NBC: 'Ever-Outspoken' Joe Biden is Obama's 'Best Weapon' as 'Attack-Do

Reporting for Wednesday's NBC Nightly News, White House correspondent Kristen Welker discussed the "remarkably ugly political week so far" in the presidential campaign following racially-charged comments by Joe Biden, but then touted him as "the ever-outspoken Vice President" who "today doubled down on being the President's other best weapon, attack-dog-in-chief." In a report for Thursday's…
Kyle Drennen
August 16th, 2012 12:05 PM

Battered Republican Syndrome, Brought to You By the Liberal Press

Over at the opinion page of Investor's Business Daily, the editors noticed an all-too-common trend in American journalism: blaming Republicans for "negative" campaigns and not Democrats. If you've ever wondered why you don't see Republicans punch as hard as Democrats in their rhetoric or in their advertising, this is why:
Matthew Sheffield
August 16th, 2012 12:01 PM

Journolist Redux? AP's Peoples and Politico's Summers Write Oddly Simi

Earlier today (at NewsBusters; at BizzyBlog), I noted how the Associated Press's Steve Peoples and Politico's Juana Summers could only find hundreds of people attending GOP vice-presidential pick Paul Ryan's Wednesday appearance at Oxford, Ohio's Miami University. Perhaps even more troubling is how they somehow chose an odd angle for their coverage, namely that Ryan has supposedly avoiding…
Tom Blumer
August 16th, 2012 11:51 AM

Pop Has-Beens Attack Romney for 30-year-old Dog Incident

It’s kind of sad, really – a novelty pop band with a lone hit 30 years ago trying to make political hay of an incident of about the same vintage. But Devo doesn’t have much else to do these days, and the left will welcome any help in its efforts to slam presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Famous for their 1980 hit single “Whip It,” Devo just revealed their plan to release an…
Ryan Robertson
August 16th, 2012 11:19 AM

AP, Politico Claim Ryan Rally Attended by 'Hundreds,' Local Reports Sa

UPDATE: In its video report, but not in its accompanying text, Cincinnati Local 12 News reported that the crowd was over 6,000, and that "a whole line of people were turned away, because there wasn't enough room." It would appear that Politico's Juana Summers and the Associated Press's Steve Peoples have an unusual and nearly identical problem with math. Yesterday, they could have and should…
Tom Blumer
August 16th, 2012 11:12 AM

The New York Times’ Scorched Earth Attacks on Mitt Romney

The Jurassic Press is in full-on Defend President Barack Obama mode.  But since President Obama’s record is indefensible, that means the Press is also in Eviscerate Mitt Romney mode. The ideological godfather of the Press is, of course, the New York Times.  Where they lead, the rest of the Jurassic Press follows. 
Seton Motley
August 16th, 2012 11:08 AM

Piers Morgan Foolishly Invokes FRC Shooting to Cry for More Gun Contro

CNN's Piers Morgan is up in arms again over guns, and tried to use Wednesday's shooting at the Family Research Council to shill for more gun control. There's one problem – the shooter was not obeying Washington D.C.'s strict gun laws. "We've had only today the conservative Family Research Council, a shooting that may well have been politically motivated," Morgan said before asking Newark…
Matt Hadro
August 16th, 2012 11:06 AM

Chris Matthews's Tortured Logic: Biden's 'Chains' Comment Is 'Historic

Chris Matthews on Wednesday went to embarrassing lengths as he struggled to explain away a gaffe by the Vice President, offering tortured, confusing logic to defend Joe Biden's "chains" comments. According to the Hardball host, Biden's remarks to a largely black audience that Republicans will "put y'all back in chains" were "historical" and not "negative" or racist like when the GOP does it…
Scott Whitlock
August 16th, 2012 10:45 AM

Open Thread: Artur Davis to Speak at RNC, Completes Transition

It looks like former Alabama congressman Artur Davis has completed his transition from Democrat to Republican. Davis, the first congressman not from Illinois to endorse President Barack Obama during his candidacy will help the Republican Party continue a recent tradition of featuring Democrats and former Democrats at its nominating convention, the party announced today. Davis also has come…
NB Staff
August 16th, 2012 10:43 AM

Pop Has-Beens Attack Romney for 30-yr-old Dog Incident

1980s Novelty band Devo to release a song for Seamus.
Ryan Robertson
August 16th, 2012 10:36 AM

Letterman Booed for Depicting Romney as Male Model on ‘The Price Is

It seems that even the CBS Late Show audience has a limit to how much Mitt Romney bashing it will take. On Wednesday night, David Letterman was booed for depicting the presumptive Republican presidential nominee as a male model on The Price Is Right (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):
Noel Sheppard
August 16th, 2012 10:30 AM

Jon Stewart Asks Brian Williams 'What's Preventing the Media From Disc

Comedy Central's Jon Stewart asked NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams the $64 trillion question on Wednesday's Daily Show. "What is preventing the media from discussing more substantive issues before the introduction of Paul Ryan, and then since the introduction, and then, let's say, you know, after the election?" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
Noel Sheppard
August 16th, 2012 9:39 AM

Economics Reporter Turned NYT Columnist Touts Basketcase Italy as High

Eduardo Porter's column on the front of Wednesday's Business section of the New York Times explained how "America's Aversion To Taxes" was dooming the country, and urged Americans to be more like the overly regulated, bankrupt financial basket-case Italy, which enjoys confiscatory taxes and "the benefits of public health care," and a "more generous social safety net."
Clay Waters
August 16th, 2012 9:32 AM

Not A Typo: Lefty Prof Sachs Says Obama Is 'Shrinking' Government Too

Move over, Paul Krugman.  Someone's taken your place as the most extreme advocate of excessive government spending. On today's Morning Joe, Columbia prof Jeffrey Sachs actually criticized the Obama administration for "shrinking" government too much.  Trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see?  Peanuts compared to what we Sachs wants us to spend!  View the video after the jump.
Mark Finkelstein
August 16th, 2012 9:21 AM