In a list of famous Americans with a parent (or both) born in another country, the un-bylined last page "Back Story" of this week's Newsweek listed "BARACK OBAMA (Kenyan Father)" on the page headlined: "What's So Scary About an 'Anchor Baby'?" The brief text below the headline, and on top of the diaper, made clear the magazine's attempt to undermine those suggesting citizenship should no longer be automatically conferred on anyone born within the United States: There's a movement afoot to alter the 14th amendment, the one that guarantees citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil. Combine this with anti-immigrant... continue reading
On Thursday's American Morning, CNN's Deborah Feyerick continued her network's promotion of the charge the "Islamophobia" is growing in the U.S. All but one of Feyerick's sound bites during her one-sided report were from those who agree with this charge, with the sole exception being used an example of someone using " Islam ...[as] a political wedge issue ." Anchor Kiran Chetry and substitute anchor Ali Velshi introduced the correspondent's report just before the bottom of the 7 am Eastern hour. Chetry stated that "attempted terror attacks aimed at the U.S. have come mostly from Muslim extremists born outside of... continue reading
It's no secret that Chris Matthews once flirted with the idea of running for Senate in Pennsylvania , but since he didn't throw his hat into that race, the Hardball host, on Thursday night, did everything he could to help Joe Sestak beat Republican Pat Toomey, as he urged: "I hope your party gets organized up there , because the Democratic Party of Ed Rendell and you and all those other guys ought to get together with Brady and win this thing!" And even before Matthews invited viewers to "Meet Joe Sestak" in an interview segment, the MSNBCer began cheerleading... continue reading
Earning applause from the audience inside Manhattan's Ed Sullivan Theater for Wednesday's Late Show, Donald Trump gave David Letterman his take on placing a new mosque near Ground Zero: "I think it's very insensitive to build it there. I think it's not appropriate, a I think it's insensitive and it shouldn't be built there." Letterman frowned, prompting Trump to point out to the audience: "I don't know if he agrees." Letterman eventually asked "what about the notion" of when the "pilgrims came over...looking for religious expression? And as far as I've always known, that's a fundamental building block of what... continue reading
On Thursday's CBS Early Show, fill-in co-host Erica Hill interviewed Vanity Fair reporter Michael Joseph Gross about his article slamming Sarah Palin with outlandish accusations: "...we've watched Sarah Palin go from a small town hockey mom and the mayor to international celebrity....it certainly changed her, that's according to a rather unflattering new article in Vanity Fair magazine. " Talking to Gross, Hill noted how he "had a tough time...getting to people who are close to Sarah Palin," but wondered: "...tell us about the people you did speak to who are around her....What kind of an impression did they give you... continue reading
CNN's Rick Sanchez, who was quick to blame Fox News for the 2009 murders of three police officers in Pennsylvania , treaded much more carefully on Wednesday's Rick's List as he covered the eco-terrorist who brought bombs, guns, and took hostages at Discovery Channel's headquarters. Sanchez stated that Lee may have been " well-meaning ," but " most watching this would argue he may have taken [his cause] way too far on this day. " [audio clip available here ] Most? The breaking news about James Lee's standoff at the educational channel's Silver Spring, Maryland office building dominated Sanchez's broadcast... continue reading
Wednesday's CBS Evening News, without Katie Couric, uniquely amongst the broadcast network evening newscasts tied Discovery Channel hostage-taker/bomber James Lee to Al Gore and, even more miraculously, highlighted how Tony Blair, in his new book, describes George W. Bush as "intelligent." Reporter Wyatt Andrews relayed in his story on the incident in suburban DC: In an anti-corporate protest two years ago, Lee was arrested while throwing cash outside of Discovery's offices. He said in court he had been moved to save the planet, partly by Al Gore's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. Neither ABC nor NBC mentioned Gore's inspiration. (ABC's Pierre... continue reading
Appearing as a guest on Tuesday's Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, Newsweek's Jonathan Alter repeatedly characterized the conservative wing of the Republican party as "radical" and "extreme" as he and host Maddow discussed the possibility that conservative talk radio host Bill Cunningham would broadcast his radio show from House Minority Leader John Boehner's office on Election Day. Alter asserted that the Republican party became radical in 1994, and soon advised "progressives" that they "need to learn a little bit about what the stakes are" because Republicans currently have a "radical agenda." Alter: You know, it began in 1994. That was... continue reading
On Wednesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith served as an apologist for President Obama, who failed to credit President George W. Bush with the Iraq troop surge in an Oval Office address Tuesday night: "...while he [Obama] did not acknowledge...President Bush's support for the surge....he at least gave it tacit agreement - approval. And he has certainly approved a surge in Afghanistan." Smith made the defense during an interview with Arizona Senator John McCain, who took the President to task for opposing the 2007 troop surge: "...it was President Bush who made the decision - over the vociferous option... continue reading
NBC's Matt Lauer wanted one question to stick in the minds of his Today show viewers, as from the top of Wednesday's show, to his interview with Vice President Joe Biden, the Today co-anchor repeatedly asked was the Iraq war "worth it?" As part of the analysis of the President's Oval Office speech last night, in which Barack Obama announced an end to U.S. combat operations in Iraq, Lauer invited on Biden, in the 7am half hour, to press him about the costs of the war as he asked: "There is a question being asked in homes all across the... continue reading