Martin Bashir Gives Soapbox to Anti-nuclear Activist

On his eponymous program today, MSNBC anchor Martin Bashir interviewed a liberal environmental activist aiming to scare viewers into believing that nuclear energy poses an imminent threat to the safety of the United States. Bashir allowed a spokesman for Friends of the Earth, a left-wing environmental group, to declare nuclear facilities in California dangerous and unsafe, but neglected to…
Alex Fitzsimmons
March 15th, 2011 6:07 PM

Skittish GOP's Self-fulfilling Prophecy

Why is it that despite the Republicans' resounding electoral victory in 2010 based on their promises for real change, many of us have a queasy feeling they're not quite measuring up to the task, even in the climate of Democratic infighting and President Obama's weaknesses? The Hill reports that there is developing dissension between Obama and Senate Democrats, whose respective "political…
David Limbaugh
March 15th, 2011 6:01 PM

WaPo Columnist: Verizon Counting on Old People to Die Off

To borrow from former Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), Verizon hopes old people die and die quickly. That, in a nutshell is the gripe of Washington Post Metro section columnist John Kelly, whose wrath has been kindled  by the phone company recent decision to discontinue its 936-1212 weather line:
Ken Shepherd
March 15th, 2011 4:23 PM

NY Times Whines That 'Partisans Adopt Deceit As a Tactic,' Ignore Hidd

The New York Times provided decent front-page coverage of the emerging scandal that took down top executives at National Public Radio, a hidden-camera sting that caught top fundraiser Ron Schiller making prejudicial remarks against Republicans in general and the Tea Party movement in particular. The backlash resulted in the resignation of Ron Schiller as well as NPR President and chief…
Clay Waters
March 15th, 2011 3:10 PM

NewsBusted for Tuesday

Happy Ides of March, NBers. It's Tuesday, so here's your all-new episode of NewsBusted. Enjoy! Topics in today's show: -- Disaster in Japan -- Gitmo to stay open -- NPP CEO resigns -- Charlie Sheen drama continues -- NFL lockout looms -- Islamophobia in Congress? -- iPad 2 released -- Rob Lowe to replace Sheen?
NB Staff
March 15th, 2011 2:26 PM

Longtime NBC President Joins Celebs in Urging Obama to Codify Gay Unio

Robert Wright, president of NBC from 1986 to 2007, has joined a list of Hollywood notables -- including Melissa Etheridge, David Geffen, Anne Hathaway, Jane Lynch, Eric McCormack, Mya, Martin Sheen, Lily Tomlin, and "Ellen & Portia DeGeneres"  -- in signing a letter to President Obama urging his public support of federal recognition of "gay marriage." We ask you now for your leadership on…
Tim Graham
March 15th, 2011 2:24 PM

CNN's Costello: 'Crazy to Me That We're Hoping the Outcome Is Like Thr

On CNN Newsroom this morning, anchor Carol Costello spoke with national correspondent Jason Carroll about the potential for a nuclear disaster in Japan.  Carroll noted that "some scientists say the best-case scenario at this point is that the situation in Japan ends up like Three Mile Island. . ."  This possibility  frightened the anchor: COSTELLO: It's kind of crazy to me that we're hoping…
Mike Bates
March 15th, 2011 2:06 PM

Fox's Baier: As Japan Reels From Disaster, Media Yawn as Obama Golfs

On Wednesday, Barack Obama will appear on ESPN to announce his picks for the 2011 NCAA tournament. This past Saturday, as the disaster in Japan unfolded, the President found time to, again, play golf. On Tuesday's Special Report, Fox News host Bret Baier highlighted the difference between Obama's treatment and that of President Bush. Baier quoted from Media Research President Brent Bozell: "…
Scott Whitlock
March 15th, 2011 2:05 PM

Telling: Far-left MoveOn.org Petitions to Preserve NPR's Federal Fundi

National Public Radio's continued efforts to present itself as a politically-neutral news operation may suffer a bit from one of the organization's endorsements: that of the far-left activist group MoveOn.org. MoveOn, which has received significant funding from liberal billionaire George Soros, started a petition recently to push Congress to "protect NPR and PBS and guarantee them permanent…
Lachlan Markay
March 15th, 2011 1:06 PM

CBS Food Police Go After 'Cereal Offenders,' Fret Over Cartoon Charact

On Tuesday's CBS Early Show, contributor Taryn Winter Brill touted a new University of Pennsylvania study on the influence of breakfast cereal cartoon characters on children: "Previous research has shown how these images influence children's selections, but now a new study reveals they also influence how the kids think the cereal actually tastes." In the report that followed, Brill described…
Kyle Drennen
March 15th, 2011 12:47 PM

Time's Sullivan Promotes 'Gay-affirming' Preacher Jay Bakker

Rebellious son of infamous 1980s televangelists returns (sort of) to the faith of his parents, pastors a church, but now takes a decidedly liberal tack on the Christian faith. That's certainly a compelling story for a secular magazine to cover, especially in this Lenten season. But with her March 15-published  interview with Jay Bakker, a self-styled "evangelical punk preacher," Time…
Ken Shepherd
March 15th, 2011 12:14 PM

Elton John Wants to Guest Star on 'Glee' and Sleep With 16-Year-Old Ga

63-year-old aging rock star Elton John wants to be a guest star on the hit TV series "Glee" with the storyline that he's the lover of the overbearing coach of the cheerleaders, but he ends up in bed with the show's 16-year-old gay virgin. This was revealed by the Emmy Award-winning co-star of the program Jane Lynch on Monday's "Tonight Show" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
Noel Sheppard
March 15th, 2011 11:28 AM

Juan Williams to O'Reilly: If You Called Koran 'Hate-Filled' Like Mahe

After Bill Maher called the Koran "a hate-filled book" on HBO's "Real Time" Friday, NewsBusters asked if he would be attacked by the media for doing so. With no outrage having ensued, the folks at Fox News on Monday questioned why Maher's comments went ignored by the Muslim defenders in the press, with Juan Williams telling Bill O'Reilly that if he had said anything like that, "They would…
Noel Sheppard
March 15th, 2011 9:53 AM

Open Thread: Rubio Leads Charge Against Continuing Resolution

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., announced Monday that he would not vote for the pending continuing resolution - a stopgap to keep the federal govenrment funded until Congress passes an actual budget. Rubio joins Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and a number of House conservatives, who have decried both the "kick-the-can-down-the-road" approach of the second CR Congress will consider in a matter of weeks, and…
NB Staff
March 15th, 2011 9:45 AM