Miami Herald Columnist Triumphantly Cites Leftwing Media Matters to Slam Illegal Immigration Critics


Miami Herald columnist, Andres Oppenheimer, is like a high school football player who just scored a touchdown. You can spot him in the end zone triumphantly spiking the football and performing his over the top victory dance. However there is something a bit too overenthusiastic about Oppenheimer's self-celebration as if he knows there is a huge caveat to his "victory."

You can read his not quite convincing "celebration" in his Miami Herald column, "About time! Reckless TV anchors put on spot:"

Bravo! A new study has found widespread fear-mongering and reckless journalism by cable television hosts such as CNN's Lou Dobbs and Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, who have made a career of bashing Hispanic undocumented immigrants and their home countries.

Gee! Doesn 't that sound impressive? However guess who did this "study?"

The study by Media Matters Action Network, a watchdog group, says Dobbs, O'Reilly and CNN's Glenn Beck serve up steady anger, resentment and myths ``seemingly geared toward creating anti-immigrant hysteria.''

Yes, Media Matters. That leftwing group financed by billionaire George Soros to attack conservatives. Not exactly an unbiased study group there. Of course, Oppenheimer continues to condemn people opposed to open borders illegal immgration as "creating anti-immigrant hysteria." According to Oppenheimer and other open borders advocates, there are only "undocumented immigrants," not illegal aliens. And anybody opposed to open borders is somehow a Know Nothing nativist.

Oppenheimer also celebrates some related "good news." Barack Obama shares his distorted vision about illegal immigration:

Also good news: Likely Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama told me in an interview last week that he shares concerns ''about the anti-immigrant tenor that I have seen in some of the broadcasts,'' which are helping create a climate of hatred against Hispanics.

So now the ball is in the court of Oppenheimer and Obama. Could they cite some specific examples of those broadcasts creating a "climate of hatred against Hispanics" who are here legally? Your humble NewsBusters correspondent knows that neither his Hispanic wife nor in-laws who are here legally feel any such imaginary climate of hatred. As for Oppenheimer's readers, most of them just aren't buying his smug victory celebration based on a "study" by a far left group with an agenda. Here is a small sampling of what Oppenheimer's readers had to say about his column both in the Herald and on his blog:

Calling an ILLEGAL ALIEN an "undocumented immigrant, is like calling a crack dealer and "unlicensed pharmacist" - ILLEGAL is ILLEGAL, regardless of ethnic background.

You use a very liberal source without revealing their agenda and use it as a rallying point for the Democratic candidate and wonder why people won't subscribe to your leftist agenda driven newspaper?

EVERY country in the world has an immigration policy. ILLEGAL immigration is a CRIME in every country in the world. I would love to see you go across the border into MEXICO as an UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT/ILLEGAL ALIEN. As has been reported they are very tough on illegals and you would be put under the prison for daring to enter Mexico illegally. Try to write your column from there !

—P.J. Gladnick is a freelance writer and creator of the DUmmie FUnnies blog.


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Media Matters

Any "study" by Media Matters should be scrutinized closely.

Here is an example of how they produce one of their "studies" with false results:
"MEDIA MATTERS Watch": Yet Another Bogus and Fallacious Study From Media Matters

+_+_+_+_+_+

Frankenlies.com: The truth about the lies of Al Franken

A great place to joust with

A great place to joust with nincompoop liberals!  Try it!  You'll love the opposition.  There is nothing so grand as pulling down a liberal's intellectual pants in public.  Media Matters is a great place to do that.

Let's Test Andres Oppenheimer's Principles

Dear Mr. Oppenheimer,

I don't think there is enough diversity in America's newsrooms.

I think this problem might be solved if America issued 100,000 work visas for foreign journalists.

Will you and the Miami Herald news staff help me get support for this much needed reform?

Dave P... Thank you for

Dave P...

Thank you for that excellent fact filled info. on MM and how they rate ect...

