Mr. Hard News: NY Times's Michael Shear, Bitter About Talking Weiner

Michael Shear, chief writer for the New York Times’s “Caucus” blog, sounded sarcastic and bitter, almost angry, at the opening of the paper’s last “Caucus” podcast on Thursday about having to talk about the Anthony Weiner sex scandal. Host Sam Roberts: “But you pointed out that this is a particularly inopportune time for this latest sex scandal to break in Washington. Why is that?” Michael…
Clay Waters
June 13th, 2011 3:59 PM

Notable Quotables: Targeting Palin’s Outlaw Bus; Tea Party 'Not the

The June 13 edition of MRC’s Notable Quotables has now been posted over at www.MRC.org, showcasing the most outrageous, sometimes humorous, quotes from the liberal media over the past two weeks. This edition features: CNN’s Piers Morgan snootily slamming the Tea Party as “not the brightest” and perhaps similar to the mobs Hitler and Mussolini employed in the 1930s; MSNBC’s Martin Bashir…
Rich Noyes
June 13th, 2011 3:49 PM

Caught Up in Own Hyperbole, MSNBC Host Says Obama Has 'The Worst, Most

Remember the movie "Say Anything"? Same can be said for Cenk Uygur's approach to criticizing Republicans. Chatting with his MSNBC colleague Rachel Maddow on her show Friday night, Uygur apparently forgot he was on the air and described President Obama's opponents in a way one might expect if the audience consisted solely of liberals. (Then again, it was MSNBC). Here's what Uygur told…
Jack Coleman
June 13th, 2011 2:49 PM

CNN's 'Objective' Don Lemon Uses Joy Behar to Smear Rick Santorum

Openly-gay CNN anchor Don Lemon dug back to a May 16 interview with liberal Joy Behar to smear GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum just before Monday night's Republican primary debate. Behar then said of the socially-conservative Santorum that he "seems like a big homophobe," and Lemon made sure Friday to reference that smear and put Santorum on the defensive. As NewsBusters reported…
Matt Hadro
June 13th, 2011 1:30 PM

USA Today Religion Reporter Slams Baptist Preacher for Tweeting That R

A Baptist preacher calling a sinner to repent and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation is hardly news. Except, perhaps, when it's done via Twitter. USA Today religion blogger Cathy Lynn Grossman yesterday took seminary president and Twitter user Albert Mohler to task for this tweet sent on Saturday:  
Ken Shepherd
June 13th, 2011 1:03 PM

NBC's Gregory: Are Americans Really 'Better Off' with 'Freedom

While grilling former Pennsylvania Senator and presidential hopeful Rick Santorum on NBC's Sunday Meet the Press, host David Gregory was skeptical of the idea that Americans should be able to choose their own health care plan: "They're better off with the freedom that they've got in the vagaries of the private insurance market?" Gregory was responding to Santorum's criticism of ObamaCare: "[…
Kyle Drennen
June 13th, 2011 1:03 PM

Thomas Roberts Mocked Palin's Revere 'Flub,' But Says LBJ Was 'Never E

According to MSNBC's Thomas Roberts, who last week seemed to enjoy correcting Sarah Palin for her historical "flub," President Lyndon Johnson "was never actually elected Commander in Chief." The cable anchor relayed that piece of false information on Monday in a segment downplaying the chances of another Texan, potential 2012 candidate Rick Perry. In fact, Lyndon Johnson won the 1964…
Scott Whitlock
June 13th, 2011 1:01 PM

Update: In Two Monday E. Coli Reports, AP Avoids Describing Involved F

Yesterday (at NewsBusters; at BizzyBlog), I noted a reluctance on the part of Associated Press reporters to describe the farm involved in "the world's deadliest known outbreak of E. coli" as "organic." The wire service issued two additional reports this morning, both of which failed to use the "O-word." The case for the use of the word in these reports is as strong, if not stronger, than it…
Tom Blumer
June 13th, 2011 11:48 AM

A Different Kind of Father's Day

"Every man, by the nature of his being, is called to generate love." So the Rev. James A. Wehner tells his seminarians, from his perch as rector of the Josephinum, a pontifical college and seminary in Columbus, Ohio. His is a message necessary to the training of priests to a calling that has been marred by scandal, but also to a society that has been afraid to talk frankly about how essential…
Kathryn Jean Lopez
June 13th, 2011 10:37 AM

Open Thread: Should Gay Judge Have Recused Himself in California Prop

For general discussion and debate about politics, the economy, sports, and whatever else tickles your fancy. Possible talking point: Should a gay judge have recused himself in California's Proposition 8 case?
NB Staff
June 13th, 2011 10:34 AM

NBC Most Excited by Palin’s E-Mail, Yet Fails to Dig Up Any ‘Bombs

Much of the media made fools of themselves with their excited obsession over the release of Sarah Palin’s gubernatorial e-mails, but NBC News went the furthest, sending, as did CNN, reporters to Juneau as the network uniquely led its Friday night newscast by hyping the non-news as a major event. “On the broadcast tonight,” anchor Lester Holt heralded, “mail call. Thousands of pages of e-mail…
Brent Baker
June 13th, 2011 8:45 AM

'Just Shut Up': Scarborough Shouts Down RNC Chairman's Words On Weiner

When on today's Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski tried to report the comments of RNC Chairman Reince Priebus on Weinergate, Joe Scarborough shut her down and shut the comments out.  "It's just stupid.  Just shut up," said Scarborough of Priebus. Joe's point was that both parties hypocritically seek to exploit sex scandals in which their opponents become involved.  But Morning Joe had already…
Mark Finkelstein
June 13th, 2011 7:43 AM

People Mag Provides Obama Five Pages for Photo Spread and Essay on Fat

People magazine loves Obama. In the top right corner of the June 20 issue is a picture of the president tenderly sitting with younger daughter Sasha on the White House lawn and the words “President Obama On Being a Good Father: Plus Exclusive Family Photos.” Inside are five pages of pictures of adoring daughters getting moments with Daddy...by Obama’s White House photographer Pete Souza. The…
Tim Graham
June 13th, 2011 7:13 AM

Juan Williams Spars With Chris Wallace Over Public Support For Afghani

Fox News haters love to advance the myth that the network pushes exclusively conservative views and the anchors surround themselves with right-leaning yes men who never question them. On the latest installment of "Fox News Sunday," liberal political analyst Juan Williams challenged host Chris Wallace's view of the public's support for the war in Afghanistan leading to a humorous exchange (…
Noel Sheppard
June 12th, 2011 10:49 PM