Media Matters for America summary, September 27, 2007
 
Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2007 22:03:07 -0400

<x-html>
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/"><img src="http://mediamatters.org/static/images/logo_email.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<p><b></b></p>
<p><a href=""></a></p>

<style type="text/css"><!--
body    	{ font-family: verdana, sans-serif; margin: 20px}

#spread 	{ float: left; width: 560px; clear: both; }

#spread a	{ text-decoration: none; color: #003366 }            
#spread a:hover	{ text-decoration: underline }

#spread p	{ font-size: 0.9em; }

#spread h1	{ font-size: 100%; }
#spread h2	{ font-size:  90%; }
#spread h3	{ font-size:  85%; }

#spread a.read	{
	font-size: .8em;
	/*font-weight: bold;*/
	text-transform: uppercase;
}
--></style>
<div id="spread">
<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/200709270007?src=other">AP uncritically  quoted RNC attack, ignored Obama's vote to condemn MoveOn ad</a></b><br />
A September 25 Associated Press <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3650612" title="http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3650612">article</a> on 
Sen. Barack Obama&#39;s (D-IL) first presidential campaign stop in Maine reported 
that "Republican National Committee spokeswoman Summer Johnson said Obama 
shouldn&#39;t talk about &#39;moral standing&#39; when he sat out a Senate vote on a measure 
to condemn the liberal interest group MoveOn.org for a newspaper ad criticizing 
Gen. David Petraeus" -- referring to the <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&amp;session=1&amp;vote=00344" title="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&amp;session=1&amp;vote=00344">vote</a> 
on Sen. John Cornyn&#39;s (R-TX) September 20 amendment. The article quoted Johnson 
saying: "It seems Obama plays to the kind of politics set forth to him by 
MoveOn.org." However, while reporting that Johnson attacked Obama for not voting 
on Cornyn&#39;s amendment, the AP ignored Obama&#39;s <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&amp;session=1&amp;vote=00343" title="http://mediamatters.org/rd?src=other&http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&amp;session=1&amp;vote=00343
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&amp;session=1&amp;vote=00343">vote</a> 
the same day for an amendment proposed by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) to "strongly 
condemn attacks on the honor, integrity, and patriotism of any individual who is 
serving or has served honorably in the United States Armed Forces, by any person 
or organization." 
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270007?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270009?src=other">Gerson falsely claimed Clinton said Catholics "somehow responsible for abortion in America"</a></b><br />
In his September 26 <i>Washington Post</i> <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/25/AR2007092501754.html?hpid=opinionsbox1">column</a>, Michael Gerson,
a former speechwriter and policy adviser to President Bush, asserted, "[A]s
[author Paul] Kengor points out in his insightful book, &#39;God and Hillary
Clinton,&#39; Sen. Hillary Clinton&#39;s (D-NY) defense of abortion rights
has been strident, even radical. She has attacked pro-life people as enemies of
&#39;evidence,&#39; &#39;science&#39; and &#39;the
Constitution.&#39; And she has blamed pro-life &#39;ideologues&#39; for
the prevalence of abortions because of their &#39;silent war on contraception&#39;
-- a remarkable accusation that Roman Catholic opposition to birth control is
somehow responsible for abortion in America." However, in his book, <i><a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780061136924/God_and_Hillary_Clinton/index.aspx">God and Hillary Clinton: A Spiritual Life</a></i>
(HarperCollins, September 2007), Kengor does not assert that Clinton blamed
"Roman Catholic opposition to birth control" for abortions. In
fact, he does not claim that Clinton used the word "Catholics" at
all, though he does engage in speculation of his own -- writing that Clinton
"must have had in mind Catholics in particular" when she referred
to "these right wingers [who] left women with no choice but to end their
unwanted pregnancies with abortion." 
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270009?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270011?src=other">NBC debate  moderators can't get past Edwards haircut story, despite acknowledgment it's  "silly"</a></b><br />
During the September 26 Democratic 
presidential debate at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, 
moderator and NBC News Washington bureau chief Tim Russert asked former Sen. 
John Edwards (D-NC): "Your campaign has hit some obstacles with revelations 
about $400 haircuts, half-million dollars working for a hedge fund, $800,000 
from Rupert Murdoch. Do you wish you hadn&#39;t taken money in all those cases or 
hadn&#39;t made that kind of expenditure for a haircut?" Russert&#39;s question about 
Edwards&#39; haircuts marks the second time a moderator from NBC News has asked 
about the topic during a debate since the story "broke" in April. As <i>Media Matters for America</i> <a href="http://mediamatters.org//items/200707200001?src=other" title="http://mediamatters.org/items/200707200001">noted</a>, NBC&#39;s <i>Nightly News</i> anchor Brian Williams asked 
Edwards about the haircuts during an April 26 <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18352397/1/displaymode/1098/" title="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18352397/1/displaymode/1098/">debate</a>, 
