Thursday, March 24, 2011

Media Matters Daily Summary 03-24-11

Zombie Lie: Right-Wing Media Revive "The 'Wall'" To Smear Gorelick As "Tied To 9-11"
Right-wing media have repeated the discredited claim that former Justice Department official Jamie Gorelick created a "wall" that blocked sharing of information between intelligence and law enforcement officials and used it to smear her as being "tied to 9-11." In fact, Gorelick did not create the "wall"; it existed before her Justice Department tenure. Read More

Right-Wing Media Misconstrue Rep. Weiner's Comments On NYC Health Care Waiver
The right-wing media reacted to news that Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) may be considering suggesting that New York City request a waiver from the health care reform law in order to create "a better plan" for New York City's Medicaid program by claiming he was "lying about [health care reform] from the very beginning." But Weiner's comments make clear that he considers the ability to grant waivers a sign of the law's "flexibility" and was citing this to refute the "notion that the government is shoving the bill down people's throats." Read More

Fox Hypes Trump's Birtherism
Fox News is promoting Donald Trump's recent call for President Obama to "show his birth certificate." Several Fox News hosts have hyped Trump's comments without noting that Obama released his certificate of live birth from the state of Hawaii when he was a candidate in 2008. Read More

"Birther Idiot" From "The Fringe Elements" At Glenn Beck's The Blaze
Glenn Beck's website The Blaze is promoting Donald Trump's demand that Obama show his birth certificate, arguing that Trump's "logic is hard to argue with." Beck himself has repeatedly criticized the birther movement, calling birthers "idiot[s]" and "the fringe elements." Read More

WND Spots Another Bogus Example Of "Sexual Indoctrination" By LGBT Activists
In a WorldNetDaily piece, Bob Unruh advanced the argument that California legislation aimed at having the history of the LGBT movement taught more extensively in social studies classes is "the worst school sexual indoctrination ever" and "sexual brainwashing." In fact, the bill instructs educators to teach about the "role and contribution of ... lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans." Read More

Fox News Resurrects Petrobras Conspiracy Theory
Fox News has revived the false conspiracy theory that President Obama arranged for an Export-Import Bank loan to a Brazilian oil company in order to enrich George Soros at the expense of the United States. In fact, the loan in question was approved by a Bush-appointed bank board and will go toward the purchase of U.S. goods and services. Read More

Hoft Advances Proposal That Congress Defund American Lung Association
Advancing a proposal that Congress defund the American Lung Association (ALA), Jim Hoft is claiming that the Environmental Protection Agency is paying the ALA to attack Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI). In fact, the money given by the EPA to the ALA cannot legally be used for lobbying purposes, and that money represents a small fraction of the total revenue the organization receives. Read More

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