Sarah Palin

NYT Grants Bill Maher Space for 'Stop Apologizing' Plea; Paper Still Ignoring Maher's Vile Insults of Sarah Palin
By Clay Waters | March 22, 2012 | 2:04 PM EDT

Comedian Bill Maher, host of HBO's panel show "Real Time," appeared in Thursday's New York Times, pleading for a cease-fire in the current culture wars over insensitivity: "Please Stop Apologizing."

It's quite a convenient argument for Maher, given that he's been under fire from conservatives lately for his vulgar and demeaning descriptions of Sarah Palin, delivered last year both on his HBO show and in his comedy act (and refused to apologize). Conservatives have argued there is a media double standard against conservative figures, noting that radio host Rush Limbaugh was excoriated for calling a Georgetown law student a "slut," but that Maher suffered no censure for his far more vile comments about Palin (you can read them in this Reality Check from Rich Noyes of the MRC).

What makes Maher's appearance in the Times galling is that the paper has yet to inform its own readers of Maher's previous comments, even though conservatives have spent weeks making them an issue. Not even a front-page Times story that included details of Maher's $1 million donation to a pro-Obama SuperPAC roused the Times to mentioning his attacks on Palin.

Our Racist Media Undermines Obama Around the World?
By Tim Graham | March 16, 2012 | 1:09 PM EDT

On Wednesday's Al Sharpton radio show, they objected to the idea that President Obama would be "undermined" around the world by conservative media "because of his race." The guest was David A. Wilson, executive editor of the NBC-owned black "news" website TheGrio.com.

"We forget as Americans a lot of things we say really has an international reach. We live in a global community now," complained Wilson, utterly forgetting how by this standard, liberal media outlets routinely undermined Republicans like George W. Bush around the world. "It’s very important that we monitor the way in which we talk because, you know, we’re actually criticizing ourselves to the international world. [Sic] We’re not just – and not just criticizing ourselves, but sometimes we’re undermining our own leaders."

'Game Change' Authors Can't Imagine Why Palin Would Be Unhappy With HBO Hit Piece
By Josh St. Louis | March 14, 2012 | 3:34 PM EDT

On this Sunday's Web-based "Press Pass" feature, Meet the Press host David Gregory spoke to "Game Change" co-authors John Heilemann and Mark Halperin about the recent Sarah Palin-bashing HBO film based on the book and wondered: "Governor Palin has not been happy with this film. Why?"

Heilemann laughably argued: "...it's hard to know why she's not happy with it....the movie is an incredibly balanced portrait of her..."

While proclaiming the movie to be fair and balanced, the facts prove otherwise. One scene in the movie shows then-Governor Palin being taught basic grade school world history. The movie also showed campaign advisors treating Palin like she was out of control. Another clip showed McCain senior staffer Nicole Wallace yelling at Palin following the September 2008 Katie Couric interview. [Video below the jump or listen to the audio]

Action Item: Tell Obama to Return Misogynist Bill Maher's $1,000,000
By NB Staff | March 14, 2012 | 10:35 AM EDT

Our friends at MRCAction.org, a division of our parent company the Media Research Center, are urging folks to put the pressure on the White House to give back comedian Bill Maher's $1-million Super PAC donation.

For how you can join the campaign, click here. Be sure to watch the corresponding video embedded below the page break:

Palin Documentarian John Ziegler Speaks Out About 'Game Change' and Backstabbing Failures
By Noel Sheppard | March 13, 2012 | 9:28 PM EDT

NewsBusters readers know John Ziegler as the documentarian that created the fabulous "Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected and Palin Was Targeted."

With the release of HBO's Palin-bashing film "Game Change," I had an e-chat with Ziegler to discuss his impressions of the movie and how it relates to today's politics:

Ed Schultz: Palin Responsible for Republicans Thinking Obama's Muslim
By Noel Sheppard | March 12, 2012 | 9:41 PM EDT

UPDATE AT END OF POST: Hillary Clinton campaign circulated Obama photo in Muslim attire.

Polls released Monday showed a large percentage of Republicans in Alabama and Mississippi think President Obama is a Muslim.

In a shocking display of unhinged rhetoric hours later, MSNBC's Ed Schultz blamed it all on former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):

Woody Harrelson on GOP: 'The S--t Those People Say Just Makes Me Weep for Humanity'
By Noel Sheppard | March 12, 2012 | 6:10 PM EDT

As NewsBusters reported last Wednesday, the stars and executives involved in the production of HBO's Sarah Palin-bashing film "Game Change" have given $200,000 to Democrats and liberal causes in recent years whilst donating absolutely nothing to Republicans.

Now we learn from a Men's Journal interview with "Game Change" star Woody Harrelson that what members of the GOP say makes him "weep for humanity" (MJ questions in bold, Harrelson's answers in regular print, serious vulgarity warning):

Barbara Walters Scolds Joy Behar for Saying GOP Candidates Are Unprepared Like Palin
By Noel Sheppard | March 12, 2012 | 5:16 PM EDT

Barbara Walters gave Joy Behar a well-deserved dressing down on ABC's The View Monday.

After the liberal comedian said Sarah Palin "was completely unprepared for the [vice presidential] job as are a lot of the candidates right now that we’re watching in some of those debates,” Walters responded by providing her co-host the legislative and executive experience of the remaining Republicans in the race (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):

Game Change's Backstabbing Failure Steve Schmidt Idolized on Morning Joe
By Noel Sheppard | March 12, 2012 | 10:28 AM EDT

As NewsBusters reported Sunday, despite his failure as the McCain-Palin campaign’s senior adviser, and his subsequent backstabbing of the candidates he represented, HBO’s “Game Change” made him the hero of its Palin-bashing film that premiered Saturday.

The crew on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, with Schmidt as its guest, continued with this pathetic idol worship Monday (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):

HBO's 'Game Change' Idolizes Failed Backstabbing McCain-Palin Advisers
By Noel Sheppard | March 11, 2012 | 8:09 PM EDT

Now that HBO's Sarah Palin-bashing film "Game Change" has premiered, it is fascinating to note that its two heroes are the very advisers who not only were responsible for the worst presidential campaign in decades, but also ended up backstabbing the candidates they represented.

As John Podhoretz wrote at the Weekly Standard:

McCain Blasts HBO's 'Game Change': 'Based on a Book That's Completely Biased'
By Noel Sheppard | March 11, 2012 | 2:13 PM EDT

Although Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) kept true to his word that he wasn't going to watch HBO's Sarah Palin-bashing film "Game Change" which premiered Saturday evening, he did have some harsh words about it on Fox News Sunday.

"It's based on a book that's completely biased and with unattributed quotes," McCain said before taking issue with the depiction of him as a vulgar man that asked his campaign manager to find him a female running mate (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Chris Matthews on Woody Harrelson in 'Game Change': 'It's the Role of the Century'
By Noel Sheppard | March 11, 2012 | 12:16 PM EDT

As NewsBusters has been reporting, Obama-loving media members have almost been orgasmic in their adoration for HBO's new Sarah Palin-bashing film "Game Change."

Firmly on the bandwagon is Chris Matthews who on the syndicated program bearing his name this weekend actually said that Woody Harrelson's performance as McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt is "the role of the century" (video follows with transcript and commentary):