Obama Inauguration

Surprise! ABC Discovers That Barack Obama Is a 'Progressive' 'Liberal'
By Scott Whitlock | January 22, 2013 | 11:57 AM EST

After years of downplaying ideological labels for Barack Obama, ABC has seemingly accepted the idea that the President is a "progressive" and a "liberal." While recapping the inauguration, Good Morning America's journalists used the terms four times in just two minutes and 45 seconds. Yet, when Obama was a Democratic primary candidate in 2007, the networks deployed the L-word just twice– in the entire year.

On Tuesday, George Stephanopoulos hyped the ideological content of Obama's second inaugural: "The speech, a call to action, an uncompromising enunciation of liberal principles." Seconds later, the former Democratic operative turned journalist reiterated, insisting that "liberals were cheering yesterday." Jon Karl trumpeted, "He went big. He went lofty. He went ambitious. And he went unmistakably liberal." [See video below. MP3 audio here.]

Andrea Mitchell: 'I Was Very Moved, Being Up There, Looking Out Over The Masses'
By Mark Finkelstein | January 22, 2013 | 9:06 AM EST

Ah, the masses. How they loved President Obama's inaugural speech.  And how Andrea Mitchell, being "up there," loved looking out over them.  She was "very moved."

Yes, on Morning Joe today, NBC correspondent Mitchell not only said that she was "very moved, being up there . . . looking out over the masses," but that she found the speech "uplifting," and that it was "a bigger moment that a lot of people originally gave it credit for."  View the video after the jump.

MSNBC Host Teasingly Asks Chris Matthews About ‘Chills’ During Obama Inauguration
By Matthew Sheffield | January 22, 2013 | 7:52 AM EST

Yesterday was a historic day. Sure we had presidential inauguration but it was also perhaps the first and only day when loudmouth MSNBC host Chris Matthews actually shut his yap for a few seconds.

The cat that got Matthews’s tongue was being reminded by fellow MSNBC host Martin Bashir of his inane 2008 remark that he gets a “thrill going up my leg” when hearing Barack Obama speak. Watch below for the video.

WashPost's Balz Downplays President's Ability to 'Unite the Country'; In 2005, Blamed Bush For Strains with Democrats
By Ken Shepherd | January 21, 2013 | 7:10 PM EST

Detecting media bias is often an exercise in contrasting two analogous events to see how the media worked to write the narrative in the public's imagination. We at NewsBusters have already looked at how the media love the party atmosphere of the Obama inaugurals but groused at the expense of Bush's second inaugural, for example. 

So it's instructive to see how Washington Post veteran journalist Dan Balz greeted President Obama's entry into his second term with how he looked at the dawn of President George W. Bush's second term.  "[T]his Inauguration Day comes at a time when there is far greater realism about whether the president, or perhaps any leader, can transcend political divisions and unite the country," Balz noted in his front-page January 21 analysis piece, "This time, the idea of a new beginning seems optimistic."

Brit Hume: Obama's Speech Should Kill Notion Held By His Admirers in the Press That He's a Centrist
By Noel Sheppard | January 21, 2013 | 6:53 PM EST

Brit Hume had some harsh words for America's Obama-loving media Monday.

Appearing on Fox News's Special Report, Hume said, "[The President's] inaugural speech should put to rest for all time the notion much favored by his admirers in the press that he is a centrist. He is not" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

On Inauguration Day, Joe Scarborough Continues Assault on NRA and Their 'Big Lie'
By Scott Whitlock | January 21, 2013 | 5:37 PM EST

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, who now spends much of his Morning Joe program trashing the Republican Party and various conservatives, used the inauguration of Barack Obama as another chance to slime the National Rifle Association. The former Republican Congressman sneered at the National Rifle Association, suggesting that the gun group is promoting the "big lie" that government will come after most guns.

Scarborough insisted the "the big lie has worked for years." He added, "...If they take away your military-style assault weapons, take away the AR-15, they're going to take your hunting rifle, they’re gonna take your handgun, which of course is a big lie."

CNN Hosts Wave to Obama Like Admirers
By Matt Hadro | January 21, 2013 | 5:35 PM EST

After CNN correspondent Jim Acosta felt like pinching himself at Monday's inauguration parade, host Wolf Blitzer couldn't contain himself as he tried to get the attention of both President Obama and Vice President Biden.

Blitzer gushed that "Look, this is history over here," as the President and First Lady made their way down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the White House. He waved to Obama saying "Mr. President," but was drowned out by crowd noise. Blitzer did the same with Vice President Biden.

George Stephanopoulos Falsely Identifies Celtics Legend Bill Russell As Morgan Freeman
By Noel Sheppard | January 21, 2013 | 5:31 PM EST

George Stephanopoulos made quite a gaffe during ABC's coverage of Monday's inauguration.

As the camera panned the crowd, Stephanopoulos incorrectly identified Boston Celtics hall of famer Bill Russell as Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman.

MSNBC's Bashir -- Who Compares Republicans to Stalin, Ceausescu -- Praises Obama for Attacking Political Name-Calling
By Ken Shepherd | January 21, 2013 | 5:11 PM EST

Discussing Barack Obama's second inaugural address with Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) shortly after 4 p.m. EST today, MSNBC host Martin Bashir approvingly noted how the president "critiqued some of the negative things" in American politics today, such as when he said "name-calling is not a reasoned debate" and "I've taken an oath to God and country, not to party and faction."

"I was thinking, these were rebukes, frankly, to House Republicans, in no small degree," Bashir concluded. Of course, to worry about political name-calling is rich coming from Bashir, who on various occasions has compared Republicans and conservatives to bloodthirsty tyrants responsible for bloody political repression. Below is just a short list of Bashir's battiest attacks on conservatives or Republicans:

NBC's Al Roker Yells Like a Groupie at Obama and Biden During Inaugural Parade
By Kyle Drennen | January 21, 2013 | 5:10 PM EST

Like one of President Obama's adoring fans camped out along the inaugural parade route on Monday, during live MSNBC coverage of the event, NBC Today weatherman Al Roker excitedly yelled at Obama and later Vice President Biden to get their attention as they walked by. His hard-hitting question to the President of the United States: "Is the weather good?" [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]

Giddy CNN Correspondent: ‘I Feel Like I Should Pinch Myself Right Now’
By Matt Hadro | January 21, 2013 | 4:22 PM EST

CNN correspondent Jim Acosta was positively giddy while covering President Obama's inauguration parade on Monday afternoon, and didn't hold back his feelings on-air.

"You know, I feel like I should pinch myself right now, Wolf. I can't believe I have this vantage point of history in the making," Acosta gushed. 

NBC's Williams Invites Colin Powell to Slam GOP 'Hatred' and 'Nastiness'
By Kyle Drennen | January 21, 2013 | 4:11 PM EST

In an exchange with former Secretary of State and prominent Obama supporter Colin Powell during NBC's live inauguration coverage on Monday, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams urged Powell to go after Republicans: "General, there's just flat-out hatred out there, too. There's nastiness out there in the land. There's nastiness between these two parties....Let's especially go to the Republican Party....What do they do to widen, if it is in their interest, widen their doorway to membership, to entry?" [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]