NBC's Lauer Hopes for Obama 'Escape Hatch' on Syria, So He Can 'Save F

September 9th, 2013 12:51 PM
On Monday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer and chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd engaged in a strategy session over how President Obama could minimize any political damage from Congress voting down a strike on Syria. Lauer fretted: "Is there an escape hatch for the President? Is there a way for him to save face politically if this vote goes against him?" [Listen to the audio or watch…

Time Mag Spins: Serial Adulterer RFK Jr. Suffered 'Painful Struggle' w

September 9th, 2013 12:35 PM
When it comes to light that a prominent liberal Democrat has committed a series of sexual transgressions, there are two typical responses from media outlets: ignore the story and hope it goes away or spin it as best as they possibly can. The latter approach typically involves either highlighting how said politician and his wife are grappling with rebuilding their marriage and family or by…

Politico Pair Puzzled How GOP, 'Party of Hawks,' Has Gone 'Dovish' on

September 9th, 2013 9:45 AM
No website outdoes the Politico when it comes to looking at the world through Beltway-stereotyping glasses. A post this morning on Republican congressmen and senators' views towards attacking Syria exemplifies that outlook. Apparently, in the fevered minds of Alex Isenstadt and James Hohmann, a GOP lawmaker learning about any idea to intervene militarily automatically salivates at the…

As Opposition to Syria Strike Builds, NBC's Russert Tries to Whip Up S

September 6th, 2013 5:54 PM
In back-to-back interviews with members on Congress on Friday's MSNBC Daily Rundown, fill-in host Luke Russert desperately tried to sell Democrats and Republicans on the importance of supporting President Obama taking military action against Syria. [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump] Talking to Democratic Virginia Congressman Gerry Connolly, Russert worried: "How much of…

MSNBC Slams FNC on Welfare Fraud, GOP's 'Stunning New Attack' on Food

September 6th, 2013 2:43 PM
On Thursday's PoliticsNation on MSNBC, Washington Post political reporter Nia-Malika Henderson and MSNBC contributor Goldie Taylor joined host Al Sharpton to go after Republicans for trying to cut back food stamp allowances, with Sharpton seeing "vile rhetoric" from conservatives and a "stunning new attack on millions of Americans trying to put food on the table." The MSNBC host also fretted…

CNN's Carol Costello Aghast at Rush Limbaugh's Kids Book: 'I'm A Littl

September 5th, 2013 4:08 PM
[Update, Friday, 1:45 pm Eastern: Carol Costello is standing by her anti-Limbaugh Tweet, according to a report on TVNewser blog. The unnamed CNN spokesperson claimed Costello's Tweet was deleted, but it's actually still up -- see link below.] Someone pass the smelling salts. Liberal CNN host Carol Costello expressed her disgust over conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh's upcoming…

Chuck Todd: GOP Actually to Blame for Obama Denying Red Line Comments

September 5th, 2013 2:45 PM
On Wednesday's MSNBC Daily Rundown, minutes after President Obama denied setting a "red line" on Syria's use of chemical weapons, chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd excused the obvious falsehood: "I think it was clear that the President was trying to depersonalize the Syria issue a little bit....to say, you know, 'Stop making this about the President personally, depersonalize this.'" […

Daily Beast's Bouie Slams New 'Republican'-passed N.C. Gun Law, Omits

September 4th, 2013 3:33 PM
"For years, police officers in North Carolina had a choice when it came to confiscated guns. They could use them for law enforcement purposes—training, testing, examining—or they could destroy them," Daily Beast writer Jamelle Bouie noted in a post to the website on Wednesday. But now, thanks to "a new law... passed by Republican lawmakers in the state," that's changed. Now, "Police officers…

MSNBC Panel Goes After GOP for 'Obama Derangement Syndrome,' Forgets B

September 4th, 2013 2:26 PM
On Tuesday's PoliticsNation on MSNBC, Dana Milbank of the Washington Post and MSNBC contributor Goldie Taylor joined host Al Sharpton to lambast the GOP for suffering from "Obama Derangement Syndrome," picking up on criticism of President Obama putting his foot on his desk in the Oval Office, without noting any of the visceral hatred felt toward George W. Bush by the Democratic base during his…

CBS Hypes 'Big Star Power' Promoting ObamaCare Exchanges

September 4th, 2013 2:16 PM
On Wednesday's CBS This Morning, Jan Crawford boosted the latest pro-ObamaCare campaign from the President's supporters in Hollywood. Crawford played back-to-back soundbites from liberal comedian Will Ferrell's "Funny or Die" website, and highlighted the list of celebrities who have signed up for the campaign. The correspondent did later acknowledge that the controversial law is still "…

NBC's Guthrie to Rumsfeld: Do You Take 'Responsibility' for 'Specter o

September 4th, 2013 12:33 PM
In an exclusive interview with former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Wednesday's NBC Today, co-host Savannah Guthrie attempted to blame the Bush administration for President Obama's difficulty in garnering support for military action against Syria: "Looming over this debate time and time again has been the specter of Iraq. Most recently, the U.K. Parliament, many members cited the failure…

Michigan Professor Tells Creative Writing Class 'Republicans Have Rape

September 4th, 2013 12:32 PM
A Michigan State University professor started his first creative writing class last week going on an eight-minute tirade about members of the GOP. In the video published Thursday by Campus Reform, William S. Penn said Republicans "are cheap. They don't want to pay taxes because they have already raped this country and gotten everything out of it they possibly could" (video follows with…

MSNBC's Sharpton Mocks O'Reilly Retraction and Questions 'Accuracy

September 3rd, 2013 4:52 PM
On Friday's PoliticsNation, MSNBC's Al Sharpton used Bill O'Reilly's recent retraction and apology to mock the FNC host by suggesting that The O'Reilly Factor generally lacks accuracy. After a clip of O'Reilly asserting that "I know you guys watch the Factor for accuracy," Sharpton cracked:

Rangel Calls Obama-Syria Situation 'Embarrassing'; Press, Other Than P

September 3rd, 2013 2:28 PM
Monday morning, 22-term Democratic Congressman Charlie Rangel of New York, as reported by Tal Kopan at the Politico, said that President Barack Obama's drawing of a "red line" on Syria is "embarrassing," and that he is against "putting our kids in harm’s way to solve an international problem." Rangel is the third most-senior House member of either party. If a senior Republican congressperson…