Fox News Bias ... Through The Eyes Of The Liberal Viewer

CNN Mischaracterized As A 'Liberal Media Outlet' On Booker Rising

The anatomy of a misguided statement from the Booker Rising blog:

Asks liberal media outlet CNN, about alleged racial insensitivity. Included in its article are two black conservative Republicans, who are no strangers to regular Booker Rising readers. "Lenny McCallister is African-American, a Tea Party member and a conservative Republican. He says Republicans 'have to speak out against this stuff because it does not fit our principles, morals or values. At the same time we cannot alienate the most active aspects of the conservative base at this time.' He’s calling on conservatives to help the Republican Party walk that tightrope in a way they did not in 2009."

CNN is far from a liberal media outlet. In fact, CNN at times bends over backward to accommodate guests with a variety of opinions and bends over backward to balance its discussion panels.

To refer to CNN as a "liberal media outlet" as the blog Booker Rising did is ridiculous. It seems almost a spiteful reply to the obvious fact that Fox News is a right-wing outlet (to be fair: MSNBC's prime-time commentators are to the left).

The Majority Of Blacks Lean Left, But That Doesn’t Stop Name Calling

I found this kind of interesting as I took one of my many daily travels through the blogosphere in search of interesting little nuggets. On the blog, Politics, Policy, Pathology and Hope WITHIN The Black Community, I found this finish to a blog entry:

There are two names that one will never be called in Black America (OK – 3 now that I think about it)

1. “You are a left-wing extremist”
2. “You are carrying the water for the Democrats”
3. “You have sold out to Barack Obama where you care more about his political fortunes than you do your own permanent interests”.

Here are a few thoughts I had off the top of my head:

1. First and foremost, this is pretty much assumed of many black people (in and out of the media). Secondly, does the name Van Jones ring a bell?
2. Pretty much any black person who goes on television, as a liberal, is presumed to be carrying the water for the Democrats (so it doesn’t necessarily need to be spelled out explicitly).
3. Oprah Winfrey was nailed with this charge during the campaign by conservatives who became angry that she did not give Sarah Palin, then the vice presidential candidate, a forum on Oprah’s popular syndicated talk show.

Those are just a few examples off the top of my head.

Now, for the most part, these are indeed labels a lot of blacks do not have to fear, but that is mostly because many people simply assume all blacks are in the corner of Democrats.

A FEW SIDE NOTES: I am not sure that everyone would agree with Sen. Evan Bayh about the Democrats moving too far to the left. Some would say (considering the Dems gave in on aspects of health care, sending more troops to war, etc., that President Obama has moved too far to the middle and has upset his base). That is just something to think about with this kind of discussion. Also, keep in mind, Sen. Bayh is trying to position himself as a centrist for political purposes.

Simple Simon Conservatives Trace All Detroit’s Problems To A Familiar Boogeyman: Liberalism

Frank Lucas: Simple Simon-ass motherfuckers!
From the 2007 film American Gangster

Simple-Simon conservatives take great pleasure in attacking cities like Detroit and Chicago (right-wing Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham did that again over the weekend in an effort to take a shot at President Obama). However, for the purposes of this blog, I am choosing to focus on one of the many shots being taken at Detroit. Full disclosure: Detroit is where I was born and raised. So, as a native Detroiter, we are accustomed to outside agitators gleefully taking cheap shots at the city of Detroit. Since the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States, the city of Chicago has gotten a taste for how viciously some are willing to attack a city (as far as I am concerned, it was wrong when people attacked Texas to get at George W. Bush and it’s wrong when people attack Chicago to get at President Obama). Still, the business of attacking cities for political purposes continues and thrives in today’s United States of America.

The following is a brief blog (with a biased video) from Steven Crowder, writing for the far-right site Big Hollywood (a safe haven for some of the nuttiest commentaries and irrational theories you will find):

I know that some of you may think that the last thing Detroit needs is another hit piece. Granted, some could consider this video as THE hit piece. Detroit however, can serve as a valuable lesson to the rest of the country. It has been the perfect laboratory for leftist policies at work. The more you examine the policies of Detroit’s politicians, the more strikingly similar to this administration they become. The results… are shocking. Notice how I added the “…” for dramatic effect? I’m thoughtful like that.

Crowder is right on one thing: this is a hit piece with a dual purpose: smear Detroit and take a shot at the favorite boogeyman of the far-right freaks: liberalism.

