| 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. Right-wing media distort testimony to claim Obama knew about Blagojevich "quid pro quo"
Right-wing media are misrepresenting testimony from former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's aide John Harris to claim President Obama knew that Blagojevich wanted a Cabinet post in exchange for appointing Valerie Jarrett to the Senate. In fact, Harris provided no evidence that Obama was aware of a proposed "quid pro quo"; the allegation is reportedly based on Blagojevich's unsupported claim that he was "confident" his wishes had been relayed to Obama. Moreover, there's no evidence that anyone at the White House did anything improper in relation to the Blagojevich scandal Read More Fox's "straight news" falsely reports federal agencies are boycotting Arizona
Fox News' America's Newsroom falsely reported that "two federal agencies are joining the push to boycott Arizona" by cancelling "conventions" there. In fact, the Department of Education says it will be holding a conference in Arizona next week, and the Border Patrol said they did not cancel any conferences in Arizona. Read More Fox absurdly claims ICE official doesn't "believe in immigration enforcement"
Fox News falsely claimed that new ICE official Harold Hurtt is "a sanctuary city supporter" who doesn't "believe in immigration enforcement," since he has expressed concerns about local police "in the field" enforcing immigration law, concerns that are widely held among law enforcement leaders. In fact, Houston under Chief Hurtt was not a "sanctuary city," according Fox's own definition, and he has reportedly said that in his role at ICE, "he will support local law enforcement agencies' decision to participate in any ICE program of their choosing, even if it involves questioning suspects on the street about their status." Read More Fox News revives falsehood that Kagan "ke[pt] military recruiters off Harvard Law's campus"
Previewing Elena Kagan's confirmation hearing next week, Fox News repeated the conservative myth that she "ke[pt] military recruiters off Harvard Law's campus." In fact Harvard law students had access to military recruiters throughout Kagan's tenure as dean -- either through Harvard's Office of Career Services or through the Harvard Law School Veterans Association. Read More Wash. Times compiles its distortions and falsehoods into one massive attack on Kagan
In a June 25 editorial, The Washington Times compiled the numerous distortions and falsehoods that have run on its opinion pages into one editorial headlined "The Case Against Kagan." Read More Do right-wing media still trust Jon Kyl "implicitly"?
Many conservative media figures vouched for Sen. Jon Kyl's "integrity" after Kyl accused President Obama of having said he refuses to "secure the border" in order to force the GOP to support comprehensive immigration reform. Will these media figures report that Kyl now says his comments were "taken a bit out of context" and referred to "the president's base" and not the administration? Read More | 
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