CPAC

CNN's 'Right on the Edge' Omits ACORN's Leftist Ideology; Sorba 'Anti-Gay'
By Matthew Balan | October 4, 2010 | 4:56 PM EDT
Lila Rose, Pro-Life Activist and Live Action Films Founder; & Abbie Boudreau, CNN Correspondent | NewsBusters.orgCNN's Abbie Boudreau omitted the left-wing ideology of discredited organization ACORN in her hour-long documentary on young conservative activists, "Right on the Edge," which aired Saturday evening. Boudreau also labeled Ryan Sorba, one of the subjects of her documentary, "anti-gay," and gave an overgeneralized account of an incident which Sorba took part in.

The correspondent profiled Christian Hartsock, who "directs films with a conservative message;" author Jason Mattera; "anti-abortion activist" Lila Rose; Sorba; and Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe, who "dressed up as a prostitute and a pimp to expose ACORN." Seven minutes into the 8 pm Eastern hour, as Boudreau introduced Giles, she noted that "there's a reason Hannah Giles became an overnight sweetheart of the conservative Movement. In September 2009, she and James O'Keefe used hidden cameras to expose ACORN." The CNN correspondent then gave a very sparse and favorable description of the group: "ACORN helps low-income people register to vote, find housing, and file taxes."
Pentagon Rescinds Franklin Graham’s Invitation, Al Sharpton is Welcome at White House
By Colleen Raezler | April 23, 2010 | 10:21 AM EDT
The Pentagon rescinded the invitation of evangelist Franklin Graham to speak at its May 6 National Day of Prayer event because of complaints about his previous comments about Islam.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation expressed its concern over Graham's involvement with the event in an April 19 letter sent to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. MRFF's complaint about Graham, the son of Rev. Billy Graham, focused on remarks he made after 9/11 in which he called Islam "wicked" and "evil" and his lack of apology for those words.

Col. Tom Collins, an Army spokesman, told ABC News on April 22, "This Army honors all faiths and tries to inculcate our soldiers and work force with an appreciation of all faiths and his past comments just were not appropriate for this venue."

Jon Stewart Bashes CPAC As 'This Year's Festival of Whites'
By Noel Sheppard | February 23, 2010 | 2:16 PM EST

Comedian Jon Stewart on Monday bashed the just-concluded Conservative Political Action Conference by calling it "this year's Festival of Whites."

The "Daily Show" host devoted two segments to the conservative gathering going after many of the presenters including former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

But the real target of Stewart's disaffection was Fox News's "Glenn Beck and his magical erasable truth board" (videos embedded below the fold with commentary, h/t Story Balloon):

The Nation: Prominent CPAC Speakers All Sound like Joe Stack
By Rusty Weiss | February 23, 2010 | 12:03 AM EST
We've seen the likes of Time Magazine, MSNBC, the Washington Post, and Newsweek link the Joe Stack airplane attack to the conservative movement.  But in an interesting twist, a political blogger for The Nation has inexplicably linked Stack to several players at the recent CPAC convention - including Tim Pawlenty, Scott Brown, and most notably Glenn Beck. 

Leslie Savan wastes little time delving into despicable comparisons from the onset with the title to her rant: 

Glenn Beck Dodges Incoming Plane at CPAC

From there, the associations to Stack stretch ever further.  Savan somehow manages to draw parallels between Pawlenty's comment about taking a 9-iron to big government, and the attack (emphasis mine throughout):

"Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty strained to hit a Southern-sheriff note of populist threat by suggesting, rather oddly, that conservatives were cuckolded wives who, like Tiger Woods's spouse, should "take a 9-iron and smash the window out of big government in this country!"--thereby managing to invoke both the wall of shattered glass windows at the Echelon Building and the marital troubles that may have contributed to Stack's anger."

It would seem the term ‘metaphor' is beyond the writer's grasp. 

Next up is an out of context quote from Scott Brown:

Rick Sanchez: Ann Coulter 'Exemplifies the Hardline Spirit of CPAC'
By Matthew Balan | February 22, 2010 | 6:08 PM EST
On Monday's Rick's List, CNN's Rick Sanchez painted Ann Coulter and CPAC as "hardline." Sanchez also implied that the CPAC attendees were hypocritically cheering Dick Cheney: "I invited Ann Coulter, who exemplifies the hardline spirit of CPAC...and asked her why anti-spend conservatives meeting there...would give a standing ovation to a former vice president whose administration ran up the deficit" [audio clip available here].

The CNN anchor revisited his Friday interview of Coulter 13 minutes into the 3 pm Eastern hour (Noel Sheppard exposed Sanchez's slanted interview of Coulter): "Do you remember last week when former Vice President Dick Cheney got the loudest ovation at CPAC? So I invited Ann Coulter, who exemplifies the hardline spirit of CPAC, I believe, and I asked her why anti-spend conservatives meeting there at CPAC would give a standing ovation to a former vice president whose administration ran up the deficit to $1.2 trillion, even though they were handed a surplus. I thought it was a fair question."
Media Ignored Left-Wing Tone of Netroots Nation in 2009
By Candance Moore | February 22, 2010 | 4:36 PM EST
While the national media dig through CPAC 2010 material for anything potentially embarrassing to fling at conservatives, their actions highlight a stark example of the blatant double standard applied to controversial speakers.