The depth and breadth of the ignorance of this video is nothing short of staggering. It’s so one-dimensional and tired it makes the old Atari 2600 look modern.

This Simple-Simon conservative mostly ignores the biggest factors in Detroit’s decline (while taking great joy in bashing unions like the United Auto Workers … as conservatives love to do while favoring the rich corporate executives who run countries):

• Auto industry decline
• Auto industry mismanagement
• Economically depending too much on the auto industry
• White flight
• Racial tension (race rioting) … sparked partly by competition for jobs and housing
• Broken political promises (Crowder cites this, but only to attack liberals)
• Shrinking population
• Eroding tax base (a part of shrinking population and fleeing businesses)
• Outsourcing to foreign countries
• Relocation of major businesses to the suburbs
• The U.S. trade deficit

… on and on it goes. But, why focus on those factors when Earth-is-flat Republicans can simply focus on their favorite topic: liberalism.

He ends the video with a shot of President Obama painted on a wall to take another partisan cheap shot in this far-right video that is lower and more disgusting than some of the filth it filmed and focused on in Detroit.

That’s not to say Detroit has its problems because it sure as hell does. But this garbage video is nothing more than the exploitation of Detroit for political purposes.

NOTE: I am not posting the video, but you can visit the Big Hollywood site to look at it if you choose.

The Detroit Syndrome of Economic Failure:
http://seekingalpha.com/article/138341-the-detroit-syndrome-of-economic-failure

Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit

Big Hollywood:
http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/scrowder/2009/12/21/is-this-the-future-of-america-detroit/#more-283182

First For President Barack Obama: Conservatives Act Like He Is First Leader To Lobby For Olympics

As we know all too well, Barack Obama is considered the first black president (the first non-white male) of the United States of America. It was a historic first, but it appears some conservatives do not think it was the last historic first for the new president. It seems many conservatives are just plain up in arms over the belief Barack Obama now has become (are you ready for this?) the first president to ever go overseas and lobby to host the Olympics.

I mean … surely no other president or leader of a nation has done that before. Perhaps conservatives see this as another case of President Obama getting uppity and acting like he is … the president? Hmm. What could be going through this man’s mind … acting like he is president of the United States of America and fighting for the people of the nation he leads.

From Think Progress:

Brazil, Spain, and Japan — the other three 2016 finalists — all sent their country’s leaders to Copenhagen, as MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow pointed out on NBC’s Meet the Press today. Conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks said that he was proud Obama had “put his country ahead of his own personal prestige”:

MADDOW: In 2012, London got the Olympics after Blair tried for them. In 2014, Russia got them after Putin tried for them, and in 2016, all four finalists sent their head of government or head of state to make the argument. Obama did nothing unreasonable, and it would have been a shock if Chicago won. For them to be cheering America’s loss here on the right, I think is sort of disgusting. [...]

BROOKS: Nonetheless, I have to say, I’m with Obama on this. He took a risk, he comes away somewhat humiliated, but he took a risk for his town, he took a risk for his country, he put his country ahead of his own personal prestige, and he lost one. I actually don’t mind it. I think he was all right on this.

We should be all proud of the work so many people from the U.S. Olympic Committee and elsewhere did to try and bring the Olympics of 2016 to the U.S. Obviously, a lot of conservatives were rooting against the U.S., but the greatness of the country will win out over the self-interested conservatives who seem only believe strongly in patriotism when a Republican is in the White House.

Congratulations to Brazil, but shame on those in the U.S. who rooted against their country due largely to political bias.

Fox News Again Blames ‘Liberal Media’

Fox News host Chris Wallace oftentimes struggles to conceal his right-wing lean relating to discussions that are supposedly unbiased. Once again, Wallace lived up to this reputation as he hosted a segment discussing President Obama’s popularity and his popularity with the media. Consider these two exchanges posted by Crooks and Liars writer Nicole Belle.

CHRIS WALLACE: So let’s go over the record, and let’s put it up on the screen. CBS is running an interview today with Barack Obama , “An American Dad.” ABC is running coverage throughout the day on Wednesday of President Obama’s health care plan including a prime-time town hall. NBC just ran two specials, “Inside the Obama White House.” Tom Brokaw was named this week to a presidential commission. And Newsweek has put Mr. Obama on the cover 19 times since 2004. Steve Hayes, how do you explain all of that?

