Friday Debt Dump, Part 1: Shhh -- Fannie Mae Lost $72 Bil in 2009, Nee

After the closing bell on Friday, just in time for everyone to stop paying close attention, mortgage behemoth and ward of the state Fannie Mae ("Fan") released its fourth-quarter and full-year financial results. Its press release (PDF) informs us that its $74.4 billion loss in 2009 (inclusive of dividends paid to the government) followed a $58.8 billion loss in 2008. For those keeping score at…
Tom Blumer

CNN Helps Van Jones With His Comeback Campaign

He left the White House in disgrace only fives months ago, but former Green Jobs Czar Van Jones is getting help from liberal media outlets with his comeback.On Friday, CNN's Suzanne Malveaux interviewed the controversial figure, and although she asked him some tough questions about his signature at a 9/11 truther website as well as calling Republicans a**holes, her concluding sentiments with "…
Noel Sheppard

Olympics Open Thread

Have you been enjoying the Olympics so far? What's been your favorite event? Least favorite? What do you think about the coverage? Too much curling? Did Apolo foul last night? What are you expecting in the closing days? Can USA beat Canada in hockey again to win gold?
NB Staff

Open Thread

NB Staff

Guilty Pleasure: Prank Caller Pretends To Be Team USA Goalie, Fools MS

Although yours truly emphatically does not approve of the stunt, I have to acknowledge that whoever pranked MSNBC's "Morning Joe" co-host Willie Geist Friday by pretending to be Team USA hockey goalie Ryan Miller (pictured at right) did the nation two small favors: First, he embarrassed a network that seems incapable of being embarrassed by much of what its hosts and guests say on a daily basis…
Tom Blumer

Thomas Friedman Trashes Sen. Inhofe as Sellout, Says 'I'm a Dick Chene

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman was chewing the scenery in a Wednesday discussion of global warming on CNN’s Amanpour show. He trashed Sen. James Inhofe for demanding an investigation into U.N. climate science, suggesting Inhofe needs to be investigated: "I'd love to see all the e-mails between his office and various coal and oil companies over the last 20 years....we'll let citizens and…
Tim Graham

Move Along. No Outrage Here

I'm confused. If  major media allows/promotes the hatred of a group (tea partiers) they must think it's okay to be a racist now. right? 
Glenn Foden

Bozell Column: Replacing Simon Cowell With Stern? Or Perez

Fox is having its usual smash with "American Idol," with this season’s latest offering beating the Winter Olympics in the ratings. Paula Abdul walked off in a money dispute, Ellen De Generes is unexpectedly flat, and the show overall is starting to sag, but it’s still just about the best thing on TV. Now there’s a buzz about the best judge, Simon Cowell, leaving after this season.Cowell is…
Brent Bozell

Maher: ‘Brain-Dead’ Palin ‘a Babbling, Barely House-Broken, Uned

Sarah Palin sends liberals into irrational frenzies of contempt and, in the case of Bill Maher, fits of condescension which drive him to denigrate anyone stupid enough to see anything good in her. Maher began and ended his Friday night HBO program, Real Time with Bill Maher, with derogatory “jokes” based on the presumption Palin and her supporters are morons. He started with how at the health…
Brent Baker

CNN Fails to Contradict Guest on 47 Million 'Uninsured Americans

Democrats at the Feb. 25 health summit argued that under their proposal, 31 million of the 47 million uninsured Americans would receive coverage.   CNN's "American Morning" co-host Kiran Chetry repeated that claim Feb. 26 and asked one of her guests: Kenneth Thorpe, Prof. at the Rollins School of Public Health, about its validity and the debate surrounding the statistic. "I mean there's 47…
Anthony Kang

Time's Joe Klein: 'Unflappable' Obama Wins Day at Health Care Summit

Poor Joe Klein. The Time magazine writer missed yesterday's epic health care lecturefest summit. I can't blame him. Olympic curling is much more fascinating. Anyway, he's catching up and he's come to the conclusion that Professor Obama totally schooled the GOP. Why? Because the president talked a lot but observers found the event boring, ergo proving both Obama's brilliance and the dimwittedness…
Ken Shepherd

Stewart Says Media's Summit Coverage Is Disqualified For Sucking

Jon Stewart said Thursday press reporting of President Obama's healthcare summit was so bad that if he had to score it like an Olympic event, he'd disqualify the contestants for sucking.The comedian devoted a full ten minutes to the bipartisan meeting on Thursday's "Daily Show," and was largely an equal opportunity offender.After taking what some would consider to be a cheap shot at "Senator Tom…
Noel Sheppard

CNN Repeats Lie, Fails to Contradict Guest on 47 Million 'Uninsured Am

'American Morning' continues media misuse of uninsured statistics to promote need for health care 'reform.'
Anthony Kang

CBS's Plante Blames GOP For Gridlock at Health Care Summit

A report on the health care summit on Friday's CBS Early Show featured a clip of President Obama scolding lawmakers for "trading talking points" during the meeting, that was followed by  correspondent Bill Plante pointing a finger at the GOP: "But from their first speaker, Republicans never backed down from their opposition to the Democrats' bill."Plante noted that "John McCain, the President's…
Kyle Drennen