Back in 2009, the Netroots Nation Convention took place in Pittsburgh just before the G20 summit. Even though it hosted a number of far-left agendas, the media stuck to popular, mainstream subjects in their coverage.

The archive section of the official site of Netroots Nation revealed shocking material largely ignored by the national media. Below is a list of some of the ridiculous discussions that took place:

ABC's John Hendren Derides: CPAC Attendees Represent the Right and 'the Far Right'
By Scott Whitlock | February 22, 2010 | 4:29 PM EST

Good Morning America's John Hendren on Saturday fretted that attendees to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) came "from the right" and "the far right." He allowed that conservative are "on fire" with optimism about the future, but opined that the movement is "fractious."

John Avlon, author of Winguts: How the Lunatic Fringe Is Hijacking America, was featured in a sound bite to deride intolerant conservatives: "Reagan's ideal of the big tent, which invited people in, is now seen as code language for liberal."

On February 19, Avlon appeared on CNN attacked the "saving freedom" agenda of CPAC as "a little extreme" and "a little far out."

Kate Zernike's Smear Victim, Jason Mattera, Calls for Her Firing, Retraction From NY Times
By Clay Waters | February 22, 2010 | 2:50 PM EST
Reporter Kate Zernike continues to take heat for her false allegation, in a February 18 post on the New York Times's "Caucus" blog, that Jason Mattera of Young America's Foundation, a speaker at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, engaged in racial stereotyping during an anti-Obama tirade.

Her bizarre charge appeared under the headline: "CPAC Speaker Bashes Obama, in Racial Tones."
How can conservatives win the youth vote that overwhelmingly went for Barack Obama in 2008? At the Conservative Political Action Conference, apparently, some are betting on using racial stereotypes.
CNN's Don Lemon Calls Young Conservative At CPAC 'Progressive'
By Noel Sheppard | February 22, 2010 | 12:31 AM EST

UPDATE AT END OF POST: Young conservative in question responds to Lemon.

Just how out of touch must you be as a so-called journalist to think someone attending a conservative conference is liberal all because he or she is young?

Such a question should be asked of Don Lemon who on Saturday interviewed a couple of under-aged conservatives at CPAC and actually called one of them progressive.

Although CNN is to be commended for letting right-leaning youth discuss their views with cameras rolling, you would think someone would have clued Lemon in to the fact that the people he was speaking to - ahem, at a CONSERVATIVE gathering - were not liberals (video embedded below the fold with transcript):

Coulter Rips CNN’s Anderson Cooper; Advises Conservatives Not to Show Their Cards on Prospective 2012 Nominee
By Jeff Poor | February 20, 2010 | 1:29 PM EST

This will certainly be mulled over by the talking heads in the mainstream media for days to come.

At her 2010 Conservative Political Action Committee speech on Feb. 20, conservative author and commentator took the usual shots at the former President Bill Clinton and former Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards, but she also let it be known that the she's not a fan of the mainstream media. And she showed how the media totally missed it with the future of the GOP.

"What a difference a year makes," Coulter said. "This time last year, the Republican Party, according to the media - it was finished, dead," Coulter said. "It was the beginning of the Democrat's thousand-year reich."

More Video Below Fold

ABC's Claire Shipman Worries About 'Republican-edgy' Tone of CPAC, GOP's 'Big Tent Problem'
By Scott Whitlock | February 19, 2010 | 10:40 AM EST

Good Morning America's Claire Shipman on Friday highlighted the upbeat mood of the 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference, but also fretted about the "Republican-edgy" tone. This came after she mentioned unidentified conference promises of a "Nancy Pelosi pinata and a Harry Reid punching bag."

Former Democratic operative turned journalist George Stephanopoulos lectured that for Republicans to retake the White House, "...They're also going to have to reach out to the center. That's the big challenge."

Shipman agreed and derided this as a "big tent problem." She added, "This gathering pulls together so many different kinds of Republicans. A lot of enthusiasm here, George. Can they get their message and agenda together?"

Surprise: NY Times Finds Racial Stereotyping at Conservative Convention
By Clay Waters | February 19, 2010 | 4:38 AM EST
The New York Times suggests racist appeals were afoot at the Conservative Political Action Conference that kicked off Thursday morning in Washington. Reporter Kate Zernike filed on the paper's "Caucus" blog Thursday to chide as offensive "some" CPAC speakers, by which she evidently meant one in particular, young conservative author Jason Mattera: "CPAC Speaker Bashes Obama, in Racial Tones."

The teaser to the link repeated the plural: "At the conservative conference, some speakers are revving up the crowd in ways that could be considered offensive."

Evidently, mimicking comedian Chris Rock, as Zernike claimed Mattera did on a Thursday morning panel, is a scandalous use of "racial stereotypes" when done by a conservative. Interestingly, a quick tour of the blogosphere suggests that other left-wing sites, while trashing Mattera for his jokes about ugly liberal women, haven't gone so far as the Times did to accuse Mattera of racist appeals.

Zernike wrote:
How can conservatives win the youth vote that overwhelmingly went for Barack Obama in 2008? At the Conservative Political Action Conference, apparently, some are betting on using racial stereotypes.