This could be something of a first: a major MSM player admits there's a case to be made that the media is incredibly biased against Republicans.
As I noted here, when Tom DeLay accused the media of bias on this morning's "Today," Matt Lauer stonewalled: "I'm not going to let it, you know, end with that assumption, congressman, because I clearly don't agree with it."
But appearing on this afternoon's Harball, DeLay successfully wangled an admission from host Chris Matthews.
TOM DELAY: If [Craig] has been found guilty of what he's been accused of, then yeah. But I do know that the Republicans will do something about it. I do know that if he were a Democrat they would rally around him and they would not do something about it. I do know that the national media is incredibly biased against Republicans that find themselves [in trouble] --CHRIS MATTHEWS: That's a charge which I've heard before and I can understand why you make it. You make it a lot. Sometimes you have a case to make. Sometimes.
View video here.
Good on the former Majority Leader for his fortitude, and yes, credit to Chris for acknowledging some of the reality of MSM bias.
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Comments Policy
Mark,
August 30, 2007 - 19:47 ET by MightyMouthMark,
Any chance of posting the entire interview?
Nevermind. Just saw the whole thing. In my opinion Delay missed a great opportunity to prove Matthews bias by pointing out that he worked for four democrats and was a speech writer for Jimmah Carter. A fact that I'll bet Chrissy's audience doesn't know. I guess not everyone can be as quick as Ann Coulter.
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
"Sometimes"
August 30, 2007 - 19:07 ET by drillanwr"Sometimes" ...
Didn't see the interview. However, I get the feeling the next word out of Chris's mouth after "Sometimes" was "BUT" ...
* Exactly
August 30, 2007 - 20:51 ET by rob6677Sometimes Chris likes to drool and hit on the pretty women, but at least he didn't hit on DeLay!
"I'm interested in the fact that the less secure a man is, the more likely he is to have extreme prejudice." Clint Eastwood
I get the feeling the
August 30, 2007 - 21:24 ET by Tom1969caTime to quote Dennis Miller:
"You know why I'm no longer a liberal? Because I wanted to stop my sentences one word short of the word "but". As a liberal I found myself using the word "but" more frequently than a proctologist filling out his DayPlanner."
~~~
Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.
Cue caveman - "Duh"
August 30, 2007 - 19:17 ET by acumenAwww, how cute. Chris' first baby steps. And just yesterday Chris was still crawling in denial.
And what about you Matt? You going to let Chris show you up Lauer? C'mon Matt.....you can do it. All of us adults are pulling for you. After all, we're talking about building a little trust here Matt.
Actually, I'll bet Chris
August 30, 2007 - 19:24 ET by drillanwrActually, I'll bet Chris was scared of DeLay after watching the Lauer exchange this morning.
DeLay would NOT be talked over by Lauer ... He'd be damned if he was going to be slobbered over by Matthews.
Concur Drill
August 30, 2007 - 20:05 ET by acumenHa. Chrissy must have been recalling DeLay's exterminator days Drill.
God Bless Tom Delay!
August 30, 2007 - 19:32 ET by Gary P JacksonMaybe he could run a clinic for the rest of the Republicans! If all of 'em talked like that, we'd be a lot better off!
On the other hand...
August 30, 2007 - 19:34 ET by JDWHow many fund raising scandals relating directly to sen Clinton are still sitting out there for us to discover, her to 'donate', and the news media to ignore?
Word has it that Filner and Jefferson played golf today.
JDW
CFR: Chung, Riady, Hsia, Trie, Huang, Hsu, Paw... Who's looking?
Good job Tom Delay
August 30, 2007 - 20:08 ET by SportPoliticsFor getting Chrissy to admit it.
I have to note though that it appeared to me you didn't really know what Craig was charged with. lol It's a rampant problem. I'm certain not even the basic facts were known before the republicans ditched him off committees.
You've all listened to that rampantly biased press for your information, so all you think you know is he was in a restroom soliciting gay sex and pled guilty and was convicted, and is a closet homo.
