SNL Trashes Michele Bachmann, Imagines 'Second Attempt' at SOTU Speech

Predictably joining the media attacks on Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), NBC's "Saturday Night Live" began its most recent installment mocking her response to the President's State of the Union address last Tuesday. Actress Kristen Wiig playing the Congresswoman explained that as a result of technical difficulties in her first attempt, CNN gave her a second try at it. What followed…
Noel Sheppard
January 30th, 2011 11:06 AM

AP's Taylor Ignores Suffering, Obsesses Over Unemployment Rate's Effec

On Wednesday, the Associated Press's Andrew Taylor covered the latest deficit projections released by the Congressional Budget Office. In his treatment of the predicted unemployment rate, Taylor betrayed no concern whatsoever about the plight of the millions of unemployed who are in that position largely because the Obama administration attempted to bring about an economic recovery through…
Tom Blumer
January 30th, 2011 10:48 AM

ABC Cap Gains Tax Hit Ignores Charles Gibson's 'Finest Hour' Questions

To add an exclamation point to Brad Wilmouth's great post last night ("ABC Pushes for Tax Hike on Capital Gains, Ignores Likelihood of Tax Revenue Loss") -- in ignoring the likelihood that raising the capital gains tax rate would reduce capital gains tax collections, the network also "somehow" forgot now-retired World News Tonight anchor Charles Gibson's aggressive questioning on the topic…
Tom Blumer
January 30th, 2011 9:52 AM

ABC Pushes for Tax Hike on Capital Gains, Ignores Likelihood of Tax Re

  On Friday’s World News, and again on Saturday morning’s Good Morning America, ABC ran reports highlighting hedge fund manager John Paulson’s "jaw-dropping" 2010 income from capital gains, fretting that he will not pay as high a tax rate as many regular income earners, and referring to Paulson’s lower tax rate as a "loophole" or a "tax break." GMA co-anchor Dan Harris even relayed complaints…
Brad Wilmouth
January 29th, 2011 10:34 PM

Palin and Bachmann Nitpicker Chris Matthews Says Panama Canal Is In Eg

As NewsBusters has been reporting almost ad nauseam, Chris Matthews spent much of last week mercilessly lambasting Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann with cherry-picked and distorted quotes far afield of their intended meaning. On Friday, the “Hardball” host got a touch of instant karma when he said the Panama Canal is in Egypt (video follows with transcript and commentary):
Noel Sheppard
January 29th, 2011 5:18 PM

More Maher Idiocy: Football Is Democratic, Baseball Is Republican

It seems these days whenever Bill Maher opens his mouth, he's bound to stick his foot in it while saying something totally devoid of logic or factual basis. Consider Friday's "Real Time" on HBO when with his final "New Rule," he claimed the economic business philosophy of NFL football is similar to that of the Democratic Party while Major League Baseball's is more in line with the Republicans…
Noel Sheppard
January 29th, 2011 3:16 PM

Obama Email Preaches Civility--Then Seeks $$ To Defeat Those Lying Rep

Come, let us reason together with our GOP compatriots.  But in the meantime, send us some cash to defeat those Republican liars. That was the decidedly mixed message that this fervent hope-and-changer received from Pres. Obama today in his fundraising email on behalf of Harry Reid and his merry band at the Dem senatorial campaign committee. PBO was clearly trying to channel the new "civility…
Mark Finkelstein
January 29th, 2011 1:57 PM

Chris Matthews Blames Egypt Riots on George W. Bush and Iraq War

It's a metaphysical certitude that whenever anything happens in the Middle East, the media will quickly blame former President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq. Not missing the opportunity to do so, Chris Matthews began the 5PM installment of "Hardball" Friday connecting the riots in Egypt to a man that has been out of office for two years (video follows with transcript and commentary):
Noel Sheppard
January 29th, 2011 12:17 PM

Ed Meese: 'Reagan Took Advantage of Being Underestimated

Reagan was always underestimated by his friends and by his opponents. He actually believed that was an advantage. Many political opponents thought he would be an easy mark. But his overwhelming victories in the four elections he won revealed the folly of such suppositions. So wrote Ed Meese in the Washington Examiner Thursday.
Noel Sheppard
January 29th, 2011 11:27 AM

Open Thread: Egypt and Weekend Edition

For general discussion and debate about all things relating to politics, the economy, and sports. Possible talking point: Egypt. How serious is the situation in Egypt? Will this result in a full-scale revolution that topples Mubarak? If so, will this become religious leading to some kind of new Islamic government such as in Iran? Or will Mubarak get control of the situation?
NB Staff
January 29th, 2011 11:16 AM

Krauthammer Exposes Hypocrisy of Being Called 'Cranky' by WaPo Columni

In the middle of a rather comical exchange on PBS's "Inside Washington" Friday evening, Washington Post columnist Colby King accused fellow panelist Charles Krauthammer of being "cranky" concerning President Obama's State of the Union address. Not at all surprising to fans of the Fox News contributor, Krauthammer struck back and did so quite impressively (video follows with transcript and…
Noel Sheppard
January 29th, 2011 10:56 AM

Hypocritical New York Times Smears Whistleblowing Conservative Council

Not content with casting doubt on charges made by New York City Councilman Daniel Halloran, Republican of Queens, of a union-authorized work slowdown during the infamous blizzard that hit Manhattan the day after Christmas, New York Times reporters Russ Buettner and William Rashbaum dove into his personal finances to discredit him in Wednesday’s “Evidence Is Elusive on Charge Of a Blizzard Work…
Clay Waters
January 29th, 2011 10:55 AM

AP's 'Fact Check' of HHS Scare Stat Also Factually Challenged

Ten days ago, on the eve of the House vote to repeal ObamaCare, Kathleen Sebelius's Department or Health and Human Services issued a fearmongering press release saying that "129 million Americans with a pre-existing condition could be denied coverage without new health reform law." Ten days later, on a Friday afternoon (naturally), the Associated Press's Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar finally got…
Tom Blumer
January 29th, 2011 10:17 AM

Oops: AP Says GDP Report Was Causing Stock Market Rise in AM, Quietly

It seems that Associated Press Business Writer David K. Randall made a bad call yesterday. But he only has himself to blame for engaging in what he should have known was wishful thinking. Shortly after the government's report on economic growth during the fourth quarter of 2010 came in with an annualized 3.2% reading, Randall put out this this short report: Stocks edge up after stronger…
Tom Blumer
January 29th, 2011 8:35 AM