The Ed Show

A bogus report published by MarketWatch Tuesday claiming "under Obama, federal spending is rising at the slowest pace since Dwight Eisenhower brought the Korean War to an end in the 1950s" has been all the rage at the White House and MSNBC.

Conservative columnist Ann Coulter correctly observed Wednesday:

On Monday, President Obama said his attacks on Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's involvement in Bain Capital are "not a distraction and that "This is what this campaign is going to be about.”

MSNBC clearly got the message for as Politico's Dylan Byers noted Tuesday, this so-called news network's primetime schedule this evening is chock full of Bain:

Although it may not surprise NewsBusters readers, it appears MSNBC's Ed Schultz doesn't pay any attention to what he says, what others on his network report, or what is covered by any mainstream media outlet.

What else could be the explanation for Schultz claiming in an interview with Talking Points Memo that the most under-covered story in the country right now is wealthy people not paying their "fair share" of taxes (question in bold):

On Friday, Bill Maher, the largest donor to Barack Obama's Super PAC, pressured MSNBC's Ed Schultz to contribute to the President's campaign.

This happened on HBO's Real Time less than 30 minutes after Maher said, "For the sake of black America, [Obama] needs the second term" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

On Monday's The Ed Show on MSNBC, as host Ed Schultz and MSNBC political analyst Richard Wolffe - formerly of Newsweek - discussed Mitt Romney's crack on President Obama that even President Carter would have had the judgment to order the killing of Osama bin Laden once the 9/11 mastermind had been found, the two MSNBC personalities fretted that Romney had taken a "cheap shot" at Jimmy Carter.

Just how in bed with Barack Obama is MSNBC?

On Wednesday, the President's campaign website - under the hysterical rubrick of "Truth Team" aka "Keeping GOP Honest" - published a video featuring Ed Schultz trashing presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):

Geraldo Rivera on Friday accused MSNBC anchors of not caring at all about the evidence concerning the shooting of Trayvon Martin and instead "cheerleading for the conviction of George Zimmerman."

Appearing on Fox New's The O'Reilly Factor, Rivera specifically pointed his finger at Martin Bashir, Chris Matthews, Lawrence O'Donnell, Al Sharpton, and Ed Schultz (video follows with transcript and commentary:

On Thursday's The Ed Show on MSNBC, the Huffington Post's Howard Fineman - formerly of Newsweek - praised President Obama's campaign to raise taxes on the Wealthy, asserting that, even in tax averse New Hampshire, voters believe the federal income tax code is "unfair" as he labeled the President's strategy on taxes as "smart."

On Thursday's The Ed Show, Ed Schultz insisted that there is indeed a "war on women" by Republicans as the MSNBC host responded to a recent interview by RNC Chairman Reince Priebus in which is mocked Democrats for the scurrilous charge. At one point, Schultz absurdly thought it insightful to claim that, "ironically," Republicans deny that there is a "war on women" even though they "lied us into a war nine years ago," referring to Iraq.

Schultz teased his Thursday The Ed Show:

Are the folks at MSNBC the slightest bit concerned anymore with showing even a hint of impartiality in their so-called "news" programming?

On Wednesday, Ed Schultz began the nationally televised show bearing his name saying, "Suck it up Righties!" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

On Friday's The Ed Show on MSNBC, host Ed Schultz and MSNBC political analyst Richard Wolffe - formerly of Newsweek - drew attention to a woman at a shooting range who recently encouraged Rick Santorum to "pretend it's Obama" while the GOP presidential candidate was firing at a target.

After Schultz noted that Santorum criticized the comment when it was brought to his attention, Wolffe warned viewers:

MRC President Brent Bozell appeared on the Mark Levin radio show, Thursday, to premiere a new montage of Ed Schultz's most hateful comments and attack MSNBC's double standard. Pointing out liberal journalists who have called for Rush Limbaugh's firing, but are silent on Shultz, Bozell declared, "I’ve had it with the dishonesty. I’ve had it with the shameless posturing. I’ve had it with the hypocrisy.  And it’s time to call them out on it."

Video of Schultz's foaming, unhinged rants over "bastard," "slut" conservatives can be found below. [MP3 audio here.] After Levin played the montage, which included Shultz suggesting some conservatives want to murder Barack Obama, Bozell wondered, "Have you ever heard any one of those reporters who were upset with Rush Limbaugh ever express any outrage at anything that Ed Schultz has said along the lines we just played you?"

Dear Mr. Roberts,

As the chairman of Comcast, you have a responsibility to your shareholders and the public to produce programs which follow a basic standard of civility.

Unfortunately, MSNBC anchor Ed Schultz regularly doles out hate-filled, venomous rhetoric which has reached a boiling point. MSNBC should not give Mr. Schultz a platform to spew such hate.

Chris Matthews doesn't think much of southerners. The Hardball anchor appeared on MSNBC's primary night coverage, Tuesday, and mocked the supposed thought process of the Republican voters: "They've got three RCs, or two RCs- two Roman Catholics- running and a Mormon, so three cultists running, and they gotta pick one of the three cultists, as they see them."

The host sneered, "...But it is ridiculous to pick a guy they think is really the other, the heretic, the Muslim. What a strange stew of religious prejudice is at work here." Trying to explain the mind set of conservative primary voters, he added, "They are willing to outsource [defeating the President] to a Mormon...It's almost like calling up India or somewhere in the third world to get your computer fixed. You don't care who's fixing it, just fix the damn computer." [See video below. MP3 audio here.]

