Media Research Center President Brent Bozell appeared with Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto to slam the "obnoxious" double standard in how journalists have covered Chris Christie's traffic scandal in two days, versus the scant number of stories on the Obama IRS controversy over six months.
According to Bozell, "It really goes to show you how out of control this left wing so-called news press is." [See video below. MP3 audio here.] Cavuto explained, "The big three networks alone devoted 17 times more coverage to this story in one day, one day, than they devoted to the IRS scandal in six months." An updated analysis my the MRC finds the disparity is now up to 44-to-one.
In less than 48 hours, Traffic Gate has received 88 hours of coverage. Over the last six months, the targeting of Tea Party groups by the IRS has resulted in two minutes.
Cavuto marveled of Bozell, " Like him or hate him, I'm telling you, he has the numbers."
A transcript of the January 10 Your World segment is below:
4:30
BRENT BOZELL: No, no, it's not. And it really goes to show you how out of control this left wing so-called news press is. We looked at it. It's over a 48 hour period. Eighty seven minutes, 44 seconds devoted to Chris Christie. Nine reports on ABC, 12 reports on CBS, NBC had 13 reports. That's a tsunami. Now, let them defend it by saying this is an important issue. Okay. But you look at the IRS scandal and you see that since, since July of 2013, there has been a total of two minutes and 38 seconds devoted to the scandal, with one development after another after another on this, which is completely untouched by the same media who believed they need to spend two days worth of non-stop coverage on Chris Christie.
BOZELL: Yeah, but you know what, Neil, the two controversies aren't even close in importance. One is a lane closure on a highway. It's obnoxious. It's petty. It's beneath the governor's office. It's a scandal. It;s should be covered no question about it. The other one is using the most feared arm of government as an intimidation, even a persecution –
CAVUTO: Very good point. Very good point.
BOZELL: – arm against the citizenry of America. There's no comparison. Yet one gets 17 times more coverage than the other. Makes no sense. It does make sense.
CAVUTO: Yeah, the IRS targets were nationwide and this is an agency that has the pervasive effect in all 50 states, not a small, albeit populous part of one state.
BOZELL: Think about this, Neil. Neil, very quickly. In this week alone, what's the
-- this week's development on the IRS scandal? We learn that the woman who has been put in charge of the criminal investigation of the IRS scandal is a major donor to Barack Obama. I mean, making a mockery of this investigation. No coverage by anyone.
CAVUTO: I beg to differ, young man. Ample coverage by this show. I can't save the world alone.
BOZELL: By the so-called mainstream media.
CAVUTO: I'm trying. But one step at a time.
BOZELL: Well, then I'm leaving.
CAVUTO: There you go. There you go. Thank God for what you do. Like him or hate him, I'm telling you, he has the numbers. And when you look at them, I don't care if you're on the right or left, they're very glaring. I even have to say, "Hey, you know. He's right That's a little weird." Brent, thank you, my friend. Good seeing you.
