Media Matters Daily Summary 09-15-11

Right-Wing Media Misuse Poverty Report To Claim Obama's Policies Have Failed
Conservative media have baselessly claimed that President Obama's policies are to blame for a new Census Report finding an increase in poverty in the United States. In fact, the Census Bureau itself states that unemployment benefits -- extended under the Obama administration -- helped limit the number of people in poverty, and experts concur that without "extend[ed] unemployment compensation, stimulus spending and Obama's health reforms," the poverty levels would have been worse. Read More

In The Face Of Historically Low Taxes, O'Reilly Claims Taxation Is "Strangling The U.S. Economy"
Fox host Bill O'Reilly claimed that "rampant taxation" is "strangling the U.S. economy." But the total U.S. tax burden is "at [the] lowest level since [19]58," and the economy and employment grew at high levels under the Clinton administration, when federal income taxes were higher. Read More