-ABC-GMASawyer[1].jpg ABC's Good Morning America on Tuesday America continued to raise questions about the arrest of Roman Polanski in Europe, spinning the case as a "31-year-old prosecutorial obsession." According to reporter Nick Watt, the film director has "been hunted since 1978." Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:15:00 -0400 20090929021525.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090929021525.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/AndyWilliamsatBranson.jpg President Obama "wants the country to fail," legendary singer Andy Williams declared in flipping Rush Limbaugh's hope Obama "fails" in his quest to enact left-wing policies. Williams: "I think he wants to create a socialist country. The people he associates with are very left-wing....Obama is following Marxist theory. He's taken over the banks and the car industry. He wants the country to fail." Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:07:00 -0400 20090928085011.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090928085011.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-28-CBS-EN-SmithOlympics.jpg President Barack Obama's last-minute decision to fly Thursday to Copenhagen to pitch Chicago's bid for the 2016 summer Olympic games excited broadcast network journalists Monday night. "The Olympic motto is 'swifter, higher, stronger,'" fill-in CBS Evening News anchor Harry Smith reminded viewers before trumpeting: "Apparently, President Obama is taking that to heart." Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:45:00 -0400 20090928084433.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090928084433.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-27-CNN-Zakaria.jpg CNN's Fareed Zakaria gave President Obama's diplomacy-first foreign policy a ringing endorsement on his program on Sunday, lauding it as a breath of fresh air: "Obama is betting that America has matured, and that we recognize that...without the cooperation of other countries, America cannot be secure at home or prosperous. It's a bold gambit. Here's hoping it pays off." Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:38:00 -0400 20090928044948.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090928044948.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-28-CBS-TES-Smith[1].jpg Monday's CBS Early Show touted a new 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll about American cultural attitudes, with CBSNews.com's Cali Carlin asking co-host Maggie Rodriguez one of the survey questions: "Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Angelina Jolie or Beyonce...Who would you want to swap lives with for a week?" Rodriguez immediately responded: "Hands down, Michelle Obama." Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:44:00 -0400 20090928034852.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090928034852.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-28-ABC-GMA-Watt[1].jpg Hosts and reporters on Monday's Good Morning America hyperventilated about the arrest of fugitive Roman Polanski. Co-anchor Diane Sawyer worried that the detention of the director accused of child rape has created a "true international incident." Co-host Robin Roberts played up the supposed complexity of situation, referring to the event as an "international chess game." Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:42:00 -0400 20090928011913.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090928011913.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/ClarkHoyt.jpg New York Times Public Editor Clark Hoyt's latest column tackles the ACORN scandal - or as Times readers know it: "What ACORN scandal?" In "Tuning In Too Late," Hoyt criticized the Times for its lack of coverage of the juicy ACORN imbroglio, an omission that has prodded the paper into creating a new semi-position. It's assigned an editor to monitor opinion media and catch stories like this earlier. Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:11:00 -0400 20090927112852.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090927112852.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-27-NBC-MTP-ClintonGregory.jpg Imagining a "vast right wing conspiracy" to discredit info about her husband's activities with an intern was ludicrous when Hillary Clinton made up the foil, but David Gregory treated it as reality, cuing up Bill Clinton on Meet the Press: "Your wife famously talked about the vast right wing conspiracy targeting you. As you look at this opposition on the right to Obama, is it still there?" Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:22:00 -0400 20090927111815.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090927111815.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/rajunarisetti.jpg A few weeks ago Washington Post Managing Editor Raju Narisetti rued in this tweet via his Twitter account: "We can incur all sorts of federal deficits for wars and what not. But we have to promise not to increase it by $1 for healthcare reform? Sad." New Post guidelines on the use of social network sites forced Narisetti to close his Twitter account. Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:55:00 -0400 20090926114435.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090926114435.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NBC-LO-JackMcCoy.jpg Playing out a liberal dream, the season premiere of NBC's Law and Order delivered a plot in which the local district attorney prosecuted a former Justice Dept lawyer for "depraved indifference murder" based on the fact an Abu Ghraib prisoner died in the custody of soldiers who were following the lawyer's memo on the techniques which could be used on suspected terrorists. (with video) Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:37:00 -0400 20090925125436.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090925125436.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/washingtonpostlogo[1].jpg The Washington Post on Friday buried the announcement by Douglas Wilder, a popular Democratic ex-governor of Virginia, to not endorse his party’s current nominee for that office, Creigh Deeds. The Post placed the story, with the bland headline, "Wilder Declines to Endorse Anyone for Governor," below the fold in the Metro section. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:50:00 -0400 20090925015837.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090925015837.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-24-Leno-LimbaughVideo.jpg Taking the "Green Car Challenge" on Thursday night's Jay Leno Show, a svelte Rush Limbaugh - declining to don a helmet - hopped into the electric Ford Focus on Leno's track behind his NBC studio in Burbank, but instead of driving around the hanging cut outs of Al Gore and Ed Begley Jr., Limbaugh ran right into them. Then, to Leno's cries of "Oh, c'mon!", a delighted Limbaugh accepted the penalty against his time score and stopped, backed up and smashed into them again. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:59:00 -0400 20090924061737.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090924061737.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-23-CNN-LKL-Moore.jpg CNN's Larry King fawned over Michael Moore during an hour-long interview on his program on Wednesday, calling the leftist's latest feature "a brilliant documentary," and went on to label the director "our number one propagandist." King encouraged all of his viewers to see Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story," which was released in New York City and L.A. earlier that day. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:11:00 -0400 20090924060922.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090924060922.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Odonnell.jpg MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell on Thursday appeared mystified as to why anyone would have a problem with New Jersey school children being led in a song praising Barack Obama. The February 2009 video contained these lyrics: "He said we must be fair today! Equal work means equal pay! Barack Hussein Obama! He said, red yellow, black or white, all are equal in his sight! Barack Hussein Obama!" Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:06:00 -0400 20090924043405.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090924043405.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-23-MSNBC-ES-Shultz.jpg Enraged over Republican opposition to ObamaCare, on The Ed Show on MSNBC Wednesday, host Ed Schultz screamed at viewers: "The Republicans lie! They want to see you dead! They'd rather make money off your dead corpse! They kind of like it when that woman has cancer and they don't have anything for her." Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:30:00 -0400 20090924031458.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090924031458.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/PollShort.jpg More bad news for the media: A new poll on from Sacred Heart University's Polling Institute finds five out of six Americans (83.6%) see the national news media as "very or somewhat biased," and nearly nine out of ten (89.3%) say the media were a strong factor in electing Barack Obama as President last year. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:08:00 -0400 20090924100608.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090924100608.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-23-NBC-Leno.jpg Jay Leno delivered a monologue joke, with MSNBC's Chris Matthews as the punch line, on Wednesday night's prime time Jay Leno Show on NBC: "Michelle Obama was very upset by all these drooling blondes who would push up to her husband... Finally, Michelle said, 'Look, Chris Matthews, get away from my husband.'" Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:01:00 -0400 20090923111008.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090923111008.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-23-CBS-EN-Couricpivotal.jpg ABC, CBS and NBC all led Wednesday night with President Barack Obama's address at the United Nations, but Katie Couric was the most effusive in trumpeting how Obama marked the end of the Bush era as she teased the CBS Evening News: "Tonight, the President tells the world America's 'go it alone' policy is over." Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:55:00 -0400 20090923041646.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090923041646.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/FunnyOrDiePSA.jpg The New York Times' health care priorities revealed: A parody ad by liberal comedian Will Farrell and left-wing MoveOn.org is considered newsworthy; suppression of free speech by the Obama administration isn't. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:16:00 -0400 20090923034419.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090923034419.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Michael-Moore.jpg In less than 24 hours, ABC devoted 13 minutes to rhapsodizing over liberal Michael Moore's new, "deeply Christian" film, Capitalism: A Love Story. Featuring the director first on Tuesday's Nightline, co-anchor Terry Moran took his socialistic agenda seriously and opened the show by teasing, "Is capitalism evil?" Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:50:00 -0400 20090923090136.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090923090136.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-22-ABC-WNCG-HHSorder.jpg Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's decision to go to the Senate floor on Tuesday to call out the Obama administration for using the full power of a federal regulatory agency to suppress free speech -- to silence Humana's predictions about the impact of proposed ObamaCare cuts in Medicare -- led ABC, but not CBS or NBC, to air a story on the "gag order." Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:56:00 -0400 20090923023128.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090923023128.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-22-NBC-NN-Williams.jpg President Obama disappointed NBC by failing, at the UN's "Summit on Climate Change," to go far enough on global warming. "President Obama's being accused of falling short on the environment today with the whole world watching," Brian Williams teased. Williams framed his lead story through the prism of the left as he fretted that, "in the eyes of a lot of environmentalists," Obama "fell short." Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:35:00 -0400 20090922063841.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090922063841.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-22-Hardball-Matthew.jpg Chris Matthews, on Tuesday's Hardball, ominously warned that the "activists on the radio," are "gonna pay," if "we have violence in this country against our president of any form," for having "encouraged the craziness." Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:35:00 -0400 20090922050730.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090922050730.aspx http://www.mrc.org/BiasAlert/uploads/NewsweekCheney-croppedforMRC.jpg Famed news photographer David Hume Kennerly took to the New York Times' "Lens" blog last week, with an update on Monday in which he denounced Newsweek's "skewed imagery to advance its editorial agenda," to excoriate the magazine for "photo fakery" in how it cropped a picture he took of Dick Cheney to imply "something sinister, macabre, or even evil was going on." Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:05:00 -0400 20090922010155.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090922010155.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-22-NBC-Today-Lauer.jpg During a wide-ranging interview with Bill Clinton, on Tuesday's Today show, about his Clinton Initiative summit, NBC's Matt Lauer wanted to get the former President's advice on whether current New York Governor David Paterson should run again. Lauer, seemingly concerned about the GOP capturing the governorship in New York state, asked Clinton if the unpopular Democrat's reelection bid might "hurt the Democratic Party." Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:59:00 -0400 20090922093227.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090922093227.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-21-CBS-LSDL-ObamaLetterman.jpg David Letterman, who still regularly ridicules former President George W. Bush, didn't hide his affinity for Barack Obama during his Monday night Late Show interview of the President. "I can't tell you how satisfying it is to watch you work," a beaming Letterman gushed to Obama at the conclusion of the program. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:26:00 -0400 20090921030449.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090921030449.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-20-CBS-SM-Greenfiel.jpg Reporting for CBS's Sunday Morning, political analyst Jeff Greenfield wondered about the impact of nationwide ant-Obama protests: "Does this new militancy on the Right pose an opportunity for the Republican Party or create a dilemma?" He fretted over the tone: "Some of it is aimed specifically and virulently at Obama....At his background, at his race, at his agenda." Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:00:00 -0400 20090921030150.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090921030150.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-21-MSNBC-MM-Ratigan.jpg On Monday's Morning Meeting, MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan and his journalist guests expressed frustration that the ACORN scandal hasn't gone away. Politico correspondent Mike Allen lobbied, "...It's time to move on." Ratigan highlighted other groups and offered moral equivalence: "And are all of these organizers ultimately guilty of some sort of shady activity or another?" Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:30:00 -0400 20090921093930.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090921093930.