Sarah Palin

Eight days after making a fool of himself on Jeopardy!, MSNBC's Chris Matthews was back to impugning the intellectual capacity of Sarah Palin.

After playing a clip of the former Alaska governor discussing why she wanted John McCain to focus on Barack Obama’s connection to the America-hating Reverend Jeremiah Wright in the 2008 campaign, Matthews mocked Tuesday, “I think her briefing papers have the weight of a comic book” (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):

Yes, the same gaffe for which liberals mocked Sarah Palin back in 2008.

This time when it was made, on Ed Schultz's radio show, Schultz dutifully let it pass without mockery. (audio clip after page break)

When it comes to his memory of the 2008 presidential campaign, Ed Schultz is either dishonest or ignorant, though he might well be both.

On his radio show Thursday, Schultz made a claim that was demonstrably false -- and refuted by the source he cited to bolster it, the HBO docudrama "Game Change." (video, audio clips after page break)

Vulgar comedian Bill Maher took another cheap shot at Bristol Palin Friday evening.

In an opening monologue segment of HBO's Real Time dealing with the President's flipflop on same-sex marriage, the host said, "Bristol Palin accused Obama of pandering to teenagers who watched one too many episodes of Glee – says the girl who got knocked up after watching one too many episodes of Teen Mom" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

On his "PoliticsNation" show last night, the Rev. Al Sharpton was indignant -- then again, when is he not? -- that Mitt Romney did not immediately reject a statement by a woman at a rally in Ohio that President Obama should be "tried for treason."

Romney answered the woman's question about restoring balance between the three branches of government but ignored her remark about Obama as treasonous. Approached by a reporter after the rally and asked if he agreed with the woman, Romney said "I obviously don't agree he should be tried." (video and audio clips after page break)

Appearing on Tuesday's NBC Today, political director Chuck Todd warned Mitt Romney against picking Marco Rubio as a vice presidential running mate with a negative comparison to Sarah Palin: "The drawbacks – inexperience. Do you want to pick somebody who basically has the same amount of time in statewide office that a person who was on the ticket last time by the name of Sarah Palin had?"

Todd oddly asserted: "...he's never really been vetted. When you say vetted, his campaign for the Senate, he breezed through. He never had the rough and tumble." In what way did he "breeze through"? Rubio had a long and contentious primary battle with former Florida governor Charlie Crist, who then proceeded to run in the general election as an independent. Rubio had to defeat both Crist and the Democrat to win the seat.

CNN's Don Lemon committed heresy on Sunday night.

In his "No Talking Points" segment on CNN Newsroom, he had the unmitigated audacity to challenge Barack Obama while agreeing with former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (video follows with transcript and commentary):

As NewsBusters reported earlier, David Chaney, a now fired secret service agent involved in HookerGate, boasted on his Facebook page in 2008 as having ogled former Alaska governor Sarah Palin while guarding her.

On MSNBC's Martin Bashir Show Friday, the host scolded Chaney for "making Sarah Palin relevant" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

What does one need to do to be a special guest of President Obama's at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll?

Play Sarah Palin in a film using biased sources to bash the former Alaska governor, that's what.

Glittarazzi reported Monday:

On Wednesday's NBC Today, co-host Ann Curry informed viewers that reviews were in for Sarah Palin's Tuesday guest-hosting stint on the broadcast: "...we had a pretty interesting morning around here on Tuesday, as you may remember, with Sarah Palin as our guest host. And there's been some reaction, in fact a lot of it, in fact, has been mixed."

Later, fellow co-host Matt Lauer highlighted Palin-bashing by Daily Show host Jon Stewart, who mocked: "It's Sarah Palin co-hosting the Today show! And she was there performing a medley of her greatest hits from, 'I don't read newspapers,' to 'I write on my hand.' To that old chestnut, 'I passive aggressively hate Matt Lauer with every ounce of my being.'" After the clip, Lauer joked: "Thank you, Mr. Stewart for the cross promotion there. We really appreciate it."

Stewart went on to further slam Palin's appearance: "It's just another place for you to tout your brand of homespun nonsense unchallenged!"

