Media Matters Daily Summary 01-24-11

UPDATED REPORT: Fox News' $55 Million Presidential Donation
Last year, five potential Republican presidential candidates (Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, John Bolton, and Rick Santorum) who also serve as Fox News contributors or hosts appeared on the network for more than 85 hours. Media Matters for America estimates this time to be worth approximately $54.7 million in free advertising. Read More

Varney Falsely Blames State Budgetary Woes On Pensions
On Fox News' America Live, Fox Business host Stuart Varney falsely claimed that pensions are the "biggest reason" states are facing budget shortfalls and that pensions "are one of the biggest expenses [states] have." In fact, short-term budgetary challenges facing states are the result of the financial crisis, not pensions, and current pension obligations account for just 3.8 percent of the average state's yearly expenditures. Read More

WSJ Falsely Suggests GOP Abortion Bill Is Consistent With Current Law
Kimberly Strassel of the Wall Street Journal claimed that because President Obama said the health reform law will respect previously-existing restrictions on federal funding for abortion, he should support Republicans' "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act." In fact, the health care law is consistent with existing restrictions on federal funding for abortion, and the GOP bill goes far beyond those restrictions. Read More

"Thank God For Paul Ryan": The Glenn Beck-Approved State Of The Union Response
Glenn Beck has repeatedly expressed his adoration of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), whom the Republican Party has selected to deliver its response to the State of the Union. Beck has called him "one of the good guys" and told him, "I love you," as Ryan detailed his efforts to "indict the entire vision of progressivism." Read More

Right-Wing Media Invent Controversy Over Pianist's Performance At State Dinner
Right-wing media have seized on the performance of a Chinese song by pianist Lang Lang at a recent state dinner as an "anti-American" slight against the U.S. In reality, Lang said he picked the song "for no other reason but for the beauty of its melody," and one expert on Chinese culture called it "nutty" to suggest that Lang's performance was somehow "anti-American." Read More