Media Matters for America summary, August 21, 2007
 
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 22:03:03 -0400


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<p>Here are today's news items from <i>Media Matters for America</i>, 
click on the title or 'read more' to read the entirety of each story.</p>
<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/2008_elections?src=other">2008 Elections</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708210004?src=other"><em>NY Times</em>' Zeleny blogged that VFW greeted Clinton with "standing ovation," but that fact was missing from print article</a></b><br />
In a <em>New York
Times </em>article,
Jeff Zeleny characterized the "reception" for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton at
the VFW national convention as "respectful yet tepid," but he did not mention the "standing ovation" that Clinton
received, which he had
previously reported in
a blog post.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708210004?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708220002?src=other"><em>NY  Times</em>, <em>Chicago Sun-Times</em> reports left out key part of quote to suggest  Michelle Obama was on the  attack</a></b><br />
In an August 17 <i>New York Times</i> <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/17/us/politics/17obama.html?ex=1345089600&amp;en=0b0eeee3a882a165&amp;ei=5124&amp;partner=permalink&amp;exprod=permalink" title="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/17/us/politics/17obama.html?ex=1345089600&amp;en=0b0eeee3a882a165&amp;ei=5124&amp;partner=permalink&amp;exprod=permalink">article</a> about how presidential hopeful Sen. Barack 
Obama (IL) is "increasingly drawing sharp contrasts with his rivals" for the 
Democratic nomination, reporter Jeff Zeleny wrote: "Even Michelle Obama 
presented a contrast [during a 
campaign event] on Thursday as she introduced her husband in an 
open-air barn at the Cass County fairgrounds. She told a crowd of more than 200 
people that family values and trust were important in the next presidential 
candidate. &#39;Our view is that if you can&#39;t run your own house, you certainly 
can&#39;t run the White House,&#39; Mrs. Obama said." Zeleny did not provide Michelle Obama&#39;s full quote, nor did 
he explain to whom 
Michelle 
Obama was 
purportedly 
drawing a 
contrast. In the part of 
the quote <i>The New York Times</i> left out, Obama -- as blogger Greg Sargent <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/aug/21/obama_campaign_denies_michelles_speech_was_attack_on_hillary" title="http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/aug/21/obama_campaign_denies_michelles_speech_was_attack_on_hillary">noted</a> -- immediately went on to discuss measures her 
family was taking to keep their children "grounded" while campaigning, 
indicating that her comments were not a reference to rival candidates but rather a 
statement about the efforts they were 
making to ensure that their children will continue to "come 
first."
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708220002?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708210006?src=other">NBC's  Gregory, Fox's Wallace did not challenge Rove's false polling claims</a></b><br />
Karl Rove asserted 
that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton "enters the general election campaign with the 
highest negatives of any candidate in the history of the Gallup Poll," and 
added: "The only person who comes close is ... hers are at 49. The only 
other candidate to come close was Al Gore with 34, I believe." In fact, Gallup's 
polling results show that President Bush's unfavorability ratings as he entered 
the 2004 general election campaign were consistently above what Rove claimed to 
be "close[st]" to Clinton's unfavorability rating -- "Al Gore with 34" percent.

<br />
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708210006?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708210007?src=other">Hannity previewed  attack on Edwards over New Orleans foreclosures, ignored reported Edwards  pledge</a></b><br />
On <em>Hannity &amp; Colmes</em>, Sean 
Hannity stated that 
"<em>The Wall Street 
Journal</em> reported that John Edwards had invested in and worked for a company 
that is foreclosing on residents of New Orleans," adding: "The Edwards campaign 
has since announced that the senator will divest from the company." However, Hannity did not note that 
the<em> Journal</em> also reported that 
Edwards "pledged that he would personally provide financial assistance to New 
Orleanians who are facing foreclosure by [the company] or have lost their homes 
already."
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708210007?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708210008?src=other">MSNBC, <em>NY Post</em>, Drudge falsely claimed Clinton said "surge" is "working"</a></b><br />
In articles on Sen. Hillary Clinton's speech
to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, several media outlets reported that Clinton said the Bush
administration's so-called "surge" policy is
"working." Clinton actually said:
"We've begun to change tactics in Iraq, and in some areas --
particularly in Al Anbar Province -- it's working. We're just years
too late changing our tactics."

<br />
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708210008?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708210005?src=other"><em>The  New Yorker  </em>reported  Giuliani's "expertise on terrorism" and "leadership" on 9-11, cited no  criticism</a></b><br />
In a <em>New Yorker</em> profile of Rudy 
Giuliani, Peter Boyer uncritically reported that "Giuliani speaks often of his 
own expertise on terrorism" and asserted that he "performed well on September 
11th." He added: "The common refrain among New Yorkers" is that "Giuliani showed 
leadership on the day of the terrorist attacks." However, Boyer did not mention 
that Giuliani's performance before, during, and after the attacks has been 
questioned and criticized.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708210005?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/war_in_iraq?src=other">War in Iraq</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708210009?src=other"><em>Wash.  Times</em>  falsely claimed Petraeus will give "Sept. 15 progress report to  Congress"</a></b><br />
<em>The Washington Times</em> reported 
that "[t]he White House since July has highlighted gains ahead of a Sept. 15 
progress report to Congress from Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, 
U.S. commander in 
Iraq." But the assertion that 
Petraeus will give a "Sept. 15 progress report to Congress" is 
not consistent with the 
law, which provides that by September 15, the White House will 
prepare and submit the report to Congress, after receiving input from senior 
foreign policy and military officials, including Petraeus and 
U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. 
Crocker.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708210009?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/propaganda_noise_machine?src=other">Propaganda/Noise Machine</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708220001?src=other">UPI, <em>Chicago  Tribune</em> fail to identify disgraced ex-governor, lobbyist as  Republicans</a></b><br />
In an August 21 <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/08/21/court_rejects_former_ill_govs_appeal/3050/" title="http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/08/21/court_rejects_former_ill_govs_appeal/3050/">article</a> on the rejection of former 
Illinois Gov. George 
Ryan&#39;s appeal for a new trial on fraud and corruption charges, United Press International 
and the <i><a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-web_ryanaug22,0,3894345.story?coll=chi_features_promo" title="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-web_ryanaug22,0,3894345.story?coll=chi_features_promo">Chicago 
Tribune</a></i> failed to identify Ryan as a Republican. 
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708220001?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708210002?src=other">Limbaugh: Other candidates don't criticize Clinton because "you can't hit the girl"</a></b><br />
On the August 20 broadcast of his nationally syndicated
radio show, discussing comments made by White House senior adviser Karl Rove about Democratic presidential
candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY),
<a href="http://mediamatters.org//issues_topics/people/rushlimbaugh?src=other">Rush Limbaugh</a>
claimed that "nobody criticizes Hillary. ...
Well, you might say, &#39;No, Michelle Obama and
Mrs. Edwards are out there criticizing her,&#39; but, see,
I finally figured this one out, too. You
can&#39;t hit the girl. You just -- you can&#39;t hit the girl." He
continued: "And for [Democratic
presidential candidates John] Edwards and [Sen. Barack] Obama (IL) to go out there and criticize
Hillary would -- she would -- she plays the victim better than anybody does,
and she could make real hay out of that. So they&#39;ve got their wives out
there ripping her." He added: "But the drive-bys" -- a term
Limbaugh uses to denote the mainstream media -- "aren&#39;t
taking that seriously, because Hillary&#39;s the inevitable candidate."
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708210002?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>




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