While serving as guest host on Tuesday's NBC Today, Sarah Palin literally gave HBO's hit piece on her, Game Change, a thumbs down, and declared: "I didn't see the movie. And I wouldn't waste my time seeing the movie....because I don't waste my time on false narratives, on lies." [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]

Palin made the criticism during the Today's Professionals panel segment, causing shock among the liberal pundits. Advertising executive Donny Deutsch wondered: "So you didn't like Julianne Moore?" Attorney Star Jones proclaimed how much she liked the movie and asked in disbelief: "Are you telling the truth? You didn't see it?" Co-host Matt Lauer chimed in: "You didn't see Game Change? You never saw it?"

In his Tuesday interview with Sarah Palin on NBC's Today, co-host Matt Lauer insisted the economy was getting better and wondered why voters should bother voting out President Obama: "Some people would say if things seem to get better, or be getting better, why would I take that chance and change the person in the White House?" [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]

Lauer referenced a March 28 interview he conducted with House Speaker John Boehner: " Even the Speaker of the House, I sat down with him, John Boehner, last week, I said is the economy improving? He said yes, it is. And I said, so how do Republicans run against an improving economy? He said, you say, 'It should be better.'" Palin interjected: "It should be a lot better and it could be a lot better." Lauer countered: "But is that a bumper sticker that's going to inspire people?"     

While discussing a new Facebook app that allows users to list their enemies during the Tuesday panel segment on NBC's Today, liberal advertising executive Donny Deutsch claimed guest host Sarah Palin had done the same thing with President Obama: "I was listening to your interview and your whole point was anybody but Obama....Setting up the enemy versus this is what we need to do."

Deutsch was referring to Palin's comment to co-host Matt Lauer during an interview earlier in the show: "I've been of the mind-set that anybody but Obama will be so much better for our country....I honestly believe that anybody running on that GOP ticket would be infinitely better than what we have today, with these failed socialist policies."

In that interview, Palin confronted Lauer on media bias.

On Tuesday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer pressed Sarah Palin on whether the Republican nominee should pick a vice presidential running mate with more experience than she had in 2008. Palin hit back: "I would say it doesn't matter if that person has national level experience or not, they're going to get clobbered by the lamestream media, who does not like the conservative message." [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]

Lauer denigrated Palin's qualifications as he asked: "When you were plucked from obscurity in 2008 you'd been Alaska's governor about two years. You didn't have any real experience on the national stage....Do you think, if Mitt Romney's the nominee, he should choose someone with more experience on the national battlefield than you had at the time?"

Sarah Palin will be walking into the proverbial lion’s den when she guest hosts Tuesday’s Today show, as the NBC morning program’s hosts, reporters and guests have repeatedly trashed the one-time Vice Presidential candidate. While the former Alaska governor was treated to jovial jabs from the cast when she called into Monday’s Today show, she’s been subjected to much harsher attacks over the past four years.

On the show Palin has been blamed for the shooting of Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, denounced as a political liability for the GOP, been called a “Nazi” by journalist/stalker Joe McGinnis, and has seen herself and family become the object of rampant speculation and crude mockery. (videos after the jump)

The following are some of the worst instances of Palin bashing that were aired on NBC’s Today show:

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:

Comedian Bill Maher, host of HBO's panel show "Real Time," appeared in Thursday's New York Times, pleading for a cease-fire in the current culture wars over insensitivity: "Please Stop Apologizing."

It's quite a convenient argument for Maher, given that he's been under fire from conservatives lately for his vulgar and demeaning descriptions of Sarah Palin, delivered last year both on his HBO show and in his comedy act (and refused to apologize). Conservatives have argued there is a media double standard against conservative figures, noting that radio host Rush Limbaugh was excoriated for calling a Georgetown law student a "slut," but that Maher suffered no censure for his far more vile comments about Palin (you can read them in this Reality Check from Rich Noyes of the MRC).

What makes Maher's appearance in the Times galling is that the paper has yet to inform its own readers of Maher's previous comments, even though conservatives have spent weeks making them an issue. Not even a front-page Times story that included details of Maher's $1 million donation to a pro-Obama SuperPAC roused the Times to mentioning his attacks on Palin.

