Kristol's first Time column contradicted by Time's own reporting
Several points in Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol's column for the January 15 edition of Time, his first since being hired by the magazine as a "part-time columnist," were contradicted by Time's cover story in the same issue on President Bush's reported plans to send 20,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq. Read more
NY Times' Stolberg uncritically quoted GOP strategist's claim that public does not support withdrawal
In a January 9 article, New York Times reporter Sheryl Gay Stolberg uncritically quoted an assertion by an anonymous Republican strategist that "the public is not for immediate withdrawal or even a quick withdrawal, but they're not for the status quo." The Times further quoted the strategist as saying, "I think they [the president's advisers] feel as if the public is more likely to support the president's position," an apparent reference to Bush's call for an increase in troops in Iraq. In fact, available polling shows that a majority of Americans support some type of troop withdrawal while only a small minority support an increase in troops, facts that the Times did not include in its article: Read more
Bash persists with CNN's use of "surge"Persisting in calling
what President Bush is expected to propose in a January 10 prime-time speech a "surge," despite no indication that Bush's expected proposal will be for a short-term increase, CNN congressional correspondent Dana Bash reported on the January 8 edition of CNN's The Situation Room that Democrats "already said that they oppose a surge in U.S. troops to go to Iraq." Moments later, Bash reported that Democrats were considering "withholding funding for what they call an escalation of the war," suggesting that only the term "escalation" has political overtones, while "surge" does not. Read more
Kristol repeatedly attacks "critics" of the Bush administration, yet refuses to name, or quote, a single oneWriting
in defense of Saddam Hussein's recent trial and execution, as well as in support of President Bush's possible plan to add more U.S. troops in Iraq, Weekly Standard editor and Fox News contributor William Kristol -- in his first Time magazine column since being hired as a "part-time columnist" in December -- repeatedly took issue with administration "critics." Yet Kristol never once named a specific opponent or directly quoted anyone who criticized Saddam's trial, the manner of his execution, or Bush's expected proposal to increase troops in Iraq. Read more
Hannity: L'état, c'est moi et BushOn the January 7 inaugural broadcast of Fox News' Hannity's America, host Sean Hannity named actor Sean Penn, who Hannity described as an "actor, activist, and all-around very angry man," as his first "Enemy of the State" for, among other offenses, calling Hannity a "whore," and for "call[ing] for the impeachment of just about everybody in the Bush administration and call[ing] them 'bastards.' " Despite designating Penn an "Enemy of the State," Hannity then said, "Now, Penn can say whatever he wants." Hannity then invited Penn to appear on Hannity's America "to sit in the hot seat and defend his outlandish comments." Hannity also wondered: "Who does this guy speak for? Who does he represent, other than other bad actors?" Read more
Good Morning America turns blind eye to Beck's smears, hires him as regular commentator
On January 9, the Associated Press reported ABC News' announcement that conservative talk show host Glenn Beck will soon join Good Morning America as a "regular commentator." "Glenn is a leading cultural commentator with a distinct voice," GMA senior executive producer Jim Murphy told the AP. "At times, he is the perfect guest for many of the talk topics we cover on morning news programs." But as Media Matters for America has extensively documented, what often distinguishes Beck's "voice" are his inflammatory and controversial comments regarding Muslims, Arabs, Mexicans, and other minorities. For instance, during a November 14, 2006, interview with Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), who recently became the first Muslim ever elected to Congress, Beck said: "I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.' " Read more
On stem cells, CNN gives equal billing to conservative activist, scientific consensus
A CNN report on stem cells derived from amniotic fluid equated an opponent of embryonic stem cell research who has peddled a discredited list of ailments purportedly treatable from adult stem cell research with "other scientists" who "argue that embryonic stem cells are unique and hold the power to potentially cure many diseases." Read more
ABC shut down blogger who criticized violent rhetoric on one of its radio stations
The mainstream media have yet to report on the story of a blogger whose website was shut down after he began spotlighting inflammatory rhetoric common to several talk radio hosts on KSFO, an ABC Radio-owned station in San Francisco. Read more
NY Post editorial misrepresented Bush signing statement on opening of mail
A New York Post editorial falsely claimed that a 1996 "law" "permits the opening of mail without a warrant" and that a recent signing statement from President Bush merely echoed "the executive branch's authority created from the earlier law." In fact, the "law" is a postal regulation that allows mail to be opened when it is suspected to be an "immediate danger to life or limb or ... property." Bush's signing statement claimed that executive-branch officials may open mail without a warrant "in exigent circumstances," without specifically defining them. Read more
Lowry: Minimum wage hike will "give a small boost" to "teenagers working summers"
In his latest column, Rich Lowry wrote that "[t]he effect" of a Democratic proposal to raise the federal minimum wage "basically will be to give a small boost to the wage of teenagers working summers or after school." In fact, the Economic Policy Institute found that 71 percent of those who would be "directly affected" by the Democratic minimum-wage proposal are age 20 or over. Read more
Time's Allen described Fielding as olive branch despite partisan history, reports of Bush girding for battle
Time's Mike Allen wrote that President Bush's intention to appoint Fred Fielding to replace Harriet Miers as White House counsel is "a signal that [Bush] could be open to working more closely with congressional Democrats rather than stonewalling." But Allen quoted no Democrats offering their reaction to a Fielding appointment and made no mention of criticism by prominent Senate Democrats over Fielding's involvement in the evaluation of a Bush appeals court nominee. Read more
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