Networks Whine Over 'Massive Spending Gap' Between GOP and Dems in Wis

June 6th, 2012 1:15 PM
Searching for an excuse to explain what went wrong for Democrats in Wisconsin, the broadcast networks blamed "a record-shattering $64 million poured into" the recall election by "conservative out-of-state groups" supporting Republican Governor Scott Walker.   On Wednesday's CBS This Morning, correspondent Bill Plante promoted Obama campaign talking points on the major Democratic loss: "...…

A Week Later, Networks Still Silent about Planned Parenthood Videos

June 5th, 2012 3:29 PM
The three broadcast networks continue to act as guardian angels to Planned Parenthood, shielding the abortion provider from any hint of controversy. Live Action videos showing Planned Parenthood’s apparent willingness to cooperate in sex selection abortion have been completely buried by ABC, CBS, and NBC for an entire week (morning shows of May 30-June 5, evening shows of May 29-June 4). Live…

Network Morning Shows Shine on Obama, Rain on GOP, MRC's Graham Tells

June 5th, 2012 11:59 AM
NewsBusters senior editor and Media Research Center director of media analysis Tim Graham appeared on the June 4 O'Reilly Factor to discuss the role that the broadcast network morning shows play in influencing the electorate with their liberal-leaning narratives about the issues this election season. The morning shows have strong ratings, "have become the profit centers for [broadcast…

NBC's Mitchell: Queen Had to 'Put Up With' the 'Indignity' of Celebrat

June 5th, 2012 11:41 AM
As part of NBC's wall-to-wall Today show coverage of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II celebrating her Diamond Jubilee on Tuesday, chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell listed ways in which the United States has supposedly slighted the monarch over the years: "...she's put up with a lot from her former subjects. The indignity of going to where the revolution started, to celebrate the…

Martin Short Hits 'Crazy Catholic' Santorum, 'Taliban'-like Bachmann

June 5th, 2012 8:19 AM
Appearing as a guest on Monday's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC, actor and comedian Martin Short lambasted several of the GOP presidential candidates, as he called Rick Santorum a "crazy Catholic," compared Michele Bachmann to the Taliban while questioning her intelligence, and suggested that Mitt Romney has sent jobs to other countries.

NBC's Gregory Claims Romney Must 'Distance' Himself From GOP 'In Troub

June 4th, 2012 4:59 PM
As Republican strategist Alex Castellanos described the split in the Democratic Party over Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital on Sunday's NBC Meet the Press, host David Gregory defensively attempted to focus on Romney's difficulties: "...here's the problem for Governor Romney. He does have to create distance from a Republican Party that is in trouble." Gregory failed to give much evidence…

NBC: Does Mitt Romney Look Like He's 'Rooting for Failure' of the Econ

June 4th, 2012 11:23 AM
At the top of Monday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer warned Mitt Romney against going after President Obama too hard on the stagnant economy: "Romney's campaign using the rise in unemployment to target President Obama's record on the economy, but can he make his point without sounding like he wants the recovery to fail?" [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump] Later, fill-in…

Chris Matthews: 'Can the President Make Mitt Romney Scary

June 3rd, 2012 1:49 PM
Chris Matthews must be really getting concerned that the man that gives him a thrill up his leg is in serious jeopardy of losing in November. On this weekend's syndicated Chris Matthews Show, the host asked his panel of perilously liberal journalists, "Can the president make Mitt Romney scary?" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

John Heilemann: 'Mitt Romney Is Never Going to be Likable

June 3rd, 2012 12:41 PM
It sure seems New York magazine's national affairs editor John Heilemann is shamelessly becoming a part of President Obama's reelection team. After penning a much-discussed cover story Monday outlining the current White House's plans to attack its Republican opponent as the devil incarnate, Heilemann on this weekend's syndicated Chris Matthews Show said, "Mitt Romney is never going to be…

Remember When the National Media Despised Recall Elections? California

June 3rd, 2012 7:03 AM

As the national media's political attention turns again to a Wisconsin recall election ginned up by angry labor unions -- that's not counting Ed Schultz, who's never stopped obsessing about ousting Gov. Scott Walker -- it's easy to forget that the national media used to be on the other side of a recall election. In 2003 in California, it was liberal Gov. Gray Davis who was recalled, and…

NBC's Lauer to Bloomberg: Soda Ban 'Sounds Ridiculous' As NYC Celebrat

June 1st, 2012 4:43 PM
In a challenging interview with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Friday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer questioned whether a plan to ban large sodas in the city was hypocritical: "You announced this on a Thursday. Today is Friday and it's....National Donut Day – and your administration has come out in support of National Donut Day....It sounds ridiculous." [Listen to the audio or watch…

Networks Bury Obama's 'Polish Death Camp' Gaffe, But ABC and NBC Find

May 31st, 2012 11:17 PM
President Obama infuriated the leaders of Poland on Tuesday while honoring Jan Karski with the Medal of Freedom. He said Karski smuggled into a “Polish death camp” to see the Holocaust. (Um, no, that’s a Nazi death camp located in Poland). Despite the international incident, ABC, CBS, and NBC aired nothing on the gaffe. But shamelessly, ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today both found “…

NBC and MSNBC Created and Aired Anti-Romney Video in February With No

May 31st, 2012 4:58 PM
Fox News is taking a lot of heat for broadcasting a four-minute video attacking President Obama on Wednesday's Fox & Friends. Yet when NewsBusters broke the story that a film mocking Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was created by NBC and aired first on the syndicated Chris Matthews Show and then on MSNBC's Hardball in late February, there was no similar media outrage (video…

NBC Panel Agrees: 'God Bless' Mike Bloomberg for 'Revolutionary' Soda

May 31st, 2012 4:20 PM
Discussing New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposal to ban large soft drinks with liberal panelists on Thursday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer skeptically wondered: "Do we want local government telling us what we can and can't consume?" Advertising executive Donny Deutsch replied: "God bless this guy....every time you make a revolutionary move, there's going to be some complaints of…