Libya E-mails Break; Morning Shows Minimize Pressure on Team Obama

On Tuesday evening, CBS broke wide open a story on State Department e-mails showing the White House knew on September 11 that the consulate in Benghazi was subjected to a terrorist attack, and that terrorists took credit on Facebook and Twitter. But by Wednesday, the three network morning shows weren't leaping to follow up. ABC and CBS combined devoted just over a minute to the story, while NBC…
Matthew Balan
October 24th, 2012 12:37 PM

All Three Networks Hype 'Controversial' GOP Senate Candidate and His

All three morning shows on Wednesday touted White House talking points linking Mitt Romney to a Republican Senate candidate in Indiana who, while speaking about "the horrible situation of rape," called life a "gift from God." Only one program, CBS This Morning, seemed to notice how closely this story mirrored Democratic spin. As though he was referencing a connection to a criminal, former…
Scott Whitlock
October 24th, 2012 12:14 PM

NBC Brings on Two Obama Supporters to Discuss Election, Bills it as 'L

On Wednesday's NBC Today, co-host Savannah Guthrie brought on liberal MSNBC host Krystal Ball and radio host Michael Smerconish to discuss campaign strategy in the final two weeks before the presidential election, with the headline on-screen claiming: "Left vs. Right on Final Race for the White House." There's one problem with that assertion, Smerconish prominently supported President Obama…
Kyle Drennen
October 24th, 2012 12:10 PM

Stranger to Erin Burnett: You Work for CNN? Yeah, You're 'In the Can f

If you work for CNN apparently your reputation as a liberal journalist precedes you, at least that's what CNN's Erin Burnett revealed to Conan O'Brien on Tuesday night. The OutFront host, appearing as a guest on TBS's Conan, relayed that when she told a passenger, on a recent flight, that she worked for CNN the passenger replied: "Oh yeah. In the can for Obama." Burnett's anecdote came…
Geoffrey Dickens
October 24th, 2012 11:51 AM

Soledad O'Brien Tells Mourdock to 'Get Real,' Brings Up Todd Akin

Is Soledad O'Brien working for the DSCC? She distorted a pro-life statement from Senate candidate Richard Mourdock by including it with the Todd Akin controversy in a critical "Get Real" segment on Wednesday's Starting Point. She also tied Romney to Mourdock by noting he previously backed the candidate. "Our 'Get Real' this morning, I think it's a really interesting question about a lack of…
Matt Hadro
October 24th, 2012 11:43 AM

WaPo Contributor Complains Media Haven’t Discussed Mormonism

You know Obama supporters are getting desperate about their candidate’s electoral prospects when they start to play the anti-Mormon card. In an October 23 opinion piece in the Washington Post, Barbara Reynolds launched a broadside against Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith, arguing that he has become the “face of Mormonism” in America and complaining “I find it strange that the media are not opening…
Paul Wilson
October 24th, 2012 11:27 AM

WashPost's Vozzella Covers for Obama, Says Virginians Not at All Upset

The president may have stepped in it with his glib, dismissive "horses and bayonets" crack in Monday's debate, but Laura Vozzella is determined to provide cover fire from her foxhole at the Washington Post. "Navy country not riled by Obama 'bayonets' jab," blared the Metro section headline to Vozzella's October 24 story. "As Republicans criticize debate barb, folks in southeast Va. shrug it…
Ken Shepherd
October 24th, 2012 11:13 AM

Leno on Iranian Sanctions: 'If Anyone Knows How To Cripple an Economy

As NewsBusters has been reporting, there has been a shift in recent months concerning late night hosts' willingness to make jokes about the current White House resident. NBC's Jay Leno said a doozy on Tuesday's Tonight Show (video follows with transcript and commentary):
Noel Sheppard
October 24th, 2012 10:57 AM

NBC Demands: ‘Does the Romney Campaign Believe That God Intends Rape

With less than two weeks before the November election, it appears as though the media have found their newest manufactured controversy to smear Mitt Romney and other Republicans running for elected office. Following comments made by  Richard Mourdock, Republican candidate for Senate in Indiana, NBC News’ Luke Russert disgustingly tried to twist Mourdock’s comments and tie them to the Romney…
Jeffrey Meyer
October 24th, 2012 10:41 AM

Letterman 'Upset' and 'Discouraged' Obama Lied About Romney Wanting De

Stop the presses! Stop the presses! One of Barack Obama's biggest fans in the media, David Letterman, said on Tuesday's Late Show that he was "upset" and "discouraged" the president during Monday's debate lied about Mitt Romney wanting to let Detroit go bankrupt (video follows with transcript and commentary):
Noel Sheppard
October 24th, 2012 10:24 AM

Malkin Column: Obama's Hate Couture Divas

Talk about wearing your politics on your sleeve. An elitist clique of fashion designers has banded together to raise money for celebrity-in-chief Barack Obama and browbeat their customers into supporting him. Even worse, the Beautiful People who dress the Powerful People are putting increased pressure on conservatives to stay out of the business altogether. Out: Haute couture. In: Hate…
Michelle Malkin
October 24th, 2012 10:19 AM

Scarborough Clashes With 'New Yorker' Editor Over Mag's Bush-Bashing O

Some serious fur flew on the Morning Joe set today, as Joe Scarborough clashed with David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker.  Setting Scarborough off was the magazine's endorsement of Barack Obama that lauded the president for relieving the "national shame inflicted by the Bush administration." Scarborough saracastically asked Remnick "who got paid the bonus for being able to squeeze in,…
Mark Finkelstein
October 24th, 2012 10:07 AM

Open Thread Wednesday

Discuss the news of the day and whatever else you'd like.
NB Staff
October 24th, 2012 10:06 AM

Nate Silver Disses Gallup Poll That 'Turned Out Badly' in 2008, Missin

Tarnished Silver? The New York Times's young star pollster Nate Silver got some guff last week for dismissing Mitt Romney's large leads in the Gallup tracking poll. In an October 18 post on his FiveThirtyEight blog at nytimes.com, "Gallup vs. the World" (it also appeared, heavily edited, in print) Silver claimed the Gallup poll was overrated and "its results turn out badly" when it's an…
Clay Waters
October 24th, 2012 9:46 AM