AP Invokes Favorite Adverb to Describe How Jobless Claims Rose 'Unexpe

"Unexpectedly." It recent overuse by the Associated Press almost makes me nostalgic for the "green shoots" that the mainstream media kept seeing last year in the midst of rising unemployment and other bad economic news. When you see the AP use that adverb nowadays, you almost always know it involves depressing news on the economic front and this time they did not dissapoint with their story about…
P.J. Gladnick
May 20th, 2010 11:53 AM

‘Community Group’ to Fresno Radio Station: Dump Conservative Hosts

There's a new speech sheriff in the town of Fresno, California, and they want to silence conservative talk radio.  And they'll say or do whatever it takes to get it done. New "community group" Citizens for Civility & Accountability in Media (CCAM) is super-peeved at Fresno, California radio station KMJ for having the temerity to broadcast (on their two stations) conservative talk radio…
Seton Motley
May 20th, 2010 10:58 AM

Open Thread

NB Staff
May 20th, 2010 9:50 AM

On Oil, Mining and Banking Media Favor Regulation, Barely Notice Failu

Since Obama took office, there's been a leftward swing toward increased regulation. The news media have supported that tilt, generally failing to demand explanations for high profile failures of government regulators. From the financial crisis to the Gulf oil spill, a recent string of problems exposed serious failures of government regulators that are supposed to protect the public. But…
Julia A. Seymour
May 20th, 2010 9:49 AM

David Brooks: Richard Blumenthal 'Accidentally' Said He Was a Combat V

David Brooks seemed to be having a coherency challenged moment during his latest scheduled conversation with fellow New York Times columnist, Gail Collins. First Brooks excused what Connecticut senatorial candidate Richard Blumenthal falsely claimed about being a Vietnam combat veteran as an "accident": As for Blumenthal, my guess is he survives his little brush with mendacity. The Connecticut…
P.J. Gladnick
May 20th, 2010 9:24 AM

Rand Paul Defends Tea Parties, ‘Media Captivated More by the Outland

On Wednesday’s Joy Behar Show on HLN, Kentucky Republican Senate nominee Dr. Rand Paul appeared as a guest, and, after host Behar brought up examples of people with racist messages who have shown up at some Tea Party events whom the mainstream media have been fond of highlighting as if they were representative of the movement, Dr. Paul recounted that he had never seen such activity at Tea Party…
Brad Wilmouth
May 20th, 2010 8:47 AM

Jonah Goldberg: One Kind of Hate Speech Supported on Campus

In his column in the Los Angeles Times, Jonah Goldberg covered a free-speech front that our politically correct news media do not want to touch: when "free expression" supporting a new Holocaust of the Jews in Israel is granted respect on campus. Goldberg was shocked by how one campus circled the wagons when David Horowitz spoke at an event on May 10 sponsored by Young Americans for Freedom:…
Tim Graham
May 20th, 2010 8:27 AM

Nets All Showcase Fearful 2nd Grader's Question to FLOTUS on Lacking

ABC, CBS and NBC all showcased a second grader's question to First Lady Michelle Obama, about her apparently illegal mother. The girl pleaded: “Barack Obama is taking everybody away that doesn't have papers,” but “my mom doesn't have papers.” ABC suggested it demonstrates the need for immigration “reform” as anchor Diane Sawyer proposed “a child's fear brings a new focus to the debate” since “the…
Brent Baker
May 19th, 2010 9:46 PM

Politico's Mike Allen on MSNBC: GOP 'Steamroller' Stopped, Dems 'Off t

During Wednesday's 10AM EST hour on MSNBC, Politico's Mike Allen shared his thoughts on Tuesday's electoral results: "Stop the steamroller. The idea the Republicans were automatically going to be in control going into November, now not true....a Democrat winning the only Democrat-Republican showdown of yesterday in a congressional seat in Pennsylvania. The Republicans should have won."That…
Kyle Drennen
May 19th, 2010 6:10 PM

MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan Spews Venom: Fox News' Glenn Beck Is a 'Scumbag

MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan on Wednesday became the latest host at that channel to lash out at Fox News. He frothed that Glenn Beck is a "scumbag" for touting the company Goldline. Ratigan also promoted an investigation by Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner of the business. He hyperbolically attacked, "The only problem here is that Glenn Beck and Goldline are largely snake oil salesmen and scumbags…
Scott Whitlock
May 19th, 2010 5:37 PM

Media Favor Regulation, Barely Notice Failures of Regulators

From the government's 'cozy' relationship with BP, to the SEC's failure to catch Madoff; networks attack businesses, but not regulators for mistakes.
Julia A. Seymour
May 19th, 2010 4:20 PM

PBS NewsHour Anchor, Hartford Courant Reporter Spin Furiously for Blum

On the PBS NewsHour last night, anchor Judy Woodruff reported on Connecticut Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal’s lies that he served in Vietnam, but reported with a straight face that he didn’t lie on every occasion: "In fact, on a number of occasions, Blumenthal has correctly stated his record, including at a debate last March, seen in this clip posted on YouTube."This may sound like "the…
Tim Graham
May 19th, 2010 4:14 PM

Get Under the Bus, Arlen

DINO or RINO couldn't happen to a nicer one.
Glenn Foden
May 19th, 2010 3:48 PM

Begala: Blumenthal's Vietnam Lie Like Condi Rice Calling Dubya 'Husban

CNN contributor and Democrat extraordinaire Paul Begala's Bush Derangement Syndrome got the better of him during a panel discussion on Tuesday's AC360 (as Mary Matalin correctly pointed out later in the segment) when he compared Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal's lie about serving in Vietnam to Condoleezza Rice's 2004 gaffe where she called former President Bush "my husband" [audio…
Matthew Balan
May 19th, 2010 3:39 PM