Open Thread

NB Staff
April 12th, 2010 9:21 AM

Say Barnicle: Ever Heard Of Bork

Mike Barnicle just wrapped up the Obama Parrot of the Week.  That's the award I hand out on my local TV show to the MSMer doing his sycophantic best to parrot the Obama party line.  Barnicle gave his award-winning performance on today's Morning Joe, in the course of tossing two super-softballs to David Axelrod.Barnicle's first lob bemoaned the difficulties of governing in this hyper-partisan,…
Mark Finkelstein
April 12th, 2010 9:15 AM

Ridiculous: WaPo Claims Stevens Exit Will 'Almost Certainly Mean a Mor

On the front of Sunday's Washington Post, Supreme Court reporter Robert Barnes unfurled the first liberal spin line of the battle over a new Supreme Court justice: that there's no way whoever Obama nominates will be more liberal than retiring John Paul Stevens. Barnes said "almost certainly" the court will be more conservative after Obama's second nominee is confirmed.Can anyone imagine the media…
Tim Graham
April 12th, 2010 7:49 AM

FNC's Pinkerton Hits Media Hype of Obama Arms Treaty Signing

On Saturday’s Fox News Watch, FNC contributor and panel member Jim Pinkerton seemed to pick up on two NewsBusters items documenting excessive praise for President’s Obama’s recent signing of an arms reduction treaty with Russia. Pinkerton: "I think arms control was a big deal in the Cold War Soviet era, but arms control agreement nowadays with the Russians, who aren't exactly what the Soviet…
Brad Wilmouth
April 12th, 2010 6:46 AM

Taxed Too Much Already: Americans Across the Board Agree, Per Rasmusse

Scott Rasmussen has just completed a poll whose results are not likely to get a lot of coverage from the Associated Press, the New York Times, or the Big 3 networks. Its core finding: Sixty-six percent (66%) believe that America is overtaxed. Only 25% disagree. Ramussen's post contains many other choice nuggets (access to the full results requires a paid subscription). Here are just a few of the…
Tom Blumer
April 11th, 2010 10:55 PM

ABC Vets Insist Obama Not on Left, Blocking ObamaCare Reminds Roberts

On ABC’s This Week, when retired ABC newsman Sam Donaldson recommended that President Barack Obama nominate, to replace Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, someone who “is going to stand up for the principles – on the left, if you will – that he believes in,” Cokie Roberts jumped in: “I’m not so sure he is so far to the left.” Donaldson agreed: “Well, I’m not sure either.” Minutes later,…
Brent Baker
April 11th, 2010 10:16 PM

Sunday Funnies: Stephen Colbert Moderates Global Warming Debate

Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert on Tuesday actually moderated a debate about global warming.In fairness, it was less of a debate and more a vehicle for him to make fun of his guests Joe Bastardi of Accuweather and Brenda Ekwurzel of the Union of Concerned Scientists.Regardless of the comedic intent on the part of the host, there were indeed some wonderful moments, in particular Bastardi pointing…
Noel Sheppard
April 11th, 2010 9:49 PM

Sen. Scott Brown's Daughter Becomes CBS 'Early Show' Contributor

At the top of the 8:30AM ET half hour of Friday's CBS Early Show, co-hosts Maggie Rodriguez and Harry Smith welcomed a new contributor to the broadcast, the daughter of Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, Ayla Brown. As Smith put it: "she's about to graduate from college and she's agreed to come aboard as a special contributor with us here on the Early Show." Rodriguez led into the…
Kyle Drennen
April 11th, 2010 7:24 PM

Bitter AP Report's Absurd Contention: Stupak Was 'Absolutely' Certain

Associated Press writer John Flesher seems to be one bitter guy. Flesher, along with whoever (possibly Flesher himself) came up with the headline for his Saturday report on Bart Stupak's decision not to run for re-election in Michigan's 1st Congressional District, tells readers that: Tea Partiers are poor winners. The residents of Stupak's district are federal money-grubbers who can be…
Tom Blumer
April 11th, 2010 7:20 PM

NBC's Williams: 'Liberal Lion' Justice Stevens 'One of the Great Quali

Appearing in the 11AM ET hour on MSNBC Friday, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams gushed over the legacy of retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens: "He was famously called a 'lawyer's lawyer'...He leaves the court approaching his 90th birthday here, with one of the great quality minds, 90 or not, on the Supreme Court. Always had a kind of finely tuned intellect and nuanced…
Kyle Drennen
April 11th, 2010 7:15 PM

SNL Mocks Obama, Healthcare Reform and Census With a Little Anti-Semit

NBC's "Saturday Night Live" last evening mocked President Obama, healthcare reform, and the census while strangely adding what some could find a tad anti-Semitic.Trying to explain why the census isn't "some Socialist plot to spy on the American people," Fred Armisen in what's becoming his signature role walked through the questions being asked of citizens this April.Following some largely…
Noel Sheppard
April 11th, 2010 5:33 PM

Eliot Is Everywhere! Spitzer Uses MSM 'Spitz Blitz' for Political Come

Get caught with your pants (but not black socks) down consorting with hookers after hypocritically spearheading investigations of prostitution rings? No problem if you are a liberal. There is always a chance for political redemption with the aid of the mainstream media. Such was the case this past week with Client # 9 aka Eliot Spitzer. First Spitzer lets us know about the terrible pain of…
P.J. Gladnick
April 11th, 2010 5:31 PM

CNN's Don Lemon Insists Conservatives Guilty of 'Much, Much More' Hate

CNN anchor Don Lemon subbed in for Rick Sanchez on the program Rick's List on Friday, and he worked hard to be as obnoxious as Sanchez in charging that right-wing rhetoric is out of control. In an interview with former GOP congressman J.C. Watts, Lemon asked him to offer "words of wisdom or caution" to Republicans. When Watts insisted both sides do it, Lemon insisted  "we have seen it on the…
Tim Graham
April 11th, 2010 4:31 PM

Lefty Group Tries to 'Infiltrate' Tea Parties with Offensive Signs - W

This week, Americans of all political stripes will take to the streets -- so to speak -- to protest what they see as excessive and out of control government spending and intrusion into their daily lives. Among the many Tea Party protesters, however, will be individuals plotting to undermine the peaceful grassroots movement.Blogger Glenn Reynolds spotted CrashTheTeaParty.org today, a website that…
Lachlan Markay
April 11th, 2010 4:31 PM