Monday, September 29, 2008

Media Matters Daily Summary 09-29-08

Toobin on Borger's claim that "the bar is ... on the floor" for Palin in VP debate: "[W]ho are we to say where the bar is?"
On CNN's Late Edition, Gloria Borger claimed that "the bar is ... on the floor for Sarah Palin" in her upcoming debate with Sen. Joe Biden. Jeffrey Toobin replied, in part: "[W]ho are we to say where the bar is?" He later said that "we sort of create these expectations" that "it's not our job to do." Read More

Scarborough falsely asserted that Obama "wants" "higher taxes"
On Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough falsely asserted that Sen. Barack Obama "wants" "higher taxes." In fact, the Tax Policy Center concluded that, compared to Sen. John McCain, "Obama would give larger tax cuts to low- and moderate-income households and pay some of the cost by raising taxes on high-income taxpayers" -- those households earning more than $250,000 per year. Read More

MSNBC's Brewer cropped Bill Clinton interview omitting remarks praising Obama
On MSNBC Live, Contessa Brewer asserted that President Clinton "seemed to give" Sen. Barack Obama "a half-hearted endorsement" during an interview broadcast on NBC's Meet the Press. She then aired a heavily cropped version of Clinton's remarks, falsely suggesting that Clinton had not said he "admires" Obama and omitting his statement that Obama's "greatness will ... become apparent" when he is elected. Read More

Savage on "liberal social activism": "They imposed affirmative action on me and stole my very birthright simply because I was white"
On his radio show, Michael Savage said, "I grew up with parents who went through the Depression. And I went through a sort of depression in my own life as a result of liberal social activism. They imposed affirmative action on me and stole my very birthright simply because I was white." Read More

Fox's Carlson aired heavily cropped version of Clinton's comments on Meet the Press, then claimed it "was a major diss against Barack Obama"
Fox & Friends aired a heavily cropped version of former President Bill Clinton's comments broadcast on the previous day's Meet the Press in which Clinton was asked if Sen. Barack Obama is a "great man." Co-host Gretchen Carlson asserted that the cropped comments were evidence of "a major diss against Barack Obama by Bill Clinton." But Carlson omitted Clinton's assertion in the same interview that he "certainly admire[s] him" and that Obama's "greatness will ... become apparent" when he is elected president. Read More

Echoing Brewer, MSNBC's Mitchell aired cropped Bill Clinton interview, claimed it was "hardly an endorsement" of Obama
On MSNBC Live, Andrea Mitchell followed Contessa Brewer in airing a heavily cropped version of former President Bill Clinton's remarks on Meet the Press in which Clinton seemingly declined to respond in the affirmative when asked by Meet the Press host Tom Brokaw if he would say he "admire[s]" Sen. Barack Obama and "think[s] he's a ... great man." Mitchell called Clinton's comments "hardly an endorsement" of Obama and "not as effusive as you would expect." But Mitchell did not air or otherwise note Clinton's statements moments later that he "certainly admire[s]" Obama and that Obama's "greatness will ... become apparent" when he is elected president. Read More

No comments: