Joy Behar: Gwen Ifill Should 'Get Out' as Moderator

October 2nd, 2008 4:42 PM
Surprise! Joy Behar thinks Gwen Ifill, with her conflict of interest, should step aside from moderating the vice presidential debate. Could it be Joy attempting to establish herself as an independent thinker? Not likely. Joy explained, on the October 2 edition of "The View," that Ifill should not give "Palin’s side any excuse to not step up to the plate."Earlier in the broadcast, when each…

WaPo Ignores Its Own Poll Showing McCain Gain, Focuses on Palin Allege

October 2nd, 2008 4:35 PM
If Old Media can cook their numbers to make their favored candidate look good, they will. Earlier today, I covered two cooked AP-GfK polls (at NewsBusters; at BizzyBlog). The pollster dramatically changed the party-ID makeup of the second poll to include a much higher percentage of Democrats, and watered down the strong-GOP component of the Republicans sampled. As a result, the two poll results,…

Will Gwen Ifill Challenge Joe Biden’s Iraq ‘Expertise

October 2nd, 2008 4:07 PM
While the networks scrutinize Republican Sarah Palin’s every comment for evidence that she’s a dimwit unqualified for the vice presidency, there’s been barely any discussion of how alleged foreign policy expert Joe Biden was dreadfully wrong in 2006-2007 in his fierce objection to the troop surge strategy in Iraq, which has led to a massive reduction in U.S. and Iraqi casualties and prevented a…

ABC Touts Negative Palin Numbers; Skipped More Positive McCain Poll

October 2nd, 2008 12:54 PM
On Wednesday's "Good Morning America," the program completely skipped an ABC poll that showed a tight, four percent national lead for Barack Obama. Thursday's show, however, prominently featured a new ABC survey that claimed 60 percent of Americans think that Sarah Palin does not have the experience to be president. Former Clinton aide George Stephanopoulos, now the host of "This Week,"…

Only ABC Highlights Debate Moderator Gwen Ifill's Obama Book

October 1st, 2008 6:23 PM
Of the three morning shows on Wednesday, only "Good Morning America" highlighted the growing controversy regarding the disclosure that PBS reporter Gwen Ifill, the moderator of Thursday's vice presidential debate, has authored a supportive book about Barack Obama and other African American politicians. CBS's "Early Show" and NBC's "Today" both skipped the subject. GMA news anchor Chris Cuomo…

Media Aired Dubious Anti-Israel Video, Not ‘Even-Handed’ to Expose

October 1st, 2008 2:46 PM
It was eight years ago this week that France 2 TV introduced the world to Mohammed al-Dura, the Palestinian boy who was allegedly shot and killed during a gunfight between Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen, in a video whose authenticity has increasingly been called into question years after it inspired anti-Semitic violence around the world. The American news media not only highlighted the…

Walters Scolds Hasselbeck for Allegedly Never Conceding a Point

October 1st, 2008 2:43 PM
On the October 1 edition of "The View" Barbara Walters chastised Elisabeth Hasselbeck for allegedly never conceding a point, but never offered such a criticism for left-wing ideologue Joy Behar or even looney conspiracy theorist Rosie O’Donnell. This occurred just as rumors abound that Elisabeth is clashing with her fellow co-hosts.Responding to more Sarah Palin bashing and Joy Behar labeling the…

ABC Skips Own Poll to Promote Favorable Obama Numbers

October 1st, 2008 12:43 PM
"Good Morning America" on Wednesday reported on a new Quinnipiac poll that highlighted leads for Barack Obama in Florida and Ohio, but completely skipped the network's own national poll that found a tight race. A September 30 ABC News/Washington Post survey concluded that Obama leads Senator McCain by four points -- 50 to 46 percent. In contrast, GMA last week trumpeted an ABC News/Washington…

Big Three Nets' Evening News Programs Still in Collective Decline

September 30th, 2008 10:05 PM
You might think that a presidential election year might give the Big Three networks' evening newscasts a shot in the arm. You would be wrong. Full-year figures released last week and available MediaBistro's TVNewser showed yet another audience decline. The comparisons that follow are of the 2007-2008 ratings year just ended (each ratings year begins of fall season premieres) to 2006-2007:

Bill Maher: America 'Extremely Religious Because We're Young and Dumb

September 30th, 2008 2:51 PM
America is "dumb" because it remains the most religious country in the western world. This according to Bill Maher, who made such a statement on the September 30 edition of "The View." Appearing to promote his new documentary "Religulous," Maher continued his soapbox rants against organized religion. Elisabeth Hasselbeck set up Maher noting his comparison of President Bush to Osama Bin Laden, and…

Congresswoman to ABC's Chris Cuomo: Calm Down

September 30th, 2008 1:29 PM
A Republican and a Democratic member of Congress attempted to calm "Good Morning America" news anchor Chris Cuomo during an interview on Tuesday. Cuomo interrogated GOP Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave and her Democratic colleague, Mary Kaptur, about just what they would do now that the Wall Street bailout package had been rejected. After noticing the high pitched tenor in Cuomo's voice, Kaptur…

Media Report Pelosi's Pre-Bailout Vote Attack on Bush and GOP

September 29th, 2008 8:50 PM
Before Monday's House vote on the largest government bailout in American history, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cali.), in potentially one of the most poorly-timed displays of partisanship in recent memory, blamed President Bush and Republicans for the turmoil in the financial services industry (video embedded right). Such ill-advised finger pointing seemed to surprise press members of all shapes and…

'View' Co-Hosts Lack Economic Knowledge

September 29th, 2008 3:46 PM
"The View" co-hosts, who seemingly have difficulty understanding the Constitution, have demonstrated their lack of understanding in economics. Recapping Friday’s presidential debate on the September 29 edition of "The View," co-host Sherri Shepherd wondered how we can raise taxes. Whoopi Goldberg replied "it’s not going to happen. We are in too much financial trouble. We can’t."A very brief…

ABC Highlights 'Palin Problem;' Has Ignored Biden Gaffes

September 29th, 2008 1:04 PM
"Good Morning America" reporter David Wright on Monday highlighted the specter of the "Palin Problem" for John McCain and asserted that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's advisors "are trying to lower expectations. But even among some conservatives, expectations couldn't be any lower." Yet, while the ABC morning show mentioned the supposed struggles of the Republican vice presidential candidate, the…