Chris Matthews Rips Obama's Handling of Egypt Crisis: 'I Feel Ashamed

MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews appeared on Morning Joe, Friday, to slam President Obama's handling of the escalating crisis in Egypt, saying it made him "ashamed as an American." Matthews, who famously declared Obama gave him a "thrill" up his leg, excoriated what he perceived to be the President's disloyalty to Egypt's leader, Hosni Mubarak. The Hardball host berated, "And Barack Obama, as much…
Scott Whitlock
February 4th, 2011 2:30 PM

Did FCC Pressure Comcast to Incorporate 'Localism' Into NBC Deal

Elections have consequences. In the realm of media regulation, the 2008 election meant increased influence for proponents of so-called media "localism." The increased influence of localism at the FCC bore itself out in the recently-approved Comcast/NBC merger. As a hypothetical, "localism" is relatively innocent. But in practice, it essentially amounts to a back-door mechanism for media…
Lachlan Markay
February 4th, 2011 2:04 PM

Obama Administration Found in Contempt of Court, Media Silent

On Thursday, Louisiana Federal District Court Judge Martin Feldman found that the Obama Interior Department was in contempt of his ruling that the offshore oil drilling moratorium, imposed by the administration in 2010, was unconstitutional. After Feldman struck down the initial drilling ban, the Interior Department simply established a second ban that was virtually identical. While the…
Kyle Drennen
February 4th, 2011 12:46 PM

Jon Stewart Rips Olbermann and All MSNBCers That Can't Fill the 'Olber

Jon Stewart on Thursday marvelously lampooned Keith Olbermann and all his former colleagues that can't fill the "Olbermann-shaped hole" his departure has left at MSNBC. The "Daily Show" host began the segment (video follows with partial transcript and commentary): 
Noel Sheppard
February 4th, 2011 12:36 PM

The Interior Department's Culture of Corruption

Oops, they did it again. President Obama's grabby-handed environmental bureaucrats have earned yet another spanking from the federal judiciary over their "determined disregard" of the rule of law. Isn't it time to give these misbehaving government hooligans a permanent timeout? Federal judge Martin Feldman in Louisiana excoriated the Obama Interior Department Wednesday for defying his May…
Michelle Malkin
February 4th, 2011 12:09 PM

Obama's Discriminatory Application of Laws Abounds

Is there anything about the Obama administration that doesn't reek of discriminatory application and enforcement of laws and the arbitrary and capricious abuse of power? Obama's best defense against the charge that he's doing outrageous things is that to correctly accuse him of committing these actions makes one look like a kook. Viewed alone, they are quite disconcerting. Taken together,…
David Limbaugh
February 4th, 2011 11:59 AM

'Media Mash': Egypt Protest Edition

"These reporters are going to eat their words in a big way,"  NewsBusters publisher and Media Research Center founder Brent Bozell predicted on last night's "Hannity" regarding the mainstream media personalities who have credited President Obama with the popular uprising against dictator Hosni Mubarak in Egypt: What happens when the government crumbles? What happens when this country is…
NB Staff
February 4th, 2011 10:57 AM

Rick Santelli Slams CNBC Panelists for Spinning 'Disappointing' Jobs R

Jobs are heading up and down at the same time. The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced the morning of Feb. 4 that only 36,000 jobs were added in the month of January, but the unemployment rate dropped from 9.4 percent to 9.0 percent. The mainstream news media will likely latch on to the dropping unemployment rate, despite job gains that were less than one-fourth of the consensus estimate of…
Julia A. Seymour
February 4th, 2011 10:35 AM

Open Thread: 'The Only Good Conservative Is a Dead Conservative

That's how Jonah Goldberg facetiously begins his latest column at National Review. NewsBusters and the Media Research Center have, of late, been documenting the media's newfound love for Ronald Reagan, and helpfully reminding them that most journalists were not just ambivalent to Reagan when he was alive, but were ourtight hostile to him. Goldberg describes this revisionist effort as "an almost…
NB Staff
February 4th, 2011 9:24 AM

Public Radio Lobbyists Deny Obvious Liberal Tilt

It's hardly surprising that The Washington Post would run an op-ed on Friday that argues about maintainting taxpayer-funded broadcasting in its current liberal-pleasing status quo. But it is surprising that the writers, Laura Walker and Jaclyn Sallee, would be so feckless in denying the bias of PBS and NPR. As usual they use a liberal poll instead of a content analysis: Some will argue that…
Tim Graham
February 4th, 2011 8:59 AM

Cenk Boasts About Conservatives: 'I'm Going To Rip 'Em Apart

Guess the post-Tucson kumbayah period is officially over. So much for "civility."  On his MSNBC show this evening, a vainglorious Cenk Uygur, speaking of conservatives, boasted "I'm going to rip 'em apart."   What set Cenk off, supposedly, was his righteous anger at the right over its criticism of Pres. Obama's handling of Egypt. Whatever.   View video after the jump.
Mark Finkelstein
February 4th, 2011 7:18 AM

The New York Times Lumps the Catholic Church with the Mafia and the Mu

 The New York Times is not known for delicate restraint in its treatment of the Catholic Church. Executive editor Bill Keller (despite somehow marrying his second wife in the Church) trashed Pope John Paul the Great in 2002: "One paradox of the Polish pope is that while he is rightly revered for helping bring down the godless Communists, he has replicated something very like the old Communist…
Tim Graham
February 4th, 2011 7:06 AM

In Brewing ObamaCare Contempt Showdown, Mark Levin Rips Into Press

On Wednesday, the inarguably correct Mark Levin, aided by flashbacks to monologues earlier in the week, laid out in detail the rule of law standoff the Obama administration has created in choosing to defy Monday's federal court decision declaring Obamacare null and void and continuing its implementation as if the ruling doesn't exist. In the process, he also ripped in to the clear…
Tom Blumer
February 4th, 2011 2:00 AM

Time's Halperin Raves: Obama Has Level of 'Sophistication and Skill' T

It's rare when Chris Matthews is outdone in his praise of Barack Obama but Time's Mark Halperin, on Thursday's Hardball, managed to top the MSNBC host as he delivered a rave review of Barack Obama's performance at the National Prayer Breakfast. After playing a clip of the speech, Matthews merely offered a "That's pretty good" but the Game Change co-author did him one better, going as far to…
Geoffrey Dickens
February 3rd, 2011 6:31 PM