GDP Media Coverage, Part 1: AP 'Somehow' Misses That the Economy Hasn

July 29th, 2011 1:36 PM
This morning, Christopher Rugaber's coverage of the news from Uncle Sam's Bureau of Economic Analysis about the growth in the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at the Associated Press appropriately characterized it as indicative of a "sharp slowdown" and "extremely bad" (via a quoted economist). Today's report carried an advance estimate of second-quarter growth of an annualized 1.3%. As…

Huffington Post’s Stein Suggests GOP Budget ‘Would Actually Hinder

July 29th, 2011 2:30 AM
 Appearing as a guest on Thursday’s Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell on MSNBC, the Huffington Post’s Sam Stein suggested that the budget plan that the House Republican leadership is trying to pass would harm the economy, and, as if the government did not take in lots of tax revenue already, referred to the absence of a tax increase as "no revenues." Stein:

NYT: 'House Republicans Have Lost Sight of the Country's Welfare

July 26th, 2011 9:16 AM
The New York Times on Tuesday told its readers, "House Republicans have lost sight of the country's welfare." In an editorial entitled "The Republican Wreckage," the Gray Lady disgracefully claimed, "They have largely succeeded in their campaign to ransom America's economy for the biggest spending cuts in a generation" dimming "the futures of millions of jobless Americans":

Chris Matthews Nominates Bill Clinton as Treasury Secretary: 'It's a L

July 25th, 2011 7:17 PM
Barack Obama might give Chris Matthews a thrill up his leg, but the bromance MSNBC's "Hardball" host has with former President Bill Clinton knows no bounds. On Monday's program, Matthews finished by nominating Clinton as Secretary of the Treasury, "Because in many ways it’s a life saver" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Democrat Mayor Threatens Reason's Nick Gillespie on 'Real Time': 'Want

July 23rd, 2011 10:20 AM
Reason TV's Nick Gillespie was threatened on HBO's "Real Time" by Mayor John Fetterman (D-Braddock, Pa.). After Gillespie made a joke about Fetterman being mayor of the poorest town in Pennsylvania, the Mayor responded, "You want to take it outside?" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Carney's Bark About 'Vastly Improved' Economy Since Obama's Inaugurati

July 22nd, 2011 12:10 PM
Yesterday, White House spokesmouth Jay Carney made yet another claim concerning how grrrrrrreat the economy is compared when President Barack Obama took office (bold is mine): The economy is vastly improved from what it was when Barack Obama was sworn into office as president. To no one's surprise, this howler was not considered news at the Associated Press. No article found in a search at…

Fareed Zakaria Blames Tea Party For Debt Ceiling 'Sideshow

July 22nd, 2011 10:55 AM
CNN's Fareed Zakaria Thursday called the debt ceiling battle a "sideshow" caused by the Tea Party. Appearing on "In the Arena" as a supposed "astute observer of the economy," Zakaria proceeded to bungle economic and historic facts like a high school dropout (video follows with transcript and commentary):

CNN Political Producer: 'We Know There Are a Lot of Businesses Who Ha

July 19th, 2011 4:47 PM
Today on the 2:00 pm segment of CNN Newsroom, anchor Randi Kaye spoke with CNN political producer Shannon Travis about criticism directed at President Barack Obama: TRAVIS: Yes, really, really quickly, billionaire Steve Wynn, you've seen his resorts all over Las Vegas. He's blasting President Obama. I'm going to read this quote from a call, an earnings call yesterday. Quote, "I'm saying it…

NBC Washington's Vance Treats Obama to Softball Interview

July 15th, 2011 4:22 PM
Kicking off the NBC4 11 o'clock news last night, veteran Washington, D.C. anchor Jim Vance touted an exclusive interview he had earlier that day with President Barack Obama. Vance then aired an excerpt of the interview, comprised of two softball questions. Afterwards, he informed viewers they could find the full interview at the station's website, nbcwashington.com. Unfortunately, the rest…

Matthews: 'Failure to Act on Debt Ceiling Will Create a Horror for Our

July 13th, 2011 7:40 PM
Chris Matthews on Wednesday gave a lesson on utterly shameless fear-mongering. In the final segment of MSNBC's "Hardball," the host said, "Failure to act on the debt ceiling will create a horror for our country, a horror we’ve never seen before" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

U.S. Must Borrow Another $5,240 Per Household Just to Fund Gov't at Cu

July 11th, 2011 3:42 PM
President Barack Obama and congressional leaders seeking to negotiate a deal to increase the legal limit on the federal government's debt, would need to agree to increase that debt by $615.865 billion between now and Sept. 30, just to keep the government going at current spending levels, according to the CBO's latest estimate of the fiscal 2011 deficit and the Treasury Department's latest…

Obama : 'Professional Politicians' Understand Debt Crisis Better Than

July 11th, 2011 3:35 PM
At a White House press conference today, President Barack Obama said that "professional politicians" understand the debt crisis better than "the public." 

Eleanor Clift: Fannie and Freddie Didn't Cause Mortgage Collapse - It

July 10th, 2011 9:59 PM
It is truly fascinating how liberal media members will do anything to protect the reputation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. On this weekend's "McLaughlin Group," Newsweek's Eleanor Clift revised history to largely absolve the two government-sponsored enterprises for last decade's mortgage collapse while predictably blaming it on Wall Street and of course George W. Bush (video follows with…

George Will to Donna Brazile: Obama and Dems Have Kicked Deficit Can S

July 10th, 2011 11:49 AM
Democrat strategist and ABC contributor Donna Brazile on Sunday predictably blamed the current debt ceiling impasse on Republicans and their refusal to raise taxes. This led George Will to state what would be obvious to all media members if they weren't so in the tank for Barack Obama, namely that he and his Party have been kicking the deficit can down the road so long they're guilty of "can…