Barack Obama

LA Times Editorial Opposes 'No Fly List' Gun Purchase Ban As ACLU Waffles
By Tom Blumer | December 8, 2015 | 3:53 PM EST

In the debate over whether persons whose names are on the "no-fly list" should be denied their constitutional right to purchase a gun, one quite predictable thing has happened. Now that President Barack Obama has come out in favor of such a move in a nationally televised speech — to the point of wondering "What could possibly be the argument?" for opposing him — The ACLU, which 5 years ago strongly opposed it in official congressional testimony, is now trying to appear noncommittal while paying lip service to due-process rights.

That was to be expected, as the ACLU is largely funded by wealthy leftist donors who strongly support curtailing Second Amendment rights, due process be damned. What has literally come out of far-left field as a pigs-must-be-flying surprise is an editorial in the Los Angeles Times which opposes Obama on this issue.

Bernie Goldberg Sees ‘Tipping Point’ in Liberal Media Defense of Obama
By Kyle Drennen | December 8, 2015 | 12:48 PM EST

Appearing on Fox News’s O’Reilly Factor Monday night, media analyst Bernie Goldberg ripped President Obama’s address to nation on terrorism and argued that even members of the liberal media would start to abandon the commander-in-chief: “There are people in the media who have a lot invested in Barack Obama and they're not gonna throw him under the bus. But when Barack Obama makes you look foolish by defending him, that's another story.”

Zakaria Oozes: ‘Cool’ ‘Fireman’ Obama Used Speech ‘to Douse’ Donald Trump’s ‘Flames’
By Curtis Houck | December 8, 2015 | 2:41 AM EST

In the latest analogy put forth by a member of the liberal media to praise President Obama, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria opined on Monday’s CNN Tonight that the President used his speech to the nation on Sunday to come across as the “cool” “fireman” who will “douse” the “flames” started by Donald Trump. Additionally, Zakaria hailed the speech as “vintage Obama” as he conducted “an adult conversation” with the American people about ISIS and forced them to accept his ISIS strategy since “not a lot of people have come up with an alternative.”

Iran Tests Ballistic Missile, Thumbing Nose at UN, Obama Administration; Networks Ignore
By Ken Shepherd | December 7, 2015 | 9:10 PM EST

Earlier today, Fox News reported that Iran has tested "a new medium range ballistic missile test in breach of two United Nations Security Council resolutions." Yet none of Monday's Big Three broadcast network newscasts so much as mentioned the development.

CBS Recites White House Talking Points Defending Obama Speech; ABC Calls it ‘Historic’
By Kyle Drennen | December 7, 2015 | 3:49 PM EST

Covering President Obama’s Sunday night address on Monday’s CBS This Morning, co-host Norah O’Donnell turned to White House correspondent Major Garrett for “new insight on why the President spoke last night.” After briefly noting “lukewarm” reviews of the speech, Garrett proceeded to parrot administration talking points excusing the President’s poor performance. ABC’s Good Morning America labeled the President’s speech as “rare” and “historic.”

CNN's Camerota Lobbies Rand Paul on Obama's Gun Control Proposal
By Matthew Balan | December 7, 2015 | 1:49 PM EST

On Monday's New Day, CNN's Alisyn Camerota badgered Senator Rand Paul over President Obama's call for Congress to ban terror suspects from buying firearms: "That's one that seems as though it should be easy to fix. Why not close the loophole that allows suspects on the FBI's no-fly list to buy guns?" When Senator Paul cited how Ted Kennedy was on the no-fly list, Camerota shot back, "Look, I mean, I hear you, but fix the watch list. That's an issue of fixing the watch list...not to, somehow, let terrorists get their hands on guns."

NBC Rips Obama Speech: ‘He Didn’t Offer Anything New’
By Kyle Drennen | December 7, 2015 | 1:30 PM EST

Moments before President Obama’s Sunday night address to the nation about the San Bernardino terrorist attack, NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt hoped the speech might be “a defining moment for his presidency.” By Monday morning, reaction from hosts and analysts on the Today show made it clear the presidential remarks were not impressive.

When Obama Loses Mika's Daughter...
By Mark Finkelstein | December 7, 2015 | 7:43 AM EST

Given the Morning Joe reviews, if President Obama's terrorism speech were a Broadway show, it would have closed after one night. From Richard Haass to Richard Engel, Joe Scarborough to Willie Geist, the prez's performance was universally panned. 

And in the cruelest comment of all, Mika Brzezinski reported that "I watched it with my youngest daughter who's very, very interested and we were waiting for the address, and sat together and watched. And when he was finished she got up and left. She goes: I don't really know what the point of that was." Mr. President, when you've lost Mika's daughter . . . But hey, look at the bright side: you could fire up Air Force One and still make an afternoon tee time in Palm Springs.

CNN Split; Political Analysts Praise Obama Speech as Foreign Panelists Pan His ‘Self-Congratulation’
By Curtis Houck | December 7, 2015 | 2:38 AM EST

Following President Obama’s Sunday night address, the always large post-event panel on CNN had plenty to say, but it was quite the disconnect as many of their political commentators hailed the “straightforward” speech by the President while two of their foreign policy analysts panned the President’s “self-congratulation” and having “his head...in the clouds if he thinks this current strategy is going to succeed.”

Compromised AP and Reporter Julie Pace Offer Predictably Uncritical Coverage of Obama's Speech
By Tom Blumer | December 7, 2015 | 2:04 AM EST

At the Associated Press Sunday evening, White House Correspondent Julie Pace's coverage of President Obama's Oval Office address was predictably weak.

One could cite at least a half-dozen problems with Pace's story, but two of them were particularly disingenuous.

CNN's Zakaria: US Goes to War Against the 'Other,' But Won't Register Guns
By Brad Wilmouth | December 7, 2015 | 1:31 AM EST

Appearing as a guest on Saturday's CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow, CNN's Fareed Zakaria complained that Americans are willing to "invade two countries, spend hundreds of billions of dollars" to fight terrorism from "some threatening 'other'" who "looks, feels, sounds different," but "we won't ask for gun registration, we won't ask for background checks, we won't ask for simple, common sense stuff" in response to thousands of gun deaths.

PBS's Ifill Sees GOPers Trying to Be 'More Alarmist Than the Last Guy' After Terrorism
By Brad Wilmouth | December 6, 2015 | 11:25 PM EST

Appearing as a panel member on CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday, PBS host Gwen Ifill made a negative characterization of GOP presidential candidates' reactions to recent terrorist attacks as she declared that, "For Republicans, it's going to be a variation of what we've seen so far, which is, 'How can we be more alarmist than the last guy?'"

She then moved to take jabs at GOPers Chris Christie and Donald Trump as she suggested that the discussion was moving away from, "What can you really do about it?"