Neutral seems to be their favorite word for total leftists and other outright enemies within...but no matter whatsoever on who and how the poll was taken...of course not..it is another leftist using propaganda with his propaganda...

Agenda...and all that filthy jazz of theirs.

"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Wilson

morning, bt....and don't

morning, bt....and don't you love how Media Matters is not liberal, they're just a watchdog group!

I'm sure he would refer to Media Research Center the same way......

In other news...

communists say that communism is the best form of government!

"Fact filled?" Hardly...

This post isn't "fact filled."  That's its problem - there are only two facts in it.  One:  A columnist quoted Media Matters for America.  Two:  MM4A is "George Soros" funded.  And raising the name "George Soros" is enough for right wingnutz who refuse to think.

The proper way to refute the column is to cite any errors or mistakes in the Media Matters Study.  That would, of course, involve "facts."  Simply stating "Oh - Media Matters bad!  George Soros!" is apparently enough to many of the folks here - but it hardly involves "facts."

Yeah, I'm sure the likes of the Miami Herald would call the MRC

"A watchdog group," with no further ideological/political identification, just like they did for MM. Riiiight...The fact is that this post busts a bit of left-wing bias, but when it comes to the Miami Herald that's like shooting large fish in a small barrel.
JMR

The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.

With 47 or so Mexican

With 47 or so Mexican Consulates in the United States handing out Matricular Consular cards to illegal aliens so they can open US bank accounts, phone services, etc, the real "know nothings" are the people who still think this is just a bunch of poor people coming across the border.  This is deliberate colonization by the Mexican Government of the US, with US Government approval. All the talk of fences, etc is just a ruse as long as the US government allows banks to use matricular consular cards as IDs in federally insured banks. 

I couldn't agree more

I couldn't agree more alamo...I sure wished misterb was here tonight to see this blog spot and thread...he would be tickled...and have a lot to contribute.

"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Wilson

Mexico is just throwing people away, nothing more nothing less

 This is deliberate colonization by the Mexican Government of the US, with US Government approval.  Actually, this is the government of Mexico throwing away people it doesn't want.  And this has been going on for just about as Mexico has been around.

One of the biggest reasons I would like to see the United States enforce its immigration laws and make it difficult if not completely impossible to just walk into the United States at will is specifically to force Mexico into reforming itself.  With 100 million people, two coastlines with deep water ports, abundant natural resources and plentiful agriculture and industry, Mexico should be every bit the neighbor Canada is. Mexico could be a First World fully developed nation whose first language happens to be Spanish.  But one of the biggest reasons that Mexico will not move in that direction is because if you are discontented, Mexico can afford to tell you "too bad - leave, we won't miss you".

Now, if those discontented persons were "bottled up" in Mexico, we might see changes for the positive there that lead it to becoming a fully developed Mexico who will be as quiet a neighbor as Canada and perhaps every bit as valuable a trading partner.  But so long as the United States allows Mexico to dump those it doesn't want in our country, where is their incentive to change?

It also does not hurt that remittances from abroad are the 2nd largest component of Mexico's GDP, after oil. 

Res tantum valet quantum vendi potest.

"Mexico is just throwing people away..."

Agreed.

I say we should throw them back.  :-)

The truth is insensitive. - Neal Boortz

No green card?

Hey, if they are over here without green cards...

100% concur! 

(This goes for the lot of them, no matter where they are from.  If your first act upon immigrating here is to break a very fundamental law...)

Res tantum valet quantum vendi potest.

This invasion aided and

This invasion aided and abetted by the Mexican Consuls is an act of war. It is high time for a declaration of war on Mexico. Casus Belli should be obvious. The Mexican governments official policy is to encourage, aid and abet this invasion. Once it's official policy, it's an act of war.

Juan-ny Get Your Gun

I give your recommendation a hearty "dos!" Let's begin by buying the country a round of tequila, and after we get them good and drunk we ride in covert in low riders until we hit Monterey, stop for some chimichangas, and proceed straight to Mexico City where we will shoot the three Mexicans that are left. Maybe by that time, if we had our fingers crossed, we can call for trade-backs.

