Olbermann named O'Reilly "Worst Person" for attacks on NBC, NY Times; Limbaugh placed second
On the July 10 edition of MSNBC's Countdown, host Keith Olbermann named Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly the "winner" of his nightly "Worst Person in the World" segment for what Olbermann called "the stupid and very possibly libelous claim" that NBC and The New York Times "don't want Iraq to become successful as a nation or to somehow become a wall against terrorism." Olbermann observed, as Media Matters for America documented, that during the July 9 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, O'Reilly asserted: "I'm still praying for a miracle, as a stable Iraq makes the world a safer place. I believe that prayer is not being shared in some precincts here in America." Olbermann asked: "Precincts? Like the one in which the guy who said this lives: The United States ought to, quote, 'Hand over everything to the Iraqis as fast as humanly possible. There are so many nuts in the country -- so many crazies -- that we can't control them'? Who said that? Bill O'Reilly, February 20, 2006." Read more
NBC Nightly News and CBS Evening News both ignored Vitter's connection to DC Madam
During their July 10 broadcasts, neither NBC's Nightly News nor CBS' Evening News with Katie Couric reported on the disclosure that Sen. David Vitter's (R-LA) phone number was among the phone records of alleged "D.C. Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey. As Media Matters for America has previously noted, Palfrey was indicted on racketeering charges stemming from allegations that she ran a prostitution ring, and is reportedly planning on calling Vitter as a witness to her defense. By contrast, during the July 10 edition of ABC's World News with Charles Gibson, ABC News senior political correspondent Jake Tapper reported on the story, noting that Vitter "is a self-proclaimed defender of family values," and was a "conservative rising star, and led a charge against same-sex marriage."
Tapper reported that Vitter recently sent a "letter to senators, urging them to support abstinence education, to teach teenagers, quote, 'that saving sex until marriage and remaining faithful afterwards is the best choice for health and happiness.' "Tapper further noted that presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) recently tapped Vitter "to be his campaign's regional Southern chairman." Read more
USA Today's Page claimed Vitter's actions matter more to conservatives
On the July 10 edition of MSNBC Live, USA Today Washington bureau chief Susan Page suggested that Sen. David Vitter's (R-LA) connection to the alleged "D.C. Madam," Deborah Jeane Palfrey, might not matter "[i]f you're running for mayor of New York City," but it matters to "a rather conservative state like -- like Louisiana. ... And especially to Republican voters who tend to be more conservative on social values."
Page's comment suggests that the only relevant issue in the Vitter matter is possible sexual misconduct. But in addition to the question of possible illegality in Vitter's conduct, as CBS Public Eye editor Brian Montopoli noted -- citing posts on the weblogs The Carpetbagger Report and The New Republic's The Plank -- Vitter "said last year that the gay marriage ban was the most important issue out there" and campaigned on a theme of "stand[ing] up for Louisiana values, not Massachusetts's values." Montopoli concluded: "[T]his story has hit such a nerve with some folks" because "[i]t's the hypocrisy, stupid." Read more
Savage claimed "gay Mafioso" at Media Matters "made up" his attack on Sen. Clinton
On the July 10 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio program, Michael Savage lashed out at Media Matters for America and falsely claimed that Media Matters "made up" the fact that he referred to a speech by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) as "Hitler dialogue." In fact, Media Matters documented with transcript and audio that on April 23, Savage responded to a speech delivered by Clinton at Rutgers University by saying, "That's Hitler dialogue. [Nazi information minister Joseph] Goebbels would be proud of you, Hillary Clinton." Read more
In Sicko "fact check," CNN's Gupta falsely claimed his source's "only affiliation is with Vanderbilt University"
After Sicko director Michael Moore said that CNN's Sickofact-check "healthcare expert" Paul Keckley is "a person from a think tank group who is a big Republican contributor," CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta asserted that Keckley's "only affiliation" is with Vanderbilt University. Gupta continued, "We checked it, Michael. We checked his conflict of interest. We do ask those questions." In fact, as a caption accompanying Gupta's original report stated, Keckley is a "Deloitte Healthcare Expert." Read more
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