Media Matters for America summary, December 03, 2007
 
Date: Mon, 03 Dec 2007 22:03:02 -0500

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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/200712030009?src=other">Sunday-show  discussions of Giuliani billing issue ignored that affair reportedly created  increased cost for NYC taxpayers</a></b><br />
Chris Matthews, Tim Russert, and Chris Wallace each discussed a <em>Politico</em> article that reported: "As 
New York mayor, Rudy 
Giuliani billed obscure city agencies for tens of thousands of dollars in 
security expenses amassed during the time when he was beginning an extramarital 
relationship with future wife Judith Nathan." But, at no point during these 
segments did any of the hosts or guests note that Giuliani was having an 
extramarital affair with Nathan - whom they described merely as his girlfriend 
-- and that, because of the affair, New York City taxpayers were reportedly 
paying for both her protection and that of Giuliani's estranged wife.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200712030009?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200712030008?src=other">On  <em>Reliable  Sources</em>,  Cullum claimed questions about where Obama's "religion lies, where his loyalty  lies" could "backfire on Oprah"</a></b><br />
On the December 
2 <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?to=http%3A%2F%2Ftranscripts.cnn.com%2FTRANSCRIPTS%2F0712%2F02%2Frs.01.html" title="http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0712/02/rs.01.html">edition</a> 
of CNN&#39;s <i>Reliable 
Sources</i>, while 
discussing talk show host Oprah Winfrey&#39;s endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama 
(D-IL) for president, conservative radio host Blanquita Cullum stated that 
<i><i>"</i></i>the problem" with Oprah&#39;s decision 
to campaign for Obama is "if they start trying to tie in things like this 
perception of where his religion lies, where his loyalty lies, does that 
backfire on Oprah?" Cullum added: "I 
have a tendency to think that she can bring in a percentage of the base that 
will not normally vote, but it&#39;s going to be iffy. It could 
backfire on her." 
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200712030008?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200712040001?src=other">Matthews  described Obama as "almost Third World in his  sort of presentation"</a></b><br />
Appearing on the 
December 3 edition of NBC&#39;s <i>Today</i> 
to discuss presidential politics, MSNBC host Chris Matthews said of Sen. Barack 
Obama (D-IL): "[H]e&#39;s so fresh-faced, so brand-new, almost Third World in his sort of presentation. He doesn&#39;t click 
as a usual politician."
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200712040001?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200712030003?src=other">O'Reilly  declared it "ironic" that man invaded Clinton  office on same day that <em>Wash. Post</em>  reported Clinton  inaccessible to press</a></b><br />
During the November 30 
edition of Fox News&#39; <i>The O&#39;Reilly 
Factor</i>, discussing 
with Fox 
news host Greta Van 
Susteren 
the hostage <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?to=http%3A%2F%2Fthecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com%2F2007%2F11%2F30%2Fhostage-situation-at-clinton-office-in-nh%2Findex.html%3Fhp" title="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/30/hostage-situation-at-clinton-office-in-nh/index.html?hp">incident</a> 
at a Sen. Hillary 
Rodham Clinton (D-NY) presidential campaign office in New Hampshire earlier that 
day, host <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediamatters.org%2Fissues_topics%2Fpeople%2Fbilloreilly" title="http://www.mediamatters.org/issues_topics/people/billoreilly">Bill O&#39;Reilly</a> stated: "So you got a guy, 
we&#39;re told, Fox News is told, that he has some kind of emotional problems, that 
he goes into a Hillary Clinton storefront. No need to have heavy security at a 
storefront. She&#39;s not in there. The senator&#39;s not in there." O&#39;Reilly 
later 
said: "But it&#39;s ironic 
because today in <i>The Washington 
Post</i> is an article that says that people can&#39;t get near Hillary 
Clinton. The press can&#39;t get near her, that she&#39;s so well protected by Secret 
Service, her staff, and everybody else, that the press can&#39;t even ask her any 
questions. So I thought it was a little ironic that that appears today." Van 
Susteren replied: "Well, this guy didn&#39;t either, though." According to a 
November 30 <i>New York Times</i> <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2007%2F11%2F30%2Fus%2F30cnd-hostage.html%3F_r%3D1%26bl%3D%26ei%3D5087%26en%3D3e6bf4930d0bac5b%26ex%3D1196744400%26pagewanted%3Dall%26oref%3Dslogin" title="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/30/us/30cnd-hostage.html?_r=1&amp;bl=&amp;ei=5087&amp;en=3e6bf4930d0bac5b&amp;ex=1196744400&amp;pagewanted=all&amp;oref=slogin">article</a>, Clinton "was preparing to give a speech in suburban 
Virginia at 
a Democratic 
National Committee 
forum, but immediately 
canceled it upon hearing news of the unfolding events."
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200712030003?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200712030005?src=other"><em>NY  Post</em> reported  "Clinton  volunteered to personally negotiate" with hostage-taker, but not her pledge to  cooperate with law enforcement</a></b><br />
In a two-sentence December 3 article 
discussing the November 
30 hostage situation at the Rochester, New Hampshire, presidential 
campaign office of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) in which the hostage-taker <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fstories%2F2007%2F11%2F30%2Fpolitics%2Fmain3558942.shtml" title="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/30/politics/main3558942.shtml">reportedly</a> 
demanded to talk to Clinton, <i>The New York Post</i> <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nypost.com%2Fphp%2Fpfriendly%2Fprint.php%3Furl%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.nypost.com%2Fseven%2F12032007%2Fnews%2Fnationalnews%2Fclintons_hostage_role_758081.htm" title="http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/12032007/news/nationalnews/clintons_hostage_role_758081.htm">reported</a>: "Sen. Hillary Rodham 
Clinton volunteered to personally negotiate with the crackpot who took over one 
of her New Hampshire campaign offices, she revealed yesterday. Clinton offered to speak directly to suspect Leeland 
Eisenberg, 46, in the hours he was holed up with hostages he took at her 
Rochester 
headquarters on Friday, she said." However, the <i>Post</i> did not quote Clinton directly, nor 
did it report that, in a statement released during the hostage situation, the 
Clinton campaign said that Clinton was acting at the direction of state and 
local authorities, and that, according to the Associated Press, Clinton said 
that law enforcement officials told her she could not talk to Eisenberg. 