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-20-CBS-FN-montage.jpg In the series of network interviews recorded Friday at the White House for airing on the ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC Sunday morning interview shows, all highlighted Jimmy Carter's charge that racism is fueling the anti-Obamacare protests – with CNN's John King and NBC's David Gregory following up with Nancy Pelosi's claim the heated rhetoric may incite violence – and CBS's Bob Schieffer asserted the "meanness that has settled over our political dialogue" had "started this summer at these town hall meetings." Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:32:00 -0400 20090918092939.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090918092939.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-18-CBS-EN-ObamaMediaBlitz.jpg TV network journalists Friday night marveled at President Obama's "media blitz" on health even as they reveled in it as they made the very "blitz" and clips from the interviews (conducted Friday for Sunday morning) their top story of the day. Based on those excerpts, the Sunday hosts were most interested in getting Obama's take on the "tone" of the debate and whether opposition is driven by racism. Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:28:00 -0400 20090918061012.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090918061012.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-18-MSNBC-HB-Matthew.jpg While concluding a segment on racism involved in anti-Obama protests, MSNBC Hardball host Chris Matthews promoted the book of one of his guests, liberal historian Douglas Brinkley, and proceeded to rant: "There's so much right-wing crap on the best seller list these days. It's great to see a book that you might want to put on your shelf and let your respected friends see you actually reading." Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:06:00 -0400 20090918025249.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090918025249.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/murtha.jpg ABC's Jonathan Karl on Friday attacked wasteful government spending of stimulus money, even going to the John Murtha Airport in Western Pennsylvania, which he derided as a "ghost town." Providing some refreshing journalistic skepticism about the Obama legislation, Karl described the airport as a "monument to powerful Democratic Congressman John Murtha." Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0400 20090918023756.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090918023756.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-07-19-CNN-RS-Schorr.jpg On Wednesday, NPR "senior news analyst" Daniel Schorr insisted nationalized health care "would save many lives," and all those rumbles from the right about providing taxpayer-subsidized abortions and health care for illegal aliens are tiresome "distractions" from the urgent need for more government. Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:31:00 -0400 20090918122633.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090918122633.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-18-CBS-TES-Obama[1].jpg On Friday's CBS Early Show, White House correspondent Bill Plante highlighted President Obama's latest media blitz on health care reform and touted a new piece of the PR arsenal: "The President does have a new partner in his nonstop effort to sell health care, it's the First Lady....Michelle Obama will be more like a stealth weapon in the battle for health care, giving it a softer touch." Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:21:00 -0400 20090918102149.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090918102149.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-17-CBS-EN-45000.jpg Trying to boost the rationale for ObamaCare, Thursday's CBS Evening News ran two stories from far-left sources, but disguised the agenda behind both. Katie Couric announced that "while the debate goes on over the cost of insuring everyone, a new study reveals the cost of not doing it. The Harvard study says nearly 45,000 American deaths every year are linked to a lack of insurance." The report was really produced by Physicians for a National Health Program. Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:16:00 -0400 20090918094158.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090918094158.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-15-NBC-NN-Carter.jpg On Wednesday night, NBC Nightly News led with ex-president Jimmy Carter's racism charge against conservative opponents of Obama's agenda. On Thursday morning, the New York Times put Carter's slur on its front page, in a "Political Memo" that played the President of the United States as a victim. Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:34:00 -0400 20090916100245.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090916100245.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-16-NBC-NN-WilliamsCarter.jpg An evening after trumpeting President Jimmy Carter's racism charge, NBC led Wednesday night with the "fallout" as Andrea Mitchell proposed that though "many thought" the "racial divisions" were "healed by the election of the first African-American President," Carter's "blunt comments" have "prompted us to re-examine our assumptions about race." Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:55:00 -0400 20090916051118.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090916051118.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/IBDPollHP.jpg A new poll of more than 1,300 physicians finds that nearly two-thirds (65%) oppose ObamaCare and nearly half would consider quitting if the liberal health care plan passes. The poll deflates media suggestions that the American Medical Association (AMA)'s backing indicates widespread doctor support for ObamaCare. Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:05:00 -0400 20090916044619.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090916044619.aspx http://www.mrc.org/BiasAlert/uploads/MontanaStandardforMRC.jpg Butte's Montana Standard announced it would carry Byron York's column and introduced York by explaining how he's not a typical conservative: "York, a staunch conservative, presents his arguments in a thoughtful, measured fashion, rather than resorting to cheap personal attacks on President Obama and others in the Democratic Party that seem to be the hallmark of the GOP these days, said Standard Editor Gerry O'Brien." Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:46:00 -0400 20090916044604.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090916044604.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-16-MSNBC-MJ-Allen[1].jpg The Politico's Mike Allen appeared on Wednesday's Morning Joe to both defend the mainstream media's decision to ignore the ACORN controversy. Commenting on a piece he wrote about the subject, Allen spun, "And what we heard was news executives saying that there's so much out there. Two wars, health care, a President who's struggling, that they didn't have time to focus on this." Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:32:00 -0400 20090916025733.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090916025733.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-15-CBS-EN-Bowers[1].jpg CBS and NBC finally covered the ACORN scandal, but depicted the left-wing group as a victim. Evening News anchor Katie Couric lamented: “ACORN helps low-income Americans find affordable housing.... that may be coming to an end after a scandal caught on tape.” Today correspondent Lisa Myers declared: “ACORN has long been a target of conservatives.” Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0400 20090915094312.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090915094312.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-15-ABC-WNCG-GibsonOutofLine.jpg Tuesday night ABC and NBC joined efforts to undermine the tea parties by smearing them as racists. ABC framed a story around "Obama supporters are now saying" the opposition to him is "driven, in part, by a refusal to accept a black President," while NBC's Brian Williams touted how "former President Carter spoke up" about the racism. Williams alleged the tea parties "have featured...violent themes." Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:42:00 -0400 20090915073119.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090915073119.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-15-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Chris Matthews, on Tuesday's Hardball, insinuated racism may have been behind Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst against President Obama, at last week's health care speech, as he repeatedly asked his guests if they thought Wilson's exclamation was "A race thing," that represented "the old black/white attitude of the South." Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:28:00 -0400 20090915060234.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090915060234.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-13-CBS-SM-Giles[1].jpg Appearing on CBS's Sunday Morning, commentator Nancy Giles shared her thoughts on Congressman Joe Wilson's outburst: "Some sign waving and you probably heard about it, heckling. At a joint session of Congress....That's the voice of Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina, not some drunk at open mic night, calling the President a liar." Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:58:00 -0400 20090915043238.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090915043238.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-15-ABC-Champion-GMA[1].jpg Weatherman/global warming alarmist Sam Champion on Tuesday again promoted the cause of toilet paper-avoiding environmentalist Colin Beavan. In his brief "Just One Thing" segment, Champion touted books made on recycled paper and cheered that the tome No Impact Man is made on 100 percent recycled paper. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:20:00 -0400 20090915025315.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090915025315.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-15-ABC-GMA-Sawyer[1].jpg Good Morning America co-host Diane Sawyer on Tuesday conducted a surprisingly tough interview with Tim Geithner, grilling the Treasury Secretary on tax increases, spending and highlighting the 9/12 rally in Washington D.C. Speaking of the American people, she asserted, "They don't see a possible way out without tax raises." Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:15:00 -0400 20090914095259.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090914095259.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-14-CNN-TSR-witchdoctor.jpg CNN's efforts to smear Obama critics as racist gained visibility on Monday's Situation Room when the usually more sensible Wolf Blitzer, with "RACIAL TINGE TO TEA MOVEMENT" as the on-screen heading, set up a story on how, "most disturbing," within the tea party crowds there's "a very small but vocal minority, they're targeting President Obama's race." Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:46:00 -0400 20090914075012.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090914075012.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-13-NBC-Klein.jpg NBC's Norah O'Donnell, guest hosting for Chris Matthews over the weekend, repeatedly questioned her Chris Matthews Show panelists why there was "So much hate," and "venom," directed at Barack Obama at town hall events and Time's Joe Klein claimed it was all Rush Limbaugh's fault as he depicted opponents of Obama as racists that are "being egged on by the demagogues in, in the Republican Party, by Boss Rush Limbaugh. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:45:00 -0400 20090914074740.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090914074740.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-12-CNN-NR-Spellman.jpg CNN's Jim Spellman did his best to paint the participants of the Tea Party Express's rallies across the nation as a bunch of extremists on Saturday's Newsroom. Spellman played clips which zeroed-in on the protesters who called President Obama a Nazi, carried guns, or forwarded "outlandish conspiracy theories," and labeled all of them "a dark undercurrent." Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:41:00 -0400 20090914063126.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090914063126.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-12-ABC-GMA[1].jpg Over the weekend, ABC provided hyperbolic reporting on the 9/12 protest in Washington D.C. Good Morning America co-host Bill Weir opened the program on Saturday by fretting, "This morning, outrage. Protesters descend on Washington to rally against the President's health care plan. As civility gives way to shouting, what's fueling all this anger?" Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:26:00 -0400 20090914051137.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090914051137.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NewYorkTimes-Logo.jpg A conservative protest at the Capitol numbering in the tens of thousands was worth an unfavorable story on page 37 of Sunday's New York Times while a much smaller Obama rally got better placement, and so had a previous ACORN-led left-wing protest numbering...40 people. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:00:00 -0400 20090914010327.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090914010327.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-13-CBS-FTN-Schieffe.jpg At the end of Sunday's Face the Nation on CBS, host Bob Schieffer denounced South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson: "The irony of a congressman trying to heckle a President in the midst of a speech that was, among other things, about the need for civility, is just one ugly sign of the mindless meanness that has settled over our politics." Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:53:00 -0400 20090914093420.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090914093420.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/PewTrustinmedia-Sept09.jpg "The public's assessment of the accuracy of news stories is now at its lowest level in more than two decades of Pew Research surveys," a new poll from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press discovered. The percent who perceive the media as liberal versus conservative remains very lopsided - from 40 percent vs. 19 percent in 1985 to 50 percent vs. 22 percent now, a 28 point split. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:28:00 -0400 20090913100624.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090913100624.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-13-CBS-60M-Kroftboard.jpg 60 Minutes gave President Obama at least his fourth platform since his election, and while Steve Kroft framed the segment around how Obama "seemed confident that he had succeeded" in his Wednesday night speech and asked him, in the context of how the health care debate "has brought out the worst in us," if "Congressman Wilson should be rebuked?," he also gently challenged Obama from the right. Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:03:00 -0400 20090913095303.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090913095303.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-12-CNN-7P-Lemon.jpg Bill Maher is setting the news agenda for CNN. Literally. CNN anchor Don Lemon rued "town hallers yelling at lawmakers" and those "refusing to let kids hear the commander in chief. And on and on and on. What's behind it? Is it racial?" Lemon revealed his motivation was Maher: "I was watching Real Talk, Real Time with Bill Maher and I was like 'finally someone's talking about this.'" Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:45:00 -0400 20090912041210.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090912041210.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-11-ABC-Gibson.jpg Despite having extensively covered in June the killing of abortionist George Tiller, Katie Couric's CBS Evening News on Friday skipped the killing of a pro-life activist. ABC's Chris Bury described the murder of Jim Pouillon as "the flip side of the troubling violence surrounding the abortion debate." Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:06:00 -0400 20090912032321.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090912032321.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/HBODrudgevideo.jpg Friday night on HBO, Bill Maher tried to discredit critics of President Obama, including those concerned about his talk to school children, by smearing them as racists – before he pointed to a Drudge Report headline, "POLL HELL: OBAMA NEGS RISE," as somehow an example of the ways "some of the right-wingers are always dropping subliminally racist messages." (with video) Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:39:00 -0400 20090912124301.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090912124301.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-11-CBS-EN-poll1.jpg President Obama's speech "to rescue health care reform" caused "a 12-point improvement from last week" so "52 percent now approve of the way he's handling health care," Katie Couric announced Friday night in touting how a new CBS News poll discovered that "among those who say they watched the speech support is even greater, 58 percent." Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:32:00 -0400 20090911061526.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090911061526.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/video-pic.jpg Former Clinton operative turned journalist George Stephanopoulos appeared on Thursday's O'Reilly Factor and received a declaration from Bill O'Reilly that, while obvious, probably wasn't very welcome: "...You're a Democrat. I'm an Independent." This assertion resulted in no audible or visual protestations from Stephanopoulos. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:44:00 -0400 20090911011842.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090911011842.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-11-ABC-GMA-Tapper.jpg For the second day in a row, ABC's Jake Tapper inserted a snarky, left-leaning attack into a report on Good Morning America. Highlighting Joe Wilson's "You Lie!" outburst during Barack Obama's address to Congress, the reporter chided, "But although Wilson apologized to the White House for his lack of civility, he quickly took to the limelight of conservative media...like a moth to a flame." Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:05:00 -0400 20090910095923.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090910095923.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-10-CBS-EN-shout.jpg Media minds think alike. ABC: "It was the shout heard 'round the world." CBS: “It was the shout heard 'round the world." NBC, slightly creative: "The outburst heard 'round the world" and the "heckle heard 'round the world." Congressman Joe Wilson's "you lie" shout during President Obama's Wednesday address to Congress on health care animated the Thursday evening newscasts. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:52:00 -0400 20090910071028.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090910071028.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-10-MSNBC-Barnicle.jpg You know Cindy Sheehan's star has really fallen with the liberal media when the likes of Mike Barnicle, compare her to GOP Congressman Joe "You lie!" Wilson. On Thursday's Hardball, Barnicle, substitute hosting for Chris Matthews, declared, "Democrats hope to turn Wilson into the Cindy Sheehan of the anti-health care reform movement. A clownish figure of ridicule who hurts his own side, more than he helps." Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:06:00 -0400 20090910062902.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090910062902.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-10-MSNBC-Shuster.jpg During the 4PM ET hour of live coverage on MSNBC Thursday, co-host David Shuster denounced the behavior of Republicans at President Obama's address to Congress, declaring: “You look at the image of the Republican Party, all white males with short haircuts. They look sort of angry. No women, no minorities, and it looks like they've sort of become unhinged.” Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:24:00 -0400 20090910055702.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090910055702.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-09-ABC-NL-Moran[1].jpg ABC's Terry Moran on Wednesday hyperbolically spun Barack Obama's congressional speech as a "bold call to action" and theatrically visualized, "There was another ghost in the chamber tonight, the spirit of Senator Ted Kennedy, who fought for decades for universal care." Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:25:00 -0400 20090910032749.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090910032749.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-10-CNN-AM-Poll.jpg CNN on Wednesday night and Thursday morning trumpeted the results of a poll of the mainly Democratic audience that watched President Obama's health care speech as "a great showing" for the President and "a reason to celebrate." But because the poll only included those who watched the speech, it over-sampled Democrats (and under-sampled Republicans and independents) by a substantial margin. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:20:00 -0400 20090910030456.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090910030456.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-10-ABC-GMA-Tapper[1].jpg ABC correspondent Jake Tapper on Thursday condescendingly described Barack Obama's address to Congress this way: "At times, it was almost like the President were a principal and Congress a bunch of unruly school kids." The usually restrained reporter announced, "He [Obama] made outreach to his conservative opponents, while also refuting many of their ideas." Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0400 20090910024043.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090910024043.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/ObamaSpeech.jpg In his health care speech Wednesday night, President Obama cast himself as a truth-teller combating "bogus claims" and "misinformation" about his plan. "If you misrepresent what's in the plan, we will call you out," Obama warned his critics. But within hours, the Associated Press found the Fact-Checker-in-Chief guilty of misrepresenting a few facts himself. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:30:00 -0400 20090910021537.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090910021537.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2008-11-20-CC-TCR-Fried.jpg New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman again showed a disturbing affection for China's dictatorship in his Wednesday column attacking Republican stubbornness on health care and climate change legislation. Friedman pleaded for "enlightened" autocrats, able to get things accomplished against the will of the people, for their own good. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:11:00 -0400 20090910102954.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090910102954.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-09-MSNBC-Olb.jpg Keith Olbermann tried to discredit Congressman Charles Boustany immediately after the Louisiana Republican finished giving the GOP response, charging he had been "sued for malpractice three times," allegedly subscribes to the "Birther" conspiracy theory raising questions about Obama's citizenship, and was even supposedly taken in by a scam as he tried to purchase the British title of "Lord." Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:52:00 -0400 20090910123629.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090910123629.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-09-ABC-PSP-Stephano.jpg Favorable assessments of President Obama's speech: MSNBC's Keith Olbermann heard "a touch of greatness," on ABC, George Stephanopoulos saw "a pretty remarkable speech," NBC's Chuck Todd insisted the address was "about re-branding the President himself as a centrist" and Newsweek's Jonathan Alter celebrated: "The great news tonight is this bill is on track for passage. Historic change is coming." Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:22:00 -0400 20090909114142.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090909114142.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-09-NBC-NN-Williams.jpg "The new President has been bruised along the way as poll numbers are falling and he has seen his message hijacked as town meetings have exploded with wild and false rumors of 'death panels' deciding when a human life should end," Brian Williams declared before Obama's speech in adopting liberal presumptions. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:37:00 -0400 20090909031415.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090909031415.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2006-08-08-CR-JillAbramson.jpg In an online QA, New York Times Managing Editor Jill Abramson admitted the paper's coverage of the Van Jones controversy was "a beat behind" and put the blame on Labor Day, not pro-Obama bias. It's not the first Democratic scandal the paper has arrived late to. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:15:00 -0400 20090909022129.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090909022129.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Clinton1993.jpg With President Obama pitching his version of health reform before a joint session of Congress, it recalls Bill Clinton's 1993 speech to Congress on the same topic. The media spin back then sounds eerily familiar: "reform" would end the "shame" of America being the only industrialized nation without universal coverage; a bigger role for government would cost nothing or even save money in the long run; and government bureaucrats are preferable to insurance companies. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:05:00 -0400 20090909013139.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090909013139.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-09-CBS-TES-Smith[1].jpg While arguing with Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele about health care reform on Wednesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith proclaimed: "...if the public option is socialism, then what is Medicare?....That people overwhelmingly think works pretty well for them." Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:27:00 -0400 20090909122538.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090909122538.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-08-ABC-WNCG-RobertsObama[1].jpg ABC's Robin Roberts conducted a fawning interview with Barack Obama on Wednesday's Good Morning America, downplaying controversy and instead offering fawning softballs such as "How difficult is it to stay on message?" The GMA host previewed Obama's big health care speech to Congress and only gently broached the difficulties that the President has had with the legislation. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:18:00 -0400 20090909093547.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090909093547.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-06-FNC-FF-York.jpg In his column in Tuesday's Washington Examiner, Byron York asked: "Why did the press ignore the Van Jones scandal?" The chief political correspondent for the paper answered: "The question may not be so much who they are, as who they hate, or at least who they intensely dislike." Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:30:00 -0400 20090908091542.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090908091542.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-08-ABC-WNCG-Gibson.jpg ABC's World News on Tuesday night bemoaned the impact of conservatives and citizen journalists in derailing President Barack Obama's agenda. Pivoting from the reaction to Obama's address to students, anchor Charles Gibson observed "today's speech was really the latest target of some conservative groups taking on the President" and "their tactics are having an impact." Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:15:00 -0400 20090908043444.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090908043444.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-05-ABC-NL[1].jpg Nightline correspondent Vicki Mabrey profiled self-described "financial terrorist" Bruce Marks on Friday, painting his actions in a religious light as a "revival of spirits" and "hopes." Co-host Cynthia McFadden began the show by rhapsodizing, "The financial terrorist. He's on the front lines of the foreclosure front using guerrilla tactics on a crusade to restore the American dream." Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:30:00 -0400 20090908020935.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090908020935.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-07-CNN-AC360-Gergen.jpg "It's a sad day to see a man of good work get so little credit," CNN senior political analyst David Gergen regretted about Van Jones on Monday's Anderson Cooper 360, complaining about the coverage of the Obama "green jobs" czar who resigned late Saturday night after his radical views were exposed: "I mean, there's no balance to understanding just how many good things he's done." Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:04:00 -0400 20090907090449.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090907090449.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-07-FNC-SRBB-GrapeJonesmum.jpg "The resignation of President Obama's green jobs 'czar,' Van Jones, might have come as a shock if you do not watch cable news," FNC's Bret Baier observed at the top of his Monday night "Grapevine" segment. Of course, it would have been a surprise too if you rely on MSNBC. Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:05:00 -0400 20090907062513.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090907062513.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-01-MSNBC-Tanenhaus.jpg Catching up with a great catch in last week's Weekly Standard, the September 7 issue highlighted an example of how it takes a worldview that sees liberals like Barack Obama as "consensus"-oriented and "explicitly nonideological" centrists -- and Republicans as "ideologically committed" conservatives -- to work at the New York Times. Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:25:00 -0400 20090906091427.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090906091427.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-06-ABC-WNSUN-Harris.jpg Instead of focusing on how the Obama administration hired a man who added his name to a petition asserting the Bush administration deliberately allowed the 9/11 attacks to occur, ABC and NBC on Sunday night painted Van Jones as a victim, "a target for conservatives," while "the Republican Right” claimed “its first scalp in this administration." Sun, 06 Sep 2009 21:12:00 -0400 20090906053446.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090906053446.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-06-ABC-GMA-Jones.jpg It took Van Jones' resignation, around midnight Saturday night on a holiday weekend, for ABC and NBC to mention him for the first time in Sunday morning news shows which broached, but failed to quote, the insidious “911truth” petition he signed, while ABC's George Stephanopoulos came aboard GMA to dismiss the matter as "a summer squall." Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:46:00 -0400 20090906051844.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090906051844.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NewYorkTimes-Logo.jpg Van Jones, Obama environmental adviser and "green jobs" czar, resigned late Saturday night, the culmination of days of controversy (ignored by the mainstream media) after the revelation he signed a "911 Truther" petition. And the New York Times ran its first story - the day after Jones resigned. Sun, 06 Sep 2009 11:10:00 -0400 20090906015245.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090906015245.