BiasAlerts

A day after highlighting Sarah Palin's political "losing streak," Good Morning America's Jon Karl on Wednesday acknowledged the stunning turn in Alaska's senatorial primary race: "But Joe Miller is a Tea Party candidate who had Sarah Palin's support. He, now, is ahead." [MP3 audio here .] Karl on Wednesday didn't mention anything about the former governor's "losing streak" ending. Instead, co-host Robin Roberts spun the results as a "GOP family feud." She also questioned the effectiveness of the grass roots organization, wondering, " So, is the Tea Party getting stronger? Weaker? " (Roberts' evidence was John McCain's victory in Arizona... continue reading

NBC's Chuck Todd couched it in terms of how "both parties" are peddling "fear" in this year's election season - but his formulation Tuesday night of how 2008 was "the hope election" while this one will be "the fear election" - offered a likely preview of how the MSM will try to discredit voter repudiation of liberal Democratic Obama allies when they hardly cast in a negative light the 2008 voter rejection of a third Republican term. Todd concluded a short NBC Nightly News story: I had one observer tell me, if 2008 was the "hope election," 2010 may be... continue reading

CNN's Ali Velshi enthusiastically touted the Obama administration's promotion of "alternative energy" on Tuesday's Newsroom, and advanced the idea that the field would become a major economic force: " This may be the driver of the economy for the next 15 years....And I will give this administration credit. It is such a dramatic increase over the last administration's commitment to alternative energy ." Velshi brought on correspondent Josh Levs to discuss the current administration's latest push concerning the "stimulus," focusing on the percentage of the $862 billion spent on "green" energy: "Vice President Biden [is] talking about what's been done... continue reading

A lot of people are having fun with a line from a harrumphing Sunday editorial in the New York Times excoriating former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, conservative Republican of Texas (" Tom DeLay's Legacy "). The Justice Department decided last week not to bring charges against Tom DeLay, whose unethical conduct represented a modern low among Congressional leaders. The decision is a reminder that some of Washington's worst big-money practices remain either legal or far too difficult to prosecute. Mr. DeLay, the Texas Republican who had been the House majority leader, crowed that he had been "found innocent." But... continue reading

Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday fretted that the "angry voices" protesting against the Ground Zero mosque will hurt Barack Obama's attempts to reach out to the Muslim world. Talking to American University Professor Akbar Ahmed, the MSNBC host put the responsibility of tolerance on Americans: " Some would say that it is, really, for Americans, for majority of Americans to be more sensitive to minority communities ." [MP3 audio here .] Defending Fiesal Abdul Rauf, the imam behind the project, she lobbied, "It's not really the obligation for the imam to, you know, he talked to members of the Jewish community,... continue reading

During the 3 p.m. MSNBC news hour Monday, anchor Chris Jansing asked the question and hosted an expert who supplied the seemingly desired answer. The question: Could President Obama make a mid-term comeback similar to President Reagan in 1982? The answer: Absolutely. The two discussed the similarities of the situations faced by the presidents, and seemed to conclude that if the economy turns around, President Obama would almost certainly be re-elected. It is a big if, but the short segment seemed quite focused on what would happen after the economy turns around. The two didn't bother to discuss what would... continue reading

If Democrats weren't nervous about November's midterm elections yet, they could soon be, especially when you consider that even their allies in the liberal media are starting to forecast doom for them, as NBC's Chuck Todd did on Tuesday's Today show, going as far to predict "Democrats are in deep, deep trouble." Todd, appearing in the 7am half hour of this morning's Today show explained to viewers that " The Tea Party has provided an enthusiasm boost to the Republican Party," however he reminded Democrats that they still had "six weeks to turn this around" but then added that "if... continue reading

Good Morning America's Jon Karl on Tuesday characterized a Republican senatorial candidate in Alaska as a "hard-line, Tea Party conservative" and someone who " has also been known to attract assault weapon-baring weapon supporters at his political rallies ." He added, "In a recent interview on ABC's Top Line, [candidate Joe Miller] suggested that unemployment benefits are unconstitutional." [MP3 audio here .] Karl played a clip of Miller asserting, "The unemployment compensation benefits have got to- first of all, is not constitutionally authorized. I think that's the first thing that has to be looked at. So, I do not favor... continue reading

Time magazine's Mark Halperin engaged in the ultimate condescension Monday morning, arguing that families of 9/11 victims need to be guided by others into the Ground Zero mosque debate. "For the families of the victims of 9/11, whatever emotions they want to have, I respect and I honor. But somebody needs to lead them through a discussion," Time's senior political analyst lectured on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." He mentioned a meeting that reportedly took place between the mosque's planners and the 9/11 families, which he insisted "needs to happen." Halperin said the meeting "did not go well," but added it was... continue reading

Appearing on the Late Show on Monday night to plug his Friday night Dateline on the 5th anniversary of Katrina, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams bizarrely asserted "we're still enjoying the fruits really of the Clinton economy," claimed Tea Party activists who say "we want our country back" want it back "from the Trilateral Commission" and ridiculed their presumed hypocrisy as he insisted "you see a lot of signs, 'Federal Government Out of My Social Security,' 'Federal Government Out of My Medicare and Medicaid.' But for the federal government, of course, those programs would not exist." Audio: MP3 clip... continue reading