<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200712030005?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200712030007?src=other">AP  article made false assertion about Clinton documents in discussion of Clinton,  Giuliani "secrecy issues"</a></b><br />
Associated Press reporter Liz Sidoti falsely claimed that "[i]n a 2002 letter, 
[former President Bill Clinton] wrote he did not want the agency [the National 
Archives] to release communications between the first lady [Hillary Rodham 
Clinton] and him for 12 years after leaving office." In fact, Bill Clinton did 
not ask the Archives not to release communications between him and the first 
lady; rather, he requested that "information should generally be <em>considered for withholding</em> [emphasis 
added]" if it included such communications.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200712030007?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/electoral_reform?src=other">Electoral Reform</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200712030004?src=other"><em>LA  Times</em>  article on CA ballot initiative omitted arguments against, ignored GOP  affiliation of initiative's backers</a></b><br />
The <em>Los Angeles Times</em> reported 
that supporters of a controversial Republican-backed California ballot initiative that would award the state's 
electoral votes by congressional district portray the proposal "as a way to make 
California's 
elections fair." But the article did not mention opponents' argument that the 
measure would not "make California's elections fair." Further, the article 
did not note that several of the key initiative supporters it named are 
prominent Republicans, or that the initiative was endorsed by the party's state 
convention.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200712030004?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>

<h1><a href="http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/media?src=other">Media</a></h1>
<p><b><a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200712030002?src=other">Fox News refuses  to run pro-Constitution ad</a></b><br />
Fox News has refused to air an ad 
produced by the Center for Constitutional Rights that criticizes the Bush 
administration for "destroying the Constitution" by the use of renditions, 
torture, and other tactics. The ad, "Rescue the Constitution," which is narrated 
by actor Danny Glover, 
can be viewed <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DmnR9M8cG_6s%26e">here</a>  and <a href="http://mediamatters.org//rd?to=http%3A%2F%2Fccrjustice.org%2Fbeyond-guantanamo">here</a>.
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/dailyemail/200712030002?src=other" class="read">Read more</a></p>




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