Media Matters Daily Summary 06-09-09

Media don't ask if Gingrich considered Reagan comment "intellectual nonsense"
CNN's Candy Crowley and CQ Politics' Jonathan Allen reported Newt Gingrich's claim that "I am not a citizen of the world. I think the entire concept is intellectual nonsense and stunningly dangerous," saying the line was a jab at President Obama. Neither reported however that President Reagan made similar remarks. Read More

O'Reilly and Fox News will have more right-wing vigilantism to explain
If Fox News is going to continue to traffic in hateful rhetoric, then folks at Fox News, as well as their apologists in the GOP Noise Machine, are going to have to come up with better talking points to spin away the atmosphere of vigilantism fomented by their words and actions. Read More

WSJ column's falsehood: Bush admin did not make claims about jobs "saved or created"
Criticizing the Obama administration, a Wall Street Journal column included the false claim that the Bush administration never touted its initiatives in terms of how many jobs would be "saved or created." In fact, Bush's Agriculture Department did so repeatedly. Read More

LA Times ignores Obama adviser's explanation for initial unemployment projection
The LA Times reported that Obama advisers had predicted "that with the stimulus spending, the U.S. unemployment rate this year would not exceed 8%. It now stands at 9.4%." But the Times did not note an adviser's explanation for the initial projection. Read More

WSJ publishes op-ed falsely equating "ObamaCare" with Canadian "single-payer" system
A Wall Street Journal op-ed by David Gratzer falsely equated "a new public insurance program" supported by "Congressional Democrats" to the Canadian "single-payer" system. In fact, President Obama has explicitly rejected a Canadian-style system and supports a "public plan" option alongside private insurance plans. Read More

Wash. Times fabricates stimulus contradiction between Obama advisers
The Washington Times falsely asserted in an editorial that two of President Obama's top economic advisers contradicted each other about when the economy would begin to improve. Read More

Fox's Angle reports criticism of public plan, but not defense
In a report about Republicans' opposition to the inclusion of a public option plan in the health care reform bill, Jim Angle reported only GOP criticism of the public plan without noting supporters' responses to those arguments. Read More

Media figures ignore facts to claim unemployment rate proves stimulus is "failing"
Numerous media figures have advanced the attack that because the current unemployment rate is higher than initial administration predictions, in the words of Newt Gingrich, Obama's "policies are failing." But supporters of a stimulus bill had warned before it was passed that it would not result in an immediate decrease in unemployment.
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