Lauer Howler: Media 'Can’t Just Repeat Something Over and Over Until

NBC Today show host Matt Lauer isn't pleased with the press he got after the network's catastrophic removal of co-host Ann Curry last year. In an interview with New York magazine published online Sunday evening, Lauer laughably whined, "When the media covers something, it’s important to do basic homework. You can’t just repeat something over and over again until it sounds true. It’s not fair…
Noel Sheppard
March 25th, 2013 10:01 AM

New London Day Continues to Boycott the Term 'Kelo,' Hails Possible 'D

Almost eight years after the Supreme Court's odious Kelo v. New London ruling and eight years of press failure to report the utter lack of subsequent development in the affected area in New London, Connecticut, construction might start taking place in a couple of months -- emphasis on "may." What's notable about how Kathleen Edgecomb at the New London Day wrote up her Sunday story is how hard…
Tom Blumer
March 25th, 2013 9:59 AM

Sharpton & Barnicle Agree: Anti-Semitism Explains Opposition To Bloomb

On Morning Joe today, the Reverend Al Sharpton agreed with Mike Barnicle  that anti-Semitism explains the opposition to Mike Bloomberg in his gun control campaign. H/t NB reader cobokat. If ever there were an expert on anti-Semitism in America, it could be Al Sharpton, he of Freddie's Fashion Mart and Crown Heights riot infamy. The spectacle of Sharpton lamenting the supposed anti-Semitism…
Mark Finkelstein
March 25th, 2013 9:01 AM

WashPost Paints Little Sequester as Big Loss For Obama's 'Second-Term

In what looks like a commentary on the front page, Washington Post reporter Zachary Goldfarb's story was a liberal lament: "Signing cuts, Obama lets priorities slip." The little sequester is somehow a major failure for Obama's liberal vision. "With his signature this week, President Obama will lock into place deep spending cuts that threaten to undermine his second-term economic vision just…
Tim Graham
March 25th, 2013 8:39 AM

Al Arabiya Reports That Obama Admin Has Sent $500 Million to Palestini

Al Arabiya is a Saudi-owned television news channel launched in March 2003 the channel is based in Dubai. It claims to have conducted the first media interview of Barack Obama after he became President. As I noted earlier this evening, Obama spoke last week under a banner of Yasser Arafat, "the father of modern terrorism." That move is being seen as a gaffe by the very few, almost none of…
Tom Blumer
March 24th, 2013 11:42 PM

Shhh! Don't Tell Anyone Obama Spoke in the Shadow of a Huge Yasser Ara

Searches at the Associated Press, New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times done at 9:30 p.m. on "Obama Arafat" (not in quotes) returned nothing relevant to the matter I am about to note. A Google News search on the same term (sorted by date) returns only about a half-dozen relevant items (another very recent one is missing, and I'll get that one in a later post this evening). On…
Tom Blumer
March 24th, 2013 10:31 PM

Left-Leaning Watchdog Group: 'White House Could Be Violating President

The “nonpartisan” Organizing for Action is using the president’s twitter account.  How is that not a violation of their 501 (c) (4) status?  They’re selling access to the president.  The site’s URL is Barackobama.com, and they recently made the decision to not disclose their donors, which seems to be fine with the D.C. watchdog community.  Under Bush, this conduct would’ve drawn vociferous…
Matt Vespa
March 24th, 2013 7:53 PM

Bill Gates Offers $100K Grant for Creation of 'Next Generation Condom

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as part of its Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative, is offering a $100,000 grant for some organization to develop the Next Generation Condom. The challenge was described at the Foundation's website:
Noel Sheppard
March 24th, 2013 6:32 PM

Jim Carrey Calls Gun Rights Advocates 'Heartless Motherf**kers

Actor Jim Carrey attracted a lot of attention last month when he said, “[Anyone] who would run out to buy an assault rifle after the Newtown massacre has very little left in their body or soul worth protecting." He was back at it Sunday when he promoted a new satirical song to appear at the website Funny or Die with a tweet that read, "'Cold Dead Hand' is abt u heartless motherf%ckers…
Noel Sheppard
March 24th, 2013 5:34 PM

NRA's LaPierre: Why Don't Media Ask Obama Why Chicago Is Last in Enfor

National Rifle Association executive vice president Wayne LaPierre asked a marvelous question on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday. "Why doesn't the national press corps, when they're sitting down there with Jay Carney and the president and the vice president, why don't they say, 'Why is Chicago dead last in enforcement of the gun laws against gangs with guns, felons with guns, drug dealers with…
Noel Sheppard
March 24th, 2013 1:50 PM

WashPost Humorist Jokes GOP Less Hostile to Slavery Than to Tax Hikes

While The Washington Post found it highly newsworthy in a horrified way that Virginia GOP gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli would compare abortion to slavery, their Sunday magazine humorist Gene Weingarten thought it was funny to suggest Republicans have a softer line on slavery then on tax hikes. His column addressed the question "Are there subjects so controversial that you just can’t…
Tim Graham
March 24th, 2013 1:49 PM

NRA's LaPierre: 'Bloomberg Can't Buy America...It's Insane the Stuff H

National Rifle Association executive vice president Wayne LaPierre had some harsh words for New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg Sunday. Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press, LaPierre said Bloomberg "can't buy American" and that "it's insane the stuff he says."
Noel Sheppard
March 24th, 2013 1:21 PM

Geraldo: Time to Take God Out of St. Patrick's Day

This is a little late, but still wacky. On his radio show March 15, Fox News host Geraldo Rivera thinks the Irish really ought to take God out of Saint Patrick's Day. That's what he said. He's one of the many people at Fox who wave the rainbow LGBT/gay-Left flag. "Having been a participant in plenty of St. Patrick's Day celebrations, I just have to say that one of the last things on my mind […
Tim Graham
March 24th, 2013 1:06 PM

Karl Rove: GOP Presidential Candidate Could Come Out for Gay Marriage

Former President Bush adviser Karl Rove said something Sunday that is guaranteed to raise a lot of eyebrows on both sides of the aisle. When asked by ABC This Week host George Stephanopoulos if he could imagine a Republican candidate in the next presidential cycle coming out for gay marriage, Rove answered, "I could" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
Noel Sheppard
March 24th, 2013 12:23 PM