So, how about you republicans start pretending you actually know the press is biased, and find out what really happened ? The press hasn't told you yet, that's for certain.
As if you needed help, Mark.
August 30, 2007 - 20:04 ET by Gary HallAs if you needed help, Mark. (:~> gh
Matthews: 'I'm Smiling Because I Think It's Going To Be a Wipe-Out'
Talk about prying out a
August 30, 2007 - 20:17 ET by Chris NormanTalk about prying out a small admission with a crow bar. Although Matthews may grudgingly concede this (and it'll be forgotten instantaneously) the "unbiased" reporters and anchors of the "straight" news will never, ever, admit to anything of the sort.
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
Sometimes, sometimes, daily
August 30, 2007 - 20:23 ET by VT Con ManSometimes, sometimes, daily on crissy's show, NBC,CBS,ABC,CNN,MSNBC,CNBC, but only sometimes.... of course the other side of his sometimes drivel is his firm belief in his partisan little head that he is as tough on the dims as he is on michelle malkin. remember that shame fest?
sheesh
bias can't be sometimes
August 30, 2007 - 21:04 ET by Dee BunkIf it's there it's there. Just because the MSM is biased against Republicans doesn't mean that they never report negatively on Dems. The duration and degree is what matters and it's ALWAYS longer and more severe on Republicans.
"Sometimes you have a case
August 30, 2007 - 21:21 ET by Jerry"Sometimes you have a case to make."
Further revelations by Chrissie Mathews:
"Sometimes water is wet"
"Sometimes fire is hot"
"Sometimes I hate Republicans"
"Sometimes I spray sputum"
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment
vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any
President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
* LOL, just one more...
August 30, 2007 - 22:00 ET by rob6677Sometimes you feel like a nut... sometimes you don't!
"I'm interested in the fact that the less secure a man is, the more likely he is to have extreme prejudice." Clint Eastwood
Tom DeLay as Attorney General
August 30, 2007 - 21:31 ET by Lame CherryWhatever it would take, I would urge President Bush to get Tom DeLay as Attorney General. You bet it would be a fight to the death to get him in, but you put this Texas Wolfhound in charge of Justice and my oh my would the GOP have a fun time in federal charges against the Clintons on campaign fraud, Obama on real estate kiting and a host from Murtha to Harry fund me Reid ending up in federal court.
I appreciate Tom DeLay for the real man he is and the GOP needs the hammer back to clean out this government of criminals.......and if Larry Craig is guilty of anything including other Republicans....set the hammer on them too.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
DeLay for
August 30, 2007 - 21:32 ET by wiwfDeLay for Prez
"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage
morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested,
exiled, or hanged." -Abraham Lincoln
Been mulling something all day ...
August 30, 2007 - 21:47 ET by drillanwrYou know, after hearing the so-called "facts" in the Craig case, and now hearing the audio tape, while I'm not convinced or unconvinced of what his motives were, outside a dump, in the airport rest room, I have come to two conclusions so far:
1) there has never been any mention that Craig verbally asked for or offered sex (something men in bars do to women in bars all the time ... with little or no police involvement) ... and the tape consists of a debate between Craig and the undercover cop about his foot and such ... to which
2) If you ask me, a jury of one, there's a hell of a lot more evidence against Michael Vick than Sen. Craig ... But look who the media is giving the benefit of the doubt to ...
I don't know of many people
August 30, 2007 - 23:17 ET by balboaI don't know of many people giving Vick the benefit of the doubt, do you? He's being hammered by most.
Only the NAACP
August 31, 2007 - 02:09 ET by sarcasmoWhich is becoming irrelevant, because everyone knows the backstory on this one. The NAACP's shysters, who long-ago forgot about anything resembling principles, smell a potential payoff to be taken from what-little of Vick's million$ the government & his own shysters left-behind.
