Media Matters Daily Summary

Here are today's news items from Media Matters for America, click on the title or 'read more' to read the entirety of each story. Morris falsely claimed Frank "killed" Bush's "proposed measures to rein in Fannie Mae" Dick Morris falsely claimed that "in the 2000s, when Bush proposed measures to rein in Fannie Mae, Barney Frank killed them." In fact, for much of the 2000s, Frank had no power to "kill[] ... measures" -- Republicans controlled the House, and Frank sponsored a bill to enhance oversight of Fannie and Freddie soon after Democrats took over the House in 2007. Read More Wash. Post again reported GOP criticism of reconciliation, but not that GOP repeatedly used process The Washington Post again reported GOP criticism of the Democrats' potential use of the reconciliation process to pass health-care and education bills without noting that Republicans repeatedly voted in favor of using reconciliation as a method to pass President Bush's tax cut bills. Read More With "tea party" promos on Fox Nation, Fox News compounds political boosterism Fox News continued its pattern of encouraging people to participate in "tea party" protests, highlighting on its Fox Nation website a Fox Forum post by James Pinkerton, titled, "Tea Parties: A Great Part of American History -- And America's Future." Read More Kurtz found "irony" in Obama's Baghdad visit because "Obama ran against the Iraq war" Howard Kurtz found "irony" in President Obama's visit with troops in Baghdad in light of Obama's opposition to the invasion of Iraq. The Washington Post's media critic gave no explanation for his apparent view that opposition to the war is somehow incongruous with support for -- and enthusiasm from -- the troops. Read More Media continue to advance falsehoods about Frank's exchange with Harvard student Media figures continued to misrepresent an exchange between Rep. Barney Frank and a Harvard student, falsely claiming that Frank refused to answer the student's question about how much responsibility Frank takes for the current financial crisis. Read More Hannity still issuing false warnings of Obama defense cuts Sean Hannity falsely claimed that President Obama has proposed to cut "our defenses dramatically." In fact, the Obama administration has proposed increasing defense spending by billions of dollars over the amount enacted in fiscal year 2009. Read More Media conservatives fearmongering: Obama will "take away your gun" Since President Obama's election, several conservative media figures have warned their audiences that Obama is planning to, in the words of Glenn Beck, "slowly but surely take away your gun or take away your ability to shoot a gun, carry a gun" or have suggested that a government effort to ban guns is likely. Read More Conservatives warn of social-fasc- commun-Nazi-McCarthy-Marxism Since January, Media Matters has documented numerous examples of conservatives in the media warning of socialism, fascism, communism, Nazism, McCarthyism, and Marxism, or using such language to describe President Obama or other Democrats. Read More Fox News figures outraged over Obama's "Christian nation" comment Several Fox News media figures have paraphrased or replayed President Obama's remarks in Turkey, during which he said, in part: "[W]e do not consider ourselves a Christian nation," in order to criticize Obama. Read More Fox Nation's revolt steeped in ... demagoguery Under the headline "No Taxation Without Representation!" The Fox Nation -- Fox News' allegedly bias-free website -- promoted "tea party" protests, which Fox News itself has characterized as a response to the Obama administration's fiscal policies. Read More Fox News again declares ownership with label "FNC Tax Day Tea Parties" For at least the second time in three days, Fox News aired on-screen text describing "tea party" protests that Fox News hosts will be attending as "FNC Tax Day Tea Parties." Fox News has often described the protests as a response to President Obama's fiscal policies. Read More You can help support our work; become a volunteer media monitor, or donate to Media Matters for America.