Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Media Matters Daily Summary 08-03-10

A "great debate"? Fox & Friends hosts trio of Republican AGs to bash health care bill
On Fox & Friends, Steve Doocy continued the Fox tradition of giving Republican guests softball interviews by hosting three Republican attorneys general who are filing lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the health care reform law. Doocy failed to note that legal experts have said that the health care reform bill is constitutional. Read More

Quick Fact: Varney again falsely claims that cutting taxes increases revenue
Fox News' Stuart Varney again falsely claimed that, "historically," tax cuts "actually bring in more money to the Treasury." In fact, virtually no economist believes the evidence supports the claim that tax cuts result in increased federal revenues. Read More

AP distorts Bernanke to attack Small Business Jobs Act
The Associated Press suggested that the Obama administration's proposal to provide capital to community banks is flawed, claiming that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke "questioned whether the problem" for community banks "is lack of capital, or ... creditworthy borrowers." But as a recent speech from Bernanke makes clear, Bernanke called that a "difficult-to-answer question" but said the government must "ensure that creditworthy borrowers have access to needed loans." Read More

Right-wing media hammer teachers, teachers unions
Media conservatives have a history of criticizing of teachers, teachers unions, and public schools. Among their attacks are bizarre assertions that many teachers harbor Napoleon complexes or "peculiar attractions" to children, and claims that teachers unions are "communist" or the "single most dangerous entity ... in this country." Read More

Limbaugh falsely suggests unemployment has exceeded nine percent for "two consecutive years"
Rush Limbaugh claimed the country hasn't "had nine percent unemployment for two years consecutively since the 1930s," falsely suggesting that this is currently the case. In fact, the unemployment rate has exceeded nine percent for 14 months, a period which was exceeded in the 1980s under President Reagan. Read More

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