Here are today's news items from Media Matters for America, click on the title or 'read more' to read the entirety of each story.

2008 Elections

On CNN, Jeffrey falsely asserted Clinton has "high negatives in her own party"
On the July 5 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, Human Events Online editor Terry Jeffrey asserted that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) has "high negatives in her own party." In fact, recent polls show Clinton's unfavorable ratings among Democrats to be under 20 percent, which is comparable to those of the three leading Republican presidential candidates within their party. Read more

MSNBC's Carlson on Obama: "[H]e sounds like a pothead to me"
On the July 6 edition of MSNBC's Tucker, host Tucker Carlson read the following excerpt from a speech delivered by Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) in Fairfield, Iowa, on July 3: "Somehow we have lost the capacity to recognize ourselves in each other. You know, people talk a lot about the federal deficit, but one of the things I always talk about is an empathy deficit." Carlson then asked: "How high is this guy? It's like what is he -- he always talks between bong hits?" Tucker later said: "Well, he sounds like a pothead to me. I mean, look, tell me what you're for. I don't want to hear about the [']empathy['] -- what the hell is that? Do you know what I mean? If I want a therapist, I'll pay for one." Read more

War in Iraq

Conservative pundits attacked Clinton for perjury and obstruction, but now defend Libby
Several conservative pundits who previously called for the impeachment of President Bill Clinton and his removal from office on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice have recently defended the actions of former vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. These media figures have either supported President Bush's decision to commute the sentence, called for Bush to grant a full pardon to Libby, or said that the charges against him should never have been pursued by special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald. Unlike Libby, who was convicted of perjury, obstruction of justice, and lying to federal officers and later sentenced to 30 months in a federal prison, Clinton was acquitted by the Senate and was not indicted on criminal charges by independent counsel Robert Ray or his predecessor Kenneth Starr. Read more

Boortz named "Worst Person" for falsehood that Clinton was convicted of perjury
On the June 5 edition of MSNBC's Countdown, host Keith Olbermann named syndicated radio host Neal Boortz the "winner" of his nightly "Worst Person in the World" segment for, as Media Matters for America documented, "literally making up history" by claiming that "[former vice presidential chief of staff] 'Scooter' Libby and Bill Clinton got sentenced and convicted for exactly the same crime." While Libby was convicted of perjury, obstruction of justice, and making false statements, Olbermann noted: "Clinton was never even indicted. And when he was impeached, he was acquitted." Olbermann then observed: "A caller actually got through to say he didn't remember Clinton being convicted of perjury. Boortz responded, 'I'm sorry, he was.' The caller insisted and so did Boortz. 'We're talking about a criminal trial, sir. The verdict was guilty.' " Read more

Propaganda/Noise Machine

Savage called Media Matters "the homosexual mafia"
On the July 3 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Michael Savage repeatedly referred to Media Matters for America as the "homosexual mafia" and falsely claimed that a July 3 Media Matters item accused him of "insult[ing] Muslims" because he criticized descriptions of neurosurgeon Mohammed Asha -- one of the suspects arrested in connection with the failed car bombings in England -- as a "brilliant neurologist." In fact, Media Matters simply spotlighted Savage's attack on women who wear burqas, which immediately followed his comments regarding references to Asha as a "brilliant neurologist." Savage said: "Why are they calling one of the Muslim doctors -- one of the terrorists -- a 'brilliant neurologist'? What has he done that makes him brilliant? Dr. Mohammad Asha came in on asylum. ... Oh sure, come in. Bring your entire brood with you. Bring your ... I'd like to use the word I'd use in a bar -- bring your wife with you in a burqa." Savage then said: "[W]hen I see a woman walking around with a burqa, I see a Nazi ... a hateful Nazi who would like to cut your throat and kill your children." Read more

Savage on immigrant students' hunger strike: "[L]et them fast until they starve to death. ... Go make a bomb where you came from"
On the July 5 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show Michael Savage discussed a recent hunger strike organized by five students in the San Francisco area to show their support for The DREAM Act, a provision of the 2007 Comprehensive Immigration bill (S.1639). The DREAM (or Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act would provide a pathway to citizenship and other benefits for certain illegal immigrants who entered the United States before the age of 16 if they graduate from high school and enroll in either college or the military. In discussing the students, Savage stated: "I would say, let them fast until they starve to death then that solves the problem. Because then we won't have a problem about giving them green cards because they're illegal aliens, they don't belong here to begin with." Read more

Crime and Justice Issues

Matthews did not challenge Rivkin claim that Clinton impeachment "tantamount to" Libby conviction
On Hardball, Chris Matthews did not challenge a claim by David Rivkin, a former Justice Department official, that the impeachment of Bill Clinton by the House of Representatives "is tantamount to what the jury found with regard to [Lewis] Scooter [Libby]." In fact, the two impeachment articles passed by the House constituted a compilation of accusations against Clinton. These accusations were then considered by the Senate, which acquitted him on both charges. Read more

MSNBC, Fox News devoted far more time to Edwards' haircuts than to Domenici announcement
On July 5, MSNBC and Fox News devoted significantly more time during their late-afternoon political and prime-time news programs to covering a July 5 Washington Post report on Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards' haircuts than they did to covering Sen. Pete Domenici's (R-NM) July 5 press conference on the Iraq war, at which he called for "a new strategy that will move our troops out of combat operations." As The Washington Post reported, "[t]he six-term lawmaker, party loyalist and former staunch war supporter represents one of the most significant GOP losses" to efforts by President Bush to "keep congressional Republicans united over the Iraq war." CNN was the only cable news network to spend more time covering Domenici's announcement than Edwards' haircuts. Read more

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