Hollywood Rorschach: Mel Gibson, Charlie Sheen and Child Rapist Polans
The timing of today’s announcement from the Swiss that fugitive director Roman Polanski will not face extradition to the United States coming just a couple days after we all witnessed Hollywood’s reaction to the audio tape of Mel Gibson’s raging, racist rant is fitting. What an interesting opportunity for a side-by-side look at Leftist Hollywood’s values.It’s unlikely that anyone who’s…
Times Watch Quotes of Note - Venezuela Dictator Hugo Chavez a 'Good-He
Kagan a 'Brilliant Woman...Who Is Also Very Funny and Warm and Witty' "Let's not forget that Elena Kagan has been an academic. She is a brilliant woman. She's somebody who is also very funny and warm and witty, and I think Americans will see that when they-when she comes before the Senate today." -- Reporter Sheryl Gay Stolberg, on the June 28 edition of TimesCast, at nytimes.com. Venezuela…
For AP, Heated Conservative Rhetoric Is 'Poisonous,' But Obama's 'Shar
The Associated Press gave voice to a Repuiblican Congressman today to bemoan what he sees as "poisonous 'demagoguery'" from the usual suspects, including, by the AP's own account, Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck.Rep. Bob Inglis, R-S.C., who lost in a primary for the GOP nomination last month, went so far as to claim that heated political rhetoric is "dividing the country into partisan camps that…
Imagine If a Conservative Had Said It: Child- and Cop-killer Edition
Remember when media liberals were insisting (falsely, by the way) that RedState's Erick Erickson had advocated shooting a census taker? Well imagine that a journalist had approached, say, Dick Armey and the following exchange had ensued. Then try to imagine what the media's response would be.JOURNO: Obviously you don't believe in killing census workers.ARMEY: Umm, not in that context, no sir. No…
Left-wing Media Regulation Group Sees 'Astroturf' Everywhere Except in
Advocacy groups have increasingly labelled their opposition as "astroturf," or corporate-funded fake grassroots, groups in order to demean them and lessen the fact that both sides enjoy some measure of public support. Many of the organizations throwing around accusations of astroturfing, such as the Marxist net neutrality advocacy group Free Press and the liberal ThinkProgress not only engage in…
Evening News Watch: NBC Trick May Have Enabled Big 3 Nets to Avoid Goi
Last week, Matt Robare at NewsBusters noted the fact that the Big 3 networks' combined year-over-year audience fell by a bit more than 1 million during the second quarter. Last week's showing appears to be to a slight pickup over the previous week, but it may have been much worse. Here, per Media Bistro, is how the the week of June 28 as reported by Nielsen compared to the week of June 21, the…
CNNMoney.com: 'Jobless Claims Slide in Latest Week
This morning CNNMoney.com reports "Jobless claims slide in latest week." The article starts:The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment insurance fell last week, according to a government report released Thursday.There were 454,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended July 3, down 21,000 from an upwardly revised 475,000 in the previous week, the Labor Department…
AP Quietly Lowers the 'Normal' Unemployment Bar to
Those looking for evidence that there is a move afoot in the establishment press to lower the bar for whatever economic accomplishments might be accomplished during the Obama administration will be interested in how the Associated Press's report on the government's June jobs report defined "normal" unemployment. Perhaps it's valid for reporters Jeannine Aversa and Christopher Rugaber to refer to…
The NYT's Skewed View: Liberal Newsweek 'Strives to Be Apolitical," Fa
Two stories in Thursday's New York Times featured the paper avoiding pinning liberal labels on two media organs: the liberal newsmagazine Newsweek and the far-left political blog Daily Kos.Reporter Jeremy Peters insisted in Thursday's Business Day that the left-leaning magazine Newsweek was "apolitical," yet easily spotted a right tilt in two potential purchasers of the struggling weekly: "2…
Scarborough: POTUS Entitled to ‘Happy Place’ But Boehner Has Bad W
On day 72 of the continued Gulf of Mexico oil spill, "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough decided to open the show by continuing to bash Minority Leader John Boehner's work ethic. This assault comes just ten days after his assertion that he wants Barack Obama to have a "happy place to go to" and there is no problem with, "the president golfing every Sunday."The former Republican congressman, who…
Olbermann: Palin a 'Phony,' 'Idiot
Name-calling isn't just for 6-year-olds anymore. Keith Olbermann proved once again that Sarah Palin is the media's favorite conservative to hate, mock and condemn when he called Palin an "idiot" who endorses "stupidity instead of intelligence." Olbermann named "Sister Sarah" his "Worst Person in the World" on "Countdown" June 28 after Palin mistakenly said Ronald Reagan's alma mater was "…
Chris Matthews: Robert Byrd 'Treasured' Gadsden Flag; 'Scared' When Fl
While MSNBC host Chris Matthews has routinely cited the American Revolution-era Gadsden flag as evidence of the extremism of the tea party movement, at the end of Monday's Harball, he expressed his love for the banner while remembering West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd. [Audio available here]In his 'Let Me Finish' segment, Matthews shared his thoughts on Byrd and how he particularly admired how…
Democrats and Double Standards at the NYT: 'Respected Voice' Robert By
The New York Times marked the death early Monday morning of veteran Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, who served a record 51 years in the U.S. Senate, with an online obituary by former Times reporter Adam Clymer. While acknowledging Byrd's Klan past and his pork-barrel prodigiousness, Clymer's lead also emphasized Byrd's proud fight as the keeper of Congressional prerogatives. The…
David Weigel Affair Reveals Just How Isolated Media Left Is from Conse
One emerging narrative from the tale of Dave Weigel's resignation is the extent to which the journalistic left is insulated from opposing views. The two institutions involved, JournoList and the Washington Post, are exemplars of liberal epistemic closure.Ezra Klein's now-defunct email list provided a forum for journalists to collaborate, as long as they were, in his words, "nonpartisan to liberal…