Responsibility is the price of freedom. - Elbert Hubbard

There's a Mexican Consulate here in Dallas

and it is lined up with people every day.  I have a friend who says he is going to glue a tortilla to his car and drive north until someone asks him "what is that?".  Buenas noches from Dallas, the cleanest city in Northern Mexico!

Jeff Lebowski

www.angrywhitedude.c...

What's your souce? Media Maters? HA! HA! HA! HA!......

Thanks P.J.. Another great example of today's journalist hard at work seeking the "truth." Essentially it goes like this: Read a memo from Media Matters/Write a column. Wow.

And as far as the reader who quickly spotted what a lefty hack Oppenheimer is, it is becoming more and more apparent with today's dinosaur newspapers that if you want to read real entertaining (and smart) insight skip the columnist and head for the responses.

Hold on a moment...

>>>Bravo! A new study has found widespread fear-mongering and reckless journalism by cable television hosts such as CNN's Lou Dobbs and Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, who have made a career of bashing Hispanic undocumented immigrants and their home countries.

 >>>Gee! Doesn 't that sound impressive? However guess who did this "study?"

Now, hold on just a moment. . .I have some very important, late-breaking NEWS! 

A new study/research/and/or infogram (of some sort), has now been able to reveal. . the real and true, VERIFIABLE, most completely, honestly determined and substantiated. . .(really, for REAL). . .

The WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD -- (I mean, if its on TV it must be true!) -- Keith Overbite!

 

sean robins
blog.seanrobins.com

Just think about how much

Just think about how much money our government could save if we would crack down on illegal immigration.  

Also, I am sick and tired of people speaking Spanish everywhere!! (I live in California). 

Lib Rag 1 Quotes Lib Rag 2: What Else is New?

Why doesn't he just print his articles in Spanglish? That would be the most "equal" way to comment on American immigration policy. Anyway, I'm tired of liberals thinking the United States is like a big pinata where the libs get to bash it and the illegals get to pick up the candy. Believe it or not, what the Mexicans are doing to this country is equivalent to theft. Unbridled, unequivocated theft of the fruits of Americans' labor, time spent educating kids who want to speak English, and especially time spent on the phone having to indicate, "YEAH I FREAKIN' SPEAK ENGLISH!"

Responsibility is the price of freedom. - Elbert Hubbard Rag

Next thing you know we will

Next thing you know we will be seeing cable network news personalities blogging at the Daily Kos.

 

 

Nom de Plume

Who says they aren't already?

My guess is they do, just not with their real names. ;-)

 

"Don't forget to vote this fall. Not for McCain, not ever, but there might be a Conservative Rep or Senator that Needs Your Vote" --Free Stinker

'27 years ago'

'to my friend' sen. juan mccain ,

27 years ago father theodore hesberg, pres. of notre dame univ.,in 1981, as chairman of a presidential commision on illegal immigration stated: "in order to keep open the front door of legal immigration, we must close the back door of illegal entry." i ask you , "my friend "what part of farther hesberg's statement is it that you don't understand? you should pay particular notice that "he" didn't pander to "gods children."

No country allows open borders and illegal immigration

Currently, there are 193 recognized countries in the world. All 193 of those countries have established immigration policies. All 193 of those countries view illegal entry into their country as a crime. Therefore, all 193 countries take the stance that illegal immigration is a violation of their national sovereignty and is not conducive to their well being. Nor is to be tolerated. The U.S. is one of those 193 countries. Should we not agree with the entire rest of the world?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The more we become a nation of illegal immigrants, the deeper we fall into anarchy.

----

Exactly.

zeezil... "The more we

zeezil...

"The more we become a nation of illegal immigrants, the deeper we fall into anarchy."

That's exactly the plan! 

"Abstain from McCain"