Connor Williams was a summer 2014 and 2015 News Analysis Division intern for the Media Research Center, and is now freelancing for NewsBusters. He is currently a senior at the University of Michigan, studying political science. He is a native of Novi, Michigan. 

Latest from Connor Williams
Mika Brzezinski to Obama: 'Do We Need the Government' to Make Equal Pay Happen?
June 23, 2014, 12:24 PM EDT

Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski has never been one to hide her partisan liberal leanings, and it showed in her interview with President Obama which aired on Monday’s show. While Brzezinski started the interview with some tough foreign policy questions, it lost steam later on as she voiced admiration for the President on equal pay for women, and encouraged him to do more on the issue.

Brzezinski could not contain herself, declaring herself a “champion” of the cause, and begging the President for more government intervention: “Do you think that there will be a day in our lifetime where women are paid equally across the board? And do we need the government to make that happen?” [MP3 audio here; video below]

CBS's Chip Reid Asks Dave Brat's Former Campaign Manager: Are You an 'Angry Young Man?'
June 20, 2014, 5:10 PM EDT

Leave it to CBS This Morning to push the idea that angry, controversial white men are strictly the province of the conservative side of the spectrum, while downplaying the inflammatory and arguably anti-gay comments of Brian Schweitzer, a left-wing populist and former Democratic governor of Montana who is considering a 2016 presidential run.

The oft-mentioned mastermind of Dave Brat’s shocking upset of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, 23 year old Zach Werrell, sat down for an interview on the June 20 edition of the CBS morning program. Pointing out a Facebook post Werrell had made regarding the Trayvon Martin case and abortion, interviewer Chip Reid questioned Werrell, “Would it be fair to say – at least politically – sometimes you're an angry young man?” [MP3 audio here; video below]

Chris Matthews: Foreign Policy Hawks Want Military Action in Every Country 'Which Fails to March to Our Orders'
June 20, 2014, 1:12 PM EDT

In a screed against an interventionist foreign policy, Hardball’s Chris Matthews virtually insisted that there is a sinister plot among those initial supporters of the Iraq war to dictate the political life of nations throughout the Middle East. For Matthews, simply being wrong on the Iraq war–to the extent that anyone can make a claim like that with any certainty at the present time–is not enough.

In his initial comments on the June 19 edition of Hardball, Matthews railed at any news outlet that would dare give a platform to George W. Bush administration alumni to share their thoughts on how President Obama should proceed with aiding the Iraqi government [MP3 audio here; video below]:

MSNBC's Russert: Is the West ‘Better Off’ With Dictators in Middle East?
June 19, 2014, 5:35 PM EDT

Reacting to the announcement from President Obama that the United States will be sending approximately 300 special forces to Iraq in non-combat “advisor” roles, the panel on MSNBC’s The Cycle was skeptical that the move would accomplish anything significant. It’s fair to say that the panel was not exactly erring on the side of more intervention, however.

After reading a quote from Time magazine which pointed out that many dictators in the Middle East have argued that only their oppressive measures could quell the tension between Sunnis and Shiites, guest host Luke Russert asked, “After what's happened in Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Syria, is it fair to say the West was better off with dictators?” [MP3 audio here; video below]

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough: Who is Getting ‘Thrown in Jail’ Over IRS Scandal?
June 18, 2014, 4:55 PM EDT

As we’ve noted here at NewsBusters, the liberal media have remained virtually silent on new reports of years and years of emails being lost from Lois Lerner and other IRS employees. So it was refreshing that MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough spent some time on his June 18 Morning Joe program to briefly discuss the new developments.

Reactions to the news from USA Today that there were “seven hard drive crashes, no centralized archive, and a regular practice of reusing and erasing backup tapes every six months” were met with mockery from many on the panel. Unsurprisingly, the moderately-conservative host and former GOP congressman Scarborough was most appalled [MP3 audio here; video below]:

MSNBC Guest: Hillary Appealed to Voters Who Cling to 'Guns', 'Religion', 'Anti-Immigrant Sentiment' in Fox Interview
June 18, 2014, 12:20 PM EDT

The ‘Fox News viewers are racist’ meme hasn’t died yet on MSNBC. Analyzing Hillary Clinton’s interview on June 17 with Fox News, Hardball guest Michelle Bernard insisted that Hillary Clinton was “reaching out to those voters that Barack Obama said were the people who get scared of people who are different than them, and they cling to religion, or they cling to guns or have anti-immigrant sentiment.”

