NBC’s Matt Lauer: Good Thing 'Piñata' Alberto Gonzales Forced Out

In a post-Don Imus world, one would think journalists would be on their guard to not say or write anything that could be in any way perceived as racist. Yet, just days after CBS's Andy Rooney made a racial slur concerning Hispanic baseball players, NBC's Matt Lauer actually called outgoing Attorney General Alberto Gonzales a "piñata." Certainly, given Gonzales's ethnic background, and the…
Noel Sheppard

ABC Praises Plan to Spend Highway Money on Obesity Fight

Bike paths or structurally-sound bridges. Which would you prefer? ABC “World News with Charles Gibson” must prefer bike paths judging by its August 27 broadcast. That evening “World News” promoted a report that “calls for a national strategy to reverse this [obesity] epidemic” including the use of federal highway money.
Jeff Poor

ABC Uses Craig Scandal to Again Predict Doom for GOP

Tuesday’s "Good Morning America" used the arrest of Senator Larry Craig in a men’s bathroom as an excuse to again herald the end of the Republican Party. Guest co-host Bill Weir teased a story on the Idaho legislator by wondering, "Is the GOP losing its grip?" Reporter David Kerley saw this as a case of Republican hypocrisy. He pointedly observed that "Craig is a conservative who lists among his…
Scott Whitlock

ABC Touts Fighting Obesity with Highway Money

'World News' plugs left-wing plan to use federal infrastructure funds for bike paths and sidewalks.
Jeff Poor

For Katrina Anniversary, CNN Runs Glowing Segment on Democratic Frontr

Soledad O’Brien’s segment on "some of the leading White House hopefuls" and their recent visits to New Orleans on Monday’s "The Situation Room" might leave one wondering where the "Paid for by the DNC" caption in small font was hiding. O’Brien’s report juxtaposed a clip from a recent speech by Barack Obama with stock footage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and featured only the three…
Matthew Balan

'Today' Labels Larry Craig Scandal a 'Conservative Crisis

For NBC's "Today" show crew it wasn't enough to label Larry Craig's scandal as a crisis for him personally or even to call it a crisis for the Republican Party, no "Today" went even further as it declared it a "crisis" for conservatives everywhere. NBC's Matt Lauer opened the Tuesday "Today" show asking his viewers: "Can the right wing withstand yet another scandal involving one of its own?"…
Geoffrey Dickens

Global Warming at Church: Religious Leaders Spread Word of the Gore

There are many climate change skeptics around the world who have suggested that global warming is a new religion being spread by hysterical zealots like soon-to-be-Dr. Al Gore. Last night, as reported by the Charleston Gazette, the prophecy was fulfilled (emphasis added throughout): "Leaders from four Charleston [West Virginia] faith groups discussed global warming from a religious perspective…
Noel Sheppard

Time Mag: 'Bush Motorcade Kills Cop' -- But, Not Really

Time Magazine has a headline today that screams out "Bush Motorcade Kills Cop." After reading that one, you'd think Bush's limo ran over a policeman or something (I'll say policeman instead of the more vulgar "cop" Time used). Talk about a misleading headline! It turns out that Bush's motorcade didn't "kill" anyone. The unfortunate death occurred when an officer lost control of his motorcycle and…
Warner Todd Huston

Open Thread

If it's Tuesday, it must be NewsBusters...
NB Staff

GMA Gets Its Fill of Food Police

Much like tasty snacks, the networks can never stop their addiction to “food police” groups like the Center for Science in the Public Interest.Yesterday morning it was Good Morning America that was shilling for them, saying, “Did you realize you were paying more for less food?” What was the target this time? The 100 calorie “snack packs,” that CSPI themselves have fought for. CSPI is upset about…
Stuart James

MSNBC's Tamron Hall: I've Participated in Events for NOW

Last week, as noted here, Tamron Hall mentioned that "Us Weekly" aside, her main news source is the New York Times. Two days earlier, Hall had defended CNN's "God's Warriors" by suggesting that Christian and Jewish groups could be the next to turn violent. Today comes further evidence of Hall's liberal leanings, as the MSNBCer spoke openly of her participation in events on behalf of the…
Mark Finkelstein

WaPo's First Word on Sen. Craig? 'GOP'; NYT Curiously Shy

Advice to members of Congress: take the train. Our illustrious senators and congressmen seem to have a penchant for getting into trouble when they venture into airports. We're all familiar with how things went wrong for Rep. Patrick Kennedy in 2000 when he tried to barge his way past an airport screening employee. When just eight days ago Rep. Bob Filner (D-Ca.) was charged with assault and…
Mark Finkelstein

MSNBC's Abrams Hits CNN's Amanpour for Defending Islamic Fundamentalis

On Monday's MSNBC Live with Dan Abrams, host and MSNBC General Manager Abrams attacked CNN's series God's Warriors for "a defense of Islamic fundamentalism and the worst type of moral relativism," and as "shameful advocacy masked as journalism," quipping that series host Christiane Amanpour "avoided getting bogged down in objectivity." Abrams further took exception with Amanpour for comparing…
Brad Wilmouth

McClatchy News: Bush Will Rank at Bottom in Presidential History

Here we go again with another pointless Bush bashing presidential rating story filled with quotes from partisan, hack "historians." In this report, Bush doesn't have "many achievements" and will finish "mired in an unpopular war" unless, of course, that war mysteriously happens to "unexpectedly" turn out alright and he is "destined for the failed presidents' club." Forget the fact that what a…
Warner Todd Huston