Conservative media now claim Obama's plans to indoctrinate children were "thwarted"
Responding to President Obama's September 8 back-to-school address, the text of which was posted online on September 7, several conservative media figures have echoed Florida Republican Party chairman Jim Greer's assertion that Obama altered his speech after "the White House got their hand in the cookie jar caught." Numerous media conservatives, as well as Greer, had previously made the baseless charge that Obama would use the speech to push an ideological agenda or indoctrinate children. Read More
NPR lets Texas education official throw stones at Obama, doesn't mention her glass house
On NPR's All Things Considered, host Noah Adams, introducing a report on President Obama's September 8 speech to schoolchildren, stated that "some parents and conservatives ... called it a political intrusion into the school day." But NPR did not note that one of the conservatives quoted in the report, Texas State Board of Education member Barbara Cargill, has repeatedly engaged in political intrusions into the Texas school system, seeking -- sometimes successfully -- to change Texas schools' curriculum to fit her conservative ideology. Read More
Hannity falsely claims science adviser Holdren "advocated compulsory abortion"
On his Fox News show, Sean Hannity forwarded the false conservative talking point -- which PolitiFact.com gave "Pants on Fire" status -- that White House science and technology adviser John Holdren "advocated compulsory abortion" and "spoke out in defense of compulsory abortion and sterilization." In fact, Holdren never "advocated" for any kind of involuntary birth control; he co-authored an environmental sciences book more than 30 years ago that discusses "compulsory control of family size" including abortion and sterilization as a possible consequence for countries whose expanding birth rates are not curbed by "milder methods." Read More
Echoing Fox, Buchanan inflates town hall opposition
On Hardball, Pat Buchanan falsely claimed that health care reform is going to fail because "2,500 people show up in the middle of August in Reston, Virginia, a laid-back community, to shout at the former chairman of the Democratic Party." In fact, the crowd of 2,500 people who attended Rep. Jim Moran's town hall in Reston, Virginia, featuring Howard Dean was reportedly "dominated by reform proponents." Read More
By allowing Palin to revive "death panels" smear, WSJ continues to inject "death" falsehoods into debate
During the health care debate, The Wall Street Journal's op-ed pages have provided a forum for serial misinformers Betsy McCaughey, Jim Towey, and Sarah Palin to spread false claims of mandatory end-of-life counseling, a "Death Book for Veterans," and "death panels," respectively. Most recently, the Journal published an op-ed by Palin, in which she backtracked from her initial claim that a provision in a House reform bill would create death panels, but maintained that reform opponents are justifiably concerned that "Democrats' proposals will ultimately lead" to death panels. Read More
Media ignore evidence Boustany endorsed "birther" questions in reporting his role rebutting Obama on health care
The Associated Press, The Boston Globe, CNN's Wolf Blitzer, and Fox News' Major Garrett ignored Rep. Charles Boustany's (R-LA) past comments regarding whether President Obama was born in the United States in reporting on the GOP's decision to have Boustany deliver the party's response to Obama's health care reform address. In fact, in a video for which videographer Mike Stark says he asked congressional Republicans whether they believed Obama was born in this country, Stark is shown asking, "Do you think there's a question here?" to which Boustany responded, "I think there are questions, we'll have to see." Read More
Fox News on a witch hunt for Obama "czars"
On September 8, Fox News host Megyn Kelly stated that "more of President Obama's special advisers are now under scrutiny after the resignation of his green jobs czar," Van Jones and described "criticisms" being lodged against Obama science and technology adviser John Holdren and Obama nominee Cass Sunstein. In fact, Fox News personalities have been leading the charge against Jones, Holdren, Sunstein, and other Obama administration officials and nominees they have described as "czars" -- often by unearthing and criticizing statements the officials had made in the past rather than critiquing their job performance or credentials for those positions -- with Sean Hannity, for example, declaring that "my job starting tomorrow night is to get rid of every other ['czar']." Read More
Glenn Beck's "deep-seated hatred" of Obama and Fox News' waiting game
If Bill O'Reilly has the "no-spin zone," Glenn Beck seems to have the "sponsor-free zone" of late. In fact, at least 62 companies have ceased advertising on his Fox News program in recent weeks. Read More
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