Michigan

AP on Friday: Mich. Right to Work Law an Exercise in 'Raw Power,' With No 'Political Niceties'
By Tom Blumer | December 11, 2012 | 6:25 PM EST

There will be plenty of time later to look at how the Associated Press and other wires more than likely fail to report the violence that took place in connection with right-to-work legislative actions in Michigan's legislature today. For now, let's look at the reactions of Associated Press reporters John Flesher and Jeff Karoub on Friday in an item which is no longer at the AP's main national site.

Their dispatch's headline ("Michigan Republicans end part of union tradition") was from all appearances an attempt to make it seem uninteresting. The story itself didn't describe the law involved as "right to work" until its fourth paragraph. Both before and after that, the pair, who are more than likely members of the Occupy Movement-supporting News Media Guild, got bitter (bolds are mine throughout this post):

Martin Bashir Ignores Violence By Union Thugs, Assails Michigan Governor's 'Crap Burger'
By Scott Whitlock | December 11, 2012 | 5:10 PM EST

On a day when violent union protesters in Mighigan attacked those who would dare disagree with them, MSNBC stuck to liberal talking points. Anchor Martin Bashir on Tuesday ignored the assaults and instead assailed the state's Republican governor for his "crap burger" comments. [See video below. MP3 audio here.]

Although Bashir showed footage of some of the protests, he did not discuss the violence directed against political contributor Steven Crowder and others. Bashir only gently noted, "Angry protests have accompanied the decision by the state's legislature to send two bills, which would weaken unions, to the desk of the state's governor." After the liberal anchor played a clip of Governor Rick Snyder insisting the right-to-work legislation is "pro-worker," Bashir dismissed, "That's what we describe as a crap burger."

CBS Hypes 'Thousands of Angry Protesters' Against Right-to-Work Bill; Slants 3 to 1 in Favor of Unions
By Matthew Balan | December 11, 2012 | 4:23 PM EST

Tuesday's CBS This Morning played up the union-led protests against a proposed right-to-work law in Michigan. Elaine Quijano claimed "the protests here in Michigan...[will] likely only get bigger." Quijano added that "they're planning to return today in record numbers - protesters determined to defend one of the biggest union strongholds in the country."

The correspondent loaded her report with six soundbites from the anti-right-to-work protesters and their supporters, including President Obama. Quijano only played two from proponents of the Michigan bill, including "reluctant supporter" Governor Rick Snyder.

With Right-to-Work Being Protested in Michigan, Liberal Media Avoids the Other Side of the Story
By Ryan Robertson | December 11, 2012 | 3:57 PM EST

Right-to-work legislation has passed in Michigan, despite the vociferous protests of bused-in union protesters in Lansing and sympathetic coverage from the liberal media, who have portrayed right-to-work as a blow to "union rights" as well as a "politically unnecessary" and "divisive" move by Republicans who control the state legislature and governor's mansion in a state that went strongly for Obama last month.

But there is another side of the story, which the liberal media outlets are seemingly ignoring. The Michigan-based conservative think tank called the Mackinac Center for Public Policy has not only published persuasive and thoroughly-researched reports advocating for the right-to-work policy, they are doing their best to inform the public with the facts and figures that the majority of the media refuses to acknowledge, much less verify.

Andrea Mitchell Grills Michigan Governor Over Right to Work Laws
By Jeffrey Meyer | December 11, 2012 | 3:48 PM EST

It appears as though NBC’s Andrea Mitchell has sided with the unions in the latest battle over workers’ rights, this time in Michigan. 

Appearing on Tuesday’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, Ms. Mitchell took it upon herself to hammer Governor Rick Snyder (R-Mich.) over his decision to sign a bill making Michigan the 24th right to work state. She later followed up the Snyder segment with a friendly chat with liberal columnist Ruth Marcus and later with a softball interview with the Rev. Jesse Jackson and a United Auto Workers union boss.  [See video below page break.  MP3 audio here.]

‘Democracy’ in Action: Union Thugs Assault Right to Work Supporters
By Matthew Sheffield | December 11, 2012 | 3:41 PM EST

Union thugs across the nation are outraged that Michigan has become the latest state to pass a “right to work” law allowing people in unionized companies to choose whether or not they wish to join. Unions oppose such laws because they want people to be forced to join their ranks.

