Egypt

What a Joke: Politico Tries to Run Interference For Obama's Last-Minute Morsi Switcheroo
By Tom Blumer | July 3, 2013 | 4:57 PM EDT

Apparently, one pathetic last-minute speech by Eqypt's Mohammed Morsi was sufficient to convince President Barack Obama, who has spent several days and untold amounts of worldwide capital defending the Muslim Brotherhood leader's staying on the job in the face of what may have been the largest pro-democracy demonstrations in human history.

The Politico frantically tried to run interference for Obama opportunistic change of heart today, running an item which was apparently called "U.S. Eases Away from Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi." The item was up so briefly that it was quickly replaced, while the headline just mentioned still remains in the browser window's title bar:

Seriously, AP? Nothing Currently Happening in Egypt Is a Front-Page 'Big Story'?
By Tom Blumer | July 1, 2013 | 11:07 AM EDT

At the Associated Press's Big Story page as of 10:25 a.m. ET (saved here for future reference), conditions relative to stories on Egypt are the same as I observed in the wee hours this morning: "That story (about Sunday's mass protest involving "millions" per several other news outlets) is no longer even present at all at the AP’s 'Big Story' home page."

You have to click on "View More" at the bottom of the "Latest News" section at the AP's "Big Story" page before you'll see a current story. Just to make sure, a browser search within the page on Mohammed Morsi's last name (as AP spells it) found nothing.

Several News Outlets Report 'Millions' at Egypt Protests; AP Almost Buries Story, Claims 'Hundreds of Thousands'
By Tom Blumer | July 1, 2013 | 12:23 AM EDT

The BBC is reporting from Egypt that "Millions of protesters across the country accuse the country's first Islamist president of failing to tackle economic and security problems since taking power a year ago." Reuters is also reporting "millions" of participants.

At the Associated Press as of 11:15 p.m., its "Big Story" home page (saved here for future reference) had three stories on Egypt. Two of them were moldy oldies from before Sunday's protests. The one from Sunday evening was buried at the bottom of the page's "Latest News" section, and didn't even have an accompanying thumbnail (Update, July 1, 1:15 a.m.: The story is no longer even present at all at the AP's "Big Story" home page). The coverage by Hamza Hendawi, Sarah El Deeb and Maggie Michael only recognized "hundreds of thousands" of protesters, but at least seemed to admit that the protesters had gained some leverage by their sheer numbers:

Protective Priorities: Politico Has Nothing About Egypt on Its Home Page
By Tom Blumer | June 30, 2013 | 9:56 PM EDT

As of 9:15 p.m. (saved here for future reference), the home page at Politico had no story on developments in Egypt, even though story teases on unrelated matters from Thursday and Friday were still present. A browser search on "Egypt" within the home page came back empty. As millions protest in Egypt, some claiming in banners that "Obama Supports Terrorism, the most important story this evening is "5 messaging challenges for Obamacare."

In Jennifer Epstein's latest story about President Obama's African adventure, it almost seemed as if Egypt isn't on the African continent:

U.S. Press Virtually Ignoring Strong Anti-Obama and Anti-American Sentiment, Banners at Egyptian Protests
By Tom Blumer | June 30, 2013 | 2:54 PM EDT

As I noted on Friday, the final sentence in an AP report earlier that day (saved here at host for future reference, fair use and discussion purposes) on protests in Egypt read: "One banner depicted President Barack Obama and said, 'Obama supports terrorism.'"

I predicted with little risk of being wrong that the existence of this banner would not "survive future AP reports" -- and it hasn't, even though this and similar banners were still present in Tahrir Square on Saturday. A search at the AP's national site on "Obama supports terrorism" (not in quotes) returns nothing. Other establishment press coverage has also failed to reveal the continued presence of anti-American and anti-President Obama sentiments.

Imagine That: 'U.S. Warns on Egypt Travel, Moves to Reduce Presence'; Protest Sign: 'Obama Supports Terrorism'
By Tom Blumer | June 28, 2013 | 8:10 PM EDT

(UPDATE: "Obama Supports Terrorism" sign obtained at Twitchy.com)

This "Arab Spring" update comes from the Associated Press: "The Obama administration on Friday warned Americans against all but essential travel to Egypt and moved to reduce the official U.S. presence in the country amid fears of widespread unrest." No one could possibly have predicted this type of crisis would be a likely outcome of Hosni Mubarak's overthrow -- ahem, except former U.S. ambassador John Bolton and other people considered ignoramuses by the diplomatic elite.

Conditions on the ground reflect the growing tolerance of a diverse ethnic, religious, and democratically inclined leadership. Uh, actually not at all, as a separate AP report about today's events reveals (excerpts are not intended to describe the entire situation; reviewing the entire report and others from elsewhere will be needed for a fuller understanding):

Larry King Joins Russian TV Network to Host 'Mold-Breaking' Political Program
By Randy Hall | May 30, 2013 | 2:32 AM EDT

After 56 years in broadcasting and more than 50,000 interviews across the U.S., anyone else would be considered a prime candidate for retirement, but that doesn't apply to Larry King, who will launch a “mold-breaking political talk show” in June for the Russia Today online TV network.

Perhaps failed CNN-FOX-MSNBC-Current anchor Keith Olbermann should pay attention. If no one in America will hire you, take your act international.

Romney: ‘I’m Not a Fan of the President’
By Noel Sheppard | May 18, 2013 | 11:53 AM EDT

Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney was Jay Leno’s guest on the Tonight Show Friday, and he didn’t have kind things to say about the current White House resident or former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

At one point in their discussion, Romney said, "I'm not a fan of the president - in case you didn't know that."

Politico's Roger Simon: 'How Good a Job Did Hillary Clinton Really Do as Secretary of State?'
By Noel Sheppard | April 7, 2013 | 5:17 PM EDT

As the media predictably gush and fawn over the thought of Hillary Clinton as president, there's something extremely obvious they've been missing.

Rather surprisingly, Roger Simon, the perilously liberal chief political columnist at Politico, asked the $64 million question on CNN's Reliable Sources Sunday, "How good a job did she really do as Secretary of State?" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Sharpton's Strange Theory: Blames Beck-Bachmann For Egyptians Pelting Hillary's Motorcade
By Mark Finkelstein | March 27, 2013 | 9:52 PM EDT

According to contemporary reports, as here and here, Egyptian protesters who pelted the motorcade of then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with tomatoes during her visit to Egypt last July were chanting "Monica! Monica!"  

So who did Al Sharpton, on his MSNBC show this evening, blame for the tomato pelting? Why, Glenn Beck and Michele Bachmann, of course!  According to the Reverend Al, it was the raising by Beck and Bachmann of the possible connection of Hillary's top aide, Huma Abedin, to the Muslim Brotherhood that outraged the Egyptian horde. Sharpton says "there is absolutely nothing" to back the claims of Abedin family ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. That is simply false, as this National Review item documents. View the video after the jump.

Erin Burnett to Laura Bush: Should America Accept Anti-Semitism To Effect Change In Middle East?
By Noel Sheppard | March 12, 2013 | 12:50 AM EDT

CNN's Erin Burnett on Monday asked former first lady Laura Bush a truly disgusting question.

In a segment about the George W. Bush Institute's Women's Initiative Fellowship Program and its involvement with a group of Egyptian women, Burnett asked Mrs. Bush if the United States needs to "accept" anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism "when we want to make change" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Unlike CBS, CNN Actually Grills Clinton on Foreign Policy
By Matt Hadro | January 30, 2013 | 4:33 PM EST

Contrary to CBS's Steve Kroft, CNN's foreign affairs reporters actually asked the tough questions of outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in their Tuesday interview on The Situation Room.

While Kroft spun his foreign policy questions into softballs for Clinton and Obama on Sunday's 60 Minutes, CNN's Jill Dougherty confronted Clinton on Egypt and Libya. She started off asking if the Egyptian state would survive amidst bloody unrest, and then zeroed in on Libya: