AP Fails to Note That Jan. 2011 Was Worst Single-Month New Home Sales
Although it would be unfair to characterize Derek Kravitz's report at the Associated Press this morning on the Census Bureau's new home sales report as anything but bleak, the AP reporter missed what should have been the most obvious stat: The 19,000 new homes actually sold nationwide in January 2011 (i.e., not seasonally adjusted, real number) is the lowest for any single month on record in…
CNN Names Walker Prank Caller 'Most Intriguing Person of the Day
On Thursday's Newsroom, CNN's Suzanne Malveaux announced that Ian Murphy, the blogger who prank-called Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker by pretending to be billionaire David Koch, was her network's "Most Intriguing Person of the Day." Murphy is the latest liberal hero to receive this designation from CNN.
Malveaux devoted a half-minute segment 21 minutes into the 11 am Eastern hour to the…
In the NY Times, 'Immigration Hardliners' in Arizona Draw 'Scorn' From
The National section of Thursday's New York Times led with “Arizona Lawmakers Push New Round of Immigration Restrictions.” Phoenix Bureau Chief Marc Lacey did not sound pleased with the prospect, pitting unidentified opponents of the proposals against "immigration hardliners." Never mind that the proposals would target illegal immigration, not legal.
Illegal immigrants would be barred from…
NBC and CBS Tout Prank Call on Gov. Walker as 'Evidence' He Wants to
On Wednesday's NBC Nightly News, correspondent Michael Isikoff claimed a prank phone call on Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker "provided his critics with evidence that his real motivation is what they've been saying all along, to crush public unions." On Thursday's CBS Early Show, co-host Erica Hill declared the "embarrassing" call revealed Walker's "plan for putting pressure on the big unions…
Networks Skip Democratic Congressman's Call for Union Protesters to 'G
Wednesday's nightly newscasts and Thursday's morning shows completely ignored video of a Massachusetts congressman exhorting union protesters in Wisconsin to "get a little bloody" in the fight against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.
ABC's Good Morning America, NBC's Today and CBS's Early Show all skipped the extreme rhetoric by Democratic Representative Michael Capuano. Fox News on…
Remembering Clinton and the Episodic Apologists
Frankly, I did not think of Chris Matthews as an episodic apologist until I watched his MSNBC documentary this week, "President of the World: The Bill Clinton Phenomenon." The episodic apologists are a familiar fixture of the Clinton administration, much as the court historians are a fixture of the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Whereas the court historians always could be relied upon…
Libya Evacuation Efforts by Chinese, Brits, Russians Surpass America's
During the Bush administration, the media perpetually pounded on news developments that highlighted real or imagined incompetence and/or the low regard with which the administration was held in foreign capitals.
But with the Obama administration's poor handling of the Libyan crisis, the MSM have been strangely mute.
Take for example the evaucation of American expatriates from Libya.
Huffington Post 'Creeped Out By Chris Matthews Overly-fawning' Love Le
Rather surprisingly, the periously liberal Huffington Post was not pleased with Chris Matthews' love letter to Bill Clinton presented on MSNBC Monday.
In fact, Arianna Huffington's website was apparently "creeped out" by it:
Chris Matthews' Love Letter to Bill Clinton Beaten in Ratings by Greta
Despite heavy promotion for MSNBC's Monday presentation of "President of the World: The Bill Clinton Phenomenon," Chris Matthews' love letter to the 42nd president didn't get the ratings the network was likely hoping for.
In fact, the special was bested by Fox News's "On the Record" with Greta Van Susteren:
Juju's Boo-Boo: ABC Anchor Says Oil Price Now 'Above $100 Per Gallon
Good Morning America news anchor Juju Chang on Thursday made a goof that could surprise her morning show audience. Discussing instability in the Middle East, the reporter claimed that oil prices have been pushed above "$100 per gallon."
Obviously, Chang meant that oil prices are now over $100 per barrel. The current national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $3.22. (See below for…
Open Thread: Judge Upholds Obamacare, Rules Congress Can Regulate 'Men
On Wednesday, the fifth federal judge to examine constitutional challenges to Obamacare on their merits upheld the law, reiterating that the Congress's Commerce Clause power gives it the authority to mandate the puchasing of health insurance (the judge rejected the argument that the mandate is a tax and therefore permissable under Congress's power of the purse).
The most interesting passage…
Nets Tout Dem Congresswoman’s Defense of Partial Birth Abortion, Ski
Catching up on an item from last weekend, Friday’s World News on ABC, Saturday’s Good Morning America on ABC, Saturday’s CBS Evening News, and Saturday’s NBC Nightly News all highlighted California Democratic Congresswoman Jackie Speier’s defense of partial birth abortion as a procedure she had herself gone through as she berated New Jersey Republican Congressman Chris Smith for describing…
Indignant Norah O'Donnell Defends Obama's Lack Of Leadership On Libya
If Time-magaziner-turned-WH-press-sec Jay Carney ever tires of defending Pres. Obama, Norah O'Donnell clearly seems ready to step in...
When on today's Morning Joe Donny Deutsch described PBO as having a passive leadership style as evidenced by his approach to Libya, health care and other issues, an indignant O'Donnell piped up, defending the president's passivity.
View video after the…
A Price on Our Heads
NOTICE of REVISION: This column has been revised to correctly attribute The New York Times for data and reportage cited in its Feb. 16 story on the statistical value of human life.
Back in the American Wild West, federal and state governments often put a price on the heads of infamous outlaws like Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Sam Bass, Belle Star and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.…