On this Sunday's Web-based "Press Pass" feature, Meet the Press host David Gregory spoke to "Game Change" co-authors John Heilemann and Mark Halperin about the recent Sarah Palin-bashing HBO film based on the book and wondered: "Governor Palin has not been happy with this film. Why?"

Heilemann laughably argued: "...it's hard to know why she's not happy with it....the movie is an incredibly balanced portrait of her..."

While proclaiming the movie to be fair and balanced, the facts prove otherwise. One scene in the movie shows then-Governor Palin being taught basic grade school world history. The movie also showed campaign advisors treating Palin like she was out of control. Another clip showed McCain senior staffer Nicole Wallace yelling at Palin following the September 2008 Katie Couric interview. [Video below the jump or listen to the audio]

Our friends at MRCAction.org, a division of our parent company the Media Research Center, are urging folks to put the pressure on the White House to give back comedian Bill Maher's $1-million Super PAC donation.

For how you can join the campaign, click here. Be sure to watch the corresponding video embedded below the page break:

NewsBusters readers know John Ziegler as the documentarian that created the fabulous "Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected and Palin Was Targeted."

With the release of HBO's Palin-bashing film "Game Change," I had an e-chat with Ziegler to discuss his impressions of the movie and how it relates to today's politics:

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):

As NewsBusters reported last Wednesday, the stars and executives involved in the production of HBO's Sarah Palin-bashing film "Game Change" have given $200,000 to Democrats and liberal causes in recent years whilst donating absolutely nothing to Republicans.

Now we learn from a Men's Journal interview with "Game Change" star Woody Harrelson that what members of the GOP say makes him "weep for humanity" (MJ questions in bold, Harrelson's answers in regular print, serious vulgarity warning):

Barbara Walters gave Joy Behar a well-deserved dressing down on ABC's The View Monday.

After the liberal comedian said Sarah Palin "was completely unprepared for the [vice presidential] job as are a lot of the candidates right now that we’re watching in some of those debates,” Walters responded by providing her co-host the legislative and executive experience of the remaining Republicans in the race (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):

As NewsBusters reported Sunday, despite his failure as the McCain-Palin campaign’s senior adviser, and his subsequent backstabbing of the candidates he represented, HBO’s “Game Change” made him the hero of its Palin-bashing film that premiered Saturday.

The crew on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, with Schmidt as its guest, continued with this pathetic idol worship Monday (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):

Now that HBO's Sarah Palin-bashing film "Game Change" has premiered, it is fascinating to note that its two heroes are the very advisers who not only were responsible for the worst presidential campaign in decades, but also ended up backstabbing the candidates they represented.

As John Podhoretz wrote at the Weekly Standard:

Although Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) kept true to his word that he wasn't going to watch HBO's Sarah Palin-bashing film "Game Change" which premiered Saturday evening, he did have some harsh words about it on Fox News Sunday.

"It's based on a book that's completely biased and with unattributed quotes," McCain said before taking issue with the depiction of him as a vulgar man that asked his campaign manager to find him a female running mate (video follows with transcript and commentary):

As NewsBusters has been reporting, Obama-loving media members have almost been orgasmic in their adoration for HBO's new Sarah Palin-bashing film "Game Change."

Firmly on the bandwagon is Chris Matthews who on the syndicated program bearing his name this weekend actually said that Woody Harrelson's performance as McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt is "the role of the century" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Did MSNBC ever vet Al Sharpton? Seriously. Much of the talk about HBO's Game Change docu-drama is focusing on the vetting of Sarah Palin or lack thereof by the McCain campaign. Is there any minimum standard of knowledge required to have one's own show on the Lean Forward network?

Take Sharpton's mind-boggling misstatement on Morning Joe today.  The Reverend Al asserted that in Alabama, "it's against the law to organize unions."  Did any of the MJ crew, including Joe Scarborough, Gene Robinson and Steve Rattner, call Al out on his misrepresentation?  Of course not.  View the video after the jump.