Hannity and Fox News defended Hastert during Foley scandal
Sean Hannity advanced Fox News' witch hunt against Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools director Kevin Jennings by calling for his firing after claiming, despite evidence to the contrary, that Jennings failed to report "statutory rape" in 1988. But following the revelation that then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert had likely been aware of emails between then-Rep Mark Foley (R-FL) and a congressional page, Hannity and other Fox News personalities defended Hastert, with Hannity, for instance, suggesting that Republican leaders were "innocent people" who were being "smeared." Read More
Conservative media unleash anti-gay rhetoric in attacks on Jennings
The latest target in the Glenn Beck-driven conservative media witch hunt for Obama administration "czars" is Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools director Kevin Jennings. In their attacks on Jennings, numerous conservative media figures have resorted to thinly veiled homophobic appeals to paint Jennings, who is gay, as a "radical" "gay activist" with an "agenda" of "promoting homosexuality in schools," and have misrepresented or distorted Jennings' previous comments about religion and tolerance. Read More
Mike Allen runs with Fox News' smear, suggests Jennings broke the law
Appearing on Morning Joe, the Politico's Mike Allen advanced the right-wing attack that Department of Education official Kevin Jennings neglected his obligation to report a 1988 conversation in which a high school sophomore disclosed to Jennings his "involvement" with an older man. However, Allen did not note that Jennings' attorney wrote in a 2004 letter that the student was 16 years old, which is -- and was at the time -- the legal age of consent in Massachusetts, and that Jennings would only be required to report the conversation if he had reason to believe the student was a victim of abuse. Read More
Limbaugh baselessly accused Jennings of encouraging sexual relationship between student, adult
Rush Limbaugh baselessly accused Department of Education official Kevin Jennings of having "encouraged" and "facilitated" a sexual relationship between a male high school student and an older man. In fact, there is no evidence that Jennings either "encouraged" or "facilitated" the relationship; indeed, Jennings has stated simply that he "listened, sympathized, and offered advice" to the student who was struggling with his sexuality. Read More
Fox News' Hemmer latest to advance made-up charge that Jennings knew of "statutory rape" case and "never reported it"
Fox News' Bill Hemmer continued his network's attacks on Department of Education official Kevin Jennings by claiming that Jennings knew of a "statutory rape" case involving a student but "never reported it." However, Hemmer ignored that Jennings' attorney wrote in a 2004 letter that the student was 16 years old, which Jennings' book appears to support, and that 16 is -- and was at the time -- the legal age of consent in Massachusetts. Read More
At it again: George Will claims evidence of warming is "elusive"
In his Washington Post column, George Will claimed that "evidence" of climate change is "elusive" and that scientists are overstating the threat of warming when they say -- in the words of a September 21 New York Times article Will criticizes -- that a recent "plateau" in temperatures has "no bearing" on the long-term warming trend; in fact, scientists routinely present strong evidence of long-term warming and its consequences -- including a September 2009 United Nations report Will himself cited that says "rapid environmental change is underway with the pace and the scale of climate change accelerating." Will has previously been criticized by the World Meteorological Organization, his own Post colleagues, and others for misusing scientific data to claim that warming may not be occurring. Read More
Right-wing caricatures of Jennings undercut by broad support he has received
Many in the conservative media are engaging in an all-out attack on Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools director Kevin Jennings, unleashing anti-gay rhetoric, grossly distorting a discussion Jennings recounted having with a teenager, and, in some cases, even pushing for him to be fired or to resign. But these right-wing caricatures of Jennings are undercut by the fact that education and other officials have spoken highly of Jennings, who has received numerous awards and was a one-time appointee of Republican Massachusetts Gov. William Weld. Read More
Conservative media figures demanding ACORN investigation opposed, downplayed investigations of Bush scandals
Conservative media figures including Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, and Newt Gingrich have called for an investigation of ACORN's activities and its supposed link to President Obama and Democrats, often while spreading misinformation about ACORN. However, these same media figures opposed or downplayed investigations into scandals involving the Bush administration, including the controversial firing of nine U.S. attorneys in 2006, the outing of the identity of Valerie Plame, and alleged torture and prisoner abuse by U.S. officials. Read More
A chance for big media to show their worth
If any big news organizations are looking for a way to prove their worth in the face of mounting public skepticism, I have a story for them. And it doesn't even require wading into boring policy details reporters hate so much. It's all about what's really important -- you know, process, and politics. Read More
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