Media Matters Daily Summary 08-17-09

Conservatives push Reagan's 1961 attacks on "socialized medicine" but ignore that he was criticizing Medicare
On August 14, the Drudge Report, Rush Limbaugh, and O'Reilly Factor guest host Laura Ingraham featured a recording of Ronald Reagan speaking in 1961 against "socialized medicine" for the American Medical Association's Operation Coffee Cup Campaign against Medicare. Neither Drudge, Limbaugh, nor Ingraham, however, noted that Reagan was speaking out against an early version of Medicare, which has become very popular since it was enacted 44 years ago, or that Reagan's dire predictions of curtailments of freedom were never realized. Read More

Wash. Times defends "fact-based" editorials comparing Obama to Nazis
Responding to an August 14 New York Times article, The Washington Times editorial board defended its comparisons of President Obama's policies to Nazi euthanasia programs, claiming "it was fair game to anticipate how his team might seek to implement those proposals." Also, The Washington Times claimed that its editorials were "consistent, fact-based and principled" despite espousing numerous false and misleading claims. Read More

ABC's Stossel will reportedly moderate Americans for Prosperity health care events
ABC's John Stossel will reportedly moderate three "town hall-style" "health care meetings" organized by the Wisconsin chapter of the conservative group Americans for Prosperity and intended to increase "pressure" on the state's Democratic members of Congress on health care reform. Stossel has recently reported on health care issues on ABC's 20/20, which he co-anchors; that report included criticisms of the purported health care reform goals of President Obama and Democratic members of Congress. Read More

Limbaugh falsely claimed he has "not used the word 'death panels,' except in quoting Sarah Palin"
Radio host Rush Limbaugh falsely claimed during the August 17 edition of his program that he has "not used the word 'death panels,' except in quoting Sarah Palin." In fact, during the August 13 edition of his program, Limbaugh -- in his own voice -- referred to end-of-life counseling sessions mentioned in a provision of the House's health care reform legislation as "death panels." Read More

New conspiracy theory: Conservative media baselessly suggest email recipients may be on WH "enemies list"
Conservative media have baselessly suggested that people who reportedly claim to have received unsolicited email from White House adviser David Axelrod may have been added to a White House "enemies list" after emails they sent that were critical of the Obama administration were purportedly forwarded to flag@whitehouse.gov. These media figures have failed to provide any credible evidence in support of this conspiracy theory. Read More