Newsweek Writer Blames Lack of 'Centralized Curriculum' for Americans

Appearing on MSNBC today, Newsweek senior writer Andrew Romano attributed the findings of his magazine's study showing Americans don't understand basic facts about U.S. history to the country's lack of a top-down federal government-imposed curriculum. When daytime anchor Thomas Roberts asked Romano to explain the significance of the survey, the Daily Beast scribe indicted federalism: "Another…
Alex Fitzsimmons
June 7th, 2011 1:20 PM

Time's Altman Notes Herman Cain's 'Steady Rise', But Dismisses Tax Ide

The mainstream media have largely ignored or casually dismissed businessman and radio host Herman Cain's bid for the 2012 Republican nomination. Not so Time's Alex Altman, who has a generally decent piece today on the magazine's Swampland blog:  
Ken Shepherd
June 7th, 2011 11:57 AM

MRC’s Dan Gainor Exposes Latest Soros Funded Media on ‘O’Reilly

The Media Research Center’s Dan Gainor has been digging up the dirt on the deep-pocketed lefty media mogul George Soros’ funding of media operations, and Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly invited him on to discuss Gainor's latest piece in which he says there are ‘nearly 30 Soros-funded media operations that are part of the ‘War on Fox’.”   Video below fold.
Erin R. Brown
June 7th, 2011 11:43 AM

NBC's Lauer Claims Breitbart Violated Conservative Principles by Break

In an interview with Andrew Breitbart on Tuesday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer suggested the conservative blogger should not have broken news of the scandal involving Congressman Anthony Weiner: "Did you worry that – you know, as a conservative, you don't want government in people's bedrooms. And so did you stop and have a debate with yourself about that?" Moments earlier, Breitbart had…
Kyle Drennen
June 7th, 2011 11:30 AM

CBS Worries Weiner’s Scandal Means Obama Will Lose a Vital Critic fr

Asked by new CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley why Congressman Anthony Weiner “matters,” CBS Capitol Hill reporter Nancy Cordes on Monday night maintained he’s vital as a critic pushing Obama from the left. “The President has a lot of critics on the right,” Cordes noted, “but Weiner is one of his most outspoken critics on the left wherever liberals feel that the President is straying too…
Brent Baker
June 7th, 2011 10:51 AM

Comedian Christopher Titus Jokes About Killing President Sarah Palin

Remember all that talk about toning down the violent rhetoric following the tragic shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) in January? Such good intentions certainly don't apply when talking about former Alaska governor Sarah Palin as comedian Christopher Titus demonstrated this weekend at the Irvine Improv in Southern California (audio follows courtesy Daily Caller with…
Noel Sheppard
June 7th, 2011 9:43 AM

Weiner-less: Morning Joe Blacks Out Coverage Of 'Anthony' For First Ha

When I began watching my DVR recording of Morning Joe today, I was of course wondering which clip from yesterday's Weiner press conference Morning Joe had chosen for its show-opener. When instead a clip of Jon Stewart mocking Sarah Palin appeared, I literally wondered if I was playing the recording of the wrong day's Morning Joe. But as the first half-hour unfolded, it became obvious that…
Mark Finkelstein
June 7th, 2011 9:34 AM

MSNBC's Bashir Plays Softball With Planned Parenthood President

Martin Bashir tossed softballs at Planned Parenthood head Cecile Richards on his eponymous MSNBC program on Monday, letting his guest spout her talking points in defense of her abortion-providing organization. Bashir even went so far to use a phrase in vogue with the pro-abortion left in one of his questions: "Do you think this is, in effect, a war on women?" [Audio available here; video…
Matthew Balan
June 7th, 2011 9:24 AM

Open Thread: Flashback to Weiner's Shameless Lies to ABC

Anthony Weiner finally came clean about Weinergate, but not before an interview with ABC's Jonathan Karl that ABC is pushing in light of Weiner's confession yesterday. In the tape, Weiner insists he is the innocent victim of a hoax and lectures Karl for assuming anything else. The whole thing is a bit off-putting in light of yesterday's events. After Karl asks why Weiner was following a…
NB Staff
June 7th, 2011 9:04 AM

NYT's Middle East Morality: Israel Border Defense Makes Front Page, Ma

More double standards for Middle East morality. Monday’s New York Times's off-lead story featured 30 paragraphs from Jerusalem by Isabel Kershner on Palestinians in refugee camps in Syria goaded to cross over into Israel, who were then fired upon by Israeli troops, only after nonlethal means were tried: "Protests Draw Israeli Gunfire At Syria Border – Deadly Confrontation – Trying to Force Way…
Clay Waters
June 7th, 2011 8:56 AM

WaPo Bows Deeply to Scott Pelley for Skipping?...No, Delaying Weinerga

The Washington Post published a seriously misleading headline Tuesday. At top of the Style section, it read: “Anthony Weiner is everywhere – except CBS: Anchor Scott Pelley takes the high road in his debut, focusing on other news.” It would be natural for readers to think Pelley skipped Weiner’s confession entirely on Monday night. But TV critic Hank Stuever was merely thrilled and impressed…
Tim Graham
June 7th, 2011 7:43 AM

Reckless Daily Kos: 'Clarence Thomas Used Prostitutes

Daily Kos was a complete  Weinergate embarrassment in the "Netroots Nation," claiming Weiner was set up by conservative Clarence Thomas supporters. But the vicious leftist bloggers there are doubling down. The blogger with the appropriate byline "Solomon Drek" responded to Weiner's confessions within an hour Monday afternoon with a post simply titled "Clarence Thomas Used Prostitutes." Mr. Drek…
Tim Graham
June 7th, 2011 5:59 AM

MSNBC.com Accuses Walter Williams of Making Racist Statements on Fox's

MSNBC.com on Monday accused economist Dr. Walter Williams of making racist statements during his interview with Fox News's John Stossel last week. The charge was associated with an "Ed Show" segment in which the host disgracefully cherry-picked one of Williams' comments about welfare and slavery (video follows with transcript and commentary):
Noel Sheppard
June 7th, 2011 12:13 AM

Press Ignores Sunstein's 'Young Man' Claim, But in 1998 Jumped on Hyde

On Friday, Cass Sunstein, the White House's 56 year-old Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (pictured at right), attempted to disavow a 42-page paper he wrote called "Lives, Life-Years, and Willingness to Pay," which recommended that the government reduce resources directed at benefitting the elderly in favor of increasing what goes to young people, because young…
Tom Blumer
June 6th, 2011 10:30 PM