Adam Serwer

MSNBC Once Again Attacks Pro-Religious Liberty Conservatives as 'Anti-Gay'
By Ken Shepherd | March 21, 2014 | 3:40 PM EDT

MSNBC is at it yet again, slandering conservatives wishing to protect the religious liberties of business owners as "anti-gay" bigots.

The latest example comes with the headline for Adam Serwer's March 21 story, "Georgia Republicans tack anti-gay amendments onto unrelated bills."  To his credit, Serwer himself avoided needless invective, giving a rather fair description of the controversy at hand, even though it was a bit paltry in space devoted to those favoring the legislation. What's more, Serwer seemed rather incurious as to how the average Georgian feels about corporate interests -- you know, the bad guys in the eyes of the Left when they favor tax cuts and other pro-business moves -- being a significant factor in scotching the bill (emphasis mine):

MSNBC.com's Serwer Peddles Cynical Attempt to Paint Supreme Court Conservatives As Racists
By Ken Shepherd | March 19, 2014 | 4:16 PM EDT

In what may be a new low for MSNBC.com, writer Adam Serwer today all but compared Chief Justice John Roberts to his most infamous predecessor, Chief Justice Roger Taney, the author of the infamous 1857 Dred Scott decision.

"Shameful link in Voting Rights Act decision," blared the teaser headline in the lightbox at msnbc.com. "Legal scholars argue the decision striking down part of the Voting Rights Act is rooted in the Dred Scott decision, considered the worst in U.S. history," noted the photo caption [see screen capture at bottom of post]

MSNBC.com Hypes How Obama Judicial Pick Is Target of Pro-Abortion Lobby
By Ken Shepherd | February 18, 2014 | 1:35 PM EST

Let it not be said that MSNBC is never critical of President Obama. When he runs afoul of the abortion lobby, the Lean Forward network will take up arms and fires a few warning shots at the White House for betraying an ally in the "war on women."

"Liberal revolt over Obama judges grows," blares the teaser headline over a photo of a stern-looking Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.). "A revolt against President Barack Obama’s nominees to the federal bench in Georgia has spread from the civil rights icons who paved the way for his presidency to the abortion rights movement," adds a teaser caption [see screen capture below page break], alarming readers that, in the words of NARAL president Ilyse Hogue, “We look to our judicial branch to protect and uphold our values and freedoms." Here's how writer Adam Serwer caught msnbc.com readers up to speed on the controversy [emphasis mine]:

MSNBC.com: SCOTUS 'May Let GOP Block Obama Recess' Appointments, But Liberal Justices Skeptical of White House Case
By Ken Shepherd | January 14, 2014 | 1:30 PM EST

When the Supreme Court sat yesterday to hear the matter of NLRB v. Noel Canning, virtually every justice was highly skeptical of the Obama administration's claim that President Obama's January 2012 "recess appointments" were a valid exercise of his constitutional authority. After all, the president made the appointments when the U.S. Senate was technically in session -- a minutes-long pro forma session, but in session nonetheless. Even former Obama solicitor general Elena Kagan, no conservative she, seemed critical of the White House's arguments.

And yet when MSNBC's Adam Serwer covered the story for the Lean Forward network's website, he predictably spun the matter as the conservative wing of the Court leading the way for an outdated, dust-covered "horse and buggy" reading of the national charter. "Supremes may let GOP block Obama recess noms," blared an early msnbc.com teaser headline, although that misleading, inaccurate headline was changed shortly thereafter to read "Supreme Court questions Obama's power," a slightly less erroneous headline but one which cast's the dispute in personal terms, not constitutional and institutional ones. (see below the page break for screen captures). Here's how Serwer opened his story (emphasis mine):

MSNBC.com Bulks Up Its Staff with New Lefty Hires
By Ken Shepherd | May 7, 2013 | 5:52 PM EDT

How apropos that in the week before Mother's Day, the Lean Forward network is announcing hires for its website who have ties to Mother Jones, the far-left magazine that blessed the journalistic world with David Corn, himself a fixture at MSNBC as a frequent contributor.

"MSNBC.com is staffing up ahead of a major relaunch later this year," TVNewser's Alex Weprin reported last night. "The relaunched site will focus on the world of politics and the personalities that populate MSNBC’s programming. There will also, however, be plenty of political news and information."

WaPo Asks: Was Obama's Jonas Brothers Drone Joke Offensive?
By Noel Sheppard | May 4, 2010 | 1:12 AM EDT
President Obama's Correspondents' Dinner joke about using a predator drone to kill the Jonas Brothers if they touched his daughters has inflamed some liberals, so much so the Washington Post is running an online poll about the matter.

"The Jonas Brothers are here, they're out there somewhere," the President said Saturday evening (video right).

"Sasha and Malia are huge fans, but boys, don't get any ideas. Two words for you: predator drones. You will never see it coming. You think I'm joking?" 

As the Post's "44" blog noted, Adam Serwer at the liberal American Prospect was none too pleased about this as he expressed in a piece he wrote Monday: