Monday, April 19, 2010

Media Matters Daily Summary 04-19-10

Fox News falsely claimed Clinton compared tea partiers to domestic terrorists
On Fox & Friends, host Steve Doocy and Fox News contributor Dana Perino falsely claimed that President Clinton compared the entire tea party movement to the domestic terrorists who carried out the Oklahoma City bombing. In fact, Clinton said protests are "part of the lifeblood of liberty," adding that "most" tea partiers are "well within bounds" in their criticism, and he specifically limited his criticism to secessionists and militia groups. Read More

Right-wing media continue to distort Obama's comments on remaining "a dominant military superpower"
Right-wing media figures, led by Sarah Palin, have continued to distort President Obama's comments that "whether we like it or not," the United States "remain[s] a dominant military superpower," in order to suggest that Obama is opposed to the U.S. holding this position. Read More

Dubious Doocy: Poll found "majority" of tea partiers are Dems or independents
Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy claimed that a "majority" of tea-party supporters in a recent poll identified themselves as Democrats or independents. Although Doocy did not specify which poll he was discussing, recent polling by the Winston Group found that 57 percent of tea-party supporters identified themselves as Republicans. Read More

FoxPAC: Gingrich attacks cap and trade on Fox while his political committee takes fossil fuel money
In the first quarter of 2010, Newt Gingrich's political committee received $350,000 in donations from a major coal producing company and a major oil and gas drilling company. During the same period, Gingrich repeatedly used his Fox News platform to attack Democratic proposals to implement a cap-and trade system or otherwise price carbon without disclosing those donations.
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Fund completely wrong about "$50 billion fund for future bailouts"
John Fund falsely claimed that financial regulatory reform "sets up a $50 billion fund for future bailouts." In fact, a provision currently in the legislation would create a $50 billion fund paid for by the financial services industry to provide for the orderly liquidation of failing firms and would in no way bail them out. Read More

Gibbs highlights false distinction between Fox's opinion and news programs
Appearing on CNN's Reliable Sources, White House press Secretary Robert Gibbs noted that Fox News' "political slant" is apparent in both Fox's news programs and opinions shows and pointed to Fox News' airing footage of a mushroom cloud from a nuclear test and asking if the new START treaty will "leave the U.S. defenseless until it's too late." Indeed, Fox's "news" programs echo the smears, distortions, and attacks pushed by Fox's opinion shows. Read More

Right-wing conspiracy theory: Obama admin. colluded with SEC on Goldman charges to gain support for financial reform
After the Security and Exchange Commission accused Goldman Sachs of fraud, numerous right-wing media figures have accused the Obama administration of attempting "to destroy Goldman Sachs" in order to "shift public opinion" in favor of financial reform. Simultaneously, conservative media have also falsely claimed that the financial reform legislation creates a "permanent bailout fund," which is "the payoff" Wall Street "has been waiting for." Read More

QUICK FACT: Yes, Hannity, Bush did play golf during war
On his radio show, Sean Hannity again falsely claimed that President Bush did not play golf after the war started. In fact, Bush did play golf during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and later took up biking instead of golf. Read More

Breitbart again falsely suggests WH directed alleged violence at health care town halls
On Fox News' Glenn Beck, Andrew Breitbart falsely claimed that a White House official told "organized labor" that "if they punch you, punch back twice as hard." In fact, the official was reportedly speaking to Senate Democrats -- not to any union groups -- and there is no evidence it was anything other than a metaphorical explanation of how the White House planned to respond politically to attacks against Senate Democrats.
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