Wash. Post's Robinson on O'Reilly remark: "There's certainly nothing at all funny or remotely appropriate about the use of a lynching reference"
On MSNBC's Countdown, while discussing Bill O'Reilly's recent statement that "I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels," The Washington Post's Eugene Robinson stated, "There's nothing funny about lynching. There's certainly nothing at all funny or remotely appropriate about the use of a lynching reference to talk about Michelle Obama. ... It's -- I'm almost speechless." Read More
USA Today's Page repeated McCain's false assertion that Obama "suggested bombing our ally, Pakistan"
In a USA Today article reporting on Sen. John McCain's "critique" of Sen. Barack Obama, Susan Page wrote that McCain was "ridiculing comments Obama has made" and quoted without challenge McCain's false assertion that Obama "once suggested bombing our ally, Pakistan." In fact, in an August 2007 speech, Obama stated: "If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and [Pakistani] President [Pervez] Musharraf won't act, we will." Read More
Chicago Sun-Times uncritically reported McCain attack on Obama over liberal rating, but not McCain's non-rating because of missed votes
The Chicago Sun-Times uncritically reported Sen. John McCain's assertion that Sen. Barack Obama is "the most liberal Democrat in the United States Senate." However, the Sun-Times made no mention of the fact that the National Journal, which ranked Obama "the most liberal senator in 2007," said that McCain "did not vote frequently enough in 2007 to draw a composite score." Read More
Buchanan claimed McCain's FCC letters were "in the normal course of business of a congressman" -- not according to then-FCC chairman
Discussing reports about Sen. John McCain's ties to lobbyist Vicki Iseman, Pat Buchanan asserted: "I don't have a problem with John McCain writing a letter there, depending on what he says in the letter," adding, "[B]ut McCain shouldn't be denying that, I don't think, because it seems to me that's in the normal course of business of a congressman." But contrary to his description of McCain's actions as "the normal course" for a congressman, the FCC chairman at the time criticized McCain for his request, calling it "highly unusual." Read More
Tucker Carlson echoed Kaus, VDARE contributor on Michelle Obama: "I think she's got a chip on her shoulder"
Discussing recent comments by Michelle Obama, Tucker Carlson said: "I have thought from Day One that Michelle Obama, impressive as she is, clearly intelligent, very handsome, self-possessed -- I think that she's got a chip on her shoulder." Similarly, Slate.com blogger Mickey Kaus wrote of Michelle Obama: "For whatever reason, she sure seems to have a non-trivial chip on her shoulder and it's not a winning quality." Additionally, referring to a February 16 Newsweek profile, VDARE.com contributor Steve Sailer wrote that Michelle Obama "sounds like she's got a log-sized chip on her shoulder from lucking into Princeton due to affirmative action." Read More
NY Times highlighted suggested question for Democratic debate that echoed smears about Obama's church
In an item consisting of suggested questions sent in by readers for the upcoming Democratic presidential debate, The New York Times featured a question for Sen. Barack Obama that included the assertion that Obama's church, Trinity United Church of Christ, "gives the impression that it encourages only black attendance and black allegiance." The reader went on to write: "Your willing participation in this church for some 20 years does not speak to an open mind and quest. Please explain." But visitors to the church have said that they experienced Trinity as racially inclusive. Read More
O'Reilly attacked as "far-left loon" caller who asked if he would apologize for "lynching party" comment
Discussing his previous comments about Michelle Obama, Bill O'Reilly stated that "[t]he word 'lynching' was used because I said it quite clearly. I'm not going to go on some lynching party against Michelle Obama; that's ridiculous." However, O'Reilly had said: "I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that's how she really feels -- that America is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever -- then that's legit. We'll track it down." O'Reilly also attacked a caller who asked him if he owed "Michelle Obama an apology for that disrespectful lynching analogy," calling him a "far-left loon." Read More
ABCNews.com article ignored Bloomberg's confirmation of Obama's house-sale claims
A February 20 ABCNews.com article about Sen. Barack Obama's 2005 home purchase noted that "Obama denies there was anything unusual" about the price he paid for his Chicago home in 2005, but omitted the fact -- reported in a February 18 Bloomberg News article to which the ABCNews.com article referred -- that the sellers of the home have corroborated Obama's statement. Read More
Blitzer did not challenge Matalin's assertion that global warming is "a largely unscientific hoax" and a "political concoction"
On CNN's The Situation Room, host Wolf Blitzer did not challenge Republican strategist Mary Matalin's assertion that global warming is "a largely unscientific hoax. And it's a political concoction." As Media Matters for America has documented, numerous scientific organizations share the consensus view that the Earth is warming. Read More
Quoting Kincaid, Limbaugh falsely asserted Obama bill "would commit the United States to spending 0.7 percent of GDP on foreign aid"
Reading from a column by Accuracy in Media editor and writer Cliff Kincaid, Rush Limbaugh falsely asserted on his nationally syndicated radio show that the Global Poverty Act, sponsored by Sen. Barack Obama, "would commit the United States to spending 0.7 percent of GDP on foreign aid." Read More
Reporting McCain attack on Obama, CNN's Bash did not note McCain loan agreement using future public campaign funding as "additional collateral"
Reporting on Sen. John McCain's "most direct assault yet" against Sen. Barack Obama over "whether Obama would agree to limit campaign spending by accepting public funding for the general election" should he become the Democratic presidential nominee, CNN's Dana Bash noted a "survey from a watchdog group" in which McCain and Obama "both said yes, they'd accept public financing." Bash, however, failed to mention a November 2007 loan agreement and its amendment that could have required McCain to remain an active candidate and apply for federal matching funds in order to repay the loan. Read More
CBS' Smith failed to challenge claim by McCain's campaign manager -- a former lobbyist -- that McCain "is probably most feared by every lobbyist"
While discussing a New York Times article about Sen. John McCain's relationship with a telecommunications lobbyist, CBS Early Show host Harry Smith did not challenge McCain campaign manager Rick Davis when Davis asserted that McCain "is probably most feared by every lobbyist in this town of Washington"; he did not note that Davis is a registered lobbyist who, the Times reported, "represented companies" before McCain's committee. Read More
O'Reilly on his Michelle Obama remarks: "I'm sorry if my statement offended anybody"
During the February 21 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, discussing the controversy surrounding his prior remarks about Michelle Obama, host Bill O'Reilly stated: "I'm sorry if my statement offended anybody. That, of course, was not the intention. Context is everything." Just prior, O'Reilly described his previous comments about Obama as follows: "While talking to a radio caller, I said there should be no lynching in the case -- that comment off [Supreme Court Justice] Clarence Thomas saying he was the victim of a high-tech lynching. He said that on 60 Minutes, you may remember." However, as Media Matters for America documented, during the February 19 edition of his nationally syndicated radio program, O'Reilly said: "I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that's how she really feels -- that America is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever -- then that's legit. We'll track it down" (emphasis added). Read More
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