On his 3PM ET hour show on MSNBC on Wednesday, host Martin Bashir enthusiastically reacted to President Obama's budget speech: "'We will invest in the future of America,' that's what President Obama just said in a much-anticipated speech on the budget.... He offered a series of broad proposals and said it's time for the wealthiest Americans to pay their way and share in taxes." Moments later, White House correspondent Mike Viqueira joined Bashir and proclaimed: "..the President's speech was part soaring, speaking to the aspirations and character of a nation, if you will." Bashir observed: "Mike, I don't want to... continue reading
Time's Mark Halperin called out the mainstream media Thursday for what he deemed to be a double-standard in the press's treatment of Democrats and Republicans. If - as President Obama did Wednesday - a Republican president framed his opposition's budget as un-American, Halperin claimed the press would be "up in arms." "I think if a Republican president called the Democratic proposals on something like this un-American, I think the press would be up in arms about it," Halperin remarked. Co-host Joe Scarborough agreed, saying that the press would "savage" a GOP president for such a remark. President Obama ridiculed the... continue reading
On Wednesday's NBC Nightly News, chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel informed viewers that he is "worried" that a major war between some of the Arab countries and Israel could be in the not too distant future because of the "ferociously anti-Israel" sentiment of the "Arab street" that is likely to gain power in countries like Egypt. He ended up concluding: "But I think, over time, this thing ends in Jerusalem." After host Brian Williams and Engel had discussed the likely prosecution of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, and the disappointment of Libyan rebels at the level of assistance to their... continue reading
It's becoming a habit. The New York Times' chief economics writer David Leonhardt once again called for higher taxes in his column on the front page of Wednesday's Times, especially on "the rich," in the name of deficit reduction (and also because, hey all civilized countries do it). Wednesday A1, " Do-Nothing Congress as a Cure ." It's as if tax increases were a mere technicality in any deficit-reduction plan. In reality, finding a way to raise taxes may well be the central political problem facing the United States. As countries become richer, their citizens tend to want more public... continue reading
On Tuesday's Early Show, CBS's Bill Plante forwarded the liberal impression that the proposed budget compromise includes " big spending cuts ," despite only reducing $38.5 billion from trillions in spending. Host Erica Hill also urged Republican Congressman Eric Cantor for "a little give and take " in the budget negotiations, hinting that taxes needed to be raised to deal with the debt. Plante's report on President Obama's upcoming speech on reducing the debt led the 7 am Eastern hour. Near the end of the segment, the correspondent touted how "the President's goal today is to appear as the voice... continue reading
Robert Redford's period piece on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln hits theaters Friday , but one author who was featured on MSNBC thinks America is embroiled in a modern day "civil war" over abortion. On the April 12 edition of Martin Bashir, fill-in anchor Richard Lui failed to challenge Stephen Singular, author of "The Wichita Divide," on the illogical connection he drew between the man who killed Dr. George Tiller, who was known for providing late-term abortions, and pro-life advocates who are pushing to de-fund Planned Parenthood. During the six-minute interview, Lui lobbed softball questions and gave Singular a soapbox... continue reading
Writing in the April 11 edition of Parade magazine , former Newsweek editor Jon Meacham commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Civil War by linking modern conservatives to the old Confederacy and bigotry against African Americans. The journalist hinted, " This year, as the 2012 presidential campaign gets under way, two powerful forces will intersect: the commemorations of the Civil War and the opposition to President Obama's policies ." After explaining that the Sons of Confederate Veterans in South Carolina hosted a "Secession Ball," Meacham predicted that "the rhetoric of resistance to Washington will inevitably resonate." The author attempted to... continue reading
Interviewing Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann on Wednesday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer pushed for tax increases in the 2012 budget: "...the President's expected to call for raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans – some estimates say that could raise some $700 billion, why couldn't that money be used to pay down the debt?" Moments later, Lauer added: "...like Congressman Ryan is suggesting, Medicare needs to be revamped....that affects the elderly and the poor... why shouldn't the burden be equally shared? Why shouldn't we put some of that burden on the wealthy and corporations?" Bachmann confronted Lauer's liberal assertions with reality:... continue reading
If there has been one constant in George Stephanopoulos' journalistic career, it's repeatedly calling for higher taxes. So, it's not surprising that while talking to Paul Ryan on Wednesday about the debt, he lobbied the Republican Congressman, " And if you're not willing to at least discuss new revenues, aren't these negotiations dead before they're even born? " Not getting the answer he was looking for, the former Democratic operative turned journalist chided, "I understand you're not a fan of new taxes. But, as a matter of negotiations and a matter of discussion, don't they need to be on the... continue reading
On Monday night's Piers Morgan Tonight, the CNN host professed his admiration for President Obama - but like any good liberal, sounded his disappointment that the Guantanamo Bay detention camp is still open. He tried to get his guests to share similar sentiments. "I am quite an Obama fan, but I was quite disappointed that he did the big U-turn on Guantanamo, actually," Morgan admitted. Hosting cast members of the upcoming film "The Conspirator," Morgan asked if the ethical issues in the plot - the post-Civil War trial of an accused co-conspirator in Lincoln's assassination - mirrored the ethical and... continue reading