NBC's Todd: GOP 'Begging the Media to Say It's Obama That Started the

After dismissing the argument that President Obama was to blame for the sequester as "dumb" on Thursday's MSNBC Daily Rundown, NBC political director Chuck Todd further mocked the notion on Friday's program: "Republicans have been playing, well, an inside game, the inside the Beltway game, trying to build support for their position against the cuts and begging the media to say it's Obama that…
Kyle Drennen
February 22nd, 2013 12:18 PM

Panic! ABC Warns of Sequester 'Fiscal Emergency' to 'Cripple' Much of

The journalists of Good Morning America on Friday adopted White House talking points, foreseeing a "fiscal emergency" that will "cripple" flights in the United States. Jon Karl warned, "When it comes to air travel, the first thing we'll all see are longer lines at airport security. Expect ten percent fewer TSA agents on the job." An ABC graphic blared, "Seven Days to Fiscal Emergency: Air…
Scott Whitlock
February 22nd, 2013 11:47 AM

Jimmy Carter: My Grandson Got Obama Re-elected

Former President Jimmy Carter claimed Thursday that his grandson James Carter - the man who  brought Mitt Romney's 47 percent video to light - was responsible for getting Barack Obama re-elected last November. Speaking with CNN's Piers Morgan, Carter also said that when Obama met his grandson last week, he "ran across the room, embraced him and thanked him."
Noel Sheppard
February 22nd, 2013 11:39 AM

Mika Giggles Like Schoolgirl Over Sex In Woody Guthrie Book—Ignores

Woody Guthrie was an American original who wrote some enduring music and did a lot to publicize the plight of the people of the Dust Bowl.  There's just one little inconvenient truth about Guthrie: he ran in Communist circles.  Though it's reported that he never officially joined the party, he's quoted as saying that the "the best thing that I did in 1936 was to sign up with the Communist Party…
Mark Finkelstein
February 22nd, 2013 10:48 AM

AP's Rugaber Paints Somewhat Sunny Jobless Claims Picture, 'Somehow' M

For the past six weeks combined, actual jobless claims filed nationwide have been virtually the same as the were during the six comparable weeks in early 2012. You wouldn't know that from Christopher Rugaber's coverage at the Associated Press of the Department of Labor's unemployment claims report released yesterday. Rugaber, who described last month's jobs report showing the unemployment…
Tom Blumer
February 22nd, 2013 10:07 AM

Pro-Carney Reporter Asks: 'Is Obama Too Mean to the Media, Or Are Repo

In response to Politico’s “Puppet Master” take on Obama and his stiff-arming of the White House press corps, former White House reporter Matthew Cooper penned a piece for The Atlantic titled “Is Obama Too Mean to the Media, or Are Reporters Just Whiny? It’s mostly the latter.” Cooper quoted from the Politico piece, that “Obama is a master at limiting, shaping and manipulating media coverage…
Tim Graham
February 22nd, 2013 6:31 AM

AP Caves Into Gay PC: 'His Husband' and 'Her Wife' Are Now Accepted St

After overwrought pressure from the usual gay "anti-defamation" lobbyists, the Associated Press has caved in and made another new statement approving the use of "his husband" and "her wife" in news stories. as if they've taken a stand for neutrality, instead of rewriting the gender dictionary.  "Victory!" was the headline on several gay websites as AP issued a new entry in its AP Stylebook…
Tim Graham
February 21st, 2013 10:37 PM

Newsweek Uses Benedict XVI's Abdication to Bash 'Reactionary' John Pau

On Friday, the now all-digital Newsweek marked Benedict XVI's impending departure from the papacy by turning to British writer Tim Parks, who took the opportunity to air his grievances against the current pontiff's predecessor, John Paul II. Parks bemoaned "how reactionary and old-fashioned" the Polish-born bishop of Rome was for daring to believe in Catholic devotions and in divine providence…
Matthew Balan
February 21st, 2013 7:15 PM

CNN's Amanpour Tweets Birthday Wish to Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe; Compa

Update (15:50 EST, Feb. 22): Twitchy reports Amanpour deleted the tweet and subsequently insisted her birthday wish was ironic. "[W]hat do you get for the serial human rights abuser who has everything?" the folks at Twitchy snarked today reacting to this tweet by CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour: "Happy Birthday, President Mugabe: http://on.cnn.com/VQ4kTK #Zimbabwe" But wait, it gets better…
Ken Shepherd
February 21st, 2013 6:53 PM

WaPo TV Critic Rewrites History On Late Night Comedian's 1995 Shtick M

So, I take it that Lisa De Moraes didn’t go through her paper’s archives before she penned today's TV column in which she re-wrote history regarding Conan O’Brien's turn as emcee for the White House Correspondents Association dinner in April 1995. Yesterday it was announced that the late-night comedian would return this year as the master of ceremonies. De Moraes suggested the O'Brien bombed…
Matt Vespa
February 21st, 2013 6:17 PM

Gun-Hating Martin Bashir Praises Man Who Defends Obama Murals With An

Marcus Davis, a Houston, Texas-based restaurant owner, defends murals of Barack Obama painted on the exterior of his establishment with an AR-15. Even though he is aware of this, Martin Bashir - one of MSNBC's most vocal gun control advocates - praised the proprietor of The Breakfast Klub during a lengthy interview Thursday (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):
Noel Sheppard
February 21st, 2013 5:49 PM

Anderson Cooper to Receive GLAAD's 'Vito Russo Award

CNN's getting more love from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) as prime-time host Anderson Cooper will be honored at the organization's upcoming Media Awards for his work as an "openly gay media professional" in "promoting equality." Cooper's not being honored as a journalist, but as an advocate. "Anderson Cooper has long been an advocate for the LGBT community," the…
Matt Hadro
February 21st, 2013 5:39 PM

Helaine Olen on The Daily Show: ‘It’s Not Our Personal Finances, I

Freelance journalist Helaine Olen appeared on The Daily Show Wednesday night to promote her new book Pound Foolish, in which she attacks the financial planning industry as a group of snake oil salesmen. The show didn’t have enough time to air the full conversation, so viewers had to go online to www.thedailyshow.com to hear Olen’s proposed solution for de-emphasizing the importance of investing…
Paul Bremmer
February 21st, 2013 5:26 PM

Andrea Mitchell Slams Republicans for Not 'Checking the Factual Basis

On her 1 p.m. et hour MSNBC show on Thursday, host Andrea Mitchell mounted her high horse in condemning Republican senators who questioned defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel about his connection to what turned out to be a fake organization: "Without even checking the factual basis for their questions....You can ask anything and create a sound bite, and then people pick it up in social media…
Kyle Drennen
February 21st, 2013 5:16 PM