Instead of being embarrassed by how their story generated a talking point for the President to use in a partisan political battle, ABC on Thursday night boasted of how President Obama cited Jake Tapper's coverage to boost his argument. Anchor Diane Sawyer touted how "the President, last night, well, he noticed what Jake was saying." Tapper recalled: "Last night on World News , we told you the story of Louisville, Kentucky's. J.T. Henderson, his wife and their adopted son, worried about not receiving the family's desperately needed tax refund because of the possible shutdown....And at least one negotiator was watching."... continue reading
NPR's Ari Shapiro slanted towards President Obama and two of his Democratic allies in Congress on Thursday's Morning Edition on the continuing battle over the federal budget, playing seven soundbites from them versus only three from Republican House Speaker John Boehner. Shapiro highlighted the late night negotiations over the budget on Wednesday during his report , playing three clips from the President and one from Senator Harry Reid before even getting to his first one from Speaker Boehner: SHAPIRO: It was nearly 11 pm when President Obama walked into the White House briefing room. Vice President Biden, the chief of... continue reading
According to World News' Diane Sawyer, House Speaker John Boehner is being "held hostage" by the Tea Party. Over two days and two shows, Sawyer and interviewer George Stephanopoulos hit the Republican as captive to an unreasonable base who want to shut down the government. On Thursday's Good Morning America, after Boehner asserted that taxpayer dollars shouldn't fund abortions, Stephanopoulos chided, "If you hold on to that, the White House and Democrats have been very clear, there's no deal. The government is going to shut down." He didn't make the obvious logical conclusion that the Democrats are being held hostage... continue reading
As the prospect of a government shutdown continued to make headlines today, MSNBC's Contessa Brewer accused Republicans of exploiting servicemen's paychecks for political gain, even though the House approved legislation to fund the Pentagon in the event of a shutdown and President Barack Obama threatened to veto such a measure should it reach his desk. Interviewing Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), the daytime anchor spun the debate over the 2011 budget as a false choice between paying the troops or defunding Planned Parenthood. "How frustrated are you that members of the House, your colleagues - maybe across the aisle but colleagues... continue reading
As a potential government shutdown looms the liberal media are filling their programs with stories about dire consequences of deep cuts that will lead to troops not getting paid, closed national parks, and late tax refunds. However, a review of MRC's coverage of the 1995 budget fight reveals the media are simply rerunning their tired old arguments from the last shutdown. On this Wednesday's edition of ABC's Good Morning America, Jonathan Karl tallied the services that could be at risk this time around, as he warned: "If they don't reach a deal and get it passed by then, American troops,... continue reading
An ABC report that preemptively identified possible victims of a government shutdown was so close to White House spin that Barack Obama touted it at a news conference, Wednesday. The President focused on J.T. Henderson, an American whose tax refund could be delayed, a story first highlighted on ABC, April 6. Good Morning America's Jon Karl on Thursday proudly recounted, " President Obama saw Henderson's story on World News With Diane Sawyer and singled him out last night. " An ABC graphic trumpeted, "Obama Singles Out Father: Kentucky man Counting on Refund." The President on Wednesday night quoted from Henderson... continue reading
It used to be a cliche that a threatened federal shutdown would send liberals and journalists scurrying to show people harmed by highlighting a closed Washington Monument and disappointed tourists - a cliche ABC's Jake Tapper turned into a reality Wednesday night. He, however, shamelessly went even further, invoking not only how "landmarks will close" - citing the Washington Monument, the Liberty Bell and the National Zoo - but also "medical research and hope for desperate patients," including "children with cancer." After illustrating the implication of closed landmarks with video of upset 6th graders from rural Massachusetts, one of whom... continue reading
Hardball host Chris Matthews on Wednesday frothed that Republicans who want to defund Planned Parenthood are out to "kill" birth control and are "playing politics with women's health." The MSNBC anchor railed against GOP efforts opposing the organization, speculating, "Why would you get rid of birth control?" Matthews defended Planned Parenthood, saying the issue isn't abortion, just a group "which I understand to be helpful in terms of women, health screening, poor women especially who wouldn't normally have a good doctor." Teasing the segment, he piled on: " Why are Republicans playing politics with women's health ?" During another preview,... continue reading
Chief economic writer David Leonhardt argued against the deficit-reducing House Republican budget written by Rep. Paul Ryan in his Wednesday front-page Business Day column " A Lopsided Proposal for Medicare ." Instead, Leonhardt called for higher taxes on "affluent Americans"(his reasoning: All wealthy countries do it). It's one of his favorite arguments for redistributing the wealth. While admitting the Republican budget was "a daring one in many ways" he faulted it for not reforming Medicare, which he interestingly admits is a "welfare program," since people generally get more out of it in care than what they paid into the program... continue reading
In a softball interview with New York Senator Chuck Schumer on NBC's Today on Wednesday, co-host Matt Lauer recited Democratic talking points on the budget fight perfectly: "[For] the Tea Party and others on the far right....does it seem to you, Senator, that this is less about a fiscal debate or an economic policy debate and they are making an ideological stand here?" [ Audio available here ] A visibly pleased Schumer excitedly agreed: "That's exactly right, Matt. You've hit the nail on the head.... they have an ideology just to get rid of all government ....the Tea Party doesn't... continue reading