JMR
Rally online with fans of Dr. Ron Paul.
bal -
August 31, 2007 - 17:06 ET by drillanwrI beg to differ ... I have heard a herd of detractors `splainin' away Vick's dog fighting "sport" as something cultural ... and not worthy of such hub-bub. And NOT worthy of losing his job. You hear them saying, Yes, dog fighting is nasty, BUT ... and then they throw in the culture tag and follow up with mean nasty hunters and meat-eaters moral equivalencies ...
The fact of the matter is gay is not illegal ... dog fighting, in most areas, is ...
There are a few chumps who
August 31, 2007 - 17:15 ET by balboaThere are a few chumps who don't get it, and they're probably going to get busted for the same thing or shot at a rap star's party: Stephon Marbury, et al.
But for the most part people are decrying Vick's behavior and choices.
bal -
August 31, 2007 - 18:22 ET by drillanwrNot that anyone else will see this link, since this topic node is page 2 now, but since you and I are chatting about things, Vick could learn a thing or two from how these pooches are trained and treated:
They Sniff at Danger
How a Motley Crew of Dogs Found Their True Calling -- Fighting Terrorism
By Laura Blumenfeld
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 30, 2007; Page C01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/29/AR2007082902331.html?nav=hcmodule
Craig
August 30, 2007 - 23:27 ET by JDWMost people are too quick to focus on the guilty plea and not reason his motive. If the incident went to court it became public.
The tape is not incriminating.
JDW
CFR: Chung, Riady, Hsia, Trie, Huang, Hsu, Paw... Who's looking?
Delay vs MSM
August 30, 2007 - 21:50 ET by steve2526To finish his day, Delay did a pretty good smackdown on Colmes tonight.
Damn! Figures! The one
August 30, 2007 - 22:10 ET by drillanwrDamn! Figures! The one night I don't have it on ...
Hey, NB! Get us a video link!!??
Maybe it's not too late
August 30, 2007 - 22:35 ET by ChaitealoverHere is San Diego we get a repeat of H&C at 9:00 pm. I'll watch if the Padres either have a big lead over the Diamondbacks [or vice versa]. If it's close, I won't care about politics, even to see Colmes get smacked down. As I'm also trying to watch the Chargers/FortyNiners pre-season game, I don't think my brain could take a third exciting happening tonight :o)
Those who would expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigue of supporting it - Thomas Paine
Mark.... Thank You...
August 30, 2007 - 23:52 ET by bigtimerMark....
Thank You... Thank You... Thank You.
I just now got down to here....I posted earlier today about this great interview while I was watching live...then had to leave for a few hours.
Delay was great...as far as I am concerned we lost a great leader in the House with the silly rules the dem's weren't about to follow all with Hastert's nod.
Big Mistake.
I cannot wait until Ronnie Earl is Nifonged.
I don't get it
August 31, 2007 - 00:40 ET by Wolf PanglossWhy do Republicans rush to attack and jettison other Republicans as fast as Democrats can smear them? Hey Republicans. We are all sinners.
How about a little forgiveness for a sinning brother now and then when
there is still a war that must be won–a war that could be lost if the
current set of degenerate Democrats grab the remaining levers of power?
I don't get it.
Legality
August 31, 2007 - 07:26 ET by Sergeant ROCKIf the 'smear' is about doing something illegal, then yes, they should be jettisoned. Or, find a home in the democRATic party. Otherwise, yes, they should be defended. But, unlike democRATS who get a free ride in such circumstances, Republicans often step down for the good of the party.
Everybody knows that the
August 31, 2007 - 07:40 ET by ricklailEverybody knows that the DemocRATs have no moral values. Republicans take the high road on morals. So when it happens to a republican, the press and demorats start yelling hypocracy. The public expects things like this out of the Dems.
A bonafided and certified member of the beer guzzling, NASCAR watching middle class.
True
August 31, 2007 - 07:48 ET by Sergeant ROCK.. and the fact, like Delay has said, that the GOP disposes of them is an example of NOT being hypocritical. Now, the democRATS, on the other hand....
Change sometimes to "most of
August 31, 2007 - 02:02 ET by zfChange sometimes to "most of the time" and you'd be right on, Mr. Matthews.