Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Media Matters Daily Summary 08-10-11

Fox's "Legal Analysts" Won't Tell You The Truth About Health Care Reform
On The O'Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly and Fox News legal analysts Lis Wiehl and Kimberly Guilfoyle all agreed that the Supreme Court would strike down the individual mandate provision in the Affordable Care Act. None of these Fox personalities saw fit to mention that the one appellate court to rule on the issue thus far has upheld the constitutionality of the mandate. Read More

Fox Ignores Cease-And-Desist Letter, Smears Van Jones As "Self-Avowed Marxist"
On Fox & Friends, Fox's Peter Johnson Jr. smeared former Obama special adviser Van Jones as a "self-avowed Marxist," despite a June 20 cease-and-desist letter from Jones' lawyer demanding that Fox News stop repeating its "sensational and inflammatory" attacks on Jones, including the false claim that Jones is a "Marxist." Indeed, in the letter, Jones' lawyer notes that he "is not a member of any Communist Party or Marxist organization" and that he is "firmly pro-market." Read More

Right-Wing Media Use UK Riots To Fearmonger And Attack The Left
Right-wing media have used the recent riots in England to fearmonger that similar violence will happen in the United States and to attack the left. Previously, right-wing media -- led by Glenn Beck -- used riots in Greece to similarly fearmonger and attack the left. Read More

Fox Whitewashes Rob Portman's "Interesting Background" As Bush OMB Director
Reporting on the lawmakers selected to negotiate deficit reduction, Fox News' Mike Emanuel touted Sen. Rob Portman's (R-OH) "interesting background," saying that not only does he have legislative experience, but "he's done the budget from the administration side of things." But Portman's "interesting background" was serving as director of the Office of Management and Budget during the Bush administration when federal deficits more than doubled. Read More

Right-Wing Fringe Suggests Obama Admin. Caused Deaths Of SEALs In Afghanistan
Right-wing bloggers and radio host Michael Savage have baselessly suggested that the Obama administration, including the president, took actions that caused the deaths of 30 American troops killed when the Taliban shot down their helicopter in Afghanistan on August 6. Read More

Meet The Washington Examiner, GOP Debate Co-Sponsor
The Washington Examiner is a co-sponsor, along with Fox News, of the August 11 debate for Republican presidential candidates. Owned by a conservative billionaire, it's a prime source of conservative misinformation and extreme claims, and its writers attended a secret gathering last year hosted by the conservative Koch brothers. Read More

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