Media Matters Daily Summary 02-17-08

On the Media discussed Shuster's "pimped out" comment, MSNBC's pattern of sexist/misogynistic comments highlighted by Media Matters
Discussing both David Shuster's "inappropriate" comments about Chelsea Clinton and their place as part of a broader pattern of sexist remarks by MSNBC commentators, WNYC's Bob Garfield asserted: "It seems that what's happened here has more to do with history than it has to do with the particulars of Shuster's remarks." The Huffington Post's Rachael Sklar asserted, "Media Matters, which gets its teeth into these things and really shakes its head furiously, generated post after post about things that Chris Matthews had said, things that other people on MSNBC had said." Read More

Brooks' advice to Obama, "Go visit a factory for once"; but Obama spoke at a General Motors plant days earlier
Responding to Chris Matthews' question, "[W]ill Barack Obama's oratorical ability on the lectern in front of big rooms continue to be his winning edge?" The New York Times' David Brooks said: "Yes, but he's got to get away from colleges. Go visit a factory for once." In fact, Obama delivered what his campaign called a "major economic policy address" at a Wisconsin General Motors factory a few days before Brooks made his comment. Read More

Ignoring NY Times reports, Times and Wash. Post editorials made no mention of McCain campaign's waffling on public financing
Editorials in The New York Times and The Washington Post both asserted that Sen. John McCain has agreed to accept public financing in the general election if Sen. Barack Obama does. But neither editorial mentioned that according to a Times article, McCain advisers said earlier in the week that he would not accept public financing in the general election. Read More

Wallace again falsely suggested PAA gave government authority to "monitor communications among terrorism suspects"
Introducing an interview with Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell, Chris Wallace asserted: "A law which gives President Bush powers to monitor communications among terrorism suspects expired at midnight." In fact, the expired PAA revisions to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, did not simply give Bush "powers to monitor communications among terrorism suspects," but rather, among other things, the revisions expanded the government's authority to eavesdrop on Americans' domestic-to-foreign communications without a warrant. Further, Wallace never mentioned that the government had the authority to listen in on the communications of suspected terrorists before Congress passed the PAA in August 2007 or that this authority continues despite the PAA's expiration. Read More