3/20/12

Fox News has Indeed Implied Obama is a Muslim

Before a Fox News apologist comes on the defense, they better make sure Media Matters isn't ahead of them. . I'll make a video compilation of the most memorable moments.

Research Courtesy of Media Matters:

Baier Responds: "We Found No Examples Of A Host Saying President Obama Is A Muslim"

Baier: "For The Record, We Found No Examples Of A Host Saying President Obama Is A Muslim." On Special Report, Bret Baier pushed back against a new book reporting that President Obama blamed Fox News in December 2010 for spreading the myth that he is a Muslim by saying: "For the record, we found no examples of a host saying President Obama is a Muslim." [Fox News, Special Report with Bret Baier, 3/19/12]

In Fact, Fox -- Including Special Report -- Has Repeatedly Questioned Obama's Faith

Special Report On Obama: "Islam Or Isn't He?" During a June 2009 segment, Special Report aired a quote by Obama foreign policy adviser Denis McDonough, in which he talked about how Obama "experienced Islam on three continents" and spent part of his childhood in Indonesia with a Muslim father. Special Report included this question above the quote: "Islam Or Isn't He?" [Fox News, Special Report with Bret Baier, 6/3/09]

Faith

Hume Falsely Claimed Obama's Half-Brother Said Obama Had A "Muslim Background." On the June 16, 2008, edition of Special Report, then-host Brit Hume stated that Malik Obama, Barack Obama's half-brother, "tells The Jerusalem Post that 'if elected his brother will be a good president for the Jewish people, despite his Muslim background.'" [Fox News, Special Report, 6/16/08]
  • Hume Issued On-Air Correction For False Claim. From the June 24, 2008, edition of Special Report:
HUME: And finally, last week, we quoted The Jerusalem Post in the story about Barack Obama's half-brother Malik Obama. The Post reported that in an interview with Israeli Army Radio, Malik Obama said his brother would be a good president despite his Muslim background. It now turns out that the Post did not quite understand what Malik Obama was saying in the interview and paraphrased him incorrectly. Malik Obama did not say that his older brother has a Muslim background. The Jerusalem Post has since removed the story from its website, and we regret the error. [Fox News, Special Report, 6/24/08]
On Fox, Donald Trump Claimed Obama's Birth Certificate "Maybe ... Says He Is A Muslim." On The O'Reilly Factor, frequent guest Donald Trump said:
TRUMP: Listen, I have a birth certificate. I have my birth certificate. And in fact, they said the one I gave yesterday wasn't good enough. So I actually got the one from the Health Department, which is the perfect one. Because they were saying the one I gave yesterday wasn't good enough, so I got the other. People have birth certificates. He doesn't have a birth certificate. He may have one but there's something on that, maybe religion, maybe it says he is a Muslim. I don't know. Maybe he doesn't want that. Or he may not have one. But I will tell you this. If he wasn't born in this country, it's one of the great scams of all time. [Fox News, The O'Reilly Factor, 3/28/11]
Fox Nation Promoted Trump's Claim That Obama May Be A Muslim. Fox Nation promoted Trump's claims that Obama may be a Muslim, writing: "Trump On Obama: 'Maybe He's a Muslim.' "
Trump
[Fox Nation, 3/30/11]
Fox Guest Suggested Obama Is Secretly Muslim. Fox & Friends hosted controversial Pastor Robert Jeffress, who said:
JEFFRESS: Steve, let's look at what really is going on here. On the one hand, we have a president who never met a Muslim holiday he didn't like, or at least wasn't willing to issue a proclamation for, and on the other hand, here he is refusing to acknowledge publicly the most important event in Christian faith, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And yet the White House is wondering, why do 20 percent of Americans think the president is a Muslim? Well, as my kids would say, duh. I mean, it's actions like these that really make people wonder what it is the president really believes. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 4/26/11]
Hannity: "I'm Not Questioning His Religion, But People" Asked Why Obama Wouldn't Issue Easter Proclamation. Discussing why "the White House doesn't release an Easter proclamation despite several proclamations for holidays of other religions," Sean Hannity stated, "I'm not questioning his religion, but people said, 'Why wouldn't he do it on this?' " [Fox News, Hannity, 4/25/11]

During '08 Campaign, Fox News Promoted Smear That Obama Was Raised In A "Madrassa"

