John Boehner

Journalists vs. the 'Far Right,' 'Hardline' and 'Ultra-Conservative' House GOP
By Rich Noyes | October 28, 2015 | 10:05 AM EDT

Over the past four weeks, as the broadcast networks have covered the House leadership contest, reporters have gone out of their way to relentlessly paint House Republicans, especially the Freedom Caucus, as ideologues who are outside the American political mainstream.

From September 25 to October 23, MRC analysts reviewed all 82 ABC, CBS and NBC morning and evening news stories about John Boehner’s resignation as House Speaker and the race to succeed him. The coverage included a whopping 106 ideological labels of Republicans, including 35 casting conservatives as extreme: “far right,” “hardline,” “very conservative” or “ultra-conservative.”

CNN's Berman Presses GOP Speaker Candidate to Vow No Govt Shutdown
By Brad Wilmouth | September 29, 2015 | 11:58 AM EDT

As Representative Daniel Webster appeared as a guest on Tuesday's New Day on CNN to discuss his intention to run for Speaker of the House of Representatives, substitute co-host John Berman pressed the Florida Republican to vow to work against a government shutdown in the face of calls by some GOPers to defund Planned Parenthood.

CNN's Cuomo Disputes the 'Urgency' to Defund Planned Parenthood 'Before You Investigate'
By Brad Wilmouth | September 28, 2015 | 12:24 PM EDT

On Monday's New Day on CNN, anchor Chris Cuomo complained about Republicans wanting to defund Planned Parenthood as he questioned the "urgency" of doing so "before you investigate the allegations," leading guest and former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor to decry the "grotesque" revelations about the abortion provider.

During a discussion of House Speaker John Boehner's announced resignation and the impact it could have on whether there is a government shutdown as Republicans try to defund Planned Parenthood, Cuomo fretted:

NYT Sunday Front: 'Dread' in D.C. as Right Wing Has 'Knives Out,' Hungers for 'More Strident Conservative' Post-Boehner
By Clay Waters | September 27, 2015 | 5:08 PM EDT

After the shock resignation of John Boehner, should you fear and dread the rise of a revitalized right wing in Congress? Sunday's New York Times front page featured a "news analysis" on the surprise retirement announcement of House Speaker John Boehner. The takeaway from Jonathan Weisman and Michael Shear's label-heavy story was encapsulated in the headline: "The Post-Boehner Congress and Washington's Sense of Dread." Fear and dread among those who hew to the conventional wisdom dispersed by the liberal media, at least.

ABC’s Dowd: Republicans ‘Upset...America Is Now Less White’
By Jeffrey Meyer | September 27, 2015 | 11:17 AM EDT

On Sunday’s This Week, ABC’s Matthew Dowd used Speaker of the House John Boehner’s resignation as the perfect opportunity to attack Republican voters who were unhappy with his tenure. The so-called conservative proclaimed that Republicans are “really upset” that “America has changed...America is now less white, less married, less churched, less conservative, and that is a difficult prospect for them to face in the course of this.” 

Nets Again Blast ‘Unruly’ GOP over Boehner Resignation; Suggests It Could Harm 2016 Chances
By Curtis Houck | September 26, 2015 | 10:15 PM EDT

On Saturday morning, the major broadcast networks were at it again in bashing the “far-right” and “unruly hardliners” in the House Republican caucus for causing Speaker John Boehner’s impending resignation announced Friday that CBS added could hurt the party’s chances in 2016 if the “infighting” continues.

Matthews, Tomasky Lament ‘Revolutionary’ GOP Dethroned ‘Rock-Ribbed Conservative’ Boehner
By Curtis Houck | September 26, 2015 | 11:45 AM EDT

Speaking with fill-in host Alex Wagner on the Friday edition of MSNBC’s All In, Hardball host Chris Matthews and Daily Beast columnist Michael Tomasky continued the liberal media’s narrative of sudden respect for the soon-to-be resigning House Speaker John Boehner, lamenting that the “revolutionary” wing of the Republican Party had carried out a “mutiny” against “a rock-ribbed conservative.”

CNN's Bernstein: 'Zealots Are Winning the Soul of the Republican Party'
By Brad Wilmouth | September 25, 2015 | 11:44 PM EDT

Appearing as a guest on Friday's CNN Newsroom, CNN political analyst Carl Bernstein asserted that "zealots are winning the soul of the Republican Party" as he blamed the "zealots of his party" for Republican House Speaker John Boehner's announced resignation from the House of Representatives.

Moments later, as he praised the Pope's speech to Congress, Bernstein took a shot at Texas Senator Ted Cruz as he suggested that "I don't think the Pope's message had much of an effect on Ted Cruz."

NBC Hypes: 'Challenge From...Far Right' Led to Boehner's Resignation
By Matthew Balan | September 25, 2015 | 11:26 PM EDT

Two journalists on Friday's NBC Nightly News played up how the supposed "far right" of the Republican Party pushed out Rep. John Boehner, who announced earlier in the day that he would be stepping down as Speaker of the House. Lester Holt underlined that Boehner is "resigning from Congress at the end of next month in the face of a challenge from members of the far right of his party, who believe he's gone soft on Democrats."

Video: NBC's Katy Tur Attacks 'Values Voters,' Gets Told to Pipe Down
By Ken Shepherd | September 25, 2015 | 4:35 PM EDT

During a live-shot wherein she trashed Values Voters Summit attendees as the "far right" of the GOP, NBC correspondent Katy Tur was interrupted by an attendee who told her to quiet down.

Networks Lambaste ‘Far Right Flank,’ ‘No Compromise Crowd’ for Pushing Boehner Out
By Curtis Houck | September 25, 2015 | 3:31 PM EDT

Mere moments into House Speaker John Boehner’s press conference on Friday discussing his resignation on October 30, the “big three” of ABC, CBS, and NBC were quick to chastise conservative House members on Boehner’s “far right flank” that compose the “no compromise crowd” and “some grassroots conservatives who happened to be elected members of the House.”

MSNBC’s Maddow Fawns Over ‘Refreshing and Lovable’ Speaker Boehner
By Curtis Houck | September 25, 2015 | 1:14 PM EDT

During MSNBC’s live coverage Friday morning of Pope Francis in New York City and the sudden announcement that House Speaker John Boehner will resign October 30, liberal personality Rachel Maddow couldn’t help but speak in admiration for Boehner, describing him as a “refreshing and lovable” politician as he’s dealt with “a fractious and self-righteously combative caucus.”