despite having <a href="http://mediamatters.org//columns/200705010001?src=other" title="http://mediamatters.org/columns/200705010001">acknowledged</a> three days 
earlier that the story was "silly."
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270011?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270014?src=other">NBC's Gregory called Democrats' statements on Iraq "surprising[]" -- but they were consistent</a></b><br />
NBC's David Gregory said it was "surprising[]" Sen Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama, and former Sen. John Edwards, speaking at a Democratic presidential debate, "would not promise a complete withdrawal of U.S. forces." But Gregory did not explain why he thought that this was "surprising[]," and in fact the statements of all three candidates were consistent with their previous positions.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270014?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270006?src=other">Matthews'  post-debate analysis: "Let me tell you how short Hillary's leash  is"</a></b><br />
During 
MSNBC&#39;s analysis of the September 26 Democratic presidential debate at 
Dartmouth College in Hanover, New 
Hampshire, while discussing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton 
(D-NY), host Chris Matthews said to moderator Tim Russert, "Let me tell you how 
short Hillary&#39;s leash is. She was asked by you, sir, about whether we&#39;re going 
to get full disclosure of contributors to presidential 
libraries. And 
she did not feel that she 
had the latitude in her husband&#39;s absence to give you an 
answer." Matthews continued, "She said, 
&#39;You&#39;ll have to ask my husband.&#39; As if you&#39;re a guy going door to door trying to 
sell something and says, &#39;You&#39;ll have to wait for my husband to get home.&#39; " 
Matthews began to ask, "Do you think she&#39;s 
that much --" but then stopped and asserted, "[N]ever mind, let&#39;s just drop 
this." 
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270006?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/race_affirmative_action?src=other">Race/Affirmative Action</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270012?src=other">O'Reilly claimed <em>Media Matters</em> "distorted" his "discussion on race," but never aired the discussion on his TV show  <br /></a></b><br />
During the September 
26 edition of his Fox News show, <i>The 
O&#39;Reilly Factor</i>, responding to criticism of his controversial 
September 19 <a href="http://mediamatters.org//items/200709210007?src=other" title="http://mediamatters.org/items/200709210007">remarks</a> on his radio show about his visit 
to Sylvia&#39;s restaurant in Harlem, <a href="http://mediamatters.org//issues_topics/people/billoreilly?src=other" title="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/people/billoreilly">Bill O&#39;Reilly</a> asserted that "the far-left 
smear website <i>Media Matters</i> 
distorted a very positive discussion on race and accused me of racism." During 
three segments discussing the controversy, however, O&#39;Reilly aired no audio from 
the September 19 edition of his radio show. In its original item documenting 
O&#39;Reilly&#39;s comments, <i>Media 
Matters for America</i> <a href="http://mediamatters.org//items/200709210007?f=h_top" title="http://mediamatters.org/items/200709210007?f=h_top">provided</a> the transcript and audio of his 
remarks.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270012?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270005?src=other"><em>Wash.  Post</em>'s  Robinson on O'Reilly: "[I]t was, at best, a casually racist  remark"</a></b><br />
During the September 
26 edition of MSNBC&#39;s <i>Countdown with Keith 
Olbermann</i>, discussing Fox News host <a href="http://mediamatters.org//issues_topics/people/billoreilly?src=other" title="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/people/billoreilly">Bill O&#39;Reilly</a>&#39;s controversial September 
19 <a href="http://mediamatters.org//items/200709210007?src=other" title="http://mediamatters.org/items/200709210007">remarks</a> about his visit to Sylvia&#39;s 
restaurant in Harlem, <i>Washington 
Post</i> columnist Eugene Robinson said of O&#39;Reilly&#39;s comment: "[I]t was, at 
best, a casually racist remark." Robinson also said: "[W]hat really ticks 
me off is that when you say that, when you point that out, you know, 
immediately you get charged by O&#39;Reilly and cohorts with, you know, you&#39;re the 
thought police, you&#39;re the thought Gestapo, you&#39;re the word Nazis, you&#39;re 
interfering with free speech, and somehow cutting off an honest debate about 
race. Well, tell me what in the year 2007 is debatable about whether or not 
black people can use a knife and fork. I don&#39;t think that&#39;s debatable at this 
point."
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270005?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270016?src=other">On CNN, Peterson  called NAACP "a hate group"</a></b><br />
Discussing the Jena Six 
controversy, CNN host 
Kyra Phillips said, 
"Let's talk about the reality of the hate groups that are in that area [Jena, Louisiana] and the reality of a 
mind-set that does 
exist." In response, conservative commentator Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson asserted: 
"I also agree that there are hate groups all around the country. There are 
skinheads, KKK, and the NAACP. The NAACP is a hate group as 
well."

<br />
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270016?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270008?src=other">On  her blog, Bruce attacked "the Soros Media Gestapo, <em>Media  Matters</em>"</a></b><br />
On her blog, radio host Tammy Bruce asserted that Fox News host Bill O'Reilly 
has been under "increasing attacks 
... by the [George] Soros 
Media Gestapo, Media Matters. Once again, the left, via MM, has resorted to 
their default position in attempting to demonizing [sic] someone, specifically 
by calling O'Reilly a racist." Bruce further asserted, "The left, Soros, and his 
political and media thugs, cannot withstand independent voices and they will 
work overtime to silence them. Let's make sure these new gestapos fail." In 
fact, Soros has never given money to <em>Media 
Matters</em>, either directly or through another 
organization.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270008?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/200709270018?src=other">O'Reilly claimed  <em>Media Matters</em> had "personally  attacked" him, but failed to offer any examples</a></b><br />
On <em>The O'Reilly Factor</em>, Bill O'Reilly repeatedly claimed that 
"<em>Media Matters</em> has personally 
attacked me 109 times," 
but he did not offer a single 
example of <em>Media Matters</em>' alleged 
personal attacks. In fact, <em>Media 
Matters</em> has 
posted more than 125 
items documenting statements by O'Reilly during the period in 
question, including full 
transcripts of his comments with corresponding audio or video.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270018?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270017?src=other">O'Reilly: "[I]f I could strangle these people and not go to  hell and get executed ...  I would -- but I  can't."</a></b><br />
On the September 27 edition of his 
nationally syndicated radio show, while discussing media coverage of his recent 
<a href="http://mediamatters.org//items/200709210007?f=h_top" title="http://mediamatters.org/items/200709210007?f=h_top">controversial 
comments</a> about race, Fox News host <a href="http://mediamatters.org//issues_topics/people/billoreilly?src=other" title="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/people/billoreilly">Bill 
O&#39;Reilly</a> asserted: "These people aren&#39;t getting away with 
this. I&#39;m going to go right where they live. Every corrupt media person in this 
country is on notice, right now. I&#39;m coming after you." He went on to warn: "You 
smear somebody and you can&#39;t back it up, you&#39;re gonna get it. ... You go after 
somebody&#39;s family, you go after them and smear them with defamation that you 
can&#39;t back up, I&#39;m coming to your house. I&#39;m coming to your house. You&#39;ll have a 
camera up your nose. OK?" 
Later during the program, O&#39;Reilly stated that newspapers such as 
<i>The New York Times</i> and the 
New York 
<i>Daily News</i>, "ran up to Harlem and 
they fed black Americans bogus quotes from <i>Media Matters</i>." 
Continuing, he 
said, "Now, the black Americans up there, they didn&#39;t listen to 
<i>The Radio Factor</i>. They 
didn&#39;t know this was coming from <i>Media 
Matters</i>. ... So, the reporter ... feeds them the quote, and 
of course they say bad things about me." O&#39;Reilly called these newspapers&#39; 
actions "the height of racism." Apparently referring to the media who he said "ran up to Harlem and ... 
fed black Americans bogus quotes from <i>Media 
Matters</i>," 
O&#39;Reilly added, "[I]f I could strangle these people and not go to 
hell and get executed ... I would -- but I can&#39;t. ... All I can do is expose them. And I 
