The three networks have, thus far, skipped Tuesday's revelation by Energy Secretary Steven Chu that the "overall goal" of the Obama administration isn't to get gas prices down. ABC, NBC and CBS have previously focused on the rising gasoline prices in general. Politico reported , Tuesday, "The Energy Department isn't working to lower gasoline prices directly, Secretary Steven Chu said Tuesday after a Republican lawmaker scolded him for his now-infamous 2008 comment that gas prices in the U.S. should be as high as in Europe." In a news brief on Thursday's Good Morning America , Josh Elliott explained, "...A new... continue reading
During Tuesday's live coverage the Republican presidential primaries in Arizona and Michigan, MSNBC's Chris Matthews again talked about President Obama delivering a "thrill" as he asserted that, unlike GOP candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, Obama has both a "brain" and a "heart" when he makes speeches: Barack Obama can do both. He has a brain, and he has a heart, and he can cause a thrill in the American people because he has both. Matthews's comments came around 10:30 PM EST shortly after Santorum spoke, as he suggested the former Pennsylvania Senator is better at appealing to the "heart"... continue reading
After Tuesday's Arizona GOP primary, CNN's Piers Morgan accused Gov. Jan Brewer (R-Ariz.) of "jabbing him [Obama] in the chest and threatening all sorts of things," in reference to Brewer's tarmac meeting with President Obama where she was photographed pointing her finger at him. Brewer immediately called Morgan out for embellishing the story, during the interview early Wednesday morning. "Now Piers, you don't know what I was saying," she corrected her host. "I was not threatening him." It certainly was not the first time Morgan had characterized the President as a victim of Republican behavior. Brewer then tried to set... continue reading
After Tuesday night's Michigan GOP primary, O'Brien tried to get Rick Santorum's press secretary to admit that the candidate lost Catholic voters in the state because he attacked former President John F. Kennedy for saying the church had no role in the policy of the state. Though there may be many reasons Michigan Catholics voted for Mitt Romney over Santorum, O'Brien chose to hammer the point that perhaps Santorum suffered for picking on Kennedy, a Catholic Democrat who insisted his religious views were "a private affair." The CNN host gave no specific evidence for the validity of her question, however... continue reading
Just days after Maryland's state legislature passed same-sex "marriage," the Washington Post trumpeted on its front page how a " deep in grief " woman in a long-term lesbian relationship had been denied Communion by a Catholic priest during her mother's funeral in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The woman accused the cleric of playing " politics ... and you will pay dearly on the day of judgment for judging me ." It took writer Michelle Boorstein seven paragraphs to finally give a statement from a representative of the Archdiocese of Washington, who criticized the pastoral approach of the priest, but not necessarily... continue reading
According to MSNBC's Tamron Hall on Wednesday, a Catholic priest denying Communion to a lesbian in Maryland is an example of " the very reason so many young people are turned off or are cautious about religion when you see moments like this ." The News Nation program featured a one-sided take on the story, which was given front page play by the liberal Washington Post . Hall interviewed Barbara Johnson, the woman involved and then featured Michael Smerconish to criticize the Priest for only choosing to deny Communion to the gay woman: "What about someone who’s in the church... continue reading
While interviewing actor Ed Helms about his role in 'Dr. Seuss' The Lorax' On Monday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer seemed puzzled that anyone would question the environmentalist message of the book or movie : "...believe it or not, Dr. Seuss has sparked controversy with this movie because Lou Dobbs weighed in on this..." Lauer quoted criticism from Dobbs: "The Lorax is an example of the President's liberal friends in Hollywood targeting a younger demographic using animated movies to sell their agenda to children." Helms sarcastically joked: "I am so excited that Barack Obama, who is my best friend, got... continue reading
Ron Reagan Jr. took exception to Rush Limbaugh criticizing Mitt Romney’s comment that he wasn’t willing to say “incendiary things” to fire up the base, as the MSNBC contributor lectured: “Rush ought to know about incendiary rhetoric... he’s the one who is race baiting all the time on the radio.” Invited on MSNBC’s Wednesday morning programming to discuss the GOP primary race, Reagan took the shot at the conservative talk radio host after MSNBC host Thomas Roberts played a clip from Limbaugh’s radio show. The following exchange was aired during MSNBC’s live programming on February 29: [11:36am EST] THOMAS ROBERTS:... continue reading
On CNBC's Behind the Money blog on Wednesday, Fast Money executive producer John Melloy promoted a left-leaning theory as to why the stock market has been on the rise lately: "While President Obama may not be Wall Street's ideal candidate, stock prices are rising on growing expectations he will be re-elected this November." Melloy pointed to long-term political certainty as a reason for investor optimism and added: "The surge in President Obama's chances at a second term also have coincided with a string of better-than-expected domestic economic data this year, including an all-important drop in the unemployment rate." Noting a... continue reading
MSNBC on Wednesday brought on Ed Schultz, a man who once decried Republicans as killers who profit off of "corpses ," to lament the decreasing number of moderate, temperate voices in the U.S. Senate. Host Chris Jansing mournfully discussed Senator Olympia Snowe's retirement and how there is "so much noise on the extremes." Schultz, who once trashed Laura Ingraham as a " right-wing slut ," agreed. He said Americans need to focus on these questions: " What kind of candidate or challenger are the Republicans going put up against the [Democratic] opposition? Is it going to be somebody radical?" [See... continue reading