STEVE HAYES: A lot of people call Newsweek now “Obamaweek” because they’ve put him on so often. Look, I mean, clearly, his joke about rolling over and finding Brian Williams is more than just a joke. I mean, I think the sense is – and you’ve provided evidence that it’s true – that he’s in bed – the media are in bed with Barack Obama.

That’s clever, Hayes.

First off, Fox News spent a lot of time in bed with President Bush, Vice President Cheney and, during the 2008 campaign, with Republican candidates John McCain and Sarah Palin. Plus, Barack Obama sells right now and popularly so (much to the obvious annoyance of conservatives like those in power at Fox News). The media is supposed to cover news events, but the media also needs ratings and to make sales. President Obama is hot right now and he moves product. Fox News, as another example, capitalizes on President Obama by spending ample time criticizing nearly his every move.

MARA LIASSON: On the other hand, some of those numbers are reflective of — look, Bill Clinton had an incredibly chaotic first 100 days. There was a pratfall every other day to cover. George Bush was the result of — I’m assuming that was the first term — was the result of…

WALLACE: Yes.

LIASSON: … a contested election. And Barack Obama came in as a real majority winner. He has a big majority in Congress.

WALLACE: Oh, come on, don’t you think some of it is because he’s got liberal ideas?

Liasson is correct in the points she makes. People felt that Bush had stolen the election (whether you agree or disagree) and Clinton had some struggles coming out of the blocks. Still, it’s unbelievable naive to ignore the history we’ve seen in this country with the presidential election of 2008. We elected a young and charismatic president. He is the first non-white male to be named president of the United States of America (he is the first black man to serve as president). We witnessed history. We’re witnessing history. Wallace, like so many on Fox News, is obsessed with perceptions of liberal media bias while ignoring their own bias in reporting so consistently against President Obama. Look how much time Fox News spends on President Obama.

Republicans set the pace during the previous eight years when they had George W. Bush and Dick Cheney in office.

Democrats have the power and get the attention.

Crooks and Liars:
http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/fox-news

Sen. Lindsey Graham Falls For The Sexist Stereotyping Of Judge Sonia Sotomayor

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, is falling for sexist stereotyping of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court. Think of how exceedingly rare it is for men to be criticized as having temperament problems. It’s something you here frequently with women because they are supposed to carry themselves in a more docile and less aggressive fashion. It’s a shame Graham is still living in the gender-role dark ages with this tired stereotype. Graham has been a part of a sizable group of right-wing people running down Judge Sotomayor. He has not trashed her as bad as other right wingers, but it’s safe to question his ability to fairly judge her. All of the criticisms of her are based mostly on out-of-context statements and smears from anonymous sources (talking about her temperament).

GRAHAM: I believe she does have the intellectual capacity, but there is a character problem, there is a temperament problem.

Some Republicans continue to reach hard to blow anything out of proportion to find a way to derail Judge Sotomayor’s candidacy for the U.S. Supreme Court. It’s a shame Sen. Graham seems incapable of judging her by what he has seen with his own eyes and heard with his own ears. Instead, it seems the senator is more interested in anything negative from her – regardless of the source or the motive of the source.

Right wingers are reaching because they have very little real ammunition to use against Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who has a strong record and is a worthy candidate to replace the retiring David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Think Progress:
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/06/03/graham-sotomayor-character/

Read the Think Progress story closely. At the end, the author posts a video where it seems Sen. Graham may have contradicted himself.

Fox News To Feature The Biased Liz Trotta

Liz Trotta, a Fox News analyst who joked on the air about killing President Barack Obama (before he became president), is going to be on the air to add some kind of analysis to the stories about the nomination of U.S. Supreme Court justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor. I do have somewhat of a problem with Trotta coming on (since she has an anti-Obama, pro-conservative bias). But, I am more concerned with the lack of balance in terms of having someone from the other perspective to make it more of a fair and balanced conversation. As we know, many times Fox News hosts have a bias on the right-learning network. This morning (earlier this morning) I was watching CNN which, for example, had Donna Brazile (a Democrat) and Ed Gillespie (a Republican) for a balanced discussion with host John King.

Liz Trotta is showing her bias (with no differing perspective on this Fox News segment), but this is no big surprise. I’m changing the channel. I gave her a chance and she lived up to her reputation as a right-wing hack.

