Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Media Matters Daily Summary 08-11-09

Limbaugh yells "Nazi" (and the press yawns)
The Houston Chronicle editorial page wanted to be absolutely clear: References to Adolf Hitler or Nazis in American politics had no place in the "discourse of the nation," and the crude analogies were "beyond the pale." The practice was "absurd and dangerous." Read More

Beck falsely claimed Obama said he doesn't want health reform protesters to "do a lot of talking"
On his Fox News show, Glenn Beck falsely claimed that President Obama was "reacti[ng] to the health care protests" when he said, "I don't want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking." In fact, Obama was not talking about public protests or even health care reform; he was discussing "folks on the other side of the aisle pointing at the federal budget and somehow trying to put that at our feet." Read More

After Pelosi noted that protesters had swastika signs, media claim she called them Nazis
Following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's comment that protestors are "carrying swastikas and symbols like that to a town meeting on health care," numerous conservatives have misrepresented her comment to claim that she referred to the protestors or opponents of health care reform as "Nazis." Some conservatives have also falsely claimed Pelosi was lying or being misleading when she noted that protestors have had signs with swastika symbols. Read More

Media falsely claim Pelosi and Hoyer called health reform opponents "un-American"
On August 10 and 11, numerous media figures, including Lou Dobbs and Glenn Beck, mischaracterized a USA Today op-ed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer to falsely claim they called health reform opponents "un-American." In fact, in their op-ed, Pelosi and Hoyer wrote that "it is now evident that an ugly campaign is underway not merely to misrepresent the health insurance reform legislation, but to disrupt public meetings and prevent members of Congress and constituents from conducting a civil dialogue" and that "[d]rowning out opposing views is simply un-American." Read More

Fox portrays wealthy Westchester County as victim of HUD bullying
Describing an agreement that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Justice helped broker that would require Westchester County, New York, to spend more than $50 million of its own funds to develop affordable housing, Fox News' Andrew Napolitano commented, "Big brother is here," and he also said that "the government is taking money from you by suppressing the value of your real estate." But Napolitano never mentioned that for years, Westchester County sought and received millions in federal housing aid and that the agreement, if ratified, would settle a lawsuit claiming Westchester misrepresented its fair housing efforts to federal officials. Read More

Conservatives push conspiracy theory that Obama recruiting for "internment camps" for U.S. citizens
Following the military's job listing for the position of "INTERNMENT / RESETTLEMENT SPECIALIST," conservatives have pushed the conspiracy theory that the Obama administration is planning to "round up American citizens" into "internment camps." However, the military under both President Bush and President Obama has regularly referred to "internment" and "resettlement" while discussing "detainees" and "enemy prisoners of war," and one prominent conservative blog has even debunked the theory, referring to the job listing as "completely innocuous." Read More

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