Chris, How Do You Really Feel?
Cable host Chris Matthews reacted to the resignation of top Bush aide Karl Rove by calling the political operative a "bum" and speculating as to whether he would tell all in an autobiography. Matthews sneeringly wondered if "you have to pay to get the truth from Karl Rove." In general, he contributed to the media frothing by hungering for the scalp of the Bush aide.
Dan Abrams, MSNBC host and general manager of that cable network, continued the political savaging by labeling Rove the "Constitutional Crippler." Abrams went on to slam Rove for "hypocrisy. He also asserted that he wouldn’t "shed a tear at his farewell bash." (I wouldn’t expect an invitation.) The Rove rage wasn’t limited to MSNBC, however. ABC managed to inaccurately blame the Bush operative for the 2004 Swift Boat ads.
“Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough this week divulged an embarrassing, but not very surprising, fact about the MSNBC network. During the 2003 State of the Union address, reporters at the cable channel were actually booing President Bush during his speech! Scarborough even mentioned NewsBusters in the process.
This week, CBS’s "Early Show" ran an uncritical, fawning look at actor Leonardo DiCaprio’s new global warming documentary, "The 11th Hour." Co-anchor Julie Chen closed her report by gushing to co-host Harry Smith that DiCaprio is "sweet," and "smart." She added, "...He's such a great spokesperson to have for this very important cause."
On Tuesday, NBC’s "Today" show continued to show its willingness to participate in stunts organized by Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign. Cameras followed the Democrat around as she participated in a labor union event, included were shots of Hillary talking to patients at a hospital and sitting down with a nurse’s family to say grace. Think NBC would offer such an unquestioning look at Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson?
Surprisingly, CNN, of all networks, covered a story that many in the mainstream media have failed to pick up on. A website has been tracking alterations to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. It just so happens that one such change, adding the words "jerk, jerk, jerk," to President Bush’s entry, came from an IP address at a computer in the New York Times building. Shocking, huh?
Congratulations to the editors, writers and readers of NewsBusters for our second anniversary!
August 18 is also the first anniversary of the NB Weekly Recap. Reader feedback and thoughts on this feature is appreciated.
—Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
}}---> NB too modest
August 18, 2007 - 09:31 ET by Cool ArrowI guess making Drudge is chopped liver?
~LYDSEXICS UNTIE!~
Cool Arrow, Great point,
August 18, 2007 - 11:42 ET by Scott WhitlockCool Arrow,
Great point, actually. I don't know how I forgot to include that. I updated the recap blog. Thanks for the reminder!
Scott
MSNBC Argues
August 18, 2007 - 09:58 ET by allanfNow MSNBC argues that it is balanced. It has "conservatives" Tucker Carlson and Joe Scarborough to round out Chris Matthews and Keith Olberman.
When Tucker was on CNN's Crossfire, I always thought of him as the Washington Generals (the team that always lost to the Harlem Globtrotters) of conservatives. He was there to make the liberal point of view look better.
Scarborough certainly does not act like much of conservative any longer.
Yet Abrams and MSNBC l claim to all who listen that they are balanced.
Am I being unfair to Carlson and Scarborough?
No, not by a long shot
August 18, 2007 - 12:53 ET by general companyAm I being unfair to Carlson and Scarborough?
No, Tucker is a putz from way back. I highly doubt that either of these clowns vote conservitive, Joe maybe has, but not anymore.
Tucker,Joe and forehead
August 18, 2007 - 21:04 ET by Jerry MackI believe that Tucker, Joe and the forehead share the distinction of some of the lowest ratings ever on cable news stations. I find it difficult to understand why TC and JS still have shows.
Abrams probably considers Rosie O. to be a moderate.
NB Staff Missing Something here?
August 18, 2007 - 10:12 ET by ThisnThatI'm surprised the Friday NG 2-year celebration wasn't listed in this week's highlights. Am I missing something here?
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If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier.
I was there last night. It
August 18, 2007 - 11:55 ET by Scott WhitlockI was there last night. It was actually a lot of fun. Editors Ken Shepherd and Matt Sheffield were there, as were many of my fellow MRC analysts and some readers and bloggers from other sites.
It was great
August 18, 2007 - 14:10 ET by Matthew SheffieldWe had a pretty good turnout maybe 15-20 people. Definitely will do it again soon in DC and maybe elsewhere in the country.
I was there in spirit.
August 19, 2007 - 04:08 ET by Warner Todd HustonI was there in spirit. Chicago is just a tad too far away to have dropped by there!
So, here is a question I arrived at tonight:
If you have only one leg, you know which one it is. But if you have two, now which one is it?
See.... I have been drinkin', too!