She continued: “And I think she’s got to reach out to that demographic. That's what we saw her doing on Fox tonight.” Host Chris Matthews, despite recently coming to the defense of the right, jumped right in to second Bernard’s analysis: “I believe people have been opposing President Obama, many of them because of his background, because of his race, absolutely.” [MP3 audio here; video below]

Mother of Benghazi Victim on CNN: 'All I've Asked for' From Hillary Is a 'Telephone Call'
June 17, 2014, 5:22 PM EDT

In a passionate interview with host Brooke Baldwin on the June 17 edition of CNN Newsroom, Patricia Smith – mother of slain U.S. diplomat Sean Smith – voiced her frustrations about the lack of answers she has received from the Obama administration regarding Benghazi.

Smith had one basic request for Hillary Clinton, a simple phone call [MP3 audio here; video below]:

Race Baiting New Republic Column: 'The Unelectable Whiteness of Scott Walker'
June 16, 2014, 5:30 PM EDT

In a scathing column for The New Republic, Alec MacGillis charged–with scarce evidence–that Governor Scott Walker’s (R-Wis.) political success is the result of racial politics in the state of Wisconsin. MacGillis’s headline is predictable left-wing race baiting: “The Unelectable Whiteness of Scott Walker”.

MacGillis suggested that the Badger State governor’s political rise is the product of the urban-suburban divide that exists in the metro Milwaukee area, and then proceeded to explain the long history of the racial tensions that have existed in the state, connecting precisely none of it to Walker himself, unless you count a few forwarded emails by low-level Walker staffers.

MSNBC's Melvin: Are America's 'Chickens Coming Home to Roost' in Iraq?
June 16, 2014, 1:15 PM EDT

On the June 16 edition of MSNBC’s Jansing and Co., guest host Craig Melvin channeled far-left anti-war opinion in his questioning of Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). While the left has been persistent in their arguments that the Iraq War was the ultimate cause of the current conflict, Melvin was willing to take things a step further.

Melvin posed quite the loaded question to Whitehouse: “Senator, is what we’re seeing unfold right now in Iraq, is it–is it sort of chickens coming home to roost? I mean, is this a failure of U.S. policy in Iraq? Is that what we’re seeing bear out?” [MP3 audio here; video below]

Daily Beast's Avlon Sees 'Iron Lady' Hillary in Contentious NPR Interview
June 13, 2014, 5:40 PM EDT

On the June 13 edition of CNN Newsroom, Carol Costello and company defended Hillary Clinton from the media’s criticism of her interview with Terry Gross of NPR. John Avlon of The Daily Beast cheered that “you got a glimpse of authenticity from Hillary Clinton” in the exchange.

Costello took a different route for defending Hillary [MP3 audio here; video below]:

MSNBC's Chuck Todd: Tea Party Conservatives 'Love to Complain,' 'Don't Want to Lead'
June 13, 2014, 12:30 PM EDT

Reacting to news that Texas conservatives Pete Sessions (R) and Jeb Hensarling (R) would not challenge Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for House Majority Leader, MSNBC’s Chuck Todd felt compelled to rip the Tea Party for their supposed lack of leadership. According to The Daily Rundown host, Tea Party conservatives “will blind quote ‘leadership’ to death. They love to complain, moan, gripe, you know what, but when the chips are down, they don’t have the guts to run.”

NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell was unwilling to raise much of an objection to this blatantly partisan analysis. [MP3 audio here; video below]

MSNBC's Irin Carmon Blasts Bipartisan Louisiana Abortion Law
June 12, 2014, 5:15 PM EDT

MSNBC’s Irin Carmon – a 2013 New York Abortion Access Fund “Champion of Choice” honoree – is at it again, savaging new legislation in Louisiana to regulate the state’s abortion clinics. The new law will hurl the Pelican State back to a “pre-Roe v. Wade condition,” Carmon quoted Amy Irvin of the New Orleans Abortion Fund in the second paragraph of her one-sided June 12 msnbc.com article titled, “Jindal signs bill that may close Louisiana abortion clinics.”

Carmon failed to turn to even a solitary token pro-life activist or legislator in favor of the new law, which is curious given the fact that backing for it was overwhelming and bipartisan. For example, the Louisiana State Senate passed this law by a vote of 34-3, with a strong majority of Democrats supporting it. In fact, the legislation’s co-sponsor, Katrina Jackson, is a Democrat.

Tamron Hall Worries New Iraq Woes Will Drive Americans to Blame Obama
June 12, 2014, 4:30 PM EDT

As city after city in northern Iraq falls to deadly Islamist extremist militias pressing onward to Baghdad, questions are now being raised about the wisdom of the United States’ swift exit from the Middle East nation just a couple of years ago at the direction of President Obama. But leave it to MSNBC to preemptively shut down any criticism of the White House.

