Norah O'Donnell spun the recent controversy over national security leaks in the Obama administration's favor on Tuesday's CBS This Morning, touting that "the Justice Department...points out that they have launched six cases since 2009 to investigate these leaks. And interestingly... that is more than all previous administrations combined ." O'Donnell also forwarded the White House's talking point on the issue, that " the President said he has zero tolerance for these leaks, and that's why he said he's sure it wasn't anyone in his White House." Anchor Charlie Rose emphasized the political component of the controversy during his promo at... continue reading
The news that the House Oversight Committee will vote next week on whether to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress, for refusing to turn over subpoenaed documents in the Fast and Furious investigation, was met with silence from the Big Three (ABC, NBC, CBS) network news shows. There was no mention of the Holder hearings on Monday’s evening news shows or Tuesday’s morning shows. The blackout of the Holder hearings continues a stunning trend . Since December 2010, when the Fast and Furious scandal first broke, there have been zero stories about the gunwalking scandal on NBC... continue reading
Over a three year period, from 2007 to 2010, Americans saw their average net worth drop by 39 percent . CBS, however, wasn't interested in this dire economic news. The network skipped the new report by the Federal Reserve, ignoring it on Monday's Evening News and Tuesday's This Morning . In contrast, NBC and ABC did cover it. But both made sure to avoid any mention of Barack Obama or how this grim revelation might impact his reelection campaign. In a news brief, Good Morning America's Josh Elliott vaguely explained, "Meanwhile, some stunning new information this morning on just how... continue reading
On Tuesday's NBC Today , correspondent Kristen Welker amazingly shoe-horned a swipe at Republicans into a report about Commerce Secretary John Bryson causing multiple car accidents over the weekend, claiming that a tweet from a GOP super-PAC about the incident was "a sign of how contentious the campaign season has gotten." [ Listen to the audio ] After quoting the tweet in question – of American Crossroads joking about Bryson's odd series of fender-benders – Welker then quoted another tweet shortly after that apologized. A sound bite then followed of left-wing Washington Post opinion writer Jonathan Capehart, who eagerly seized... continue reading
Quoting a study used by the Democratic-appointed CBO director to defend the stimulus plan, O'Brien asked President Obama's deputy campaign manager if there should be another stimulus, on Monday's Starting Point. "So, is the takeaway from this, the stimulus worked, so there should be another stimulus?" O'Brien asked after touting a survey of economists that included the Obama's former economic advisers. [Video below. Audio here .] CBO director Douglas Elmendorf had staunchly defended Obama's stimulus plan last week before Congress, and he cited the survey of economists who said unemployment would have been higher without it. Elmendorf was jointly appointed... continue reading
ABC, CBS, and NBC stayed true to their liberal slant and ignored the 164 rallies across the United States on Friday against the federal government's abortifacient/birth control mandate under ObamaCare. Religious leaders and conservative politicians, like former GOP presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann, addressed the tens of thousands of pro-religious freedom activists who attended the rallies. But the Big Three apparently didn't think this was worthy of coverage on their morning and evening newscasts. By contrast, CBS played up the supporters of a group of left-leaning Catholic nuns during four on-air segments between May 30 and June 1, 2012. Correspondent... continue reading
Charlie Rose deferred to Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod on Monday's CBS This Morning regarding the controversy over several recent national security leaks. Axelrod repeatedly denied that the leaks came from the administration. Rose didn't challenge his guest's talking point, even though during a May 2012 interview with the anchor former Defense Secretary Robert Gates indicated that White House officials went " out in public with operational details " of the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Despite knowing about Gates's disclosure, Rose claimed that President Obama " seems to be upset about the spy leaks ," and... continue reading
Straining to find a way to excuse President Obama's Friday remark that "the private sector is doing fine," on Monday's NBC Today, co-host Ann Curry did her best to spin for the White House: "He is right in saying that the private sector is doing better than the public sector, is he not? And so that was his point, that this comment was taken out of context." [ Listen to the audio ] Curry's attempt at Obama campaign damage control was prompted by left-wing guest and MSNBC host Chris Hayes arguing: "I would also say that the point he's making... continue reading
NBC's Today on Monday delved into the tabloid gossip of Robert Kennedy Jr and his late wife Mary Kennedy, who killed herself last month. The report featured documents "obtained" by Newsweek . Reporter Jeff Rossen highlighted RFK Jr's. complaints, including court affidavits claiming, "Mary's violence and physical abuse towards me began before we were married." Rossen touted the grim details of Kennedy's complaints, reciting, "When he went over to the house, 'Mary was intoxicated. I opened the door and she leapt out of her bed and hit me with a roundhouse punch.'" Mary Kennedy hanged herself on the New York... continue reading
Reacting to allegations that the White House leaked several pieces of highly classified national security information to the press for political gain, on Monday's NBC Today left-wing MSNBC host Chris Hayes demanded: "I think we need more leaks and not less... we should know how the war is operating and what's going on with a kill list that's operating out of the White House or what covert activities we're engaged in." [Listen to the audio ] Only seconds earlier, fellow guest Meghan McCain, daughter of Arizona Senator John McCain, explained that her father called the leaks "the worst security breach... continue reading