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-04-MSNBC-Maddow-CoxKennedyshirt.jpg Ana Marie Cox, until the end of last year the Washington editor for Time magazine's Web site, concluded her Friday night fill-in gig as host of MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show by pulling open her jacket to display how underneath she was wearing a vintage "I'm Ready for Teddy Kennedy '76" T-shirt. Sat, 05 Sep 2009 15:48:00 -0400 20090906012606.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090906012606.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-04-CBS-EN-911truth.jpg ABC and NBC Friday night continued blacking out the radical views of "green jobs" czar Van Jones. Instead of taking up how he signed the 911truth.org petition, George Stephanopoulos trumpeted White House "transparency" in the "unprecedented" decision to release visitor logs while Brian Williams bemoaned: "A back to school speech by the President. How did it get branded as an attempt to brainwash America's children?" Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:55:00 -0400 20090906010344.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090906010344.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-31-NBC-NN-Todd.jpg MSNBC Political Director Chuck Todd and his First Read co-writers on Friday whined both about complaints against the "knee-jerk liberal media bias" and conservatives who are uncomfortable with Barack Obama's address to school children next week. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:57:00 -0400 20090906125151.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090906125151.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-03-CNN-CB-Martin.jpg On Thursday's Campbell Brown program, CNN's Roland Martin berated the critics of the accompanying lesson plan for President Obama's upcoming speech to school kids, calling them "insane parents." Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:53:00 -0400 20090904041231.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090904041231.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-03-FNC-SRBB-911trut.jpg On Thursday's Special Report with Bret Baier, FNC host Baier ran a report by correspondent James Rosen describing a "troubling pattern of behavior" by President Obama's Green Jobs Czar, Van Jones. University of Virginia's Larry Sabato: "If a Bush official had made anything comparable to what Mr. Jones has said and done, no doubt there would have been a national hurrah of magnificent proportions." Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:07:00 -0400 20090904011129.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090904011129.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-03-FNC-SRBB-VanJone.jpg All three morning shows on Friday skipped any reference to the developing controversy over Obama administration Green Jobs Czar Van Jones and his connection to the 9/11 Truther movement. CBS's Early Show, NBC's Today and ABC's Good Morning America totally ignored the story, although ABC's Jake Tapper did file an online report over the subject. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:08:00 -0400 20090903090518.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090903090518.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-03-NBC-NN-school.jpg The ABC and NBC anchors on Thursday night framed stories, on the controversy over President Obama's upcoming Tuesday address to the nations' schoolchildren accompanied by a Department of Education recommendation that teachers have their students "write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the President," through the prism of Obama as a victim of unfair presumptions. Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:05:00 -0400 20090903055848.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090903055848.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-03-ABC-Steph[1].jpg Former Democratic strategist turned journalist George Stephanopoulos appeared on Thursday's Good Morning America to declare that President Obama's address to Congress on September 9 must "intimidate Republicans a little bit." Stephanopoulos, who was a top aide to Bill Clinton, added that the White House should force the GOP to "make sure they understand the consequences of failure." Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:55:00 -0400 20090903041914.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090903041914.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-03-CBS-TES-Rodrigue[1].jpg Teasing an upcoming segment on Thursday's CBS Early Show about new attacks on Sarah Palin by the father of her grandson, Levi Johnston, co-host Maggie Rodriguez exclaimed: "And shocking allegations that could shatter former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's conservative family image. If she chooses to believe what Levi Johnston is saying." Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:50:00 -0400 20090903033807.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090903033807.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/washingtonpostlogo[1].jpg The Washington Post continued to attack Virginia gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell on Thursday, highlighting the Republican's 1989 thesis three times and bringing the paper's grand total to nine articles in five days. The Post, which recycled George Allen's "macaca" moment 112 times in the 2006, featured this headline in the Metro section: "McDonnell's Thesis Is Relevant, Deeds Says." Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:29:00 -0400 20090903122030.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090903122030.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-03-ABC-GMA-Champion[1].jpg On Thursday's Good Morning America, for the third time in two years, Sam Champion interviewed an extreme environmentalist who shunned toilet paper for a year as part of a project to be carbon neutral. Colin Beavan, also known as "No Impact Man," appeared on the show to promote a new documentary on his experience. This time, however, Champion downplayed the bizarre elements of Beavan's life. Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0400 20090903121330.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090903121330.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-02-NBC-NN-WillBulb.jpg There must have been a twitch in the universe on Wednesday as NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams – who has a history of highlighting concerns of interest to the environmentalist left – actually ran a story on complaints by Europeans that the "going green" movement is going too far with a ban of old-fashioned lightbulbs in favor of CFLs. Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:06:00 -0400 20090903105412.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090903105412.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-03-NBC-Morales.jpg Move over Al Gore, NBC's Meredith Vieira and Natalie Morales have discovered the new face of global warming and it's a glacier. In the latest bit of goofy global warming nonsense Morales reported, on Thursday's Today, that a photographer in Norway caught a picture of "what appears to be a face crying a river of tears as a glacier melts into the sea." Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:47:00 -0400 20090902091448.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090902091448.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-02-MSNBC-DNCad.jpg MSNBC's David Shuster and Chris Matthews made clear their agreement with the message of a new ad from the Democratic Party which ridicules former Vice President Dick Cheney's past judgments and thus proclaims him "WRONG" on the value of enhanced interrogation techniques, with Shuster declaring "he deserves" the "brutal ad" which makes, Matthews decided, an "obvious" and "undeniable" point. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:15:00 -0400 20090902051148.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090902051148.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NewYorkTimes-Logo.jpg New York Times reporter Katharine Seelye insisted that many valid criticisms of Obama-care (that abortion would be covered, that illegal immigrants would get taxpayer-funded care, and that private insurance would be eliminated) are simply "myths" believed by Republicans. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:10:00 -0400 20090902044414.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090902044414.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/1989-07-18-NBC-tedcar.jpg NPR ombudsman Alicia Shepard reported NPR offered 53 stories on Ted Kennedy's death in the first five days. "But on that first day, in the 23 on-air stories, only one mentioned the name Mary Jo Kopechne and 5 mentioned Chappaquiddick." Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:43:00 -0400 20090902042808.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090902042808.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-02-ABC-GMA-Chart[1].jpg Of the three morning shows, only ABC's Good Morning America on Wednesday highlighted just how quickly and severely Barack Obama's approval ratings have fallen. In a report on the subject, correspondent Jake Tapper bluntly explained, "Since taking office, President Obama's approval ratings have fallen more steeply than any other newly-elected president in modern history." Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:10:00 -0400 20090902010309.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090902010309.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-02-16-ABC-WNCG-StephSa.jpg When Diane Sawyer filled in as World News anchor in February, she admired a "scrapbook, if you will, of the President's journey on the road to the stimulus package." She effused: "I want to show everybody at home, because there is the President, it's Super Bowl night, and he's serving cookies to congressional leadership in the White House screening room." Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:05:00 -0400 20090902122509.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090902122509.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/washingtonpostlogo[1].jpg The Washington Post on Wednesday increased its frenzied attack on Virginia gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell, featuring two stories in the paper's Metro section, an op-ed and a cartoon. Including opinion pieces, the Post has delivered six articles in four days on the Republican's 1989 master's thesis about families and government policy. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:20:00 -0400 20090901083353.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090901083353.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-09-01-ABC-WNCG-Rooney.jpg ABC's World News, which has twice in the past few months rued how it's too hard to raise taxes in California, on Tuesday night used one homeowner's appreciation, for the firefighters battling the wild fires threatening his house near Los Angeles, to tout how "he would gladly pay more taxes. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:28:00 -0400 20090901060503.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090901060503.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-29-ABC-GMA-Weir[1].jpg On Saturday's Good Morning America, ABC touted a German city that has rid itself of all cars. Complimenting the citizens of Vauban, reporter Jim Sciutto cheered, "And residents don't mind one bit." GMA weekend co-host Bill Weir wistfully introduced the segment by musing, "What if you could start everything over? Making over, not just your home, but your entire town?" Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:55:00 -0400 20090901122255.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090901122255.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-30-ABC-GMA-Weir[1].jpg On Sunday's "Good Morning America," weekend host Bill Weir highlighted the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and insisted that the storm "really tainted the Bush legacy." The GMA anchor talked to liberal author Jason Berry and asked if there was an intentional effort to not rebuild poor neighborhoods in New Orleans. "Is that a deliberate political move," he asked. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:15:00 -0400 20090901122315.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090901122315.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-08-31-NBC-NN-void.jpg With "Filling the VOID" as the on-screen heading, Monday's NBC Nightly News, without any consideration for how Massachusetts Democrats blocked the Governor's interim appointment power, fretted over the loss to Democrats of Ted Kennedy's Senate seat as a health care vote approaches. Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:25:00 -0400 20090901120915.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090901120915.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-30-FNC-Wal1.jpg On the August 30 Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace seemed to pick up on Clay Waters' NewsBusters item, earlier posted at TimesWatch, pointing out the blatant double standard between the New York Times obituary for conservative Republican Senator Jesse Helms and that of liberal Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy. Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:02:00 -0400 20090831084117.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090831084117.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2008-07-20-SYN-CMS-Rather.jpg Former CBS anchor Dan Rather will speak at a $200-a-person fundraising event for the hard-left Nation magazine in New York on September 23. The Nation's website advertises: "Meet Dan Rather, Jane Mayer, Marcy Wheeler, and Katrina Vanden Heuvel and Help Save The Nation." Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:38:00 -0400 20090831064946.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090831064946.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-31-MSNBC-MATTHEWS.jpg Chris Matthews, on Monday's Hardball, threw out a couple of crazy comparisons as he likened the socially conservative Sarah Palin to shock jock Howard Stern and the rakish Bill Clinton to God. Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:46:00 -0400 20090831040733.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090831040733.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-30-ABC-GMA-Karl[1].jpg ABC correspondent Jonathan Karl on Sunday hyperbolically declared that the Kennedys are "America's family." Reporting on the funeral of Ted Kennedy for Good Morning America, the reporter read a letter from the Senator about his Catholic faith. Karl opined, "...Kennedy did a better job summing up his own life than any of the other hundreds of eulogies we have heard over the last days." Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:45:00 -0400 20090831031340.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090831031340.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-30-CBS-FTN-Schieffe.jpg At the end of Sunday's Face the Nation on CBS, host Bob Schieffer fondly remembered Ted Kennedy, exclaiming: "In a sense he was the classic American hero, the imperfect man who was sorely tested and yet in that testing found a way to overcome personal flaws and go on to accomplish great things." Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:06:00 -0400 20090831123324.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090831123324.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-31-CBS-TES-Smith[1].jpg Speaking with Ted Kennedy's niece, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, on Monday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith wondered: "Does a Kennedy belong in your uncle's old Senate seat?" Townsend replied: "I think if my brother, Joe, wanted to run, I think he'd put up a great race and be a great Senator, but there are a lot of people who can carry on Senator Kennedy's legacy." Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:28:00 -0400 20090831111745.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090831111745.