Chuck Schumer

Re: Iran Deal Opposition by GOP, Matthews Sneers 'Why Not Just Turn It Over to the Knesset Then?'
By Ken Shepherd | August 24, 2015 | 9:13 PM EDT

Congressional Republican opposition to the Iran deal simply boils down to kowtowing to opposing by the Israelis, MSNBC's Chris Matthews suggested during a roundtable discussion exchange with Republican strategist John Feehery on the Monday edition of Hardball. "Why don't we just turn it over to the Knesset then?" Matthews sneered, in reply to Feehery citing Israel's concerns about Iranian-sponsored terrorism. "Why have even a foreign policy in this country?" 

But mere moments later, Matthews defended liberal Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), who is on record opposing the deal, by saying that of course he's "going to defend the interests of Israel and it's legitimate he do so. OK, there's nothing wrong with that. It's a fact."

Networks Dodge Senate Democrat Saying the Timing of ObamaCare’s Passage Was a Mistake
By Curtis Houck | November 26, 2014 | 10:00 PM EST

In speech at the National Press Club on Tuesday, New York’s senior Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer expressed regret over how Democrats handled their large majorities following the 2008 election in passing ObamaCare when they should have focused first on economic issues to address the recession.

Since then, the remarks have received no coverage from any of the “big three” in ABC, CBS, and NBC on either their respective morning or evening newscasts in a situation that undoubtedly would not be the case if a Republican Senator had expressed doubts about an initiative by a Republican-controlled Congress and White House.

MSNBC's Matthews: 'True Peace' in Middle East Won't Happen Until Palestinians Respect Israelis' Right to Life
By Ken Shepherd | July 15, 2014 | 9:03 PM EDT

As my colleagues have been documenting throughout the day, both NBC and MSNBC have had their share of biased segments against Israel on their Tuesday programs.

So it was rather refreshing to see Hardball host Chris Matthews defend the United States's staunchest -- and only truly democratic -- Middle Eastern ally in his closing "Let Me Finish" commentary for the July 15 program. You can read the transcript below the page break (MP3 audio here, video follows page break; emphasis mine):

2009: Chuck Schumer Thanks 'Un-American' Koch Brothers for Campaign Contribution
By P.J. Gladnick | April 8, 2014 | 1:50 PM EDT

Remember the extreme discomfort Senator Chuck Schumer displayed recently when pressed by Joe Scarborough on MSNBC's Morning Joe as to whether he agreed with Harry Reid's description of the Koch brothers as "un-American?" After much evasion, Schumer finally agreed with Reid that the Koch brothers were un-American due to the political ads they are running.

It now turns out that Schumer's uneasiness with calling the Koch brothers "un-American" didn't have as much to do with casting aspersions upon their character as it had to do with something in his past that he probably knew would expose him as a hypocrite. And that something was a 2009  letter from Schumer thanking the Koch brothers political organization, KOCHPAC, for a contribution to his campaign. The letter can be seen after the jump.

Grilled By Scarborough, Schumer Ultimately Agrees With Reid: Koch Brothers' Actions 'Un-American'
By Mark Finkelstein | March 27, 2014 | 8:21 AM EDT

At 63, Chuck Schumer can still dance—for awhile.  But eventually, age or ambition caught up with the New York senator.  On today's Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough grilled Schumer over Harry Reid's accusation, uttered on the floor of the Senate, that the Koch brothers are "un-American."

For as long as he could, Schumer moonwalked away from Scarborough's question as to whether the Kochs are un-American.  As one of Harry Reid's top lieutenants—and a lean and hungry senator who almost surely aspires to take Reid's leadership role when the opportunity arises—Schumer was on the spot.  But Scarborough to his credit was relentless, and Schumer eventually wore down, making a distinction without a difference.  Schumer asserted that the Kochs "actions" in running their run ads "absolutely" are "un-American." View the video after the jump.

Uh-oh: NBC News President to Discuss Future of 'Meet the Press' With David Gregory
By Randy Hall | March 13, 2014 | 8:11 PM EDT

During a brief visit to Washington, D.C., Deborah Turness – the president of NBC News – is slated to discuss the fate of the network's Sunday morning program with host David Gregory and executive producer Rob Yarin regarding possible changes to the format of Meet the Press, which recently saw its ratings tumble to their lowest point since the third quarter of 1992.

According to Dylan Byers, a columnist at the Politico website, the gathering is “part of Turness's ongoing effort” to improve the long-running news and interview show, which ended 2013 behind both ABC's This Week and CBS's Face the Nation.

