John Berman Hyperbolically Warns of Romney's 'Ever More Scathing Anti

"Good Morning America" reporter John Berman on Thursday hyperbolically warned that Mitt Romney is taking his "ever more scathing, anti-Obama message" to South Carolina. The correspondent then proceeded to play up every new attack on the Republican front-runner. Speaking of South Carolina, Berman fretted, "It's not just the warm weather, but the warm welcome to his ever more scathing, anti-…
Scott Whitlock
January 12th, 2012 1:01 PM

Conservative South Carolina Is Home of Dark (Unsubstantiated) 'Undercu

After Mitt Romney’s comfortable win in the New Hampshire Republican primaries Tuesday, media attention shifts to the next primary, in socially conservative South Carolina, which New York Times campaign reporter Jim Rutenberg claims is “a place famous for surfacing the dark undercurrents of American politics” in his Wednesday front-page story, “In South Carolina, Challenges Await on Ideology and…
Clay Waters
January 12th, 2012 12:56 PM

Deceptive Detroit Free Press Headline Reads as Blaming Tea Party for D

Given the underlying story, the following headline to a Thursday story at the Detroit Free Press is either a big mistake or a deliberate attempt to focus blame where it absolutely does not belong: "Man on probation, fined for role in tea party scam." Excuse me while I question whether the Freep deserves the benefit of the doubt. L.L. Brasler's story is really about how the second of two…
Tom Blumer
January 12th, 2012 12:49 PM

NBC's Brokaw Hypes GOP 'Jihad' Against Romney; Confuses Mitt and Georg

Appearing on Thursday's NBC Today, special correspondent Tom Brokaw touted GOP presidential candidates attacking Mitt Romney's business experience at Bain Capital: "It's the Republican Party equivalent of a jihad....the real danger for the Republicans is that it will deeply divide the party at a time when they want it to be united." [Audio available here] While promoting the Republican…
Kyle Drennen
January 12th, 2012 12:43 PM

Poor Ratings Get Current TV Dumped in the UK, CEO Whines About Murdoch

Current TV isn’t just largely unwatched in America. Mimi Turner at The Hollywood Reporter notes its horrible ratings in the United Kingdom are causing BSkyB to drop them. “Co-founder and CEO Joel Hyatt has launched an astonishing attack on the Rupert Murdoch-backed pay TV platform, accusing it of shutting down the channel in an act politically motivated by News Corporation.” It sounded just…
Tim Graham
January 12th, 2012 12:07 PM

Open Thread: Some Good News for Religious Liberty

Some good news as our starter topic today: The Supreme Court ruled that churches have the right to hire and fire whoever they wish, contrary to the Obama administration which was trying to apply standard employment law to churches:
NB Staff
January 12th, 2012 11:05 AM

One-Year-Old Child Left Alone in Occupy D.C. Tent, Network Morning Sho

A 13-month-old child was found yesterday morning, unsupervised and wearing only a onesie, in a tent in the Occupy D.C. squatters camp in McPherson Square. To their credit, some Occupiers notified authorities, who arrested a man who showed up later claiming to be the baby's father. That being said, it's just the latest criminal incident which highlights the ongoing problems of the 3-month long "…
Ken Shepherd
January 12th, 2012 10:50 AM

Obama Appreciation, Tea Party Bashing on the Cover of the NYTimes Sund

Diversity, New York Times style. “Bipolar America,” the cover feature for the Sunday New York Times Book Review, compiles reviews of three new books on Tea Party-related politics, one reviewed by veteran liberal journalist Michael Kinsley, two others judged by Timothy Noah, veteran liberal journalist for The New Republic. Noah says Geoffrey Kabaservice, author of the strongly titled Rule and…
Clay Waters
January 12th, 2012 10:33 AM

Chirpy CNN Host Prank Calls Sleeping Kerry Kennedy to Ask About Father

"Hi! Is this Mary Todd Lincoln? It is? Sorry for waking up before 6 A.M. but this is Ashleigh Banfield of Early Start and I just want you to know we are live on the air so, please, No F-bombs. Hee! Hee! Anyway, I know how much you love watching plays so I want to ask if you are still haunted by the assassination of your husband who was sitting right next to you at Ford's Theater." Is this…
P.J. Gladnick
January 12th, 2012 10:01 AM

Iranian Filmmaker: 'Michael Moore Is the Most Famous Director in Iran

According to one of Iran's most acclaimed directors, anti-American schlockumentarian Michael Moore is the most famous filmmaker in that Middle Eastern nation that so happens to be a sworn enemy of the United States. As the New York Post reported Thursday:
Noel Sheppard
January 12th, 2012 9:18 AM

Crew of 'The View' Trash Pope, Social Conservatives as 'Inhumane' and

On Tuesday's edition of The View on ABC, the ladies once again held a completely unanimous liberal discussion on gay marriage, with the alleged conservative Elisabeth Hasselbeck leading the denunciation of social conservatives, including Pope Benedict. On Monday, Pope Benedict spoke up for the family, based on the marriage of a man and a woman, but nowhere in the address did he actually discuss…
Tim Graham
January 12th, 2012 8:07 AM

Scarborough: Perry 'Sounds Like Stoned NYU Grad Student In Zuccotti Pa

Joe Scarborough said it about Rick Perry, but it could perhaps have applied to other Republican presidential contenders who are going after Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital. On Morning Joe today, discussing Perry's depiction of venture capitalists like Romney as "vultures," Scarborough said that the Texas governor: "sounds like a stoned NYU grad student in Zuccotti Park."  Video after…
Mark Finkelstein
January 12th, 2012 7:42 AM

ABC's Stephanopoulos Defends Contraception Question, Ties in 'Bet' Wit

Appearing as a guest on Wednesday's The Colbert Report on Comedy Central, ABC's George Stephanopoulos responded to host Stephen Colbert's question of why he - as debate co-moderator last Saturday - asked GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney about whether states have the constitutional power to ban contraceptives, as he argued that the question revolved around the "right to privacy." He then…
Brad Wilmouth
January 12th, 2012 2:16 AM

Was That Romney You Were Condemning, Chris Matthews - or JFK

Chris Matthews loathes Mitt Romney and reveres John F. Kennedy. Oddly enough, when Matthews vilifies Romney, you'd swear he was talking about Kennedy. Matthews, author of the JFK hagiography "Elusive Hero," had this to say about Romney last night during MSNBC's coverage of the New Hampshire primary while jousting with former Granite State governor John Sununu  (video after page break) --
Jack Coleman
January 11th, 2012 7:32 PM