Keep This In Mind When Conservatives Begin To Smear Sonia Sotomayor Over ‘Policy’ Comment

Media Matters for America is on the case to put into context one of the weapons conservatives will attempt to use against Sonia Sotomayor, the woman who is being nominated by President Barack Obama for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Here is a portion of the Media Matters story:

SUMMARY: Fox News host Jane Skinner asserted that Judge Sonia Sotomayor “is coming under some fire for making some comments that were recorded on tape a while back, saying that it’s her job, really, to make policy from the bench.” In fact, Sotomayor did not say “it’s her job” as a federal circuit court judge to “make policy from the bench.”

Check out the entire article to see the comments put into their full context.

Media Matters for America:
http://mediamatters.org/research/200905070035

The Politics Of Fear: Starring Michael Steele

Leave it to Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele to never let an opportunity to spread fear and division pass without exploitation. Steele, in another effort to appeal to those conservative Republicans, is playing the fear card by trying to convince people that Democrats want to take your guns away and move terrorists into your backyards. These days, in the wake of the thrashing the Republicans suffered in the November election, conservatives are pretty much overplaying the fear card (socialism, too much taxing, losing gun rights, fascism, communism, big government, the U.S. being less safe and on and on it goes).

From Steele:

“Whenever they can, wherever they can, the Democrats want to take away the rights of law abiding citizens to own and purchase a gun – a right that is guaranteed under the United States Constitution. …

“It is ironic, to say the least, that at the same time Democrats in Congress are threatening to deny Americans their second amendment right to own a firearm and defend their families and homes, they are considering bringing terrorists like 9-11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and other Al Qaeda detainees to our communities once the President follows through on his campaign promise to close Guantanamo Bay. …

“In April, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano – former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano – approved the release of a report warning that ‘right-wing extremists’ concerned about government restrictions on the right to own firearms are prime candidates for conducting violent acts of domestic terrorism. Not only is this silly, it is sad. …

“Now let’s pause for a moment…Everything I’ve just discussed is what the liberal Democrats are able to do with control of two branches of government. Before the end of President Obama’s first term it is entirely possible that liberal Democrats could control every lever of every branch of government. …

“Supreme Court justices hold lifetime appointments. That is why it is imperative that President Obama take his time and search for a nominee with the wisdom and grounding to interpret the laws of our great nation – not one who will have a knee jerk desire to ‘empathize’ with the concerns of Americans. Sounds like instead of another Judge Roberts, the President is looking to put Doctor Phil on the Court. …

“There is no doubt that the President is under extreme pressure with this decision. Liberal groups who escorted him down Pennsylvania Avenue on Inauguration Day are looking for a bit of payback. … They want a young, activist, left-wing justice who will leave a liberal legacy long after the Obama administration is over. Obama is considering including politicians, not judges, among his short-list of Supreme Court nominees. We don’t need a justice on the Court with an ideological agenda.”

The last sentence is funny when you think of the fact that many of the Supreme Court justices come in with an ideological agenda. You don’t think Clarence Thomas, as one example, was picked for very specific reasons (being a black hardcore conservative). With that line, Steele acts as if we’re all too stupid to realize the obvious. Republicans look for conservative justices and Democrats look for liberal judges. Michael, we know the game. You had your guy in office for eight years and now the Democrats have their person in office.

Talking Points Memo:
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/05/steele-dems-want-to-take-away-our-guns-move-terrorists-into-our-communities.php?ref=fp2

Fox News Quotes Right Winger In Story About Bias On College Campuses

Well, leave it to Fox News to write and publish a one-sided and biased story about speaker bias on college campuses. Fox News decides to quote the right-wing activist David Horowitz in a story about college campuses inviting more liberal than conservative speakers.

Here’s an excerpt from the Fox News story:

“The colleges have been transformed,” said Horowitz, whose organization, Students for Academic Freedom, tracks ideological bias on campus. “They’re now these partisan institutions. They’re not going to change.”

Horowitz ran a study in 2003 that looked at commencement speakers at 32 top institutions in the U.S. for the previous 10 years. He found that liberals and Democrats were favored over conservatives by a ratio of 15-1. And then he stopped counting.

“It’s permanent. It’s not going to change, partly because there’s so little attention being paid to it,” he told FOXNews.com.

Horowitz, however, can not be trusted (unless you’re from Fox News) to present an unbiased perspective on this issue (or, for that matter, many other issues he and his group are affiliated with). He has a significant credibility gap and, thus, anything he says is suspect.

That being said, however, I encourage different perspectives on college campuses in terms of lectures over the course of the academic school year. Students should have opportunities to hear speakers coming from reasonably different perspectives.

Fox News:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/14/conservative-speakers-widely-shunned-graduation-ceremonies/