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 Obama favors "rationing," eliminating certain medical procedures Dick Morris claimed that one of the ways President Obama can pay for health care reform is to "do what he's increasingly doing, which is to crack down on health care spending and have severe rationing." In fact, the Obama administration has not advocated "rationing" or eliminating any of the medical procedures Morris identified. Read More NY Times, John Fund omit McCaskill's statement supporting White House removal of Walpin The New York Times and John Fund each noted that Sen. Claire McCaskill said President Obama had not provided a legally "sufficient reason" for removing Gerald Walpin from his position as inspector general. But neither noted that McCaskill subsequently said additional information provided by the White House put it "in full compliance" with legal requirements and that "the decision to remove Walpin appears well founded." Read More Conservative media still promoting Obama birth certificate conspiracy theories Conservative media figures have continued to advance various versions of the discredited myth that Barack Obama has not produced a valid birth certificate, is not a natural-born U.S. citizen, and is not eligible to be president. Read More Media trumpet Walpin claims without noting acting U.S. attorney's allegations In reporting on Gerald Walpin's removal as inspector general and hosting Walpin to discuss his claims, Fox & Friends, Glenn Beck, and Laura Ingraham did not note a U.S. attorney's allegations against Walpin. Read More Media revive Clinton-era smear, dub White House health care plan "ObamaCare" Many media figures have dubbed President Obama's health care reform proposal "ObamaCare," reinventing the terms "HillaryCare" and "ClintonCare" that were used by opponents of the Clintons' reform proposal. In doing so, these media are often seeking to frame the debate in negative terms. Read More ABC Obama health care special brings out Fox News' hypocrisy In criticizing a former ABC News correspondent now working in the Obama White House and ABC's refusal to air an advocacy ad during a program to be broadcast from the White House, Fox News guests and hosts have ignored Fox's own history of refusal to air advocacy ads that criticized the Bush administration, or that Tony Snow left Fox News to be President Bush's press secretary. Read More Media reports on polling reinforce public's view of deficit, rather than informing it Media reports on polls indicating public concern over the federal budget deficit did not report the view among prominent economists that the government's response to recession should be spending and not deficit reduction. Read More You can help support our work; become a volunteer media monitor, or donate to Media Matters for America.