On Tuesday's The Ed Show on MSNBC, when host Ed Schultz opined that it would be "the strangest thing" if poor voters in Mississippi were to vote for the wealthiest candidate - Mitt Romney - MSNBC's Al Sharpton asserted that such voters would have to be motivated by "hate and bias" to make such a choice which he suggested "defies all reason." Sharpton:

Ed Schultz responded angrily to a March 9 NewsBusters post detailing how unions paid him nearly $200,000 in 2011, telling viewers of "The Ed Show" that night of receiving the money for speaking engagements and advertisements on his radio show website. All union speaking fees were donated to charity, Schultz claimed, as required by MSNBC policy.

That Schultz has received $337,490 from unions since 2005, according to Labor Department records, hardly comes as a shock since he is one of the most vociferous shills for organized labor in the media.  More problematic has been Schultz's lack of transparency about this. (video after page break)

UPDATE AT END OF POST: Hillary Clinton campaign circulated Obama photo in Muslim attire.

Polls released Monday showed a large percentage of Republicans in Alabama and Mississippi think President Obama is a Muslim.

In a shocking display of unhinged rhetoric hours later, MSNBC's Ed Schultz blamed it all on former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):

What a shock -- labor unions paying one of their biggest cheerleaders in the media.

Perhaps Ed Schultz could explain what he does for unions to warrant such largesse. I don't recall hearing anything along these lines on his radio program or MSNBC show. (graphic after page break)

As NewsBusters reported Monday, the ladies of ABC's The View were tremendously sympathetic to Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke's tale of woe and misery having been called a "slut" by conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh.

Yet as Laura Ingraham pointed out on Tuesday's Fox & Friends, her being called a "slut" by MSNBC's Ed Schultz last year was a source of great amusement on The View with Barbara Walters acknowledging to great laughter, "Joy Behar on this program has called me a slut" (videos follow with transcribed highlights and commentary):

On Monday's The Ed Show on MSNBC, host Ed Schultz and guests Terry O'Neil of the National Organization for Women and former Democratic congressional candidate Kristal Ball were unaccepting of Rush Limbaugh's apology for disparaging Georgetown Law School student Sandra Fluke, with Schultz suggesting that now is the best time to push Limbaugh off the air.

O'Neill claimed that there were "overtones of violence" to the conservative talk radio host's comments about Fluke. O'Neill:

Appearing as a guest on MSNBC's The Ed Show, MSNBC political analyst Richard Wolffe - formerly of Newsweek - complained that the economic policies of GOP presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum "are a repeat of the Bush years," and asserted that President Bush had the "worst jobs record of any President in modern times."

After host Ed Schultz asked "how does Romney and Santorum win over" middle class voters in Ohio, an amused Wolffe recommended that the GOP candidates "change their policies." Wolffe:

NewsBusters readers likely know Kirsten Powers as one of the many intelligent, reasonable, liberal contributors to Fox News.

On Sunday, Powers published a piece at the Daily Beast entitled "Rush Limbaugh Isn’t the Only Media Misogynist" that is guaranteed to be applauded by the Right and heavily ridiculed by her colleagues on the left:

It’s terrible that an author got death threats, even if he’s a sleazy hack who invaded the privacy of a prominent conservative politician. It’s equally terrible that prominent conservative donors received death threats for how they choose to use their money. But according to NBC, only one of those two stories is worth telling.

In the first case, the network was warning in 2010 of death threats against Sarah Palin-sliming author Joe McGinniss. As for the second, NBC ignored reports of death threats against the libertarian Koch brothers and members of their foundation. 

As NewsBusters reported Monday, media outlets across America are cherry-picking a lengthy speech by Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum to accuse him of impugning Barack Obama's religious beliefs.

Not surprisingly, MSNBC's Ed Schultz joined the hit parade (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):

As if there were not liberal billionaires able to spend money trashing Republicans and promoting  President Obama's reelection, MSNBC analyst Jonathan Alter -- formerly of Newsweek -- fretted on Tuesday that billionaires would run what he referred to as "hate ads" against President obama right before the election.

After The Ed Show host Ed Schultz complained that the GOP emphasis on "voter ID [laws] is all about voter suppression," Alter made his prediction about billionaires running ads against Obama. Alter:

With the number of numbskulls on the airwaves today, I'm not sure I'd called MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell the dumbest man on television.

But that's how real estate tycoon Donald Trump referred to the "Last Word" host on Twitter Thursday also calling him the "poor man's Ed Schultz...and Al Sharpton":

Despite Clint Eastwood's pronouncement Monday that he is "certainly not politically affiliated with Mr. Obama," the President's fans in the media are doing a victory lap over Super Bowl Sunday's Chrysler commercial featuring the Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker.

So excited by this ad was MSNBC's Ed Schultz Monday that he disgustingly asked his audience, "Will voters hold Republicans accountable for trying to kill the American auto industry?" (video follows with commentary):

Sad thing is, Ed Schultz thinks he's being clever.

Schultz repeatedly mispronounced the last name of Fox News' Steve Doocy on "The Ed Show" last night, saying it as "douch-y" instead of "DO-see" through indifference to accuracy or a sense of humor stuck in his high school locker room. (video after page break)