Friday, October 13, 2006

Media Matters Latest, October 13, 2006

Matthews proclaimed "the best critics of this war [in Iraq]" are "smart, grown-up Republicans"
On the October 11 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews declared that the "best critics" of the war in Iraq "are the Republicans." He added that "it's not the lefties" and "it's not [Rep.] John P. Murtha [D-PA]," but rather the "smart, grown-up Republicans who are questioning this policy and calling for a change." Read more

Network news reported Bush indicated he was "open" to changing Iraq policy -- failed to note Bush's inflexibility on troop withdrawal
ABC, NBC, and CBS reported that, during a recent press conference, President Bush stated that he is "open" to changing the administration's Iraq war policy, but did not note that, during that same press conference, Bush reiterated his claim that the United States will not "leave before the job is done." Read more

ABC's Gibson falsely reported Bush said "too many innocents are dying" in Iraq
Reporting the results of a newly released survey of war-induced Iraqi civilian deaths, on the October 11 edition of ABC's World News, host Charles Gibson, while noting that President Bush "maintained" in a press conference earlier that day that the study "is just not credible," falsely reported that Bush "also said that too many innocents are dying" in Iraq. During his October 11 press conference, Bush said that he "know[s] that a lot of innocent people have died" in Iraq, not "too many innocents are dying," as Gibson asserted. In fact, Bush actually praised Iraqis for "tolerat[ing]" the "level of violence" that has occurred in Iraq. Read more

O'Reilly admitted he "mislabeled the Chicago Tribune as a liberal paper" in Culture Warrior, as Media Matters noted
On the October 11 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly conceded that he "mislabeled the Chicago Tribune as a liberal paper" in his book, Culture Warrior (Broadway Books, September 2006), as Media Matters for America pointed out in an extensive September 22 review of the book. O'Reilly credited Chicago Sun-Times film critic Richard Roeper with the "legitimate concern" that O'Reilly had misidentified the Tribune, adding that the Tribune "is not" liberal, "[s]o it would be ridiculous for me to say the Trib is S-P [secular-progressive]. Roeper is right." Read more

One week after comparing Soros to Mussolini, O'Reilly declared Soros "believes" "we're Nazis" because of U.S. policies
On the October 10 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly claimed that billionaire philanthropist George Soros "believes" that "we're Nazis" because of U.S. policies on Iraq and torture. Soros is a Hungarian-born Jew who survived the Nazi occupation of Budapest. O'Reilly was discussing Fox News host Neil Cavuto's October 5 interview with Soros, in which Soros warned that during the course of the "war on terror," "if we torture people, humiliate people, kill people who are innocent," the world "look[s] at us in the same light as we look at terrorists," and "that is, in fact, what has happened, particularly in Iraq." Soros added that "we have actually fed into the rage and resentment that can be exploited by terrorists." Responding to Soros's remarks, O'Reilly declared that Soros believes: "We kill people who are innocent. We're Nazis. That's what we're doing in Iraq. This is what George Soros really believes." Read more

Dobson baselessly claimed Media Matters "spun" his Foleygate comments
Focus on the Family's James C. Dobson baselessly claimed that Media Matters for America engaged in "sp[i]n" by quoting his on-air remark that Republican former Rep. Mark Foley's sexually explicit instant messages to a male former House page "turned out to be what some people are now saying was a -- sort of a joke by the boy and some of the other pages." But Dobson did not explain what the purported spin was. Read more

Will Matthews be "amazed" about his ability to "keep being wrong" about Dems and taxes?
Chris Matthews made false, misleading, and baseless claims regarding Democratic tax policy, fiscal responsibility, and public opinion of Democratic credibility on taxes, claiming that "Democrats cannot match" Republicans "on the issue of taxes" and that if "you put a Democrat in there, they're gonna raise your taxes." Read more

USA Today editorial selectively cited polling data to suggest Democrats just as vulnerable as Republicans on corruption issue
A USA Today editorial suggested that voters view Democrats just as negatively as they do Republicans on the issue of corruption, but recent polls indicate that Americans, by wide margins, think Democrats would do a better job handling the issue. Read more

"Journalist," not "jingoist" O'Reilly "uncomfortable wearing" U.S. flag, but apparently not commercializing it
On the October 10 edition of his nationally syndicated radio program, while discussing CNN founder Ted Turner's recent assertion that it is "inappropriate" for the news media "to have the American flag flying in the background" during newscasts, Bill O'Reilly claimed that Turner "doesn't really like the fact that we, in the media, took a, let's say, an encouraging position toward American forces in Iraq." O'Reilly went on to claim that he has "never worn an American flag lapel, ever ... because I am a journalist. I am. And I don't think I should have any insignias on." O'Reilly further explained: "You know what I think. I tell you what I think. I don't need to wear a lapel. I don't need to do it. ... And even a flag ... I felt uncomfortable wearing it. I'm not a jingoist." Read more

AP, LA Times mentioned Rove's role in campaigns but failed to note Ralston's resignation amid alleged ties to Abramoff
Articles by the AP and the Los Angeles Times reported on White House senior adviser Karl Rove's trips to support Republican candidates in the upcoming congressional elections, but none of the articles mentioned that Susan Ralston, a "key aide" to Rove, had resigned after a congressional report disclosed Ralston's alleged connections to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. Read more

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