BiasAlerts

Lost in the midst of CNN's debt ceiling coverage was its own list of ObamaCare's shortcomings. Investigative correspondent Drew Griffin authored a report on "ObamaCare woes" that aired only three times on Monday and Tuesday. Griffin reported trouble with ObamaCare's website, cited a March GAO report on missed deadlines for the system's construction, and quoted a consultant who said that insurance executives had waved red flags that the "whole system is not ready for primetime." [Video below. Audio here .] Yet even though ObamaCare's exchanges are the third week of their rollout, and the law the centerpiece of the shutdown... continue reading

As the government shutdown neared its end, ABC's Jon Karl put the blame totally on House Republicans and allowed Barack Obama to escape responsibility. According to Karl on Tuesday night's World News , "... After bringing the economy to the brink, the Republicans, the conservatives who drove this, will have nothing to show for it." [MP3 audio here .] On Wednesday's Good Morning America , Karl upped the hyperbole, warning of the "dangerous brinkmanship" that could lead to "economic collapse." Shifting into opinion mode, Karl lectured, "As this showdown moves towards end game, House Republicans are the clear losers. They... continue reading

Eager to declare Republican defeat in the budget showdown on Wednesday's NBC Today , White House correspondent Peter Alexander proclaimed: "As John McCain said, Republicans have to understand, 'We lost this battle.' Let's put this very simply, after a shutdown that lasted 16 days, a shutdown led by House Republicans who wanted to undermine the President's new health care law, by the end of today, those Republicans may leave with little to nothing...to show for it." [ Listen to the audio ] Co-host Savannah Guthrie used the same talking points in an interview with Republican senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski,... continue reading

On Wednesday's CBS This Morning , Jan Crawford repeatedly underlined that the launch of HealthCare.gov has been a fiasco. After Norah O'Donnell noted the " rough start to ObamaCare ," Crawford bluntly stated that " 'rough start' could be the understatement of the year. It has been a complete disaster ." She pointed out that " we can't even find anyone who's enrolled . The Miami Herald is now calling them urban legends ." The correspondent later spotlighted how "the failures [of ObamaCare] are well documented, but the success stories are not." She also asserted that " the backlash, the... continue reading

For the second time in one day, an MSNBC anchor accused Republicans of betraying the United States. According to Ed Schultz on Tuesday, House GOP members who won't agree to all of Barack Obama's demands on the government shutdown are committing "economic terrorism" and plotting a "coup d'etat" against the President. Schultz brought on Democratic Congressman Joseph Crowley to discuss whether there would be a vote on the shutdown. The Ed Show host fumed, "Congressman, what we're seeing happen in America right now, I think, is economic terrorism." The anchor offered his version of what passing the debt ceiling deadline... continue reading

On Monday's All In show on MSNBC, after beginning a segment about a conservative rally in D.C. by displaying a Confederate Flag in the background, host Chris Hayes asked if connecting the Confederate Flag to the Tea Party was "fair" based on just one instance of its display. Just before a commercial break, Hayes posed: I want to read a tweet from our friend, Tim Carney, who is often on the show, conservative guy, a guy I have a lot of respect for. He says, "Give liberals this, they figured out the one clown with the Confederate Flag on Pennsylvania... continue reading

On Monday's NBC Nightly News , anchor Brian Williams continued to blame Republicans for the government shutdown, asserting that the budget impasse "traces its history back to a determined core of GOP House members who are vehemently against ObamaCare and were willing to shut down the government because of it." [ Listen to the audio ] However, he took it a step further by hinting at a way to get rid of such troublesome members of Congress holding up President Obama's agenda: "These members happen to be from very conservative districts where they won by big margins, and their jobs... continue reading

MSNBC morning host Thomas Roberts on Tuesday continued in his role as one of MSNBC's most rabidly partisan, openly liberal anchors. Talking to Republican Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn about the partial government shutdown, he questioned her patriotism, sneering, " Congresswoman, let me ask you though, when it comes to ObamaCare, do you hate ObamaCare more than you love your country?" [MP3 audio here .] A surprised Blackburn immediately retorted, "I've got to tell you something. I think that comments like that" are "just incredibly inappropriate." Parroting White House talking points, Roberts recited, "You don't think it's incredibly inappropriate to shut down... continue reading

CBS This Morning on Tuesday allowed a scant 21 seconds to the newest revelations about the National Security Agency. The government organization has been secretly collecting millions of internet address books and instant message accounts from around the world, including Americans. In contrast, ABC and NBC highlighted the story in full reports and news briefs. [MP3 audio here .] None of the three network morning shows made any reference to Barack Obama or speculated on what the President's responsibility might be. In the briefest of summaries, This Morning anchor Charlie Rose explained, "The agency is pulling the information from address... continue reading

Touting the results of an NBC News/ Esquire magazine survey on Tuesday's NBC Today of the supposed political center in America, fill-in co-host Tamron Hall proclaimed: "Interesting note, we asked the middle who they trust, guys, the most. And the answer is President Obama, Oprah Winfrey. The most trusted people according to those who fall in the middle." [ Listen to the audio ] In response to the finding, co-host Matt Lauer turned to his fellow co-hosts and remarked: "Sorry about that, guys." Savannah Guthrie replied: "Oh, what, you thought we were in the running?" That prompted laughter from the... continue reading