CNN Tries to Rehabilitate Scandal-Tainted Eliot Spitzer (Again

Would Eliot Spitzer be getting such a boost from CNN if he were a Republican? The former Democratic New York governor resigned in 2008 over a prostitution scandal, but less than three years later he snagged a prime-time show on CNN. On Wednesday night he enjoyed a nice promotion from CNN's Piers Morgan as he runs for New York City comptroller. Morgan largely avoided Spitzer's 2008 scandal –…
Matt Hadro
July 18th, 2013 12:07 PM

Newspaper Editor Sues Readers for Defaming Her Character

Here's something you don't see every day: a newspaper editor suing six readers for $25,000 in damages including “humiliation, mortification and embarrassment,” “sleeplessness and anxiety” and “mental anguish.” The lawsuit grew out of the actions of Lori Kilchermann, general manager and editor of the Ionia Sentinel-Standard in Michigan, who decided to accompany a story about a police…
Randy Hall
July 18th, 2013 11:36 AM

AP Mocks the French for Their Violent, 'Deeply Conservative Streak

It wasn’t labeled “news analysis” or “commentary,” but AP reporters Gregory Katz and Angela Charlton began a story on England approving gay marriage by mocking the French. “The French like to make fun of the British, joking about their repressed ways in matters of the heart,” wrote the AP duo. “But when it came time to debate same-sex marriage, it was France that betrayed a deeply…
Tim Graham
July 18th, 2013 10:55 AM

Larry Elder to Piers Morgan: 'If Rachel Jeantel's One Smart Cookie, Wh

CNN's Piers Morgan and conservative talk radio host Larry Elder had a heated debate Wednesday about the George Zimmerman trial and the prosecution's star witness Rachel Jeantel. At one point during the exchange, Elder said to Morgan, "If she's one smart cookie, why don't you hire her as a co-host? (video follows with transcribed highlights via CNN.com and commentary):
Noel Sheppard
July 18th, 2013 10:13 AM

Open Thread Thursday

For general discussion and comment about the news of the day and anything else you'd like...
NB Staff
July 18th, 2013 10:12 AM

Bernanke's 'If We Were to Tighten, the Economy Would Tank' Comment Ign

Today, as the wire service AFP reported in a story carried at Yahoo.com, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, in the question and answer exchange after his prepared testimony, told the House Financial Services Committee that "If we were to tighten (monetary) policy, the economy would tank." That assessment of the economy's fragility qualifies as news, especially given the Obama…
Tom Blumer
July 17th, 2013 11:27 PM

Ed Schultz: The Nerve of That Zimmerman! Shooting Trayvon While 'Getti

Those who believe the verdict in the Zimmerman trial was justified might send a thank you note to Ed Schultz for his inadvertent help in bolstering their argument. The bellowing radio host and denizen of the seldom-watched wasteland known as MSNBC weekend has been on a self-righteous tear since a verdict in the trial was announced Saturday night. (Audio clips after the jump)
Jack Coleman
July 17th, 2013 10:40 PM

Rachel Jeantel: When Rush Limbaugh Says 'N--ga' It's Racist

Controversial George Zimmerman prosecution witness Rachel Jeantel told CNN's Piers Morgan Monday that the word "n--ga" - when ending with an "a" and not "er" - isn't racist. Yet in an interview with HuffPost Live Wednesday, Jeantel said it was racist when conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh said it (transcripts and commentary follow):
Noel Sheppard
July 17th, 2013 7:35 PM

Coulter Column: To Avoid Looking Like a Criminal, Don't Commit a Crime

Black liberals keep bemoaning the danger to their own teenage sons after the "not guilty" verdict in George Zimmerman's murder trial. To avoid what happened to Trayvon Martin, their boys need only follow this advice: Don't walk up to a stranger and punch him, ground-and-pound him, MMA-style, and repeatedly smash his head against the pavement. The Justice-for-Trayvon crowd keeps pretending…
Ann Coulter
July 17th, 2013 7:29 PM

MSNBC’s Roberts: Being ‘White, Straight, Males’ Is The Trifecta

MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts can’t seem to take off his liberal partisan hat when pretending to be a journalist on the “Lean Forward” network. Whether it be abortion or gay rights, Roberts would rather serve as a political activist for left-wing causes than actually be a fair and objective journalist. Take for example the July 15 Morning Joe where Roberts filled-in as guest host to discuss the…
Jeffrey Meyer
July 17th, 2013 7:21 PM

Malkin Column: Eric Holder's Stand Your Ground Squirrel

Welcome to the Obama administration's cringe-inducing non sequitur of the week. On Tuesday, Attorney General Eric Holder continued stoking the fires of racial resentment over a Florida jury's acquittal of George Zimmerman. In an address to NAACP leaders, who are demanding federal intervention, Holder attacked Stand Your Ground self-defense laws. All together now: Squirrel!
Michelle Malkin
July 17th, 2013 7:17 PM

MSNBC's Hayes Goes Soft on Jesse Jackson's 'Known Murderer' Label of Z

On Tuesday's All In show, MSNBC host Chris Hayes gave the Reverend Jesse Jackson a softball interview in which the civil rights activist accused George Zimmerman of being "a known murderer" and invoked murder victims like Emmett Till and Medgar Evers from the civil rights movement. Unlike Friday's show, when he corrected a guest who claimed that Zimmerman "murdered Trayvon Martin," Hayes…
Brad Wilmouth
July 17th, 2013 7:10 PM

Movie Mad Matthews: Dick Cheney Packed Liz Into 'Missile' to 'Continue

During an angry rant over the announcement that Liz Cheney will be running for the United States senate in 2014, Chris Matthews offered up one of his typically bizarre movie reference to explain the development: "[Liz and Dick Cheney] remind me of Superman in a movie as played by Marlon Brando and Eva Marie Saint. Packing their little kid into a little missile to send him off to America or…
Scott Whitlock
July 17th, 2013 6:57 PM

David Limbaugh Column: It's Time for Obama to Live Up to His Post-raci

On the heels of the George Zimmerman verdict, when this nation deeply needs a tense situation defused and soothing, reassuring words of racial unity, the president and attorney general give us just the opposite. We desperately need to strive for racial harmony and unity, but our task is exceedingly more difficult when President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder repeatedly invoke race and…
David Limbaugh
July 17th, 2013 6:45 PM