Media Matters Daily Summary 05-17-10

Quick Fact: Fox's Bream mischaracterizes AZ immigration law
Fox News' Shannon Bream stated that the Arizona immigration law "requires police responding to potential crimes to ask for proof of citizenship if there is a reasonable suspicion that the person is in the country illegally." In fact, the law also directs police to check the immigration status of those stopped for non-crimes, including violations of city and county ordinances and civil traffic violations, if the officer suspects those individuals are undocumented. Read More

Fox's Peter Johnson, Jr. still pushing smears about CMS nominee Berwick
Fox's Peter Johnson, Jr. continued to push smears of Donald Berwick, Obama's nominee to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, by distorting Berwick's comments on redistribution, the British NHS and rationing after they had been shown to be innocuous. Read More

The conservative media's religious test
Conservative media have invoked Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan's Judaism in order to suggest that she may be a radical or that the court would not represent mainstream America if she is confirmed. Read More

CBS' Schieffer pushes right-wing falsehood that Kagan "would not allow military recruiters on campus"
CBS host Bob Schieffer falsely claimed that Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan would not allow military recruiters on campus when she was the dean of Harvard Law School. In fact, Harvard students had access to military recruiters during Kagan's entire tenure as dean, and Harvard's data show that her actions did not hurt military recruitment. Read More

WND's Klein invents controversy over Kagan's past support for women's issues group
WorldNetDaily's Aaron Klein suggested that Elena Kagan is controversial because she has donated to the National Partnership for Women & Families (National Partnership), an organization that, among other things, supports abortion rights. However, conservatives have previously said that personal and political views should not determine whether a justice is fit to serve on the Supreme Court. Read More

UPDATED: Myths and falsehoods about Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination
Media Matters for America has compiled an updated list of 29 myths and falsehoods about Solicitor General Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination. Read More

Kelly baselessly claims that Kagan "hampered the [military] recruiting effort" at Harvard
Megyn Kelly falsely claimed that as dean of Harvard Law School, Elena Kagan "bann[ed] the military from the campus" and baselessly asserted that Kagan "hampered the [military] recruiting effort" at Harvard. In fact, Harvard's data show that Kagan's actions did not hurt military recruitment, and Harvard students had access to military recruiters during her entire tenure as dean. Read More

Beck pushes false claims about Sunstein, OIRA
Glenn Beck falsely accused Cass Sunstein, head of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, of "saying that every website needs to include links to an opposing view" and falsely asserted that Sunstein wants to "tax speech, stop speech" and "[d]iscredit speech, even speech that ends up being true." Beck also falsely suggested that Sunstein's position in OIRA represents a "new role" created by President Obama. Read More

Wash. Examiner falsely suggested Kagan wanted to "ban pamphlets" by individuals
The Washington Examiner falsely suggested that Elena Kagan wanted to "ban pamphlets" written by individuals. In fact, Kagan argued that government could prohibit corporations and unions -- not individuals -- from spending general funds on pamphlets to directly support or oppose political candidates. Read More