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-30-NBC-NN-Obamas.jpg On a Sunday evening four summers ago the NBC Nightly News explored how Cindy Sheehan was "single-handedly bringing the Iraq debate to Mr. Bush's doorstep." But Sunday night this year, after Sheehan departed Martha's Vineyard without earning any network media coverage, NBC began a story: "Hours before President Obama's vacation ended, he treated his girls to ice cream and candy." Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:15:00 -0400 20090831103828.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090831103828.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-28-PBSIW-Totenberg.jpg In full swoon for the late Senator Ted Kennedy, NPR's Nina Totenberg fondly recalled his "greatness" in doing "enormous things" for "millions and millions." Sat, 29 Aug 2009 02:33:00 -0400 20090828074707.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090828074707.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Kopechne.jpg Writing at the Huffington Post, Discover magazine deputy web editor Melissa Lafsky, who formerly worked on the New York Times's Freakonomics blog, wondered about the drowned Mary Jo Kopechne's reaction to Ted Kennedy's life and career: "Who knows - maybe she'd feel it was worth it." Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:41:00 -0400 20090828063642.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090828063642.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-28-MSNBC-Alter[1].jpg Newsweek columnist Jonathan Alter appeared on Friday's Hardball and slammed Rush Limbaugh as the "great blowhard of our time." Host Chris Matthews prompted the quote when he discussed how Limbaugh had criticized him on his radio show for calling Barack Obama the "last brother" of the Kennedy clan. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:33:00 -0400 20090828060404.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090828060404.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-28-MSNBC-Tanenhaus.jpg Appearing on MSNBC's New York Times Edition on Friday, the paper's 'Week in Review' editor, Sam Tanenhaus, lamented one of Ted Kennedy's flaws: "There's a further paradox to this, which is we sometimes forget, I mean, all of the wonderful things being said about this extraordinary figure Edward Kennedy, that he was partly accountable for Ronald Reagan's ascendency." Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:57:00 -0400 20090828041617.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090828041617.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-28-MSNBC-MItchell.jpg MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Friday used an interview with Dan Quayle to gratuitously highlight Lloyd Bentsen's famous 1988 slam, "You're no Jack Kennedy." Although Quayle appeared on the network to share his reflections on the passing of Ted Kennedy, the cable anchor sniped, "One of your toughest moments was during the debate with Lloyd Benson when you compared yourself to John F. Kennedy..." Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:05:00 -0400 20090828023409.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090828023409.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-28-CNN-Romans.jpg Amid all of the tributes to Ted Kennedy's lengthy career of expanding the scope of government and its cost to taxpayers, CNN's American Morning on Friday dug up a six-week old op-ed from the Tax Policy Center's Len Burman warning that massive trillion-dollar deficits are a catastrophe that could lead to the end of the U.S. as a great power "or even a mediocre one." Burman predicted: "Taxes would rise to levels that would make a Scandinavian revolt." Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:26:00 -0400 20090828112850.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090828112850.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-05-08-FNC-SRBB-Carr.jpg "While offering condolences to the Kennedy family at this sad moment, it is important to note that his life was not as simple, nor heroic, as is now being portrayed," Howie Carr maintained in scolding the media in his Thursday Boston Herald column. Carr, talk host on WRKO, contended Kennedy "was always protected by most of the media, who shared his views on just about everything." Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:27:00 -0400 20090827092025.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090827092025.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/ABC's-World-News-With-Charl.jpg ABC displayed "Battle Cry" on screen as anchor Charles Gibson teased Thursday's World News: "Health care reformers hope to win one for Teddy, but the opposition is largely unmoved." Gibson introduced the story by asserting "some of his allies in Congress harbor hopes that his death might generate a change of heart among opponents," but it may not come to be. Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:18:00 -0400 20090827071628.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090827071628.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-27-MSNBC-HB-Hennen.jpg Melinda Henneberger, Editor-in-Chief of AOL's PoliticsDaily.com and former NY Times reporter, boasted on Thursday's Hardball of her admiration for the late Senator and his left-wing policies: "Ted Kennedy has been a huge inspiration to me and just listening to the coverage over the last couple of days one of the things that struck me the most was listening again to his fabulous 1980 convention speech." Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:15:00 -0400 20090827054712.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090827054712.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-26-ABC-NL-Kennedy[1].jpg In the early hours of Wednesday, reporter John Donvan narrated a tough, comprehensive look at the life of Ted Kennedy, one that went so far as to assert that the Senator was sometimes "a let down, an embarrassment to his family, to his party, to himself." However, this segment, which looked into Chappaquiddick, Kennedy's cheating at Harvard and other scandals, aired at 2:30 in the morning. Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:10:00 -0400 20090827053812.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090827053812.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-27-NBC-Curry.jpg NBC's Ann Curry, on Thursday's Today show asked Senator John McCain if "the death of Senator Kennedy" would "be the catalyst" to pass health care reform but when the Arizona senator responded that it may change the partisan way in which the Democrats have had "no real negotiations" with the GOP to get it passed, Curry demanded that McCain and the Republicans should be the ones to relent as she pushed McCain to "cross the aisle." Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:33:00 -0400 20090827044000.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090827044000.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-27-CBS-TES-Kennedy[1].jpg At the top of the 8AM ET hour of Thursday's CBS Early Show, co-host Russ Mitchell wondered if Ted Kennedy's death could "spur Congress to pass a health care reform bill?" Correspondent Nancy Cordes answered that question: "Kennedy's death, in a way, gives new life to health care legislation, which has really taken a beating the past few weeks at town halls across the country." Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:34:00 -0400 20090827030108.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090827030108.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-ABC-Kenendy-Eyeblas.jpg On Thursday's Good Morning America, Diane Sawyer and other ABC journalists spun liberal legislation by Ted Kennedy as gifts to the whole country. While bills related to the senator appeared on-screen, Sawyer gushed, "Can you see this going by? It's a scroll. And it's going to continue. We will not finish it before we take a break, because it's Senator Kennedy's legacy." Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:25:00 -0400 20090826094631.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090826094631.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-26-NBC-NN-KennedyFinalfight.jpg Proffering "national sorrow has created political momentum before," Wednesday's NBC Nightly News devoted a story to hope Ted Kennedy's passing will propel ObamaCare to victory. Brian Williams proposed "ironically, the fact that he did not live long enough to see a possible overhaul of the system" raises the question: "Will this be the very thing that might break the log jam over getting it done?" Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:41:00 -0400 20090826065403.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090826065403.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-26-NBC-Williams.jpg NBC's Brian Williams, during NBC News' live coverage of the President's remarks about the passing of Ted Kennedy on Wednesday, cited what sounded like a spam e-mail rallying support for health care reform, as a way to remember the Democratic Senator. Quoting from his in-box Williams suggested: "In lieu of flowers, pass health care reform." Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:50:00 -0400 20090826064651.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090826064651.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-26-NBC-Matthews.jpg MSNBC host Chris Matthews appeared three times on Wednesday's Today show to lionize Sen. Ted Kennedy, and twice he promoted Barack Obama as the "last brother" of the Kennedy political dynasty. He tried to clarify a little in his appearance in the 10 am hour: "I don't mean that in an ethnic sense or a black sense. I mean a brother of the Kennedy tradition. And I think he's the new brother, not that last brother." Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:42:00 -0400 20090826043139.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090826043139.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-26-ABC-NL.jpg ABC's Terry Moran on Wednesday spun Ted Kennedy's political career as one of a "happy warrior" who should be looked to for direction in "these bitter times." However, it's hard to square this description of Kennedy with the vitriolic speech the Senator made in 1987 condemning Robert Bork's nomination to the Supreme Court. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:45:00 -0400 20090826035930.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090826035930.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-26-CBS-UTM-Brinkley.jpg During the 2:00AM ET hour of CBS's Up to the Minute on Wednesday, shortly after news broke of Senator Ted Kenney's death, historian Douglas Brinkley exclaimed the Massachusetts Democrat was: "...going to be a – a martyr because of all that he's done and he very well might help, in death, Obama get his health care plan." Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:20:00 -0400 20090826011642.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090826011642.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-07-19-NBC-NN-KennedyNewsweek.jpg Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy, who passed away late Tuesday night, had the news media as an ally and champion of his liberal causes. After the jump are a few examples, culled from the MRC's archive, of how journalists admired his policy efforts and treated him as their hero. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:10:00 -0400 20090826011021.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090826011021.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-25-FNC-OF-Goldberg.jpg On Tuesday, FNC's The O'Reilly Factor hosted FNC analyst Bernard Goldberg as the former CBS News correspondent highlighted a story recently posted on his Web site, BernardGoldberg.com, in which he complains of how little mainstream media attention was given to the fact that former President George W. Bush had volunteered to go to Vietnam. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:14:00 -0400 20090825091144.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090825091144.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-25-ABC-WNCG-Ross.jpg ABC's Brian Ross and NBC's Andrea Mitchell both balked at vindicating Dick Cheney on if "enhanced interrogation techniques" prevented attacks. "Nowhere...does the CIA ever draw a direct connection between the valuable information and the specific use of harsh tactics," Ross declared. On FNC, however, Steve Hayes asserted: "We can't debate any longer about whether this was effective." Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:12:00 -0400 20090825062317.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090825062317.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-25-MSNBC-Shuster[1].jpg MSNBC News Live hosts David Shuster and Tamron Hall on Tuesday embraced a contrarian notion that the tide is shifting in favor of liberal health care reform. Shuster tried to be optimistic: "...If the anti, sort-of, reform crowd on the right owned the early part of August, you almost get the sense that things are starting to pick up on the left, as far as the last couple of weeks in this month." Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:17:00 -0400 20090825051138.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090825051138.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-25-USATodayObamabooks.jpg USA Today reporter Richard Wolf's Tuesday news story on President Barack Obama's vacation book reading list flattered Obama for his “smart” and “exquisite” choice in the five books the White House announced Monday he had picked to read. Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:10:00 -0400 20090825042542.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090825042542.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-23-NBC-MTP-Smiley.jpg On Sunday's Meet the Press, NBC matched Joe Scarborough on the right with PBS talk-show host Tavis Smiley on the left. Smiley declared President Obama was too moderate, and the town hall meetings as full of "unadulterated hate." Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:14:00 -0400 20090825040959.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090825040959.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-23-ABC-Steph[1].jpg During an interview with John McCain on Sunday's This Week, George Stephanopoulos practically begged with the Arizona senator to repudiate "death panel" claims by former Governor Sarah Palin. Speaking of the health care bill, Stephanopoulos attacked euthanasia worries and lobbied, "[Obama] called that an extraordinary lie. And he is right about that, isn't he?" Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:02:00 -0400 20090825094656.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090825094656.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-24-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Chris Matthews, on Monday's Hardball, ridiculed Republican Congressman Wally Herger, for calling a townhaller a "Great American," because the questioner described himself as a "right wing terrorist." Since satire seems to be above Chris Matthews' head he failed to realize the townhaller was probably mocking those in the liberal media, like the Washington Post's Steven Pearlstein, who actually called Republicans "terrorists." Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:44:00 -0400 20090824084518.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090824084518.aspx http://www.mrc.org/BiasAlert/uploads/CouricObamaNeologyvid.jpg Much of the media spent the last eight years ridiculing President Bush's verbal communication and lack of reading skills, but Monday night, CBS and NBC used President Barack Obama's first full day of vacation as a pivot to spin his "wee wee'd up" miscue, which certainly would have been widely mocked if uttered by Bush, and supposed summer book reading list -- into admirable positives. (with video) Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:40:00 -0400 20090824064525.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090824064525.