Monday, July 11, 2011

Media Matters Daily Summary 07-11-11

Right Wing's ATF Attacks Undermined By Their Inability To Keep Basic Facts Straight
Right-wing media are baselessly attacking the Obama administration by falsely conflating Project Gunrunner, a program of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) that was begun under President Bush, and Operation Fast and Furious, a controversial initiative undertaken by Phoenix's Gunrunner group in which agents knowingly allowed guns to be trafficked across the border to Mexico. Read More

Right-Wing Media Figures Pushed Boehner To Abandon Debt Talks
Prominent media conservatives such as Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh have been pressuring House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) not to accept a $4 trillion debt deal that would stave off economic catastrophe by allowing Congress to raise the debt ceiling and prevent the government from defaulting on its obligations. On July 9, these conservatives met success, as Boehner abandoned negotiations aimed at a $4 trillion debt deal. Read More

Fox & Friends Cheerleads GOP Efforts To Repeal Light Bulb Efficiency Standards
Fox & Friends promoted a GOP-backed effort to repeal sections of a 2007 law setting efficiency standards for light bulbs, falsely suggesting that the law bans incandescent bulbs and featuring on-screen screen text that stated: "Don't touch our bulbs!" In fact, the law only restricts the sale of inefficient incandescent light bulbs, not all incandescent bulbs, as Fox & Friends suggested. Read More

Fox Debuts The Five With Litany Of Sexist Stereotypes
Fox News' The Five, launched as a "new weekday program" to fill the time slot previously held by Glenn Beck, debuted with a barrage of sexist stereotypes, including comparing government spending to spendthrift wives, discussing whether Sarah Palin could be elected "based just on her hotness," and asking a female panelist whether she was "looking for a sugar daddy." Read More

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