On the June 12 edition of NewsNation, host Tamron Hall had several foreign policy experts on to analyze the chaos in Iraq specifically and the Middle East more generally. Towards the end of the conversation, Hall felt the need to defend attacks against Obama from the right [MP3 audio here; video below]:

CNN Gives Platform to Guest Trashing NRA as 'Murderous and Treasonous'
June 11, 2014, 5:30 PM EDT

On her Wednesday CNN Newsroom program, Carol Costello gave an anti-gun rights activist a platform to defend his crass exploitation of a recent fatal shooting spree to smear the nation’s oldest civil rights organization, the National Rifle Association.

Costello introduced self-styled “progressive PR guy” Cliff Schecter by quoting from his most recent Daily Beast piece, where he called out the “treasonous and murderous role played by the leaders of the NRA.” [MP3 audio here; video below]

Chuck Todd: Cantor’s Defeat Proves Immigration ‘Will Absolutely Tear the Republican Party Apart’
June 11, 2014, 12:15 PM EDT

In the aftermath of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s shocking defeat Tuesday night to economics professor Dave Brat, the folks at Morning Joe discussed what this would mean for the Republican Party going forward. Chuck Todd, host of the Daily Rundown, suggested that immigration is an issue that consistently divides the right: “how much more evidence do we need that immigration will absolutely tear the Republican Party apart whenever they're dealing with it as an issue inside their party?”

Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough hinted that the real issue when it comes to immigration  is the lack of leadership from the Republican Party: “They're going to have to have a strong leader that knows how to articulate the vision, and why we need comprehensive immigration reform.” [MP3 audio here; video below]

Following School Shooting, MSNBC Guest, a ‘Security’ Expert, Demands More Gun Control
June 10, 2014, 5:15 PM EDT

In the immediate aftermath of the tragic shooting at Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Oregon, gun control fanatics were ready to go straight away to their never-ending crusade to slap more and more restrictions on gun rights. Some of them went on air, however, in the guise of apolitical security experts.

Take the June 10 edition of MSNBC’s The Cycle, where the panel brought on security and criminal investigation expert Anthony Roman to discuss the latest shooting. While the MSNBC hosts were mostly subdued throughout coverage of the story, a welcome development, Roman was more than ready to take up the banner for a fresh round of federal gun control laws [MP3 audio here; video below].

Ronan Farrow's Taste in Video Games Includes 'Coming of Age Lesbian Love Story'
June 10, 2014, 3:10 PM EDT

On the June 10 edition of Ronan Farrow Daily, the program’s host moderated a fascinating discussion with two guests about the growing diversity of video games over time and how–increasingly–video games are moving more into niche interests.

But viewers got a little more than they may have bargained for when Mr. Farrow felt the need to share with his audience that he had “just played ‘Gone Home,’ which is a coming of age lesbian love story.” [MP3 audio here; video below]

MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Slobbers Over HBO Film on Same-Sex Marriage
June 9, 2014, 5:10 PM EDT

Andrea Mitchell could barely contain her excitement in having the co-directors of “The Case Against 8"– an HBO documentary which highlighted an element of the fight for same-sex marriage– appear on her show. At every turn, the MSNBC host marveled at how noble the “marriage equality” fight supposedly is, throwing any attempt at an objective interview right out the window.

“The way you personalized the two couples is such an important part of this narrative. They are every man, every woman...they are like every couple you know,” proclaimed the Andrea Mitchell Reports anchor in praising the documentary’s co-directors amid her softball interview which served as a promo for the film being screened this Friday at a Washington, D.C. cinema [MP3 audio here; video below].

CNN's Candy Crowley: Is Bergdahl ‘Less Worthy’ of Saving Than a Young John McCain?
June 9, 2014, 11:00 AM EDT

Candy Crowley, in continuing to carry water for the Obama administration, pressed Arizona Senator John McCain on State of the Union on whether Bowe Bergdahl was “less worthy of rescue” than a young John McCain when he was a POW during the Vietnam War.

Crowley led off her interview by acknowledging McCain’s service in Vietnam, complimenting him for serving with “courage” and “honor” and “valor.” Seeming to ignore her own kind words, she immediately went after the Arizona senator. After identifying the circumstances surrounding the capture of Bergdahl–likely deserter, possible defector, possible converter to Islam–Crowley posed this question to McCain [MP3 audio here; video below]:

Slobbering Love Affair: MSNBC Gushes Over Hillary Interview
June 6, 2014, 1:25 PM EDT

Continuing their slobbering love affair with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, MSNBC fawned over the answers Clinton gave in a, wait for it, People magazine interview.

Now with Alex Wagner guest host Richard Wolffe and the Washington Post’s Jonathan Capehart literally went over part of the interview sentence by sentence, gushing over Hillary’s ability to connect with potential voters. In their eyes, Hillary could do no wrong; every single word served a higher purpose, that being her future political aspirations. According to Wolffe, Hillary’s responses were like “poetry, I tell you.” Wolffe highlighed Hillary’s alleged ability to relate her concussion to the needs of the American people, saying [MP3 audio here; video below]: