The Politico’s Mike Allen appeared on Wednesday’s Morning Joe to both defend the mainstream media’s decision to ignore the ACORN controversy and agree that a double standard is at work. Commenting on a piece he wrote about the subject, the former New York Times reporter spun, "And what we heard was news executives saying that there's so much out there. Two wars, health care, a President who's struggling, that they didn't have time to focus on this."
Asserting that, somehow, Americans should appreciate the media’s efforts to spike coverage of ACORN, He cheered, "I think we should be grateful for that filter so that you go to places- NBC News, Politico, others- that you can trust and you’ll know that what is there is accurate and not speculation." Grateful? How can viewers be expected to trust a source when that outlet ignores certain inconvenient stories?
At the same time, Allen admitted that this was a "wake-up" call for journalists and he agreed with host Joe Scarborough’s contention that if the Christian Coalition had been caught in a sting operation encouraging illegal activity, it would have been a "huge story."
Co-host Willie Geist noted that ACORN has blamed the scandal, in which employees can be seen apparently condoning a child prostitution ring, on a "Fox News obsession." Allen, the chief political correspondent for Politico, then delved into the mind set of those in the so-called mainstream media: "The topic- and this is one of the reasons that reporters, including myself, initially tuned this out- is that ACORN has been an obsession. ACORN has been a longtime whipping boy."
Scarborough pointed out the obvious double standard: "...If the Christian Coalition had been involved in something like that in 1995, The New York Times would have picked that up, and it would have been on the front page the next day."
Allen responded with yet another excuse: "And the fact is that people assume that these decisions are ideological when, in fact, we have other blinders. And they included the fact there is all this other real news that news organizations have to cover whereas bloggers can focus on one particular thing. They don't also have to pay attention to Afghanistan."
In the Politico piece by Allen, ABC World News producer Jon Banner huffed that there’s a "tremendous amount of...noise." He added, "We’re not in the business of noise."
A transcript of the September 16 segment, which aired at 6:20 am EDT, follows:
WILLIE GEIST: Let's pick up where we left off yesterday, Mike Allen. We were talking about this ACORN story. And we just kind of got into the angle of how the media had covered or not covered this story. What did you find when you looked into it?
MIKE ALLEN: Well, Willie, I always do what Mika tells me. And I usually do what Joe tells me. And Joe said that we need to take a closer look at the media coverage. I enjoyed his conversation on his radio show with Chuck Todd. I agree with Joe's point that, if the Christian Coalition had done what ACORN did at the peak of its power, it would have been a huge story. So, I and Politico's Michael Calderon called around to news executives and said, "Why were you caught flat footed on this? Why did this bubble out there, clearly damning evidence against ACORN that the government has now acted on?" The Census Bureau has cut off its relationship. Congress is going to cut off funding. And what we heard was news executives saying that there's so much out there. Two wars, health care, a President who's struggling, that they didn't have time to focus on this. And that they put the news through a closer filter. I think we should be grateful for that filter so that you go to places- NBC News, Politico, others- that you can trust and you’ll know that what is there is accurate and not speculation. But, Willie, it's a wake up call to us that, that when there is news out there that people do care about, we need to be quicker because, if we don't, people will turn to other places for news.
GEIST: And the ACORN story has been portrayed as a FOX News obsession. But, in your estimation, certainly, a worthy story that's an important story to this conversation.
ALLEN: Right. The topic- and this is one of the reasons that reporters, including myself, initially tuned this out- is that ACORN has been an obsession. ACORN has been a longtime whipping boy. There’s all kinds- You get into crazy E-mails about ACORN- and nobody has time to process all that. But, these videos that were posted on Andrew Breitbart’s site, BigGovernment.com, did, indeed, show impropriety. So, I guess it shows that we need to read our e-mails. John Banner, the executive producer of ABC’s World News said that this has been noise,, that they're not in the business of noise. And the anchor Charlie Gibson said he was asked about it on a radio show the other day, yesterday, in fact, and said he hadn't heard of these.
GEIST: Joe is in California. He’s got a question for you, Mike.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Well, I was just going to say, Mike, I agree with you. I think the reason why the mainstream media got caught flat footed on this story and on the Van Jones story- and I don't say this to be with any malice- I say this to help my fellow friends in the mainstream media, because it was a Fox News story that they had been driving. And so they reacted against it. "Now that Fox News is doing it. Oh, my gosh, it must be bias.’ And I think, because of that, they missed two fairly good sized stories. And again, I would challenge anybody, Mike- and I'm glad you said what you said- to suggest that if the Christian Coalition had been involved in something like that in 1995, The New York Times would have picked that up, and it would have been on the front page the next day.
ALLEN: Yeah, it would have been candid. No question.
SCARBOROUGH: And people like me that were supported by the Christian Coalition would have been hammered day in and day out and day in. And I saw that happen time and again.
ALLEN: Yeah. That's right. And the fact is that people assume that these decisions are ideological when, in fact, we have other blinders. And they included the fact there is all this other real news that news organizations have to cover whereas bloggers can focus on one particular thing. They don't also have to pay attention to Afghanistan.
—Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
→ Amazing!
September 16, 2009 - 15:23 ET by Cool ArrowACORN has been a longtime whipping boy.
Do they not know the term "whipping boy" refers to the peasant kid who gets the beating the prince deserves?
And of course Willie Geist just couldn't wait to refer to a predominantly black organization as "boy"
I guess Jimmy Carter and Maureen Dowd have lifted the stigma on "boy"
LYDSEXICS UNTIE!
A MADDENING PATTERN
September 17, 2009 - 08:31 ET by reelman46ANSWER THE G.D. QUESTION!
SOME QUESTIONS regarding the attitude of so many national office holders these days:
You ever notice that so many politicians (aka publik servants) now simply REFUSE to be questioned?
You notice so many “publik servants” just quickly walk away?
You notice so many “publik servants” attack the questioner?
You notice so many “publik servants” are arrogant and rude?
(You notice democrats seem to own these practices lately?)
Does this not enrage the voters who sent them into office and pay them to vote and explain same?
People of CHARACTER are eager to explain or defend their principles-votes-inactions.
Its obvious to voters that these are the actions of people unworthy to be in such powerful positions
…and quite a signal we need new blood nationally…this abusive attitude by our servants cannot stand.
(As if failing to read bills and refusing to meet with your district voters was not already enough reason for rage…)
Doug Schexnayder, Ph.D. (theconservativecrawfish)
"So much news out there - two wars..."
September 16, 2009 - 15:25 ET by SickofLibsWhen's the last time any of these MSM outlets had more than a 30 second report on Iraq or Afghanistan?
(unless it was extraordinarily bad news)
Since the Bamster took
September 16, 2009 - 17:31 ET by Tom PaineSince the Bamster took office they don't seem to notice war at all. I mean, like, war is just so Bush Administration...
It's good to see that the
September 16, 2009 - 15:26 ET by Chris NormanIt's good to see that the dino-media is willingly and cheerfully going forward in decoupling themselves from the lives of most people - it makes our crusade so much easier. In trying to marginalize conservatives, they have only succeeded in marginalizing themselves. They are walking proudly into the tar pits...
The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.
Astounded
September 16, 2009 - 15:28 ET by BondPlainBondI've been looking for a video clip of this discussion on and off all day. I couldn't believe what I was hearing this morning when Mike was on 'Morning Joe.'
Has generated lots of discussion in a related article below, too.
Thank you for detailing this side of that conversation.
Details
September 16, 2009 - 15:27 ET by JDWSome of the news media is being forced to cover ACORN. The problem is that their stories do not cover details. Remember the AP column on the Census Bureau dropping ACORN, it left off prostitution!
JDW
DAILY WAVE
Hoping for change
MSM
September 16, 2009 - 15:33 ET by Forbus"And
what we heard was news executives saying that there's so much out
there. Two wars, health care, a President who's struggling, that they
didn't have time to focus on this."
Oh, please! First of all, the MSM barely covers the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan...so that's a cop-out.
Secondly, this same media can find time to give all the sordid details of Mark Sanford. They can focus on comments made by Sarah Palin's teenage-daughter's boyfriend. They find time for Kanye West. And they've spent a full week on two words shouted by Joe Wilson...as if it were an assassination attempt.
dismissing what's relevant
September 16, 2009 - 15:47 ET by konoYou got it, Forbus. This same media who claim to have no time to cover a hat-trick of illegal actions by ACORN will suddenly have plenty of time when the next harassing accusation is filed against Palin. (Or the next time a Left-sympathetic celebrity has a crisis or dies.)
MSM had more important news to cover . . .
September 16, 2009 - 16:16 ET by Galvaniclike --
Michael Jackson's Death Ruled a Homicide
Ellen DeGeneris Joins American Idol
Patrick Swayze Dies at Age 57
Senate to Rename Capitol's Jumbo-Meeting Room After Edward M. Kennedy
Kanye West Disses Country Music Star Taylor Swift
Leno's Prime Time Debut
Yeah, I guess there was just too much going on the past week and a half.
→ Galvanic
September 16, 2009 - 16:41 ET by Cool ArrowWait a minute! Michael Jackson's dead?
Oh heck! I must have had my blinders on watching ACORN.
LYDSEXICS UNTIE!
Oh, sorry, Cool Arrow . . .
September 16, 2009 - 18:43 ET by Galvanic. . . Would you mind breaking the bad news to Charles Gibson? :-)
I'll do it, Galvanic
September 16, 2009 - 18:46 ET by Cool ArrowBut I'll just have to tell him again tomorrow.
It's true. He meets new friends at the office each day and they act like they already know him.
LYDSEXICS UNTIE!
don't forget
September 16, 2009 - 18:12 ET by Kekela WardMichael Jackson died and that DUI senator from MA too. Extremely important stories, to be sure.
Sam: "I hurt somebody's feelings once"
This turned out to be not
September 16, 2009 - 15:36 ET by danboThis turned out to be not just a sting for ACORN. But also a sting for the media. Or many who pretend to be journalist.
HAHAHAHAHA. HEHEHE. I didn’t even know about it. Um. So, you’ve got me at a loss. I don’t know. (Charles Gibson of the dead media.)
"grateful for the filter"?
September 16, 2009 - 15:39 ET by BO STINKSWe should be 'grateful for the filter?' O yes, we are so grateful for all your filters, you lying fascist scum.
Does the narcissism complex include complete blindness? Every time one of these DNC shills speaks, I hear a German accent. Deep down, I'm sure the jewish people were grateful for the filtering propaganda that told them they had nothing to fear in the ghettos and concentration camps. R-i-i-ight.
"I am a Nonideological(ist)." - B. Hussein Obama
What makes Mr. Allen any
September 16, 2009 - 15:39 ET by d1carterWhat makes Mr. Allen any different from the other SRM?
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE...
September 16, 2009 - 15:56 ET by danybhoyPolitico was created by a bunch of old MSM guys to begin with. They brought their bias with them to Politico.
"...How blind can you be, don't you see...
...that the gambler lost all he does not have..."
Nightwish
We get it Mike
September 16, 2009 - 15:43 ET by acumenWhen a corrupt organization proven to be systemically involved in fraud and deceit has blown over 53 million dollars of hard working American's tax money over the past 15 years, that's not considered news to the establishment media in the middle of a recession.
".....when there is news out there that people do care about, we need to be quicker because, if we don't, people will turn to other places for news."
I can give you about 53 million reasons why it's a bit late for that Mike.
".....when there is news
September 16, 2009 - 15:51 ET by danbo".....when there is news out there that people do care about, we need to be quicker because, if we don't, people will turn to other places for news."
We have.
HAHAHAHAHA. HEHEHE. I didn’t even know about it. Um. So, you’ve got me at a loss. I don’t know. (Charles Gibson of the dead media.)
acumen... This is what is
September 16, 2009 - 15:58 ET by bigtimeracumen...
This is what is infuriating to me...the very fact that the tax-payers pay this filthy-rotten organization and sister groups by force is of no interest to the leftist SCM.
Nothing new either...unless of course it would be something that was for their never-ending agenda...then that would be huge news.
Hypocrites all.
'Go Green...Recycle Congress'
Huh???
September 16, 2009 - 15:53 ET by MaratThis bunch of BS doesn't really require much of a response. "HUH? (scratch head in bewilderment)
Typical
September 16, 2009 - 15:54 ET by bigtimerMike Allen has always been one of the biggest wussified, milquetoast so-called reporters I have ever witnessed over many years...he plays both sides of the aisle whenever he can stammer his way through it depending on where he is, he is actually a pathetic little leftist mouse, afraid of his own shadow...if you said boo to him he would pee his pants.
Geist is the only one I really like on MJ anyway.
'Go Green...Recycle Congress'
bigtimer
September 16, 2009 - 16:02 ET by BondPlainBondWhen Politico first started up, I really liked Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei. I even registered at Politico. About two weeks into it, it was crystal clear they (Politico) were liberal agenda-pushers - truth be obfuscated, snarkiness cranked up.
They're nothing but liberal, elitist, cocktail party chatter fodder-ists. *shrug*
BPB... I registered with
September 16, 2009 - 16:07 ET by bigtimerBPB...
I registered with them as well...I knew who these guys were ahead of time, so I figured it would be liberal, but I had hopes they would really try to be fair and balanced...as they were touting they would be on various networks etc.
Still with them...just don't bother to comment anymore...go there for info still. ;-)
'Go Green...Recycle Congress'
Wussified
September 16, 2009 - 16:22 ET by Gat New York"wussified"
Is the derivitive of wussified wussy or just wuss? More importantly if you say any of those terms on the House floor are you reprimanded by Nancy Pelotes? And if you can't call the President a "Liar" can you still say that his "Pants Are On Fire?"
As far as Mike Allen and all the ex-journalists I think they are extraordinarily emabarrased that two young kids scooped them all on a major story and they just cannot deal with it. So they shrug their shoulders and defensively say it wasn't a big deal. Yeah right.
Just A Little Aside
September 16, 2009 - 15:56 ET by BondPlainBond'Morning Joe' is on the West Coast this week. Live audience yesterday at the Reagan Library. Many audience members were decked out in the promotional 'Morning Joe' tee-shirt... guess what color?
Brown.
The irony is hilarious.
I'm certain it's because 'Morning Joe' is liberally brewed by Starbucks, the most expensive and arrogantly served cuppa in the neighborhood.
"And the fact is that
September 16, 2009 - 16:30 ET by ProudAmerican58"And the fact is that people assume that these decisions are ideological when, in fact, we have other blinders."
Yes, they have blinders and that's a fact!
Sea Change
September 16, 2009 - 16:01 ET by rammingspeedThis is pure vomit, pouring out of the mainstream media. Rather, it's being kicked out of them by relatively ordinary people who are exposing truth that hurts the progressive cause. That there is RICCO style thinking coming out of ACORN is something that's been known, but now is being proven.
Interesting...
September 16, 2009 - 16:11 ET by retroconThe MSM went out of their way to FABRICATE news against Bush when there were two wars going on... but they can't report on real news now.
We, the American people, are being treated like idiots, me thinks the MSM will soon discover that we are not.
They don't also have to pay
September 16, 2009 - 16:34 ET by fitzfongThey don't also have to pay attention to Afghanistan.
Yeah, and judging by your coverage up to this point, neither do you. But wouldn't the world be a better place if, instead of being able to investigate and draw our own conclusions as to what constitutes news, we simply surrendered that judgement to the Mike Allen/MS-Ponzi Scheme filtration system?
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered." -George Best
I must have been dreaming
September 16, 2009 - 16:44 ET by SickofLibsI must have been dreaming that I was subjected to all that nonstop, nauseating coverage of "Ma'Belle, The World's Fashionplate" and "The Most Beautiful Arms Since Venus", because that's not real news.
"He cheered, "I think we
September 16, 2009 - 17:19 ET by celator"He cheered, "I think we should be grateful for that filter....."
Filter? FILTER?
Around here we call it hiding the news that hurts Obama.
I knew Politico would fly its colors before much longer.
No citizen's right to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, or property is safe as long as Obama is President of the United States.
Iraq? Afghanistan?
September 16, 2009 - 17:22 ET by metaphorsbwithuI knew it was Bush's fault! :-D
metaphorsbwithu
Actually, Comrade Allen has
September 16, 2009 - 17:26 ET by RR GOPActually, Comrade Allen has a point, but not in the way he means.
With all this focus on ACORN, not to mention the Tea Party/Racism BS, we are being diverted from what the American Taliban is really up to.
But, there again, it's not like we're going to hear about that stuff anyway, so...
One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 86% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.
I'll have to give them one
September 16, 2009 - 18:50 ET by ThisnThatI'll have to give them one point, though. If the Christian Coalition had been kicked out of their contract with the U.S. Census; had an 83-7 Senate vote against them to cut off their funds; and was being investigated in at least 14 states for massive voting registration irregularities -- then yeah, I'll say that the Christian Coalition might get one or two 30-second stories on the NBC nightly news. You think?
But it takes a little more than that to get ACORN into the news, doesn't it? It takes four different undercover corruption videos from 4 separate states, plus the firing of said corrupt workers to finally get mentioned in today's biased "news" environment. The MSM is pathetic and way too obviously corrupt themselves.
___________________________________
"Tax the rich" is a basically unstable way of governing - The NYT
They haven't had time
September 16, 2009 - 20:04 ET by G. MayThey haven't had time because journalism is HARD!
I'm betting one of the big news outlets will break the story detailing the President's history with ACORN real soon. Maybe tomorrow!
I think we should be
September 16, 2009 - 20:12 ET by TN MomI think we should be grateful for that filter so that you go to places- NBC News, Politico, others- that you can trust and you’ll know that what is there is accurate and not speculation.
Time to change the filter.
The Liberal Elite Media is busted by two 20 year olds and a $3000 budget! Even viagra can't save the old networks now..
Grateful?
September 16, 2009 - 20:54 ET by nadadhimmiAs in, I'm so grateful you're not pi$$ing down my back, that must be just warm rain.
With so-called 24 hour news
September 16, 2009 - 21:41 ET by FishFace222With so-called 24 hour news cycles, maybe at least the cable channels could come up with more than 1 hour of news repeated 24 times. It really wouldn't be that difficult.
Morning Joe
September 16, 2009 - 21:45 ET by chuckkWhat I loved about the Imus show was how comfortable he was with a few seconds of silence... most shows can't fathom that concept.
Of course, his constant rambling about "Greening the Cleaning" or butt-sniffing of guests like Harold Ford, Jr (who knifed him in the back) got tiresome.
Much worse is the constant bit-killing Mike Brezinski, who snuffs out every interesting conversation with her tiresome interruptions of "okayy.. moving on..." or throat clearings anytime Joe or a guest says anything that perks your ears up..
She ruins the one show on MSNBC worth watching.. and kills the mood.
How I wish Pat Buchanan could be freed from his contract to be a chief commentator on the new Imus program coming October 5th. We nightowls might finally have an fascinating morning program!
I bet the shredders at ACORN oRifices all over the country...
September 16, 2009 - 21:58 ET by R D Helm...are shooting off blue sparks and emitting not a little smoke right about now.
Can I get an "Amen!?"
-Dave
I agree with Rush. It's time for Obama to resign.
This is funny...
September 17, 2009 - 01:01 ET by nan101They think if they say the words, we all will go...oh I see, thanks for clearing that up...Instead they will pick on Bush for continuing to read to children on 9/11.
While ACORN help get homes for prostitution rings...nice...how many times have they got away with, more than we will ever know.
The irony is they believe the garbage they spew...the emperor really has no clothes.
Judgement Day - 2010
It's actually a good thing.
September 17, 2009 - 07:43 ET by EddieWalkerWhen the news first broke about Acorn, I was impressed by the two people who pulled it off and impressed with what they accomplished. When they did it again, I was suprised that Acorn was that stupid to fall for it twice. When it happened a third time, I realized that nobody there watched Fox News and since the mainstream media refused to report it, nobody at Acorn knew it was going on. If one of the other so called media outlets had talked about the first time that it happened, nobody would have fallen for it. The fact that they were so rediculous and over the top should have ensured their failure, but the Acorn employees didn't have a clue that they had been targeted. Allot of this has to be because there was no coverage of it by anybody but Fox.
The People have awaken
September 17, 2009 - 07:57 ET by keeptherepublicI was over at a blog on abcnews.com that I linked to from drudge and they were talking about the new healthscare bill and how it will raise taxes. I started reading the comments and EVERY comment I read and I read quite a few, were againist the healthscare bill and "the one" in general. That is a shock to me because the comments over there are usually defending "the one" now matter what. The LSM can say what ever they want, the people are waking up to the scam in washington. I hope this continues to the election next year. Vote them ALL OUT!!!!
Liberalism always generates the opposite of its stated intent. - Jim Quinn's first law - from The Quinn and Rose Show.
You're all racists
September 17, 2009 - 08:08 ET by ThoreauYou're all racists if you don't agree with the Communists. Even Putin loves us now! We've stop building nuclear defenses! Isn't that what government is supposed to do? Not defend anything and spend all our money taking over our own businesses?
The
September 17, 2009 - 08:59 ET by jessieHThe bottom line is the MSM doesn't report anything that could potentially hurt the ONE. They get their orders from the powers that be(aka General Electric). That is why GE has the big contracts for the govt..
The Filter
September 17, 2009 - 12:15 ET by Airforce_5_O"I think we should be grateful for that filter so that you go to places- NBC News, Politico, others- that you can trust and you’ll know that what is there is accurate and not speculation."
Yes I am! I mean I just really wouldn't know what a real news story was without that filter. I mean this whole ACORN thing falls right in line with "Three Headed Alien Goat Boy Gives Birth to Lindsay Lohan Love Child". Wow I just didn't see that one coming.
Thank you MSM for filtering and spoon feeding me what you think I should think!!!!!
<SARC OFF>
Liberalism: The haunting feeling that someone, somewhere, can help themselves.
My guess is that those
September 17, 2009 - 16:40 ET by b4m4wyMy guess is that those fired Acorn workers are hired at a different location. Woohoo, more jobs just created. And who said Acorn isn't helping the economy?
Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.
Ronald Reagan