MSM Yawn at Stunning 9 Percent Approval Rating for Congress

If Speaker Newt Gingrich's Republican majority had faced a 9 percent approval rating at any point in the 1996 presidential election year, the media would have not let anyone forget it. So given that and the media's frequently reminding Americans of President Bush's low approval numbers, why are the broadcast media ignoring the latest Rasmussen poll on the approval rating for Congress under the…

Chicago Tribune Gets It Wrong On Jesse Helms

CNN's Lemon: Helms 'Champion of the Extreme Right

On Independence Day, CNN anchor Don Lemon reported the death of former Senator Jesse Helms.LEMON: Conservatives are mourning the death of an icon. Former Senator Jesse Helms has died at the age of 86. The North Carolina Republican was known for his unyielding stands on some controversial issues.(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)LEMON (voice-over): Ever since he came to the Senate in 1972, Jesse Helms had been the…

LAT Blog's Laura Richardson Write-up Omits 'D' Label

Yes, the "Name That Party" exercise is getting old.But somebody has to do it, or 10-20 years from now we'll have people searching the web and concluding that only Republicans had ethical problems during the 21st Century's first decade.The latest example of convenient party omission also involves a couple of other items that bear mentioning.The story concerns the now somewhat well-known Laura…

Hatch: FISA Modernization Critics Feed Delusions of 9/11 Truthers

NewsBusters readers are likely aware that Congress has for months been debating an amendment to 1978's Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to bring it up to date with technological and geopolitical changes in the past three decades.Folks on the left view this modernization as an onerous intrusion on privacy rights, and have been preventing this bill -- which was originally signed into law on…

Pelosi: I Want to Bring Back 'Fairness Doctrine

Over at HumanEvents.com, John Gizzi has House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on the record saying that the Democratic caucus, far from being agnostic on the so-called Fairness Doctrine, is actually interested in resurrecting it. What's more, Pelosi herself wants to bring back the policy that could literally silence conservative talk radio. [Sign the MRCAction.org petition for broadcaster freedom…

NPR Still Lamenting 'American Concentration Camp' in Hollywood

BMI’s Menefee: Countrywide Story ‘Has Everything,’ but Networks

The network news outlets - ABC, CBS and NBC - have missed a great opportunity to cover actual political news in the last week by failing to report on the loan scandal surrounding two Democratic senators, Business & Media Institute Managing Editor Amy Menefee told "Fox & Friends Weekend" June 21."This story has everything," Menefee said. "It has a former presidential candidate, Chris Dodd…

Major Networks Avoid Dem Senators' Countrywide Loan Scandals

As we've noted at NewsBusters, there's been scant coverage of a new scandal involving Sens. Chris Dodd (Conn.) and Kent Conrad (N.D.). Both senators chair committees with oversight of the financial industry and Dodd is behind a bailout package for mortgage lender Countrywide. Both senators got "VIP" treatment from Countrywide Financial for refinancing agreements on their respective mortgages.So…

WaPo Editorial Pulls Some Punches on Dem Senators' Loan Scandal

Townhall.com's Amanda Carpenter rips into the Washington Post today over its editorial about Democratic Sens. Kent Conrad (N.D.) and Chris Dodd (Conn.) and their cozy arrangement for mortgage refinances with Countrywide. For some background, check out my June 13 blog on ABCNews.com's treatment of the story.I'll let Carpenter take it from here (emphasis mine):

Liberal TNR Editor: 'Bush Never Lied to Us About Iraq

Some Links for Jon Stewart

I just caught part of the “Daily Show” for the first time in probably a year; now I remember why. Tonight Jon Stewart accused the news media of ignoring the Senate Intelligence Committee Phase II report. He specifically claimed their was no coverage at Foxnews.com and CNN.com. Here’s another link you’ll probably want to ignore, Jon. Besides incorrectly making remarks about news coverage, Stewart…

MRC's Bozell to Congress: Celebrate Radio Independence Day

Media Research Center (MRC) President and NewsBusters Publisher Brent Bozell joined lawmakers and a conservative radio host today in calling for an up-or-down vote on the Broadcast Freedom Act, which would drive a stake through the so-called Fairness Doctrine, which, if resurrected, would threaten conservative talk radio.Below is the official MRC press release. Be sure to also check out the MRC's…

ABCNews.com: Republicans 'Fueling Anger' with Blockage of New Oil Tax