"There were 1,365 evening news stories" during the 2008 Democratic primary cycle and not one mentioned then-Senator Obama's connections to Bill Ayers. By contrast, the media have been doggedly determined to aggressively vet GOP primary candidates like Herman Cain, Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich this cycle, NewsBusters publisher Brent Bozell told Fox News's Sean Hannity during a "Media Mash" segment last night.
Of course in Gingrich's case, the media have been particularly sloppy and unfair, Bozell observed, citing NBC's Lisa Myers who insisted Gingrich "shut down the government" when in fact it was a Clinton veto of spending bills that did that. What's more, the media have often raised a long-settled IRS investigation of Gingrich, without mentioning that the investigation cleared him of wrongdoing (video follows page break):
Here's a number for you. It was exactly 4,691 days ago that the IRS came out with this result and it completely vindicated him of everything.... Trivia: how long has it been since ABC, NBC or CBS reported that fact? Answer? Four thousand six hundred ninety-one days.
Also discussed on the December 8 edition of Hannity was media ire over former Speaker Gingrich saying that students in schools could be allowed to help keep those schools clean to teach them work ethic and help them make some money.
"This is what happens when you go after the liberal welfare state," Bozell observed. "Newt's trying to do something good" but the media are not playing fairly and in fact are acting as "political hit squads" and "snipers" waiting to take Gingrich's "head off."
