Media Matters for America summary, September 20, 2007
 
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 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/war_in_iraq?src=other">War in Iraq</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200008?src=other"><em>NY  Times</em> misrepresented  Feingold proposal on  Iraq  redeployment</a></b><br />
A <em>New York Times</em> article stated that a "proposal[]" by 
Sen. Russ Feingold 
"would require most American troops to be pulled out of Iraq by next June and 
would then cut financing for continuing military operations." In fact, Feingold's 
proposal would not have 
"cut financing" for U.S. 
troops remaining in Iraq; it provides funding for 
several "continuing 
military operations" in Iraq after the 
redeployment.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200008?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200007?src=other">Sowell falsely claimed Clyburn was referring to 2008 election in Petraeus comments</a></b><br />
In his September 19 nationally syndicated <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://www.townhall.com/columnists/ThomasSowell/2007/09/19/mugged_by_reality_part_ii?page=full&amp;comments=true">column</a>, Thomas Sowell misrepresented comments made by House
Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) during a July 30 "PostTalk"
interview on washingtonpost.com. Echoing comments by other conservatives,
Sowell falsely claimed that Clyburn "admitted that an American victory in
Iraq
&#39;would be a real big problem for us&#39; in next year&#39;s
elections." In fact, responding to a question about what Democrats would
do in September if Gen. David Petraeus said, "This is working very, very
well at this point; we would be foolish to back away from it," Clyburn
stated that such a recommendation would be a "real big problem for
us" because it would impede Democrats&#39; efforts to garner support in
Congress for legislation to begin withdrawal, not because of any electoral
effect it would have.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200007?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200006?src=other">CBSNews.com headline contradicted article on candidates' plans for Wyatt money</a></b><br />
CBSNews.com misleadingly headlined a <em>Politico</em> article on Senate campaign
contributions from Oscar Wyatt, "Clinton Keeping Controversial
Donor's Cash," even though the article reported only that Clinton's
"spokesman did not respond to questions about whether her Senate campaign
would return the contributions."
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200006?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200009?src=other"><em>CBS  Evening News</em>  failed to cover Webb amendment on troop deployment</a></b><br />
The September 19 editions of ABC's <em>World 
News</em> and NBC's <em>Nightly 
News</em> both reported on Senate Republicans' blocking of a Democratic 
amendment stipulating that U.S. troops could be redeployed only after receiving 
home leave equal in duration to their most recent combat deployment, but that 
evening's edition of the <em>CBS Evening 
News</em> did not.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200009?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200011?src=other">CNN's  Bash cites only opponents of Webb amendment on issue of "combat  effectiveness"</a></b><br />
In reporting on Sen. Jim Webb's proposal to require that active-duty troops 
spend at least the same amount of time at home as the length of their previous 
tour of duty overseas, CNN's Dana Bash stated, "Defense Secretary Robert Gates 
warns it would actually make him extend tours in Iraq, break up military units, 
and reduce combat effectiveness." But Bash made no mention of military leaders 
who have stated that insufficient time at home also reduces overall combat readiness.

<br />
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200011?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></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/200709200010?src=other"><em>Wash.  Post</em> finally covered  Romney fundraiser Fabian, still hasn't mentioned Giuliani fundraiser  Wren</a></b><br />
Despite running numerous stories on Democratic fundraisers currently under 
indictment, a September 20 article was only the first from <em>The Washington Post</em> to mention the 
connection between Mitt Romney and Alan Fabian, who was recently "charged in a 
23-count indictment," and his ties to Robert Lichfield, the "subject of lawsuits 
alleging abusive treatment" at boarding schools Lichfield founded. However, the 
<em>Post</em> has yet to report on a 
member of Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign team currently the subject of a 
class-action lawsuit involving allegations of fraud.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200010?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200003?src=other">Kurtz on  Giuliani: "Is there any possibility that he's being kind of Swiftboated here?"</a></b><br />
On CNN's <em>Reliable Sources</em>, Howard 
Kurtz repeated a pattern in which 
he suggests that the media skew coverage against Republicans by 
asking -- regarding 
scrutiny of Rudy Giuliani's actions related to 9-11 -- "Why all the press scrutiny 
of the mayor's performance that day?" and "Is there any possibility that he's 
being kind of Swiftboated here?" 
He also asserted: "[M]y 
impression is that these stories are being driven by New 
York Fire Department officials and others in the city who just don't 
like Rudy." But scrutiny of Giuliani has not been confined to "the mayor's 
performance that day," and it is not just "Fire Department officials" and others 
"who just don't like" him who have said that his actions have been inadequately 
scrutinized.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200003?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200005?src=other"><em>NY Post</em> claimed Thompson said Clinton health-care plan "would require Americans to provide proof of insurance in order to get a job"</a></b><br />
Echoing similar distortions
previously made in the <em>New York Post</em>
and on the Drudge Report, a September 20 <em>Post</em> article claimed that a statement on Fred Thompson's
website says Sen. Hillary Clinton's health-care "proposal would require Americans
to provide proof of insurance in order to get a job -- a job they would likely
need in the first place in order to get health insurance." In fact, Clinton has not said that
her health-care plan "would require Americans to provide proof of insurance" to
potential employers.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200005?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/health_care?src=other">Health Care</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709210001?src=other">Hannity  asserted Clinton  health-care  proposal is "exactly what she was proposing in  '93"</a></b><br />
Sean Hannity claimed that Sen. Hillary Clinton's new health-care plan is 
"basically repackaging her old proposal with new rhetoric ... in the hopes 
that we'll be dumb and we'll buy the new rhetoric," and that "in the end, it's 
going to be exactly what she was proposing in '93." Hannity suggested that a 
September 17 <em>New York Times</em> 
article reported that Clinton is falsely claiming that her new plan 
is different from the plan she proposed in 1993. In fact, the article reported that "[a] variety 
of health policy analysts ... said the change between Clinton 1 and Clinton 2 
was striking."
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709210001?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/crime_and_justice_issues?src=other">Crime and Justice Issues</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200004?src=other">Beck  said he "enjoy[s] watching" Taser videos; O'Reilly rolled out "Don't  Taze  me, bro!" bumper stickers</a></b><br />
In segments on University of Florida student Andrew Meyer, who was 
shocked with a Taser by campus police, Glenn Beck asserted: "To me, Taser videos 
are a little like potato chips. I just can't watch just one," and Bill O'Reilly 
announced that "[a]nyone buying anything on BillOReilly.com will receive a 
'Don't Taze me, bro!' bumper 
sticker."

<br />
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200004?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/end_of_life_issues?src=other">End-of-Life Issues</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200001?src=other">Cameron  described Schiavo case as face-off  between "culture-of-life conservatives" and "right-to-die civil  libertarians"</a></b><br />
On the September 18 
edition of Fox News&#39; <i>Special Report with 
Brit Hume</i>, chief political correspondent Carl Cameron reported that 
"the controversial Terri Schiavo case ... pitted culture-of-life conservatives 
against right-to-die civil libertarians," echoing the "culture of 
life" term used by President Bush to describe his overall objective 
in supporting those who sought to block 
Schiavo&#39;s husband, Michael Schiavo, from having Terri&#39;s feeding tube removed. 
Bush at the time 
explained his attempted intervention in the Schiavo case by saying, "It should 
be our goal as a nation to build a culture of life." Cameron was discussing 
Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson&#39;s recent campaign stop with 
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R), and reported that Thompson "has stumbled on a 
handful of issues near and dear to Florida Republicans," including that 
"Thompson said he couldn&#39;t remember details of the controversial Terri Schiavo 
case." 
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709200001?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>




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