Media Matters for America summary, August 31, 2007
 
Date: Fri, 31 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/200708310006?src=other">Fox's Hannity  asserted the Paws "only make $49,000 a year"</a></b><br />
On <em>Hannity &amp; Colmes</em>, while 
discussing <em>The Wall Street Journal</em>'s<em> 
</em>suggestion that businessman Norman Hsu may have 
funneled illegal campaign contributions to Sen. Hillary Clinton by reimbursing 
members of a California family, the Paws, for 
contributions made to Clinton under their names -- Sean Hannity 
asserted: "They [the Paws] only make $49,000 a year. Where did they get the 
$250,000?"
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708310006?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708310001?src=other">CNBC's  Kudlow allowed  Romney and Giuliani to mischaracterize Clinton statements on economy</a></b><br />
On <em>Kudlow &amp; Co.</em>, Larry Kudlow 
allowed Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani to 
mischaracterize two statements by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to portray her as 
being opposed to free markets. In fact, in one instance, Clinton went on to say that 
"there is no greater force for economic growth than free markets," and in the 
other, she said that "the market is the driving force behind our prosperity."
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708310001?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708310002?src=other">Matthews, Blitzer call McCain "maverick," "straight talk[er]," for calling for Craig resignation</a></b><br />
Continuing a pattern of uncritically calling Sen.
John McCain a "maverick" and a "straight talker,"
CNN's Wolf Blitzer and MSNBC's Chris Matthews suggested that,
because McCain has called on Sen. Larry Craig to resign, he is espousing
"straight talk from the Straight Talk Express" and "is very
much the maverick" -- despite other Republicans having called for
Craig's resignation as well.

<br />
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708310002?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709010002?src=other">TV news outlets  focused on Clinton fundraiser Hsu but ignored Romney finance  co-chair Fabian's indictment for fraud</a></b><br />
In recent days, NBC, CNN, and Fox News have all aired reports or discussed the 
case of Norman Hsu, who <em>The</em> <em>Wall Street Journal 
</em>suggested may have funneled illegal campaign 
contributions to Sen. Hillary Clinton. However, when Mitt Romney's national 
finance committee co-chairman Alan Fabian was charged with mail fraud, money 
laundering, bankruptcy fraud, perjury and obstruction of justice, the three 
networks did not report or discuss it 
during programs 
available in the Nexis database.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709010002?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708310004?src=other">Defending claim that Clinton said surge was "working," <em>Union-Leader </em>editorial page editor provided evidence to the contrary</a></b><br />
Responding to <em>Media Matters' </em>criticism, <em>Manchester Union Leader </em>editorial page
editor Drew Cline defended the newspaper's statement that Sen. "Hillary Clinton
said Gen. David Petraeus' troop surge is working." Cline wrote:
"Media Muddles preposterously asserts that when Clinton
said 'change tactics in Iraq'
she was not talking about the surge. ... Oh, OK. The changed tactics refer
to what, then? THE SURGE!" But the articles that Cline cited for support show that she attributed the progress in Iraq's Al Anbar province to U.S.
agreements with local tribal leaders that began in September 2006.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708310004?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/200708310008?src=other">CNN's  Romans and McIntyre stated U.S. troop deaths are down this  summer, ignoring  that  this is the deadliest June-August  since the war began</a></b><br />
CNN's Christine Romans repeatedly claimed that American troop deaths in 
Iraq "are down this summer" 
and also reported that "[t]he Pentagon today is citing the surge in Iraq as 
a reason for a drop in troop deaths this summer." However, statistics compiled 
by the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count show that the 260 U.S. troop deaths in Iraq during June, July, and August 2007 make this 
the deadliest June-August<strong> 
</strong>of the 
Iraq war for 
U.S. troops.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708310008?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708310005?src=other"><em>Wash. Post</em>'s Murray wrote that Petraeus will argue against "precipitous U.S. withdrawal" -- but who is arguing for it?</a></b><br />
<em>The</em> <em>Washington Post</em><em> </em>wrote that Gen. David
Petraeus "is expected to report to Congress next month that there are
some signs of progress in Iraq
and that a precipitous U.S.
withdrawal could be disastrous." But Murray
gave no
indication that the term "precipitous withdrawal" is used by
Republicans to attack Iraq
withdrawal plans, nor did she cite a single lawmaker who has called for a
"precipitous U.S.
withdrawal" from Iraq.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708310005?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/ethics?src=other">Ethics</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708310007?src=other">On <em>Hardball</em>, DeLay falsely claimed GOP "demanded that [Foley] resign from Congress"</a></b><br />
Discussing whether Sen. Larry Craig will resign
following his guilty plea for misdemeanor disorderly conduct, Tom DeLay falsely
claimed that Mark Foley "resigned from Congress because the Republicans
demanded that he resign from Congress," when sexually explicit Internet
messages he had sent to former congressional pages became public. In fact,
Dennis Hastert stated in October 2006 that "Foley resigned almost
immediately upon the outbreak of this information, and so we really didn't have
a chance to ask him to resign."

<br />
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200708310007?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>




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