ABC, NBC Ignore Democrats' New Push For Gun Control; CBS Covers
By Matthew Balan | December 4, 2013 | 3:36 PM EST

CBS This Morning stood out on Wednesday as the only Big Three newscast so far to devote any air time to a new gun control proposal by Democrats in Congress. Nancy Cordes reported on the "fierce opposition" to a proposed amendment to an extension of an existing ban on so-called "plastic guns", which would "require that all guns contain a piece of metal that cannot be removed".

However, both of Cordes' talking heads during the segment were from Democratic supporters of the proposal, and she failed to include any soundbites from gun rights supporters. [MP3 audio available here; video below the jump]

Gloating Chris Hayes Suggests 'Neocons' Wanted 'Muscular Assertion of Military Dominance' Against Iran
By Brad Wilmouth | November 27, 2013 | 3:08 PM EST

On Monday's All In show on MSNBC, as he celebrated the "truly historic" news of President Obama's deal with Iran, Chris Hayes mocked "neocons"  for having a "dark day" and played the part of liberal caricature by suggesting that "neocons' nefariously wanted war with Iran for the "muscular assertion of military dominance."

A bit later, as he admitted that even Democrats in Congress are skeptical of the plan, he fretted about the possibility of Congress imposing more sanctions on Iran as he referred to doing so as "bonkers" and "ridiculous."

Hayes began the segment:

Harry Reid Slams CNN Reporter as ‘Irresponsible’ and ‘Reckless’
By Randy Hall | October 3, 2013 | 11:53 AM EDT

It's only three days into the federal government shutdown, and Senate majority leader Harry Reid is already showing signs of stress. That was especially apparent on Wednesday, when he was asked by Cable News Network reporter Dana Bash if the Senate would vote to pass a resolution if it was already approved by the House to restore funding for the National Institutes of Health, which among other things, does pediatric cancer research.

The Nevada Democrat responded angrily that the CNN journalist was “irresponsible” and “reckless” for questioning whether he would put politics over helping “one child who has cancer” and is receiving treatment through the NIH.

Media Protection Racket Alert: Politico's Byers Defends Reid 'Cancer' Comment, Attacks Drudge
By Tom Blumer | October 2, 2013 | 11:58 PM EDT

Politico's Dylan Byers is determined to tell us that we didn't see and hear what we really saw and heard, and that Matt Drudge is a filthy liar (Update, 8:20 a.m., Oct. 3: as well as Real Clear Politics —"Reid To CNN's Dana Bash: 'Why Would We Want To' Help One Kid With Cancer?") for relaying what CNN's Dana Bash saw and heard — and reported.

Today, after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid whined about House Republicans “obsessed with this Obamacare thing” and asserted that "they have no right to pick and choose” which programs to fund and not fund (actually, the Constitution gives them that right, Harry), card-carrying liberal Bash asked him: “But if you could help one child with cancer, why wouldn’t you do it?” Instead of turning the tables and saying, “I’ll be glad to do that when I get a clean bill,” he appeared to be on the verge of going into expletive mode, but then answered with a question of his own which should haunt him from here to eternity:

NBC Boosts Liberal Slams of Cruz for Using 'Green Eggs and Ham' Joke in Speech
By Matthew Balan | September 26, 2013 | 11:22 AM EDT

NBCNews.com followed the lead of Politico on Wednesday in hyping left-leaning attacks of Senator Ted Cruz for reading Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham" during his marathon floor speech against ObamaCare. Kasie Hunt and Carrie Dann spotlighted the critiques of Cruz from overt liberals, including former Obama campaign adviser David Plouffe; and Senators Chuck Schumer and Claire McCaskill.

The two writers also turned to Kansas State University's Phil Nel, whom they identified as a "Seuss biographer". However, they omitted that Nel donated thousands of dollars to Obama's 2008 and 2012, as well as to pro-abortion group Emily's List and to MoveOn.org.

ABC’s Zeleny Prods McCain to Attack Fellow Republicans, Praise Chuck Schumer
By Paul Bremmer | August 8, 2013 | 6:12 PM EDT

There’s nothing liberal media members love more than a Republican who attacks other Republicans in front of the TV cameras. That probably explains the media’s rediscovered fascination with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the 2008 GOP presidential nominee. ABC’s Jeff Zeleny interviewed McCain last Friday for the ABC News / Yahoo News online series The Fine Print, and he used the veteran senator as a weapon against some of the younger, more conservative senators.

Zeleny set the tone right from his opening script, in which he proclaimed, “[McCain] is drawing sharp criticism from some of his new Republican colleagues, like Senator Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, but he’s throwing that criticism right back, saying they make him worry about the future of the Republican Party.”