Earlier today the union supporters turned violent as they attacked supporters of the Michigan law, tearing down a tent while people were in it and punching conservative activist and comedian Steven Crowder in the face. Both acts were caught on video. Click past the jump to view them here since you won't see them in the so-called mainstream media. First the one of Crowder being punched in the face:

Jansing & Co. Presents Slanted & Misinformed Take on Michigan's Right to Work Legislation
By Ryan Robertson | December 10, 2012 | 6:25 PM EST

Michigan may very well become the 24th state to adopt right-to-work legislation on Tuesday, and liberal media outlets have given its opponents ample opportunity to state their case. While proponents have not been allowed to defend the law at all, MSNBC's Chris Jansing was more than happy to briefly play "devil's advocate" with her guest on Monday -- newly elected state representative Tim Greimel who called right-to-work "too divisive and too extreme for the state."

Following his lengthy diatribe on the subject, in which he also called right-to-work the "surest path to poverty that anybody could pursue here in Michigan," Jansing invited  the Washington Post's Dana Milbank and Jackie Kucinich -- daughter of retiring liberal Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) -- of USA Today back on the program to reinforce the argument Greimel made. Hardly a balanced analysis of legislation designed to safeguard an individual's right not be coerced into a union or into financially supporting a union in which he/she is not a member [ video and transcript below ]

Union Official Compares GOP Push for Right to Work Law in Mich. to Attack on Pearl Harbor
By Jack Coleman | December 10, 2012 | 5:55 PM EST

He who first invokes the Nazis during an argument loses, posits Godwin's Law. Allow me to introduce Cook's Corollary to Godwin's Law, whereby he who makes a patently ludicrous analogy to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor forfeits all credibility.

The corollary gets its name courtesy of Steve Cook, president of the Michigan Education Association, the state's largest school employee union. (audio clip after page break)

Reuters Offers Readers Heavily-Slanted Story on Right-to-Work Bill in Michigan
By Ken Shepherd | December 7, 2012 | 6:03 PM EST

Reuters correspondent Andrea King Collier offered readers a heavily-slanted 27-paragraph story last evening about Michigan Republican lawmakers pushing a right-to-work bill in the state legislature. King Collier quoted only one proponent of the legislation -- Gov. Rick Snyder -- who was described as a "reluctant supporter of the measure," unlike "other Republican governors who have championed curbs on unions." Snyder sounded apologetic for the legislature's action, quoted by King Collier as saying "that issue was on the table whether I wanted it to be there or not."

By contrast, King Collier quoted three critics of the legislation: a union boss, an Obama White House spokesman, and a teacher's union member who was on hand outside the state capitol in Lansing to protest the bills under consideration. 

Detroit Councilwoman Wants Her 'Bacon' From Obama
By Matt Vespa | December 5, 2012 | 3:11 PM EST

Where’s my bacon, Obama?  That's the attitude of Councilwoman JoAnn Watson, who said that in appreciation for Detroit having voted for the president, Obama should bail out the financially insolvent.

In fact, Watson says, “that’s what you do” when your friends help you out.  Alas, the country sees the incompetence and the entitlement that has ruined Detroit.  Just because you helped get the president re-elected, doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed loans to save your city.  In fact, if such a list existed, I’d bet that most of California’s municipalities are probably in front of you, Ms. Watson.

Media Fail: Chevy Volt Makes NO Money, Costs Taxpayers Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars Per Car
By Seton Motley | July 17, 2012 | 9:54 AM EDT

The Jurassic Press is missing much in their reporting on the $50 billion bailout of General Motors (GM).  The Press is open channeling for President Barack Obama - allowing him to frame the bailout exactly as he wishes in the 2012 Presidential election. 

The President is running in large part on the bailout’s $30+ billion loss, uber-failed “success.”  And the Press is acting as his stenographers.  An epitome of this bailout nightmare mess is the electric absurdity that is the Chevrolet Volt.  The Press is at every turn covering up - rather than covering - the serial failures of President Obama’s signature vehicle.

MSNBC's Roberts Worries About 'License to Bully' in Michigan
By Ken Shepherd | November 9, 2011 | 12:54 PM EST

A religious exemption in anti-bullying legislation that's meant to prevent students and teachers from being punished for simply expressing their religious beliefs about homosexuality is a "license to bully" in the eyes of MSNBC.

Openly-gay anchor Thomas Roberts brought on Michigan state senator Gretchen Whitmer (D) to bash the Republican-controlled state senate for passing SB 0137, "Matt's Safe School Law," on to the state house of representatives containing a clause that holds that the law "does not prohibit a statement of a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction of a school employee, school volunteer, pupil, or a pupil's parent or guardian."