Thursday, March 06, 2008

Media Matters Daily Summary 03-06-08

Fineman called Clinton's comments on Obama's religion "positively Nixonian"
Discussing Sen. Hillary Clinton's answer to a question about whether she believed Sen. Barack Obama is a Muslim, Newsweek editor Howard Fineman said that Clinton's answer was "positively Nixonian in its pauses and innuendos." In fact, Clinton's first three words in response to the question -- "You don't believe that Senator Obama is a Muslim?" -- were, "Of course not." Read More

Olbermann to Matthews: "[E]specially you" should "[d]istance yourself as far as you can from" the word "bitch"
During MSNBC's coverage of the Democratic presidential primaries, referring to Tina Fey's statement on the February 23 edition of Saturday Night Live that " 'bitch' is the new black," Chris Matthews asked: "Dare we repeat what Tina Fey said was the new black?" Keith Olbermann responded: "There's another word that begins with the same letter as 'black' does. Let's distance ourselves -- especially you. Distance yourself as far as you can from that." Read More

After asking, "Do the Obamas have a race problem of their own?" Hannity continued to smear Barack and Michelle Obama
On Hannity's America, Sean Hannity falsely asserted that the minister of Sen. Barack Obama's church "honored [Louis] Farrakhan for lifetime achievement, saying, quote, 'He truly epitomized greatness.' " In fact, the managing editor of a magazine founded by the church wrote those words, not the minister. Hannity also stated that Michelle Obama "wrote in her [undergraduate] thesis that we see at Princeton, you know, the belief -- 'because of the belief that blacks must join in solidarity to combat a white oppressor.' " However, as the full context of the passage makes clear, she was discussing views that black students who attended Princeton in the 1970s may have held, not asserting her own views. Read More

LA Times noted McCain touts his work on immigration bill as appealing to Latinos -- but not that he no longer supports it
In an article about Sen. John McCain's general election strategy, the Los Angeles Times reported that McCain's advisers "believe his work on the controversial immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for many of the nation's illegal immigrants will provide an inroad to Latino voters, particularly in the Golden State." But McCain no longer supports the "controversial immigration legislation" attributed to him -- he now says that "we've got to secure the borders first," and that he would vote against his own comprehensive immigration bill if it came to the Senate floor. Read More

Hitchens attacked Obama's "dumb, nasty ... racist" church, compared Clintons to zombies, vampires, and werewolves
On Morning Joe, Christopher Hitchens called Sen. Barack Obama's church a "dumb, nasty, ethnic rock 'n' roll racist church." Additionally, citing Sen. Hillary Clinton's claim to have "won" the Florida and Michigan primaries, Hitchens said: "[A]nyone who, like me, when they think about Clintons, thinks about zombies, thinks about the undead, thinks about stakes through the heart, silver bullets and so on, has just received confirmation. It's as bad as we thought it was going to be." Read More

AP claimed "GOP maverick" McCain has "crossed swords" with Bush on tax cuts -- but didn't mention his flip-flop
An Associated Press article on President Bush's plan to endorse Sen. John McCain reported: "Bush will be giving his stamp of approval to a GOP maverick who's crossed swords with him on things like campaign finance, tax cuts and waterboarding. But the White House insists that Bush's endorsement will be heartfelt." In fact, while McCain opposed the Bush tax cuts in 2001 and 2003, he now supports making the tax cuts permanent. Read More

Beck failed to ask Hagee about controversial statements, instead asked him if Obama might be the Antichrist
On his CNN Headline News program, Glenn Beck hosted evangelist John Hagee but did not note any of the numerous controversial statements Hagee has made on various topics, including the Catholic Church, Islam, women, and homosexuality. Beck concluded the interview by saying: "There are people -- and they said this about Bill Clinton -- that actually believe he might be the Antichrist. Odds that Barack Obama is the Antichrist?" Read More

Luntz: "Jimmy Carter was the first female president"
On Fox News' Fox & Friends, while discussing the electability of Sen. Hillary Clinton with a focus group in Ohio, pollster Frank Luntz called Jimmy Carter "the first female president." Read More

Vieira falsely suggested Clinton didn't say Obama is not a Muslim
NBC's Meredith Vieira asked Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton: "On 60 Minutes over the weekend, you were asked about Senator Obama and whether you believed he was a Muslim, and you said, and I'm quoting now, 'I take him on the basis of what he says. There isn't any reason to doubt that, as far as I know.' Why not just say simply, 'No'?" In fact, Clinton's first three words in response to the question -- "You don't believe that Senator Obama is a Muslim?" -- were, "Of course not." Read More

On Fox, Rove claimed what Obama "said in 2004" about NAFTA differs from what he says now, but Obama was saying similar things
On Fox & Friends, Karl Rove claimed that there is "a difference between" Sen. Barack Obama's current position on NAFTA and "what Senator Obama said in 2004, when he ran for the Senate and said we need more trade agreements like NAFTA." Rove cited no specific 2004 comments by Obama or news stories about Obama. In fact, Obama's statement during an interview on the same program echoed his position on trade as reported in a September 27, 2004, Chicago Tribune article, and several other media outlets reported similar statements from Obama in 2004. Read More

Wash. Post's Weisman: "I think McCain has" released his tax returns -- he hasn't
Responding to a question about the presidential candidates and the release of their tax returns, The Washington Post's Jonathan Weisman stated in a discussion on washingtonpost.com: "[Sen. Barack] Obama has released his tax returns, and I think [Sen. John] McCain has too." In fact, McCain has not released his tax returns. Read More

Fox News "body language expert" found possible meaning in Clinton's use of left hand to drink beer
On America's Newsroom, while discussing a video clip of Sen. Hillary Clinton drinking a beer on the campaign plane, Bill Hemmer asked Fox News' "body language expert" Tonya Reiman: "[I]s that an honest moment, a moment of levity?" Reiman replied: "You know, the only thing that struck me as odd is, she's holding the beer with her left hand, and she's a righty. And if you think about how you would normally take a sip, it's a little bit awkward to drink with your nondominant hand, unless you have a reason to be doing that." Read More

Newsweek's Thomas on Hardball: Clinton is "often hot and angry in a crisis, and I think she can be steely cold in a crisis"
On the March 5 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, Newsweek editor-at-large Evan Thomas said of Sen. Hillary Clinton: "I think that she's often hot and angry in a crisis, and I think she can be steely cold in a crisis -- and those can be useful. But I think the classic value that you look for in a middle-of-the-night crisis is somebody who's cool and detached." Matthews responded: "Why don't you come over and sit in this chair and you can take the heat for the next three months, and I'll sit over there and disagree with you?" Read More

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