CNN's Piers Morgan easily could have been mistaken for Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod on his Monday night show. In two separate interviews - with RNC chairman Reince Priebus and Hollywood Obama supporter Harvey Weinstein - Morgan kept chipping in on behalf of the President's re-election in 2012. When RNC chairman Reince Priebus attacked Obama's low poll numbers, Morgan countered that the President has lately garnered "a few ticks in the box" to use in his behalf, including improving jobs numbers and the end of the Iraq War. The CNN host used the same argument in his interview with David... continue reading
CNN touted a study from the liberal Tax Policy Center claiming that Newt Gingrich's tax plan would increase the deficit. On Tuesday afternoon's The Situation Room, business correspondent Poppy Harlow simply labeled the Tax Policy Center "non-partisan" even though it is a joint venture of two liberal think tanks , the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institute. CNN even reported the Gingrich campaign's claim that the study did not include "many details" of the plan because the campaign "does not recognize them as an independent arbiter of tax policy information." That bit of information was buried at the end of... continue reading
Nightline co-anchor Terry Moran delivered a surprisingly positive assessment of Tim Tebow on Monday night, lauding the Christian quarterback as "inspired," "lifted up" and "strengthened" by "a power beyond his understanding." Moran also highlighted, "Psychologists are increasingly finding that the very fact that a person has religious faith can help lead to the kind of success Tim Tebow has had." It wasn't all complimentary, however, the program's journalists repeatedly went out of their way to assert just how "controversial" Tebow is. Co-anchor Cynthia McFadden teased, "Just ahead, he says that the teammate he counts on the most is God and... continue reading
All three morning shows on Tuesday hyped the fight between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, but it was snarky John Berman who offered the most hyperbolic take, exclaiming on "Good Morning America," "Boom! Boom!" The opinionated journalist offered inflamed rhetoric to describe the nomination battle, saying that the attacks follow " 24 hours of political shivs and sharp elbows ." Berman narrated the fight between Romney and Gingrich with glee: "Boom! Gingrich responded...Boom! The Romney camp responded...Boom! Boom!" Is Berman always so tough on presidential contenders? No. On July 1, 2008 , he whined about then-candidate Obama having to defend... continue reading
During a panel discussion on Tuesday's NBC Today, NBC chief medical editor Nancy Snyderman decried Mitt Romney proposing a $10,000 bet in the latest Republican debate: "I watched it live, and it was one of those moments where I immediately went [gasp] and you could just – even in your own living room, everything came to a halt. It was a disastrous move." Advertising executive Donny Deutsch disagreed while still taking a shot at the GOP field: "Look, with the inane things the candidates are saying, in the scheme of things, it's not a big deal." He further added: "Jack... continue reading
The New York Times devoted a front-page story Monday to casting doubt on a theoretical nuclear threat publicized (among his many, many other ideas) by Newt Gingrich - what scientists call electromagnetic pulse (EMP), a burst of electromagnetic radiation released by a nuclear explosion that could damage or destroy electrical service. Science reporter William Broad filed ' Among Gingrich's Passions, a Doomsday Vision .' Newt Gingrich, the Republican presidential hopeful, wants you to know that as commander in chief he is ready to confront one of the most nightmarish of doomsday scenarios: a nuclear blast high above the United States... continue reading
Hardball's Chris Matthews on Monday spewed hatred for Newt Gingrich, excoriating him as voicing "deadly" contempt for Barack Obama. Matthews trashed, "He's a political killer, a gun for hire." The unhinged Matthews compared Republicans who support the former Speaker to those who would make a deal with the devil. Using violent rhetoric, the MSNBC anchor constructed reasons why conservatives embrace Gingrich: " Because he voices in cold, nasty, deadly tones the words of their contempt, because he's an opportunist ready to seek any route to his opponent's heart and thereby kill it." [MP3 audio here .] Using demonic references ,... continue reading
ABC, CBS, and NBC's morning shows on Monday all used news briefs to highlight how home improvement giant Lowe's is " facing a backlash " after it pulled its ads from TLC's All-American Muslim reality TV series. All three noted that the company reacted to a complaint from a " conservative " or " Christian " group who threatened a boycott. CBS's Early Show played up how Lowe's " critics call that bigotry ." NBC's Natalie Morales stated in her brief that the chain is " sparking outrage after its pulled its ads from a reality show about American Muslims... continue reading
Faux-Republican David Frum took a shot at Fox News viewers on Sunday when he told CNN's Howard Kurtz that "people who watch a lot of Fox come away knowing a lot less about important world events." Frum's interview aired during the bottom half of the 11 a.m. hour of Reliable Sources. Even Kurtz, who has worked for the liberal media for three decades, challenged Frum's hard-line criticism of the right-wing media. "You're tarring with an awfully broad brush there" he told Frum, who in a recent New York magazine column accused the conservative media of running an "alternative knowledge system"... continue reading
All three morning shows on Monday hyped Mitt Romney's $10,000 wager from Saturday's Republican debate. Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos wondered just how "damaging" Romney's "bad bet" would be. Stephanopoulos, who previously gloated over whether his interview would "spell the end" of Herman Cain, offered a similar take, Monday. He teased, " How damaging was Mitt Romney's $10,000 bet at our ABC News debate. He's shrugging off all the critics calling him out of touch. But, will this memorable moment shake up the race one more time? " Reporter Jake Tapper used the incident to offer a shot at Rick... continue reading