Media Matters Daily Summary 03-23-11

"All Of Us Will Be Slaves" And Other Health Care Predictions That Haven't Come True
In the year leading up to and following the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the right-wing media engaged in a campaign to spread fear about what could happen if health care reform passed. One year after the health care reform was signed into law, Media Matters looks back at the most egregious attempts by the right-wing media to scare the American public into opposing the legislation. Read More

HYPOCRISY: Beck Freaks Out About People Who Advocate "Collaps[ing] The System"
Glenn Beck has presented audio of a speaker at a conference as evidence of a plot to commit "economic terrorism" by "collaps[ing] the system." However, Beck himself has said that our economic "system" "needs to be taken down, and then we rebuild it back up," and that "this system will never work" and that we should "[l]et it come down and retool." Read More

Forbes Joins Fight Against Money-Saving Light Bulbs
In a column for Forbes magazine, Steve Forbes endorsed Republicans' proposal to repeal light bulb efficiency standards signed into law by President Bush in 2007 and attempted to debunk the fact that compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) save consumers money by using less energy. However, tests have shown that CFLs can save households money even under the least ideal conditions. Read More

Right-Wing Media Push Lunatic Theory That Obama May Attack Israel
As the United States participates in a multilateral effort to establish a no-fly zone over Libya, the conservative media fearmonger that the Obama administration may use the "Gadhafi Precedent" to use military force against Israel. However, Obama has said "[t]he United States is going to be unwavering in its support of Israel's security" and his administration has repeatedly showed support for Israel. Read More

Right-Wing Media Mark Health Care Reform Anniversary By Renewing Attacks
Right-wing media used the anniversary of the passage of the health care reform law to renew their misleading and false attacks on the legislation. Read More

Fox Uses Report Debunking Network's False Attacks On Health Care Law To Attack Legislation
The Urban Institute recently published a report contradicting the claim often pushed by Fox News that the health care reform law will "kill jobs." But Fox's Bill Hemmer nevertheless used the institute's report to attack health care reform and its "effect on jobs." Read More