Category Archives: Politics

Why Isn't Brookings Labeled 'Liberal'? Maybe Because It Isn't

Posted on 03/15/2010 by Jim Naureckas

New York Times public editor Clark Hoyt has not had a chance yet to respond to questions about his commentary on the ACORN hoax (FAIR Action Alert, 3/11/10), instead devoting his Sunday column (3/14/10) to a discussion of political labeling. … Continue reading →

Posted in New York Times, Politics | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

L.A. Local News: Next to None

Posted on 03/12/2010 by Peter Hart

The Los Angeles Times reports(3/12/10)on a new study of local news from theUSC Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism's Norman Lear Center. The findings are hardly surprising: There is almost no local political coverage on TV news. As the Times … Continue reading →

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Kennedy: Media's 'Despicable' Afghanistan Coverage

Posted on 03/11/2010 by Peter Hart

Yesterday (3/10/10) there was a Housefloor debate on Rep. Dennis Kucinich's push to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. Kucinich's bill–which isbased onthe War Powers Act–was defeated, but it sparked hours of rare discussion of the White House's war policy(in spite of … Continue reading →

Posted in Media Criticism, Politics, War/Military | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Dennis Kucinich, Right-Wing Democrat?

Posted on 03/09/2010 by Jim Naureckas

If you're a politics buff, you probably remember the way National Journal's ratings were used in the 2004 and 2008 elections to establish that the Democratic candidate was the "most liberal voting record in the Senate"–first John Kerry (Extra! Update, … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , | 27 Comments

Only Rahm Emanuel Can Save You Now

Posted on 03/02/2010 by Peter Hart

White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel has always been a controversial figure–famously profane and short-tempered, and politically speaking a center-right Clinton Democrat. As of late, though, there's been a strange effort–particularly in the Washington Post–to present Emanuel as the … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Fortune Journalist–and Mitt Romney Adviser?

Posted on 03/02/2010 by Peter Hart

Sasha Issenberg reports in the Boston Globe (3/2/10) that Fortune magazine Washington bureau chief and Fox News pundit Nina Easton advised Republican Mitt Romneyon his recent book No Apology. Easton told the Globe that she "offered some writer's advice on … Continue reading →

Posted in Fox News, Politics | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Newsweek Blames the People

Posted on 03/01/2010 by Peter Hart

A headline over an Evan Thomas story in this week's Newsweek (3/8/10) tells us: "We the Problem: Washington Is Working Just Fine. It's Us That's Broken." Thomas blames, among other things, "our 'got mine' culture of entitlement," adding: Politicians, never … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , | 24 Comments

George Will's Perfectly Consistent Filibuster Position

Posted on 02/25/2010 by Peter Hart

In his Washington Post column today (2/25/10), George Will writes in defense of the filibuster, arguing that Democrats' talk of using budget reconciliation rules to pass ahealthcare bill demonstrates their contempt for the Constitution. He has been perfectly consistent on … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , | 19 Comments

E.J. Dionne's Question Answers His Question

Posted on 02/19/2010 by Peter Hart

Why are liberals and Democrats losing on issues like healthcare?Columnist E.J. Dionne (Washington Post, 2/18/10) rightly points out that congressional Democrats have caved on almost every big issue: "Single-payer was out at the start. The public option died. A Medicare … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare, Politics | 8 Comments

NYT Stimulus 'Balance' Leads to Confusion

Posted on 02/19/2010 by Peter Hart

Yesterday Sheryl Gay Stolberg of theNew York Times (2/18/10) turned in a piece on the one-year anniversary of the stimulus plan–a favoritetarget of Republican lawmakers(when they're not happily enjoying the federalfunds in their states and/or districts, that is). The piece … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Politics | 3 Comments

Political Reporters Too Scared of Politics to Cover Politics

Posted on 02/10/2010 by Jim Naureckas

The Financial Times' Edward Luce (2/3/10) had a report last week that blamed some of the Obama administration's problems on the president's overreliance on four top advisers–particularly chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, who "in addition to hurling frequent profanities at … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Tea Party Popularity in Perspective

Posted on 02/09/2010 by Jim Naureckas

Blogger Matthew Yglesias (2/9/10), responding to a Des Moines Register poll that found "a third of Iowans from across the political spectrum say they support the 'tea party' movement, sounding a loud chorus of dissatisfaction with government": Thirty-eight percent of … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Polling | Tagged | 6 Comments

Barney Frank on the 'Right-Wing Propaganda Machine'

Posted on 02/05/2010 by Steve Rendall

Here's a classic example of how the conservative media smear machine works. In a video less than four minutes long, Rep. Barney Frank describes how the Wall Street Journal's John Fund lied about him, how that lie was amplified by … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged | 22 Comments

Dana Milbank Misses the Mythical John McCain

Posted on 02/05/2010 by Peter Hart

"I miss John McCain," writes the Washington Post's Dana Milbank today (2/5/10). Milbank calls himself "an original McCainiac"–by which he means that he, like so many others in the corporate media, adored theso-called "maverick"John McCainof the 2000presidential campaign. As we've … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 4 Comments

Obama's Class Conflict

Posted on 02/03/2010 by Jim Naureckas

The Washington Post's Eli Saslow (2/3/10) on Obama: He is a rare president who comes from the middle class, yet people still perceive him as disconnected from it. It's true that very few presidents come from the middle class–except for … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged | 13 Comments