Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Media Matters Daily Summary 08 - 26 - 08

Fox News' Kelly asked whether Michelle Obama gave "her critics fodder" with word she didn't say
Fox News' Megyn Kelly noted that during her DNC speech Michelle Obama said, "The world as it is just won't do," and then Kelly continued: "If you replace 'world' with 'country', you are back to the same debate, arguably, that you have been having about Michelle Obama's feelings about the country. Did she give her critics any fodder with that comment?" Read More

Tapper distorted Clinton comments about her endorsement of Obama to suggest she's not sincere
In a blog post, ABC News' Jake Tapper cropped a quote from Sen. Hillary Clinton explaining her efforts to persuade her supporters to back Sen. Barack Obama, and cited the words he singled out to suggest Clinton's efforts were insincere. Read More

Sean Hannity on "demoniz[ing]" Hillary Clinton: "That's my job"
On Fox News, Sean Hannity stated, "If Hillary was chosen [as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee], this would have electrified" the DNC. Juan Williams replied: "I agree, but I can't believe you are saying this. You demonized Hillary." Hannity then said: "That's my job ... I led the 'Stop Hillary Express.' By the way, now it's the 'Stop Obama Express.' " Read More

Even WND disputes Corsi's phony Obama birth certificate claim
WorldNetDaily.com, for which Jerome Corsi, author of the debunked and discredited book The Obama Nation, works as a staff reporter, has now taken on the claim that its own writer has been promoting, and determined for itself to be false -- that the campaign of Sen. Barack Obama "has a false, fake birth certificate posted on their website." WorldNetDaily reported that a "WND investigation into Obama's birth certificate utilizing forgery experts ... found the document to be authentic." Read More

NBC and MSNBC anchors ignore their own political director's criticism of media's "hyping" of purported division among Clinton supporters
In reference to the media's focus on what Chris Matthews called a "civil war" between "the PUMAs, the holdouts ... and the majority, apparently, of [Sen.] Hillary [Clinton] people who really want [Sen.] Barack Obama and the Democratic Party to win this November," Chuck Todd said: "I kind of think we're hyping it up a little bit. ... I wonder if in three days, we look back and say, 'Why did we waste all of our time with that?' " Despite Todd's criticism, in August 25 interviews with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Charles Schumer, President Jimmy Carter, and Robert Gibbs, 18 of the 20 questions NBC and MSNBC correspondents and anchors asked dealt with Clinton, her supporters, or former President Bill Clinton. Read More

Mark Belling guest host Fischer on Obama: "[T]he most dangerous candidate ever to run for the White House"
Kevin Fischer, guest-hosting for Milwaukee radio host Mark Belling, called Sen. Barack Obama "the most dangerous candidate ever to run for the White House." Fischer falsely asserted that Obama is "a man who has absolutely no regard for the lives of babies born that have survived abortions" and falsely claimed that "Barack Obama, if elected president, will attempt to tax and spend the hell out of you." Read More

NPR, CNN repeat falsehood that Casey was denied speaking role at '92 Dem convention "because of his opposition to abortion rights"
Discussing Sen. Bob Casey's speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention, both NPR and CNN falsely asserted that late Gov. Bob Casey Sr. was not allowed to speak at the 1992 Democratic convention "because of his opposition to abortion rights." In fact, other Democrats who opposed abortion rights spoke at that convention and at every convention since, so Casey's opposition to abortion rights could not have been the sole reason he was not given a speaking role. Read More

Savage: Democratic Party's "membership is made up largely of minority blocs ... that are all against the white person"
On his radio show, Michael Savage said, "The Democrat [sic] Party is the minority party. ... Obama is a minority, a half minority at least. The membership is made up largely of minority blocs, the Hispanic caucus and the gay caucus -- caucuses that are all against the white person." Savage also claimed: "Now, the white women generally are not as hard-nosed about things as the white male, and so many white women don't even understand that they're being duped, and they vote for a Democrat, not knowing that they're digging their own grave." Read More

ABC falsely said McCain has never brought up Ayers, suggested McCain is separate from his campaign
ABCNews.com falsely asserted that an Obama campaign ad questioning why Sen. John McCain is "trying to link [Sen.] Barack Obama to radical Bill Ayers" is "incorrect in insinuating that John McCain himself has brought up Ayers," adding, "[I]t is in fact McCain's campaign that has sought to use the Ayers association against Obama." In fact, McCain himself brought up Ayers unprompted during an April interview on ABC's This Week. Further, ABCNews.com gave no indication that McCain has repudiated or in any way distanced himself from his aides' comments linking Ayers to Obama. Read More

Conservative echo chamber pushes story about Obama's brother, despite brother's reported refutation
Numerous conservative media figures have promoted a story in the Italian edition of Vanity Fair that reportedly quoted Sen. Barack Obama's half brother George Obama as saying that he lives "on less than a dollar a month," but have disregarded reports that quoted George Obama saying, "They say I live on a dollar a month, but this is all lies by people who don't want my brother to win," and, "The magazines, they exaggerated everything." Read More

ABC, NBC reported on ad of Clinton supporter backing McCain without noting her false suggestion that McCain supports abortion rights
The evening newscasts on ABC and NBC each aired a portion of a McCain campaign ad featuring Clinton supporter Debra Bartoshevich. But neither noted that at a Republican press conference, Bartoshevich reportedly falsely suggested that Sen. John McCain does not support overturning Roe v. Wade. In fact, McCain's campaign website says that he "believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned." Read More

Media bury, ignore Leach speech at Democratic National Convention
Several media outlets have ignored or buried the Democratic National Convention speech by former Rep. Jim Leach, an Iowa Republican, in which Leach endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president. Indeed, ABC, CBS, and NBC did not air any of Leach's speech, while MSNBC and Fox News aired only seconds of it. Read More

O'Donnell asked why not let McCaskill give a "red meat" speech at the DNC -- McCaskill did, but MSNBC didn't cover
Norah O'Donnell asked Mike Barnicle, regarding the Democratic National Convention, "[W]hy not position a senator, like Claire McCaskill, up there for five minutes and let her throw some red meat out to the crowd?" In fact, McCaskill did speak on the first night of the convention and did repeatedly criticize Sen. John McCain and President Bush, but MSNBC didn't air her speech during its live coverage. Read More

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