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-24-ABC-GMA-Cuomo.jpg ABC News anchor Chris Cuomo conducted a hostile interview of RNC Chairman Michael Steele on Monday's Good Morning America. Noting Steele hadn't used the term "death panel," Cuomo asked if it was "a sign of positive progress." He also wondered why Steele wasn't bashing insurance companies, since when there is "excess in the system, it always comes back to the insurance companies." Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:41:00 -0400 20090824033111.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090824033111.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-24-NBC-Obamakid.jpg NBC's Ron Allen, on Monday's Today show, highlighted how the residents on Martha's Vineyard are in a tizzy about the First Family vacationing there as he gushed: "On the small island off the coast of Massachusetts, there is Obama everything!" Allen then went on to feature locals celebrating the arrival of the Obamas including a woman excited about eateries naming dishes after the President like the "Barack-O-Taco," the "Obamarita" and as Allen enthused: "Even an ice cream called Barack My World." While Allen did note the politics of Martha's Vineyard, "lean to the political left," he did it right before leading into video of a kid actually gasping "Gosh!" and breaking out into a song and dance when she realized she had just seen Obama. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:22:00 -0400 20090824093831.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090824093831.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/KerryTshirtRogancombo.jpg Some in Hollywood, it seems, just can't let go of past political hopes – or at least want to use their films to continue pushing their political preferences. In Funny People, the new movie from writer/director Judd Apatow which opened July 31, a character played by Seth Rogen wears a 2004-era "Vote Kerry" T-shirt. Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:55:00 -0400 20090821082220.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090821082220.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-21-ABC-WNCG-poll.jpg ABC on Friday night made clear how President Obama is losing favor on health, but Kate Snow still saw a "glass half full" view: "It's not all bad news for the President...if you look at the glass half full point of view, the country is basically split. About half of Americans still favor reform, and about half still favor a public option." Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:22:00 -0400 20090821010810.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090821010810.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-21-CBS-TES-Rodrigue[1].jpg On Friday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez interviewed commentator Dick Morris about his latest book critical of the Obama administration, Catastrophe. After reading the book's full title, Rodriguez observed: "This title, though, Mr. Morris, can't you see a lot of people dismissing it right off the bat as alarmist? It screams at you." Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:02:00 -0400 20090821112618.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090821112618.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2005-06-30-MSNBC-CWO-Novakw.jpg Even though conservative columnist Robert Novak was talked about and attacked many times on MSNBC's Countdown show - especially as host Keith Olbermann frequently devoted time to the Valerie Plame case - the MSNBC host did not take time this week to report on Novak's passing. Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:20:00 -0400 20090820110451.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090820110451.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-06-CNN-LDT-Halperin.jpg "We're the only industrialized democracy that doesn't cover every citizen" and "that is immoral," Mark Halperin, editor-at-large and senior political analyst for Time magazine where he oversees "The Page" blog, declared on CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight in illustrating the prism through which journalists view the debate over the proper role of government in health care. Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:00:00 -0400 20090820052557.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090820052557.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/sheehan0809a.jpg The Washington Examiner's Byron York blogged Thursday about how ABC anchor Charles Gibson declared “enough already” when asked about Cindy Sheehan's plan to travel to President Barack Obama's Martha's Vineyard vacation spot next week to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. York observed how "that's a remarkably different stance from the one Gibson took four years ago." Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:20:00 -0400 20090820111236.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090820111236.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-20-NBC-Thompson.jpg Lost in Thursday's Today coverage of Senator Ted Kennedy's letter requesting a succession plan, should the Massachusetts senator be unable to serve due to health reasons, was how nakedly partisan the act was. While NBC's Matt Lauer noted, at the top of the show, that Kennedy sent a "poignant letter to lawmakers," asking for a succession plan, he nor any other NBC correspondent, mentioned that Kennedy was asking for a change in a rule the state Democrats put in place to prevent a then-Republican Governor Mitt Romney from appointing a replacement for Democratic Senator John Kerry, if Kerry had won the presidential election in 2004. Now that Democratic Governor Deval Patrick is in charge, Kennedy is asking the rule be changed back to ensure an extra Democratic vote for a health care bill. Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:06:00 -0400 20090820105939.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090820105939.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-16-CNN-RS-Zurawick.jpg Less than two hours after the news of Bob Novak's passing on Tuesday, Baltimore Sun television critic David Zurawik, a regular on CNN's Reliable Sources, excoriated Novak as "a very dark force in cable TV news contributing mightily to the toxic culture of confrontation, belligerence and polarization that so defines cable TV." Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:54:00 -0400 20090819094854.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090819094854.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-19-ABC-WNCG-poster.jpg ABC, CBS and NBC on Wednesday night all showcased liberal Congressman Barney Frank's rejoinder - "On what planet do you spend most of your time?" - to a woman's question: "Why do you continue to support a Nazi policy as Obama has expressly supported this policy?" The networks painted it as a concern coming from a typical anti-ObamaCare conservative, though it came from a LaRouche activist. Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:49:00 -0400 20090819062536.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090819062536.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-19-NBC-Today-Novak.jpg While ABC, CBS and NBC all ran obituaries during their August 18 evening news shows, ABC's Good Morning America and CBS's The Early Show on Wednesday completely skipped over the death of conservative columnist Robert Novak, while NBC's Today only squeezed in a brief, two-sentence item during their 7am news update. Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:20:00 -0400 20090819043753.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090819043753.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2007-05-18-CBS-CBSSP-Hewitt.jpg Don Hewitt, creator of CBS's 60 Minutes who passed away Wednesday, recognized the bias which led Dan Rather to target President George W. Bush with a 2004 story based on forged documents, as he suggested such a flimsy hit piece damaging to the liberal candidate wouldn't have made it onto the air: "Does anybody really think there wouldn't have been more scrutiny if this had been about John Kerry?" Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:37:00 -0400 20090819023302.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090819023302.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-19-CBS-TES-Loorz.jpg On Wednesday's CBS Early Show, correspondent Daniel Sieberg reported on a young global warming activist from California: "...everyday citizens of all ages are doing their part to raise awareness of climate change....15-year-old Alec Loorz takes his message across the country, using poles to illustrate the predicted sea level rise if nothing is done to prevent global warning." Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:00:00 -0400 20090818102914.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090818102914.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-18-NBC-NN-polllist.jpg NBC turned opposition to ObamaCare into a "split" in public opinion in a NBC poll as Chuck Todd assessed Obama's health effort "is stable," and he listed four charges against the bills which he asserted have "proven to be false," yet NBC didn't inquire about any liberal claims those same groups have discredited. Todd also tried to minimize the impact of what he derided as the "town hall madness." Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:28:00 -0400 20090818064346.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090818064346.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-18-MSNBC-Shuster.jpg Nation magazine sports editor Dave Zirin appeared on MSNBC's News Live on Tuesday to discuss college football and ended up trashing Sarah Palin. Talking with host David Shuster, Zirin frothed that odd sports rules are like "Sarah Palin considering herself a college graduate. Just 'cause you call yourself that, doesn't mean it means anything." Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:00:00 -0400 20090818040310.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090818040310.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-18-MSNBC-MM-Brewer.jpg On Tuesday, MSNBC's Contessa Brewer fretted over health care reform protesters legally carrying guns: "A man at a pro-health care reform rally...wore a semiautomatic assault rifle on his shoulder and a pistol on his hip....there are questions about whether this has racial overtones....white people showing up with guns." Brewer failed to mention the man she described was black. Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:30:00 -0400 20090818010630.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090818010630.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/CNN-Novak-passedaway1.jpg Sadly, news came Tuesday that Robert Novak passed away, at age 78, after a battle with brain cancer. Starting in 1994 Novak generously helped the MRC as a judge for our annual "Best Notable Quotables" annual awards for “the year's worst reporting," lending his credibility and expertise. Novak often brought unique and noteworthy insights about the media. A few from our archive to honor his work. Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:05:00 -0400 20090818114615.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090818114615.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-17-CBS-EN-Att.jpg On Monday's Evening News, CBS's Sharyl Attkisson filed a report highlighting the recent defections of thousands of AARP members to the more conservative American Seniors Association (ASA), because of the perceived support by the AARP for ObamaCare: "Up to 60,000 people have cancelled their AARP membership since July 1, angered over the group's position on health care." Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:41:00 -0400 20090818114041.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090818114041.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-17-ABC-Gibson.jpg On Monday's World News, ABC's Charles Gibson channeled the worry of liberal activists over President Obama' seeming retreat on the big government "public option." Gibson fretted to White House correspondent Jake Tapper: "Will he go to the mat for a public option?" Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:37:00 -0400 20090817063631.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090817063631.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-16-ABC-GMA-Claiborne.jpg ABC on Sunday ran a sympathetic piece on former insurance executive Wendell Potter's "personal journey from health industry insider to outsider." Good Morning America's Ron Claiborne trumpeted how after a "crisis of conscience" Potter became an "outspoken critic of the industry," but failed to tell viewers that Potter now works for a far-left advocacy group, the Center for Media and Democracy. Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:31:00 -0400 20090817061539.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090817061539.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-16-CBS-SM-Teichner.jpg On CBS's Sunday Morning correspondent Martha Teichner touted President Obama's latest PR blitz to promote health care reform: "For the third time in five days, Barack Obama used the presidential bully pulpit on behalf of what he's now calling health insurance reform. No more letting the angry opposition control the agenda." Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:05:00 -0400 20090817054849.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090817054849.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Rather2004.jpg Sunday's Los Angeles Times had an update on Dan Rather's continuing lawsuit against CBS News over what Dan might call the "forged-memos-to-torpedo-Bush's-re-election-in-2004 scandal." Rather scalded CBS with language he used to save for conservatives, but 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager punched back, trashing Rather's work as deficient: "I hate to say it in public, but many of [his] stories were not even close to the standards we expect." Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:42:00 -0400 20090817043552.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090817043552.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-13-ABC-WN-Sno.jpg During Thursday's World News with Charles Gibson, ABC's Kate Snow held open the possibility that some ObamaCare opponents are correct in their belief that universal health care will include taxpayer funding of abortion, although she characterized the truth as "unclear." Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:29:00 -0400 20090817022513.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090817022513.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-17-NBC-DEAN.jpg NBC's Matt Lauer opened Monday's Today show worrying about the possible loss of a public option in Barack Obama's health care reform as he teased viewers at the start of the show: "Reining it in. As President Obama and his family tour the wild west, signs he may drop a key part of his health plan. Is he bowing to pressure from the Republicans and those shouters at town hall meetings?" Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:19:00 -0400 20090815120956.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090815120956.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-14-CBS-EN-Rei.jpg All three broadcast evening newscasts covered President Obama's health care town hall, but only the CBS Evening News told viewers how Democrats in Montana had "orchestrated" a friendly environment for Obama, as many Democrats arrived early to secure tickets. Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:59:00 -0400 20090814054638.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090814054638.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-14-MSNBC-Harwood.jpg On MSNBC Friday, anchor John Harwood spoke with New York Times Week in Review editor Sam Tanenhaus about the health care debate: "...you know an awful lot about the patron saint of modern conservatism William F. Buckley. What do you suppose Bill Buckley would think of the nature of the arguments that are being made against the Obama health care plan right now, death panels and all the rest?" Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:38:00 -0400 20090814051909.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090814051909.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-13-NBC-NN-Cur.jpg All three broadcast networks seized on a charity's offer of free medical care in Los Angeles, arguing the arrival of many patients as a sign of how many Americans need "free health care," and even relaying the notion that the U.S. in some ways resembles Third World countries. But only by watching ABC's Good Morning America did learn that the free clinic does not even screen patients to learn if they really are in need financially. Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:59:00 -0400 20090814034124.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090814034124.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-14-ABC-GMA-Ross.jpg ABC News correspondent Brian Ross tried to connect the health care town hall protesters to hate groups on Friday's GMA. Ross cited the Southern Poverty Law Center, whose left-wing political affiliation he omitted, and used two sound bites from the SPLC's Mark Potok, who hyped that President Obama supposedly "triggered fears among...white people...that they are somehow losing their country." Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:38:00 -0400 20090814124005.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090814124005.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-13-CBS-EN-Couric[1].jpg At the top of Thursday's CBS Evening News, anchor Katie Couric used a free clinic in Inglewood, California to push for health care reform: "Tonight in the battle over health care, they are on the front lines....we're going to show you why many believe reform is desperately needed. These are just some of the tens of thousands of Americans who need health care but have no insurance or not enough of it." Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:36:00 -0400 20090814111316.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090814111316.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-13-CNN-NR-Sanchez.jpg On Thursday's Newsroom, CNN's Rick Sanchez pressed Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee about how, as a constituent was asking her a question at a health care town hall meeting, Jackson-Lee made a call on her cell phone. Sanchez demanded to know, "What were you thinking, Congresswoman?" The Texas Democrat bizarrely suggested the video of her on the phone was "doctored." Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:04:00 -0400 20090814102405.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090814102405.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/pastorwithcastro.jpg "As Castro Turns 83, Cuba Caught Between Past, Future," announces an August 13 headline for the CBSNews.com World Watch blog. The 10-paragraph entry by Havana-based news producer Portia Siegelbaum amounted to an electronic birthday card for the Communist dictator. Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:18:00 -0400 20090813045836.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090813045836.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-11-NBC-NN-Wil.jpg Among Tuesday's network evening newscasts, all three of which ran stories on the death of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, only the NBC Nightly News mentioned that Mrs. Shriver was strongly opposed to abortion. Anchor Brian Williams explained: "While a lifelong liberal Democrat, she was a lifelong opponent of abortion – she said, based on her strong Catholic faith." Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:52:00 -0400 20090813044809.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090813044809.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-13-CBS-TES-Smith[1].jpg At the top of Thursday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith teased an upcoming segment on dispelling myths about health care reform: "There's so much anger, this vitriol that we see day after day in these town meetings across the country....We're going to try and determine this morning whether or not some of these bold statements are, in fact, true or not." Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:41:00 -0400 20090813035741.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090813035741.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-12-CBS-EN-Orr.jpg On Wednesday's CBS Evening News, correspondent Bob Orr highlighted a far-left group's report on potential violence by "right-wing extremists." Orr warned: "Officials say a sour economy, a Democrat-controlled government, and a black President present the kind of perfect storm that could further fuel the growth of the militia movement." Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:48:00 -0400 20090813024155.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090813024155.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-13-ABC-Tapper[1].jpg Of the three major networks, only CBS has managed, thus far, to ignore controversial comments from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that compared America's disputed election in 2000 to political corruption in Nigeria. ABC, however, highlighted the August 12 remarks on Thursday's Good Morning America. GMA news anchor Chris Cuomo challenged, "Now, did [the comments] cross the line?" Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:05:00 -0400 20090813101726.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090813101726.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-12-CBS-Protesters.jpg On Wednesday's CBS Evening News, correspondent Ben Tracy filed a report linking angry protesters opposing ObamaCare to conservative groups, examining the possibility that the "outrage" has been "organized" by these groups, or even affected by "anti-government" sentiment over other issues, rather than legitimate concerns about the plans under consideration. Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:03:00 -0400 20090812072831.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090812072831.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-12-MSNBC-Abram.jpg Average American citizen Katy Abram's impassioned plea against socialized health care, at Senator Arlen Specter's town hall meeting on Tuesday, got her noticed by the Hardball producers as her clip was featured on Tuesday's show and she even received an invitation to appear tonight -- complete with the requisite scolding from the program's liberal host. Subbing for Chris Matthews, MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell, incorrectly challenged Abram's fear that Barack Obama wanted to move to a single-payer plan. Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:25:00 -0400 20090812055906.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090812055906.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-12-CBS-TES-Health[1].jpg At the top of the 8:00AM ET hour of Wednesday's Early Show, co-host Russ Mitchell cited protests at health care reform town hall meetings as evidence that the debate was "turning into a nasty national shouting match." Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:54:00 -0400 20090812040752.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090812040752.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-11-ABC-WN-factcheck[1].jpg On Tuesday's World News, for the second day in a row, ABC delivered a "fact check" on the health care bill, offering up perspectives sympathetic to the sweeping legislation. Confusing opinions for facts, David Wright spun that it was "true" that "95 percent of the people" would be able to keep their current plan. However, Politifact has labeled this claim a half truth. Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:25:00 -0400 20090812031850.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090812031850.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-11-CNN-Sanchez2.jpg CNN's Rick Sanchez on Tuesday asked Obama spokesperson (and former ABC and CBS reporter) Linda Douglass to reject as a "falsity" that the health care "public option" would include payments for abortions. "There's no evidence," Sanchez insisted: "What's your strategy for dealing with those falsities?" But just days earlier, the Associated Press reported: "Gov't insurance would allow coverage for abortion." Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:10:00 -0400 20090812030623.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090812030623.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/MorningJoe.jpg Time magazine's Mark Halperin, formerly the political director at ABC News, announced on MSNBC's Morning Joe on Tuesday that he believed that most reporters operated under the belief that they are not biased, but instead think that they are "right down the middle." Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:00:00 -0400 20090812010600.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090812010600.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-12-CBS-TES-Mitchell.jpg On Wednesday, the CBS Early Show once again feared a rise in right-wing extremism as co-host Russ Mitchell cited a report from the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center: "A report out this morning says anti-government and white racist militias are regrouping around the country. The Southern Poverty Law Center says it is in part a reaction to the election of America's first black president." Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0400 20090811072738.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090811072738.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-11-MSNBC-MATTHEWS.jpg Chris Matthews, on Tuesday's Hardball, painted town hall protestors as racist as he charged, "I think some of the people are upset because we have a black president." Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:23:00 -0400 20090811055650.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090811055650.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2006-09-11-MSNBCCWOOlber.jpg With the Obama administration and their friends in the media denouncing the sometimes loud dissent that liberals are facing in town hall meetings on health care, it's worth recalling how some of those same journalists celebrated anti-Bush dissenters and denounced what they claimed was the Republican administration's attempts to stifle dissent. Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:43:00 -0400 20090811030152.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090811030152.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-11-ABC-WorldNews-Sn[1].jpg ABC's Kate Snow, who early on Monday couldn't find time to show any Republican opposition to a controversial provision in the health care plan, reversed course on World News and briefly highlighted a GOP voice. Congressman Thaddeus McCotter appeared and asserted, "And there should never be any doubt as to whether your end-of-life decisions are influenced by its effect on the United States Treasury." Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:15:00 -0400 20090811010719.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090811010719.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-11-NBC-Lauer.jpg NBC's Matt Lauer, on Tuesday's Today show, invited on Robert Gibbs to preview Barack Obama's town hall meeting on health care and warned the White House press secretary that it could be a "Super Bowl for shouters." Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:55:00 -0400 20090810045503.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090810045503.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-09-NBC-MTP-Brooks.jpg On Sunday's Meet the Press, New York Times columnist David Brooks slammed Rush Limbaugh as "insane" for comparing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Adolf Hitler, but NBC never let viewers know that Limbaugh was just responding to Pelosi's smear that anti-ObamaCare protesters were just thugs "carrying swastikas." Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:38:00 -0400 20090810041037.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090810041037.aspx http://media.eyeblast.org/newsbusters/static/2009/08/2009-08-08-CBS-EN-Andrews.jpg Reporting on Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation to the Supreme Court on Saturday's CBS Evening News, correspondent Wyatt Andrews declared: "...she's not always the reserved, work-aholic judge she portrayed in the Senate hearings....The judge is also known for her can't-miss Christmas parties, which included salsa dancing inside the federal court of appeals in Manhattan." Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:00:00 -0400 20090810033728.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090810033728.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-10-MSNBC-Graphic-hy[1].jpg MSNBC's graphics department on Monday provided some obnoxious examples of media bias, fretting about "unhinged" conservatives and "health care hysteria." The left-leaning cable network featured on-screen texts promoting the Democratic agenda. MSNBC News Live host Carlos Watson anchored a piece urging liberals to get tough in supporting universal health care. Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:20:00 -0400 20090810120620.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090810120620.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-10-ABC-GMA-Snow[1].jpg ABC's Good Morning America on Monday presented an extremely one-sided take on the controversial end-of-life provisions in the health care bill, decrying all the "screaming" and "shouting" at town hall meetings. Reporter Kate Snow featured no Republican voices (other than of people yelling) in the segment and instead focused on combating the "incorrect claims" about the legislation. Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:25:00 -0400 20090810114304.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090810114304.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/Globeheadline-09-08-06.jpg Catching up with a front page Boston Globe story from late last week, the newspaper failed to limit its liberal laments, and belittling of conservatives, to the editorial page: "This summer, the Rockwellian ideal of neighbors gathering to discuss community issues in a neighborly way is gone, replaced by quarrelsome masses hollering questions downloaded from activist websites..." Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:41:00 -0400 20090810125113.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090810125113.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2006-01-12-CNNAMFranken.jpg "What do you call a crazed group of people that disrupts a meeting on health care and hangs the congressman holding it in effigy?" Former CNN Washington correspondent Bob Franken, in a Friday blog posting on AOL's "Politics Daily" site, "Health Care Mobs and Their Instigators: Denials Ring Hollow," answered by smearing all instead of holding accountable the few who commit the misdeeds: "A mob." Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:46:00 -0400 20090809081355.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090809081355.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-07-ABC-WNCG-ugly.jpg The ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts in near-unison on Friday night disparaged the anti-ObamaCare protests at town meetings as "unruly," "nasty" and "getting ugly," while CBS and NBC targeted Rush Limbaugh for making an ObamaCare/Nazi comparison without bothering to acknowledge Limbaugh was reacting to House Speaker Pelosi who accused opponents of "carrying swastikas" into the events. Sun, 09 Aug 2009 20:02:00 -0400 20090809041958.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090809041958.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2000-12-22-CBS-EN-Rather12.jpg In an August 9 Washington Post op-ed, disgraced CBS anchor Dan Rather is asking President Obama to form a commission to find ways to help the news media. It shows the liberal journalist's comfort with Obama - can anyone imagine him asking President Bush to prescribe a fix for what ails the media? Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:14:00 -0400 20090808024640.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090808024640.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-06-CNN-Neill.jpg On Thursday, CNN Newsroom aired a piece of communist propaganda about how Cuba could serve as "a model for health care reform" in the U.S., complete with an authoritative soundbite from an American medical expert, identified only as someone "who's lived and worked in Cuba for decades," even though she is a longtime admirer of Castro's revolution. Sat, 08 Aug 2009 14:37:00 -0400 20090807064635.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090807064635.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-07-MSNBC-Shuster[1].jpg At the top of the 4:00PM ET hour on MSNBC Friday, fill-in co-anchor Monica Novotny issued a dire warning about protests at health care town hall meetings: "The town hall confrontations are turning violent....Where is all of this heading? New fears for the safety of America's first African-American president." Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:42:00 -0400 20090807055333.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090807055333.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-06-CNN-Panel.jpg Three of CNN's supposedly non-partisan political analysts - Jeffrey Toobin, David Gergen, and Gloria Borger - gave President Obama high grades during the network's special on Obama's second 100 days Thursday night. The panel's B's and B-pluses lined-up with the A's and B's awarded by CNN's liberal pundits, compared with the D's Obama earned from the conservatives. Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:44:00 -0400 20090807034545.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090807034545.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-06-ABC-JackieRobins.jpg ABC's "Nightline" on Thursday celebrated Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation to the Supreme Court as a "Jackie Robinson moment" and also highlighted cheering crowds at an event put on by the left-wing Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund (PRLDF). Correspondent John Donvan failed to identify the liberal bent of the organization. Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:15:00 -0400 20090807011432.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090807011432.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-07-CBS-TES-Brown[1].jpg After touting the 'Cash for Clunkers' program as a "runaway success" and "great for the environment," Friday's CBS Early Show finally reported on problems with the plan as co-host Maggie Rodriguez declared: "And find out why the 'Cash for Clunkers' program could actually end up costing you long term." Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:08:00 -0400 20090807120355.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090807120355.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/WashingtonPost-Logo.jpg In Friday's Washington Post business section, columnist Steven Pearlstein - who last week condemned the conservative "fantasy" that raising taxes hurts the economy - blasted Republicans as "political terrorists" who are "poisoning the political well" by peddling "lies" that are "so misleading, so disingenuous, that they could only spring from a cynical effort to gain partisan political advantage." Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:51:00 -0400 20090807094005.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090807094005.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-05-MSNBC-HB-Mat4.jpg On Wednesday's Hardball, MSNBC's Chris Matthews featured a discussion of Kathleen Parker's latest column arguing that vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin tapped into Southern racism during the 2008 campaign. Matthews demanded to know: "Is Sarah Palin a poster girl for racism?" Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:23:00 -0400 20090806062131.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090806062131.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-06-CNN-NR-ObamaCareRally.jpg CNN on Thursday twice ran a glowing documentary-style report about a left-wing Capitol Hill rally in favor of ObamaCare. Anchor Heidi Collins introduced the 10am ET version by praising the "work and determination of volunteers hoping to make a difference." No CNN reporter narrated the piece, which consisted of video of the young activists at work and soundbites from the event's left-wing organizers and speakers. Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:10:00 -0400 20090806054241.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090806054241.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-06-MSNBC-Shuster[1].jpg During the 2PM ET hour on MSNBC, anchor Contessa Brewer wondered: "Is a poster of the President as the Joker racist? The posters in Los Angeles and elsewhere show the President as 'The Dark Knight' version of the Joker above the word 'socialism.'" She then cited an article from Thursday's Washington Post making the accusation. Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:32:00 -0400 20090806022026.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090806022026.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-06-CBS-TES-Mitchell[1].jpg On Thursday, all three network morning news programs reported the conviction of former Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson on bribery charges, but only NBC's Today identified him as a Democrat. CBS's Early Show and ABC's Good Morning America simply referred to him as a "former congressman." Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:45:00 -0400 20090806010841.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090806010841.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-06-NBC-TODAY-MITC.jpg NBC's Andrea Mitchell, on Thursday's, Today show cheered an added benefit to the release of Euna Lee and Laura Ling from North Korea, was that it reunited Bill Clinton and Al Gore. In a segment headlined, "Together Again, Clinton and Gore's Emotional Reunion," Mitchell -- who is traveling with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wherever she goes these days -- hailed that the event brought back the "Boomer buddy team," and gushed "Both are now international superstars." Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:05:00 -0400 20090806111816.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090806111816.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-06-ObamaJoker2.jpg An article in Thursday's Washington Post lashed out at the viral Obama-as-the-Joker posters, attacking them as promoting "coded," "racially charged" images. Art critic Philip Kennicott smeared the images as flat-out bigoted: "The charge of socialism is secondary to the basic message that Obama can't be trusted, not because he is a politician, but because he's black." Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:40:00 -0400 20090805090749.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090805090749.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-05-NBC-NN-Williams.jpg Wednesday's NBC Nightly News devoted a full minute to the guilty convictions for bribery, racketeering and wire fraud against former nine-term Louisiana Democratic Congressman William Jefferson, but failed to name his political party Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:06:00 -0400 20090805090144.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090805090144.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-03-MSNBC-CWO-Olb3.jpg On Monday's Countdown show, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann delivered a "Special Comment" lambasting members of the Blue Dog Coalition. After reciting contributions received from the health care industry, he suggested that these Democrats should just be called "dogs." Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:49:00 -0400 20090805063154.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090805063154.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/NewYorkTimes-Logo.jpg While those who question Obama's presidential eligibility are called "fringe" and "false," the New York Times gave a respectful hearing to a convention pushing a far more incendiary left-wing conspiracy theory -- that Bush orchestrated the 9-11 attacks: "Some participants see an American tradition of questioning concentrated power." Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:22:00 -0400 20090805011903.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090805011903.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-04-ABC-WNCG-Gibson.jpg ABC framed its Tuesday night story, on citizens using town hall forums held by Members of Congress to express opposition to ObamaCare, around undermining their credibility by asserting the reaction "appears to be orchestrated" and "organized" and thus is forcing the victimized "White House to push back" by "fighting Internet fire with fire." Wed, 05 Aug 2009 01:10:00 -0400 20090804072358.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090804072358.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-04-MSNBC-Matthews.jpg Chris Matthews, on Tuesday's, Hardball invited on California Senator Barbara Boxer to dismiss the increasing number of townhall protestors opposed to Obama's liberal agenda as the "angry, and "noisy," "well-dressed middle-class people in pinks and limes...Brooks Brothers Brigade." After playing brief clips of the townhall meetings Matthews devoted the first half of his show to knocking down their legitimacy. Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:18:00 -0400 20090804055736.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090804055736.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-04-CBS-TES-Cordes[1].jpg After depicting the 'Cash for Clunkers' car buying program as a "runaway success" on Friday, on Tuesday's Early Show, correspondent Nancy Cordes argued: "The Department of Transportation says the program has been great for the environment. 80% of the clunkers have been pickups or SUVs, traded in for new cars with an average mileage nearly 10 miles per gallon higher." Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:51:00 -0400 20090804045549.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090804045549.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2007-09-07-CBS-LSDL-Rich.jpg Sarah Palin's a Birther? Frank Rich evidently wants us to think so: "Obama's election, far from alleviating paranoia in the white fringe, has only compounded it. There is no purer expression of this animus than to claim that Obama is literally not an American -- or, as Sarah Palin would have it, not a 'real American.'" Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:55:00 -0400 20090804014431.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090804014431.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-07-31-MSNBC-HB-poll.jpg MSNBC hosts have been fixated over using "birthers" to discredit conservatives, highlighting a poll which found a majority of Republicans (58%) either believe Barack Obama wasn't born in the U.S. or aren't sure. Where was MSNBC two years ago when a survey discovered a bigger majority of Democrats (61%) think or are not sure if President George W. Bush knew in advance of the 9/11 terrorist attacks? Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:46:00 -0400 20090804011859.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090804011859.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2008-05-08-ABC-GMA-Baskin.jpg Roberta Baskin, a veteran of CBS News, ABC News, PBS and Washington, DC's ABC affiliate, with a stint at the Center for Public Integrity mixed in, "will join the Department of Health and Human Service's office of inspector general as a senior communications adviser in mid-August," Washington Post “Federal Eye” blogger Ed O'Keefe reported late Monday. Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:13:00 -0400 20090803091018.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090803091018.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-03-CBS-EN-Sabelius.jpg Monday's CBS Evening News found time for a story on protesters, against liberal Democratic health plans, who confronted members of Congress at forums over the weekend, though reporter Wyatt Andrews felt the need to insert "scare" quotes as he referred to "demonstrators against what they called 'government-run health care'" and "what they call 'Obama-care.'" Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:10:00 -0400 20090803090303.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090803090303.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-03-CNN-NR-Sanchez.jpg CNN anchor Rick Sanchez misrepresented Senator John McCain's words from an interview with his colleague John King on Sunday about the GOP's outreach with Latinos. He described McCain as recommending "the Republican Party needs to find competent Hispanics who can fit into the party," when McCain never used the word "competent." Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:58:00 -0400 20090803062252.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090803062252.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-02-NBC-MatthewsPane.jpg On the syndicated The Chris Matthews Show, over the weekend, Chris Matthews and his panel linked Rush Limbaugh and the GOP to the birthers movement and accused them of playing racial politics. Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:18:00 -0400 20090803050741.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090803050741.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-03-CBS-TES-Obama.jpg At the top of Monday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith touted a White House-produced video: "And your letters to the President...A behind-the-scenes look at how President Obama keeps in touch with everyday Americans." After airing the administration spin, co-host Maggie Rodriguez argued it was "all part of Obama's promise of transparency in the people's White House." Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:00:00 -0400 20090803044354.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090803044354.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-08-03-ABC-GMA-Cuomo[1].jpg Of the three network morning shows, only ABC touted a new study by the Heritage Foundation that reported how the federal government's massive spending will average almost $34,000 per household in 2009, up $8000 from last year. On Monday, Good Morning America's Chris Cuomo marveled, "Seventy two billion dollars spent by our government to the wrong people in either double payments or mispayments." Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:33:00 -0400 20090803012905.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090803012905.aspx http://www.mrc.org/BiasAlert/uploads/Pearlsteainmrc.jpg As the weekend ends, catching up with a Wednesday Washington Post article which encapsulated how journalists are revolted by conservative economic policy and upset at how an aversion to tax hikes may prevent passage of Obama's health care takeover. "Health Reform Threatened by Conservatives' Anti-Tax Fantasy" read the headline over a Wednesday "Business" section column by Steven Pearlstein. Mon, 03 Aug 2009 01:24:00 -0400 20090803012207.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090803012207.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/2009-07-31-ABC-2020-Sto2.jpg On Friday's 20/20 on ABC, co-anchor John Stossel exposed the flaws in the Canadian and British government-run health care systems, and even showed viewers a clip of President Obama as he once expressed a belief that single-payer health care would be an acceptable. Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:15:00 -0400 20090801110327.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20090801110327.aspx http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/uploads/ClintonCoversSmall.jpg