will."
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270017?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270015?src=other">Fox's  Gibson claimed "George Soros is after Bill O'Reilly ... over some benign  remarks"</a></b><br />
Fox News' John Gibson called the controversy over Bill O'Reilly's recent remarks 
a "fabricated flap over some benign remarks Bill made on his radio show, but it 
has been turned on its ear by George Soros' <em>Media Matters,</em>" which is "dedicated to 
discrediting conservatives and folks like Bill" through "the purposeful 
misinterpretation of one's words." Gibson did not support his claim that 
<em>Media Matters</em> "misinterpret[ed]" 
O'Reilly's words; moreover, Soros has never given money to <em>Media Matters.</em>
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270015?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/200709270010?src=other">Limbaugh: Service  members who support U.S. withdrawal are "phony soldiers"</a></b><br />
During the September 26 broadcast of 
his nationally syndicated radio show, <a href="http://mediamatters.org//issues_topics/people/rushlimbaugh?src=other" title="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/people/rushlimbaugh">Rush 
Limbaugh</a> called service members who advocate 
U.S. withdrawal from 
Iraq "phony soldiers." He made the 
comment while discussing with a caller a conversation he had with a previous 
caller, "Mike from Chicago," who said he "used to 
be military," and "believe[s] that we should pull out of Iraq." 
Limbaugh told the second caller, whom he identified as "Mike, this one from 
Olympia, Washington," that "[t]here&#39;s a lot" that people who favor U.S. withdrawal 
"don&#39;t understand" and that when asked why the United States should pull out, 
their only answer is, " &#39;Well, we just gotta bring the troops home.&#39; ... &#39;Save the 
-- keeps the troops safe&#39; or whatever," adding, "[I]t&#39;s not possible, 
intellectually, to follow these people." "Mike" from Olympia replied, "No, it&#39;s 
not, and what&#39;s really funny is, they never talk to real soldiers. They like to 
pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and talk to the media." 
Limbaugh interjected, "The phony soldiers." The caller, who had earlier said, "I am a serving American military, 
in the Army," agreed, replying, "The phony 
soldiers."
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200709270010?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>




<hr />
<p>This mail was sent by <i>Media Matters for America</i>
to 'news@energy-net.org'. Please visit us at
<a href="http://mediamatters.org">http://mediamatters.org</a></p>

<p>You can help support our work; become a 
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/200407200002?src=other">volunteer media
monitor</a>, or 
<a href="https://mediamatters.org/donate?source=email">donate</a>
to <i>Media Matters for America</i>.</p>


<p>To change your email subscription preferences, visit <a href="http://mediamatters.org/users/prefs.html?src=other">http://mediamatters.org/users/prefs.html</a></p>

<p>If you'd like to unsubscribe from all <i>Media Matters for America</i> emails, you can just click on <a href="http://mediamatters.org/users/unsub/_TFiSm6WIkiaci7iLu6ZtH8gu6JaPh8t_vLvpt4dfhY">http://mediamatters.org/users/unsub/_TFiSm6WIkiaci7iLu6ZtH8gu6JaPh8t_vLvpt4dfhY</a>.</p>

<p>To contact us directly, reply to this mail or visit <a href="http://mediamatters.org/contact_us?src=other">http://mediamatters.org/contact_us</a></p>
</div><img src="http://mediamatters.org/static/images/tracker.gif?src=other" style="display: none;" />
</x-html>