Analysis

Vespa’s Twofer: Ignores polls to claim it’s “doubtless” that recent “scandals… cast a negative light on the Obama administration“; cherry picks story of unions criticizing “Obamacare“, ignoring past criticisms

Posted by Kevin E. on May 21, 2013
Posted in: Analysis, Links, Matt Vespa. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

It doesn’t seem like anyone at NewsBusters cares about actually researching facts… or they just love maintaining the ignorance of their misinformed readership.

That case and point was made in a May 21 piece from Matt Vespa, who made a twofer today. First, he boasted about “Obamacare” losing support among union organizations:

As the media, by and large, ignores the train wreck that is on the horizon with ObamaCare, yet another union has jumped ship on the president’s health care overhaul. Back in April, you may recall, the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers, and Allied Workers officially said thanks but no thanks to the president’s plan.

Well, now, a major labor union in the grocery industry is balking at the policy. According to The Hill:

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) — a 1.3 million-member labor group that twice endorsed Obama for president — is very worried about how the reform law will affect its members’ healthcare plans.

Last month, the president of the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers released a statement calling “for repeal or complete reform of the Affordable Care Act.”

UNITE HERE, a prominent hotel workers’ union, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters are also pushing for changes.

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Stay Classy: NewsBusters complains about Nightline “Focus[ing] on Actress’s Breasts“, and “Shov[ing] Obama’s Scandals Onto Twitter“

Posted by Kevin E. on May 15, 2013
Posted in: Analysis, Scott Whitlock. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

Who would think even an outlet as politically egregious as NewsBusters would sink so low?

This is how Scott Whitlock titles his May 15 article whining about ABC’s Nightline host, Terry Moran:

Nightline Focuses on Actress’s Breasts, Shoves Obama’s Scandals Onto Twitter

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What media bias? NewsBusters points out different times that liberals have attacked Republican Senator

Posted by Kevin E. on May 6, 2013
Posted in: Analysis, Links, Noel Sheppard. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a Comment

Another day, another article where NewsBusters, rather than complain about “liberal bias“, decides to find liberals in the media who are attacking Republican politicians.

In a May 6 complaint, Noel Sheppard documented a conversation Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) had with WorldNetDaily columnist, Aaron Klein, who is apparently now a talk show radio host, about how the Senator got attacked by the host of CBS’ “Late Show”, David Letterman:

[...]

James Inhofe of Oklahoma, told WABC radio’s Aaron Klein Sunday, “That’s kind of a badge of honor. Any time you get Rachel Maddow or Letterman or those people to call you names that means you are winning.”

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“New Low“? NewsBusters thanks one of its contributors for misrepresenting the reactions of Letterman’s late night talk show audience

Posted by Kevin E. on April 27, 2013
Posted in: Analysis, Brent Baker, Links, Matt Hadro. Tagged: , , , . Leave a Comment

For those of you who already knew that NewsBusters has their fair share of incompetent bias sleuths, you’ll be surprised how much they lack in people who can transcribe a television show, too.

In an April 27 piece, Brent Baker derided CBS late night host, David Letterman, for being “very political” in the “Stooge of the night” segment of his show, which he used to attack three Republican Senators, spanning across a few nights of programming. Baker began the body of his article by analyzing the audience’s reaction to the host’s jokes:

[...] Letterman got very political in putting a picture of each Senator on the screen, yet the audience at his Manhattan theater remained befuddled, nearly silent after each announcement with, at best, scattered nervous laughter before Letterman followed up with a lame crack at their personal appearance. [...]

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Sheppard gets offended by Salon headline (that he can’t seem to comprehend) regarding Boston bombing suspect, then decides to deceptively quote sentences from article to use as attack [w/ UPDATE]

Posted by Kevin E. on April 17, 2013
Posted in: Analysis, Links, Noel Sheppard, Updated. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a Comment

We all know that the typical conservative out there rails against any kind of political correctness in the political media. However, when any liberal dares to say something non-PC, it’s frowned upon by the conservative media police.

