Despite Barack Obama's self-congratulatory claim in 2013 that he is running the "most transparent administration in history," several watchdog groups this week have hit the President for restricting information. Yet, so far, the networks have skipped the bad news. The Associated Press on Sunday reported, "The Obama administration more often than ever censored government files or outright denied access to them last year under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act..." The Washington Post on Tuesday reported, "A separate report this week from the National Security Archives found that 54 percent of all agencies have ignored directives that Obama and Attorney... continue reading
Following the release of new ObamaCare enrollment numbers on Monday showing five million sign-ups – still two million short of the original seven million goal set by the administration – fill-in CBS This Morning co-host Anthony Mason spun the news as positive: "This morning, the White House is closer to a crucial goal ahead of a key deadline for the health care law." [ Listen to the audio ] The headline on screen announced: "ObamaCare Milestone ; Five Million Enrolled Ahead of March 31 Deadline." Mason continued: "As of yesterday, 5 million people are now enrolled for either state or... continue reading
ABC News completely ignored the Monday death of heiress Rachel "Bunny" Mellon, who used her wealth to help conceal the mistress of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards. CBS and NBC both noted the passing of the 103-year-old and her connection to Edwards, but failed identify Edwards as a Democrat. [ Listen to the audio ] On Tuesday's CBS This Morning , co-host Norah O'Donnell touted how Mellon "was a horticulturist who redesigned the White House Rose Garden at Jackie Kennedy's invitation." However, when it came to her involvement with Edwards, O'Donnell only vaguely mentioned: "In later years, she gave... continue reading
As of Monday evening, ABC, CBS, and NBC's morning and evening newscasts have yet to cover North Korea's firing of 25 short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan on Sunday. NBCNews.com did post an unsigned article from Reuters on Sunday about how the "missiles flew for 45 miles before splashing into the sea," and ABC News' website went with AP's write-up on the development, but neither outlet devoted any air time to the story. By contrast, CNN's New Day on Monday devoted a 20-second news brief to the Obama administration's reaction to this latest instance of North Korean sabre-rattling: [... continue reading
The United States government announced on Friday that it would give up control of the Internet to a global organization. Fox News extensively covered this development, but the network morning and evening shows ignored the monumental decision. Former Republican Governor Mike Huckabee appeared on Saturday's Fox and Friends to blast the decision, arguing, "I'm an old fashioned guy that believes in American sovereignty. I think that we don't give up anything in this country. We hang on to what we have. We are a sovereign country." [MP3 audio here .] The Wall Street Journal on Saturday reported: The U.S. government... continue reading
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney is married to ABC News Washington correspondent Claire Shipman and now there’s another cozy media-Democratic political world power couple with the marriage, in Arizona over the weekend, of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie to Clinton-Gore political operative Michael Feldman, founder of a Democratic PR/lobbying firm. Guthrie was a White House correspondent for NBC News, covering President Obama, and co-host of MSNBC’s Daily Rundown, until heading north to New York City in 2011 to take a role on the Today show where she’s been co-hosting with Matt Lauer since mid-2012. Feldman “is a Founding Partner... continue reading
On Sunday's NBC Meet the Press , moderator David Gregory touted the United Nations slamming the "human rights record" of the U.S. as it condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine: "You know, when we deal with Vladimir Putin, this issue of hypocrisy comes up....The United Nations pointedly criticized the U.S.'s human rights record over drone strikes, NSA surveillance, the death penalty." [ Listen to the audio ] Turning to Democratic Illinois Senator Dick Durbin and Republican Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, Gregory worried: "Does it make it hard to deal with the likes of Putin and Lavrov when you've got the U.N... continue reading
St. Patrick’s Day may be a time of revelry and fun, but that didn’t stop ABC and NBC from hitting New York’s parade as anti-gay. Today co-host Natalie Morales on Monday lectured, “And today is St. Patrick's Day, of course, but some controversy hanging over some of the country's biggest celebrations.” [MP3 audio here .] Morales added, “New York's mayor Bill de Blasio isn't marching in today's parade because it does not allow gays and lesbians to openly take part.” Over on ABC’s Good Morning America , news reader Josh Elliott remarked, “And New York's St. Patrick's Day parade, the... continue reading
Comedian Bill Maher is no stranger to making outrageous and offensive comments, usually directed at conservatives. His weekly HBO program Real Time with Bill Maher is an opportunity for the devout atheist and liberal to spew his anti-conservative hate, yet when a major television network profiles his comedy routine, his controversial style is ignored. NBC’s Harry Smith sat down with Maher for an interview, which aired during the March 16th Meet the Press and the NBC reporter treated the comedian to a friendly puff interview without ever bringing up his tasteless comedy routine. Moderator David Gregory hyped the interview and... continue reading
On Friday's Hardball , Chris Matthews continued his tirade targeted at Democrats from the previous day, in the wake of the party's loss in the special election in Florida on Tuesday. The MSNBC host bemoaned how supposedly, "Republicans say, we've got to cut entitlements....And yet, they don't pay a price for it politically. I'm determined that they pay a price for their words ." Matthews added that " Democrats better be focusing on what Republicans are promising to do – on issues like choice; on issues like voter suppression – or they're going to get their asses handed to them... continue reading