As he ended his PoliticsNation show on Wednesday, January 8, MSNBC's Al Sharpton praised Attorney General Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan for issuing guidelines pushing for schools to reduce "harsh punishment" of students, which the MSNBC host labeled a "national problem," and griped about black students disproportionately receiving discipline. Although Sharpton focused on the portion of the guidelines that call for the police to be called less often, the guidelines also call for fewer suspensions and expulsions. Sharpton plugged the segment: "Too many kids in America are being sent to court instead of being sent to class. Today... continue reading
After months of stonewalling the Justice Department finally named someone to head the investigation into the IRS-Tea Party scandal - and it's an Obama donor. So far ABC, CBS and NBC have yet to mention what Darrell Issa called “a startling conflict of interest.” In fact the Big Three networks have almost completely stopped covering the IRS scandal investigation altogether. Since July 1, ABC, CBS and NBC have devoted a total of just 2 minutes and 8 seconds to the IRS imbroglio. On Wednesday the Washington Times’s Stephen Dinan reported that House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa... continue reading
In less than 24 hours, the three networks have devoted 17 times more coverage to a traffic scandal involving Chris Christie than they've allowed in the last six months to Barack Obama's Internal Revenue Service controversy. Since the story broke on Wednesday that aides to the New Jersey governor punished a local mayor's lack of endorsement with a massive traffic jam, ABC, CBS and NBC have responded with 34 minutes and 28 seconds of coverage. Since July 1, these same networks managed a scant two minutes and eight seconds for the IRS targeting of Tea Party groups. In contrast, journalists... continue reading
ABC, CBS, and NBC ballyhooed former Defense Secretary Robert Gates's attacks on President Obama and other high government officials on their Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning newscasts. NBC's Brian Williams and CBS's Norah O'Donnell also trumpeted the former Cabinet official's " devastating critique " of the President in his upcoming memoir. All three networks also played up Gates's self-identification as a Republican. NBC's Today and CBS This Morning brought on former Obama administration officials on Wednesday morning. Both guests did their best to counter their former colleague. Matt Lauer touted David Axelrod's " important perspective " on the issue, and... continue reading
On Tuesday's PoliticsNation on MSNBC, during a discussion of Republican congressional members who have spoken of the possibility of impeaching President Obama, Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank labeled such talk "tribal politics" and compared it to a "revenge killing" against the President because he won the election. After host Al Sharpton played clips of several Republican members of Congress from a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Milbank dismissed the likelihood of impeachment and then added: But I think what this represents is not a serious effort to remove the President. But it's a certain frustration, and they said as much in... continue reading
A Utah-based gun manufacturer turned down a $15 million contract with Pakistan in the name of keeping weapons from falling into the hands of America's enemies. ABC, CBS and NBC, networks that routinely demonize the firearms industry and promote gun control, ignored this positive story. Only Fox News highlighted Desert Tech's decision to put the troops before profit. Fox and Friends co-anchor Brian Kilmeade on Tuesday explained, " Fifteen million is a lot of money. But for this Utah gun manufacturing company, it represents more than a year of solid business." [ MP3 audio here .] He added, "So, you... continue reading
At the top of Wednesday's NBC Today , co-host Matt Lauer portrayed former Defense Secretary Robert Gates as an ungrateful and disgruntled ex-employee: "Blindsided. President Obama's former Defense Secretary Robert Gates takes on his old boss – the man who awarded him the Medal of Freedom – in a blistering new memoir. This morning, what may have made him turn?" [ Listen to the audio ] In the report that followed later, correspondent Andrea Mitchell fretted: "President Obama's decision to keep George Bush's defense secretary, a Republican, has now blown back on the White House." Like Lauer, she made sure... continue reading
CNN's Chris Cuomo pounded Republicans on Tuesday's New Day for demanding offsetting spending cuts in exchange for extending jobless benefits. "Are they holding these people hostage? I mean, shouldn't these be extended and then have a legitimate jobs policy discussion?" Cuomo asked in disbelief of Republicans holding out for a deal on jobless benefits. Cuomo is the brother of New York's Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, and once again sounded like a Democratic strategist going after Republicans. [Video below the break. Audio here .] He arrogantly insisted that the benefits be immediately extended without offsetting cuts: "Fair criticism that these needy... continue reading
In a fawning report on Tuesday's NBC Today , national investigative correspondent Michael Isikoff touted the exploits of two left-wing activists who stole a thousand FBI documents in 1971 and just confessed to the crime: "In an exclusive NBC News interview, the burglars, anti-Vietnam War activists, admit they committed the crime to expose what they believed were illegal activities by the FBI." [ Listen to the audio ] Isikoff dramatically described the heist: "Bonnie Raines cased the office posing as a college student, leaving no fingerprints....Her husband, John Raines, a retired religion professor, drove the getaway car." He then proclaimed:... continue reading
Ben Tracy boosted former Minnesota Vikings player Chris Kluwe on Tuesday's CBS This Morning for his activism in favor of same-sex "marriage." Tracy hyped that " Kluwe was one of the best punters the Minnesota Vikings ever had ", and that despite being let go from the football team, " Kluwe continues his advocacy, wearing an anti-bigotry hat ." The correspondent slanted towards Kluwe by featuring soundbites from the athlete-turned-activist exclusively, and did little to question his allegation that his former coaches are anti-homosexual "bigots." However, Tracy also hinted that Kluwe could have done more for his left-wing cause by... continue reading