In an April 17 article, Noel Sheppard chided Salon’s David Sirota in a piece titled “Let’s hope the Boston Marathon bomber is a white American“, with a subtitle stating “There is a double standard: White terrorists are dealt with as lone wolves, Islamists are existential threats“. Apparently, Sheppard took the headline completely literal to the bone:

We have seen some disgraceful reporting of the Boston Marathon bombing the past few days, but this headline at Salon Tuesday could be the worst.

Let’s Hope the Boston Marathon Bomber Is a White American

As you might imagine, the author, David Sirota, is a perilously liberal political commentator.

Last month he participated in a CNN panel that compared supporters of traditional marriage to segregationists and slave owners.

During last year’s summer Olympics, he said he had “pangs of discomfort” watching Americans cheer team USA.

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Speculation Double Standard: NewsBusters ignores rampant allegations made by right-wingers regarding Boston bombing to complain about the “irresponsible speculation” by media on who was involved in attack

Posted by Kevin E. on April 17, 2013
Posted in: Analysis, Jeffrey Meyer, Links. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

When it comes to pointing out or condemning the vitriolic statements by far-right media figures after tragic events, NewsBusters is always the first to deliberately not point it out.

In an April 17 rant, Jeffrey Meyer couldn’t believe MSNBC had the gall to bring on a Harvard professor (aka “liberal elitist“) that dared to state an opinion on who may have been responsible for the Boston marathon bombing on Monday, which tragically killed three people, and injured hundreds. But, Meyer took a stand, rejecting any debate or speculation that it could be a right-wing lunatic (emphasis theirs):

The media’s irresponsible speculation regarding the perpetrator of the terrorist attack in Boston seems to continue on MSNBC. Appearing on MSNBC’s Martin Bashir on April 16, fill-in host Thomas Roberts brought on Harvard’s Jessica Stern to make predictions about who might have initiated the terrorist attack on April 15.

Stern began her segment by saying that the kind of bomb used in this attack was published in an al-Qaeda magazine before launching into her speculation that the far-right may be responsible:

It’s also important to recognize that the recipe was shared and lauded by storm front, which is a neo-Nazi website. And the whole idea of leaderless, which comes out of the far right neo-Nazi patriot movement also spread over to al-Qaeda-related groups. [...]

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Clay Waters Defends Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, Leaves Out The Defense Part (And The “Republican” Part)

Posted by classicliberal2 on February 20, 2013
Posted in: Analysis, Clay Waters. Tagged: , . Leave a Comment

The recent antics of newly-minted Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, offered in opposition to the nomination of Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense, have provoked comparisons to McCarthyism from some of Cruz’s Senate colleagues. Clay Waters, Monday, whined that the New York Times, in a news story and op-ed column, had reported said comparisons. Waters declined to detail why Cruz is being subject to them or to make any case for either the comparisons or the reporting of them being inappropriate. Waters’ article is unexceptional–basically Newsbusters’ usual nonsense–but it is a useful spotlight for the state of affairs in the Newsbusters’ corner of the far-right fever swamp.

It’s a standard technique at Newsbusters to identify any view not emerging from that particular plot of ideological bottom-land as “liberal,” and thus that of a blood enemy, even when it’s being voiced by other conservatives (the kind not approved by Newsbusters). The present fantasy narrative of the far-right’s activist base–the element of American politics the press carelessly labels “the Tea Party”[1]–is that of embattled reactionary rebels fighting not only an omni-powerful liberal Establishment but a hopelessly liberal, treacherous, and entrenched Republican Establishment, as well.[2]

Reflecting this fantasy, Waters’ headline refers to “Tea Party Sen. Ted Cruz,” rather than “Republican Senator.” His opening identifies Cruz as a “Tea Party politician.” Though Waters offers excerpts from some articles that identify Cruz as a Republican, he at no point does this himself. Most interesting, considering the fact that it’s a standing gripe, by Newsbusters, that the press sometimes declines to provide a party identification for Democratic politicians caught in scandal.[3] Today alone, in fact, Newsbusters ran three different articles about various press organs failing to identify former Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. as a Democrat.

