Politico Spins the Media's Pro-Obama Bias: Reporters Just Favor 'Centr

According to Politico editors Jim VandeHei and John Harris, Barack Obama is currently "playing the press like a fiddle" by "exploiting some of the most long-standing traits among reporters who cover politics and government — their favoritism for politicians perceived as ideologically centrist." VandeHei and Harris pointed out journalists such as Christiane Amanpour for lauding the President…
Scott Whitlock
February 7th, 2011 5:54 PM

Newsweek's Lisa Miller Hypes 'New Scholarship' on Bible's View of Huma

Leave it to the religion writer who sees the Jesus of the Bible as "typically cranky" to give credence to "scholars" who argue the Bible considers gay and/or premarital sex perfectly kosher. In her February 6 post, "What the Bible Really Says About Sex," Miller noted that "[t]wo new books written by university scholars for a popular audience try to answer this question.":
Ken Shepherd
February 7th, 2011 5:38 PM

Mika Brzezinski Hysterically Defends 2008 Press Coverage of Candidate

On Monday's "Morning Joe," co-host Mika Brzezinski launched into a passionate defense of President Obama's handling of tough press coverage in 2008. Joe Scarborough and Mark Halperin retorted that Obama received soft coverage on the campaign trail, and has only recently learned how to face tough interviews. Brzezinski apparently thinks that is "revisionist thinking." "He was raked over…
Matt Hadro
February 7th, 2011 5:04 PM

Dick Armey: Chris Matthews 'Slipping Out of Touch With Reality

Is Chris Matthews going crazy? He has really gone off the rails of late attacking, more viciously than usual, Rep. Michele Bachmann, and comparing the Tea Party movement to Egypt's Islamofascist group the Muslim Brotherhood. While we at NewsBusters are more likely to ascribe these knee-jerk attacks to Matthews's intense partisanship, others have their own theories. FreedomWorks chairman Dick…
Lachlan Markay
February 7th, 2011 4:24 PM

A Toned Down 'Glee

Despite exploding bras, show dialed down the raunch after Super Bowl
Erin Brown
February 7th, 2011 4:16 PM

Jeb Bush: What's in a Name

When Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana decided to announce recently that he isn't going to run for the Republican nomination for president -- and instead is likely to run for governor of his state -- you would have thought, from the reaction in some quarters, that he had committed the ultimate act of betrayal. At least one senior longtime Republican political aide thought that Pence had somehow let…
Kathryn Jean Lopez
February 7th, 2011 3:49 PM

NBC's Today Leaves Out Liberal Label for Huffington Post in AOL Buyout

While both CBS's Early Show and ABC's Good Morning America identified The Huffington Post as a liberal blog when discussing AOL purchasing the web site for $315 million, on NBC's Today, news reader Ann Curry simply described it as an "online news site" co-founded by "pundit" Arianna Huffington. On Good Morning America, news reader JuJu Chang referred to The Huffington Post as a "top-ten news…
Kyle Drennen
February 7th, 2011 3:04 PM

NewsBusters Publisher Bozell: 'AOL News Has Lost Its Mind' with HuffPo

Editor's Note: Following news reports today that AOL News would pay $315 million to acquire The Huffington Post, NewsBusters publisher and Media Research Center president Brent Bozell issued the following statement: This proves AOL News has lost its mind. They must be in such dire straits that they’ve been blinded by the millions and think an acquisition of The Huffington Post is worth…
Brent Bozell
February 7th, 2011 2:45 PM

'Spin Meter' Out of Control; AP Claims Almost All Unspent Stimulus Mon

According to Brett J. Blackledge at the Associated Press, when it comes to unspent stimulus money, cue the MC Hammer ("U Can't Touch This") and go away. In a Friday "analysis" in the wire service's "Spin Meter" category (HT Sweetness & Light), Blackledge, using words which clearly communicate which side he's on, in essence tells those whose goal it is to reduce federal spending to a more…
Tom Blumer
February 7th, 2011 2:34 PM

Anti-Reagan Media Now Lecturing Conservatives on 'Appropriating' His L

Ronald Reagan endured harsh, vitriolic rhetoric from journalists throughout his career, but that hasn't stopped some in the media from lecturing present-day conservatives on who best represents the legacy of the 40th President. This occurred even as the country celebrated Reagan's 100th birthday. On Saturday's World News, John Berman filed a sarcastic report where he knocked 2012 hopefuls for…

Scott Whitlock
February 7th, 2011 12:51 PM

ESPN's Wilbon Says Obama's 'Fascinating' When Talking Sports

ESPN host (and former longtime Washington Post sports columnist) Michael Wilbon had a thrill up his leg over being invited to the Super Bowl party at the White House with a couple of hundred Obama friends. In a column for ESPN, Wilbon boasted "Obama's capacity for, passion for, and range of knowledge" on sports is greater than any other recent president. He also said "tough spit" on any…
Tim Graham
February 7th, 2011 12:46 PM

Scarborough Jokes: Will 'Talk Radio' Conservatives Blame Obama for Agu

During a Monday morning recap of the Super Bowl, "Morning Joe" co-host Joe Scarborough asked, tongue-in-cheek, if "right-wing, talk radio conservatives" would blame President Obama for the ghastly national anthem performance by four-time Grammy winner Christina Aguilera. Amidst the light-hearted banter, Scarborough turned serious and asked "when we talked about what's driving the week –…
Matt Hadro
February 7th, 2011 12:27 PM

CBS: Aaron Sorkin Bashes Palin for 'Glamorization of Dumbness,' Claims

In an interview with 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl for CBS's Sunday Morning, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin made his latest attack against Sarah Palin, ranting: "I have a big problem with people who glamorize dumbness. And demonize education and intellect. And I'm giving a pretty good description of Sarah Palin right now." [Audio available here] Stahl made no effort to challenge Sorkin's…
Kyle Drennen
February 7th, 2011 11:56 AM

Fox Ran 'John 3:16' Ad During Super Bowl XLV After All, At Least in W

On Thursday evening I noted news reports that the Fox entertainment network would not air an ad by a Christian website, LookUp316 -- referring of course to John 3:16 -- during Super Bowl XLV. So I was pleasantly surprised last night to find that Fox did air the ad after all, just before the beginning of the 4th quarter of the game. USA Today religion reporter Cathy Lynn Grossman was also…
Ken Shepherd
February 7th, 2011 10:59 AM