On 'Hate Crimes Day,' Remembering Media Blackout of Jesse Dirkhising's

On a day in which media liberals will celebrate President Obama for signing a bill against "hate crimes" against gays and lesbians, a bill named for Matthew Shepard, it might be time again to remember the name of Jesse Dirkhising, who died ten years ago this fall to a national media blackout. Here's Brent Bozell from 1999:When Matthew Shepard died on October 12, 1998 at the age of 21, five days…
Tim Graham

Just in Time: Poll Shows Support for 'Public Option' at New High

Almost like clockwork, on the very day Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will be introducing a new healthcare proposal which includes a government-run component, NBC and the Wall Street Journal will be releasing results of a new poll showing support for such a plan "at its highest level since the debate began."This will make it perfect for the evening news programs to share details about…
Noel Sheppard

Obama 2007: Healthcare Won't Pass With 50-Plus-One Strategy

One of the things the Obama-loving media have disgracefully forgotten since Inauguration Day was how the current President when he was on the campaign trail promised a new bipartisanship in America.If elected, he was going to bring the nation together by forming huge Congressional majorities to support his policies.This seems particularly important as the Administration and a Democrat-…
Noel Sheppard

Martha Coakley's Sister Can See The Middle East From Her House

Where is Tina Fey now that we need her? Martha Coakley is the front-runner for the Dem nomination for Ted Kennedy's old Senate seat.  In a recent debate, asked about her lack of foreign policy experience, the first credential Coakley offered in response was that "I have a sister who lives overseas, and she's been in England and now lives in the Middle East."
Mark Finkelstein

Open Thread

NB Staff

Mediaite: Is Rachel Maddow the Glenn Beck of the Left

Rachel Maddow: The Glenn Beck Of The Left?So reads the headline of a column published Tuesday in the left-leaning website Mediaite.For those unfamiliar, Mediaite is the brainchild of former MSNBC general manager Dan Abrams, and was described by managing editor Colby Hall as "Huffington Post meets Gawker."  No surprise there, for two of its other editors, Rachel Sklar and Glynnis MacNicol, both…
Noel Sheppard

WaPo: 'It Is Now a Two-Person Race Between Hoffman and Democrat Bill O

 (New poll update at bottom.)Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post has written a story in his Morning Fix political news analysis that is sure to cause conniption fits over at the Daily Kos which endorsed "Republican" Dede Scozzafava in the New York 23rd CD race that has now grabbed the attention of the political world. The political news that Cillizza has reported looks great for Conservative…
P.J. Gladnick

Vanity Fair Columnist and MSNBC Guest: Fox News 'Not Very Popular in t

Let's say, hypothetically, someone was to make a disparaging statement about Fox News and conclude as a news outlet it is way outside of mainstream political thought. Well, then the follow-up appropriate question could be where does that put Fox News' competitors who get just a fraction of the cable news juggernaut's ratings? Michael Wolff, a contributing editor and columnist Vanity Fair and…
Jeff Poor

Politico's Allen: Republicans 'Crazy, Suicidal' To Support Hoffman Ove

Mike Allen might not be a Republican political strategist, but he tried playing one on TV today, telling the GOP it was "crazy" and "suicidal" to be supporting Doug Hoffman over Dede Scozzafava in a special congressional election in northern New York.Politico's chief political correspondent offered his unsolicited advice on today's Morning Joe.View video here.
Mark Finkelstein

The Tone of Left-Wing Radio: Dick Cheney Eats Jewish or Muslim Babies

Tim Graham

Fox News Channel's Ratings Soar After White House Attack

If the Obama administration's attack on Fox News was designed to diminish the cable network's influence, the White House has failed miserably.In fact, since Anita Dunn's now infamous appearance on CNN's "Reliable Sources" when she claimed Fox isn't a real news network, the cabler has seen HUGE gains in overall viewing AND in the important demographic aged 25 to 54. So reported the Business…
Noel Sheppard

Oops! In Major Turnaround Politico Confirms Possible Hoffman Surge to

Note to Politico: If you base a story on an outdated Daily Kos poll you could end up with egg on your face. This is pretty much what has happened in the past three days. On Saturday your humble correspondent cited a Politico story of the day before by Josh Kraushaar in which he reported on Doug Hoffman continuing to lag behind in third place in the NY 23rd CD race:The latest poll in the New York…
P.J. Gladnick

'We Are Trying On Every Front To Increase The Role Of Government

Give Ed Schultz credit for something: on his MSNBC show this evening, he hosted an amusing smackdown between Barney Frank and Ralph Nader, perhaps the two most morose public men in America.  For once, Barney was attacked from the left.  The gist of Ralph's rebuke was that Frank hasn't gone far enough in regulating the financial industry.Frank was finally so provoked that he claimed/admitted that…
Mark Finkelstein

Obama Administration Escapes Blame for H1N1 Flu Vaccine Shortage and D

Hard to imagine that if George W. Bush were still in office journalists would hesitate a moment to invoke his name in identifying a culprit for the current shortage and delay in delivery, well beyond the schedule promised by HHS's Centers for Disease Control, of the vaccine for the H1N1 “swine flu” virus. Remember Katrina? Coverage Monday night matches what I've seen over the past several days…
Brent Baker