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While complaining about how the media was “going to gush and fawn” over Secretary Clinton, Noel Sheppard drools over Republican Senators

Posted by Kevin E. on January 23, 2013
Posted in: Analysis, Noel Sheppard. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a Comment

Noel Sheppard hates when the media gushes over Democratic politicians… Even though he can fawn over politicians on the opposite side of the aisle all the time, anytime he wants.

In a January 23 posting, the associate editor of NewsBusters took MSNBC’s Chris Matthews to task for criticizing the questioning of soon-to-be outgoing Secretary of State Hilary Clinton by Republican Senator’s Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Rand Paul of Texas.

Of course, Sheppard had to begin his bitching about the media bias being in favor of Secretary Clinton, while it’s clear that the inquiry into the Benghazi attacks are nothing than a good old-fashioned GOP witch hunt:

It was a metaphysical certitude that America’s media were going to gush and fawn over Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s testimony before Congress Wednesday as they mercilessly attacked any Senator or Representative having the gall to ask her tough questions about what happend [sic] at our consulate in Benghazi, Libya, last year.

Playing his part was MSNBC’s Chris Matthews who on Hardball moments after the hearing ended said of Senator Ron Johnson’s (R-Wisc.) exchange with Clinton, “That was kind of a pissant performance” [...]

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NewsBusters has trouble comprehending why DC Attorney General chose not to prosecute NBC’s Gregory for federal crime involving possession of gun magazine [w/ UPDATE]

Posted by Kevin E. on January 11, 2013
Posted in: Analysis, Links, Matthew Sheffield, Updated. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

Desperate times call for desperate measures, which is never too late for the whining echo chamber at the MRC.

In a January 11 piece, Matthew Sheffield seemed aghast at today’s news that David Gregory, who hosts his own top-rated Sunday show on NBC, “Meet the Press“, will not be prosecuted with a crime when he revealed what appeared to be a real gun magazine during an interview with the head of the National Rifle Association (NRA), Wayne LaPierre. This is how Mr. Sheffield chose to frame the AG’s decision (emphasis mine):

It’s now official: David Gregory is above the law. Just two days after the DC attorney general’s office received the case of NBC star’s deliberate exibition [sic] of a high-capacity bullet magazine, the agency decided it would not prosecute.

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Noel Sheppard rationalizes right-wing bloggers’ use of despicable expression, regarding Sandy Hook massacre, when condemning CNN’s Piers Morgan during discussion of gun control (w/ VIDEO)

Posted by Kevin E. on January 10, 2013
Posted in: Analysis, Links, Videos. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a Comment

The debate about guns has gone into a completely uncontrollable spiral after the horrific murders at a children’s school in Connecticut less than a month ago. In unexpected fashion, the right-wing hasn’t wavered in showing even a slight bit of class to try and find a solution to gun violence.

In a January 10 posting, Noel Sheppard was not in rare form, praising another far-right extremist for their lack of class on television. This time, it involved the editor of Bretibart.com, Ben Shapiro, who used the murder of 20 young children to characterize an opposing opinion in classless fashion. After being invited on Piers Morgan’s CNN program, Shapiro actually had the audacity to accuse the host of using the Sandy Hook massacre in Newtown, CT, as his way of “standing on the graves of the children” who were murdered. Not only did Sheppard find no problem with this disgusting remark, he rationalized Shapiro’s unbelievable declaration as giving Morgan what he deserved (emphasis mine):

CNN’s Piers Morgan, after weeks of abusing guests that don’t agree with him about imposing tighter gun restrictions in the wake of the Newton, Connecticut, massacre, finally got what was coming to him Thursday.

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