Fox & Friends Pushed False Smear That Obama Attended A "Madrassa." On the January 19, 2007, editions of Fox & Friends First and Fox & Friends, co-host Brian Kilmeade, along with co-hosts Steve Doocy and Gretchen Carlson, spent several segments advancing a false report that then-Sen. Barack Obama was raised a Muslim and attended a madrassa, or Islamic school, as a child in Indonesia. At one point, Doocy asked: "When people find out this stuff, they're going to go, 'Why didn't anybody ever mention that that man right there was raised as -- spent the first decade of his life raised by his Muslim father as a Muslim and was educated in a madrassa?' " [Fox News, Fox & Friends First and Fox & Friends, 1/19/07]
  • Fox & Friends Had To "Clarify" Their Remarks. On the January 22, 2007, edition of Fox & Friends First, Doocy said he had to "clarify" the show's reporting on the fabricated madrassa story, stating that "Mr. Obama's people called and they said that that is absolutely false. They said the idea that Barack Obama went to a radical Muslim school is completely ridiculous." [Fox News, Fox & Friends First, 1/22/07]
On Fox News, Coulter Repeatedly Claimed Obama "Attended Madrassas." On the December 28, 2009, edition of The O'Reilly Factor and the December 30, 2009, edition of Glenn Beck, conservative columnist Ann Coulter said Obama attended madrassas as a child. [Fox News, The O'Reilly Factor, 12/28/09; Glenn Beck, 12/30/09]

3/15/12

Bill O'Reilly FAILS Attacking Media Matters Gas Prices Video

Yesterday, Bill O'Reilly on his show claimed the media watch dog Media Matters for America posted and edited a video saying he (O'Reilly) didn't criticize Bush during the Bush administration for record high gas prices. He's referring to the video Media Matters posted called "FLASHBACK: Fox News On Gas Prices In 2008" regarding Fox News defending President Bush and saying there was nothing he could to control the gas prices.

From his Talking Points Memo:
Now, for years "Talking Points" has been telling you that Media Matters, heavily funded by people like George Soros, has been corrupting the editorial process in America. And tonight we will give you one more vivid example. As you may know, I have been very critical of the oil companies jacking up gas prices when there's plenty of supply available in the U.S.A. Also, I've criticized President Obama for doing nothing about it when he could call the oil chieftains into the White House and get behind legislation to limit oil speculation. Enter Media Matters who calls me a hypocrite because they say I didn't hammer President Bush when gas prices rose during his tenure.




O'Reilly has several problems with his criticism of the Media Matters video. Media Matters in their article and in the video didn't even say O'Reilly didn't criticize Bush or call him a hypocrite. In fact reading the article and actually watching the video shows no such thing.


Media Matters points out what Fox News was saying about gas prices in 2008. Compare it to now.

From the Media Matters website:
Following GOP strategy, Fox News is again blaming the Obama administration for rising gasoline prices -- a claim that has been repeatedly debunked by energy analysts. But back in the summer of 2008, when the average U.S. gasoline price hit a record high of $4.11, Fox said that "no President has the power to increase or to lower gas prices."   In 2008, Fox's coverage occasionally even mirrored the facts: expanding domestic oil drilling will not significantly lower prices, and the only way to reduce our vulnerability to gas price spikes is to use less oil.
This is the only part of the video O'Reilly aired on his show:
O'REILLY: So the next time you hear a politician say he or she will bring down oil prices, understand its complete BS. If Americans want lower gas prices? Cut back.
If your only watching Fox News, you would never have known what the video was actually about seeing only 10 seconds of the 5:26 video that was all O'Reilly aired. O'Reilly could have actually said the title of the video. That would tell you more about video than the 10 seconds O'Reilly aired. The video showed Fox News' tone when it came the president and gas prices in 2008 which included O'Reilly. To his credit, Bill has stayed consistent when it comes to politician promises and gas prices. I think he's the only one on Fox News that hasn't changed his tone as of now. That doesn't excuse his blatant dishonesty on Media Matters.

3/13/12

IStandwithRush.org is Gone Limbaugh Defense Web Site


Now you see it now you don't. Brent Bozell of the Media Research Center launched a campaign to downplay Rush Limbaugh's misogynistic attack on the law student Sandra Fluke. Now for some reason the website IStandWithRush.org now redirects to the MRC's "Tell the Truth!" website. A staffer at Newsbusters has addressed a different problem being that when you click sign it says "error". He says it should be working now, but now the website is gone.
Con Web Watch has details and the original website in Google Cache.

3/12/12

88% of GOP Voters Say Obama is Muslim or Unsure in Mississippi

I've just verified the video that Bill Maher put out about people from the South.



Alabama and Mississippi Republicans are not that far apart on whether President Obama is Muslim according to new numbers by Democratic pollster PPP. Its worse than the the poll on Republican voters nationwide.

Asked whether Obama is Christian or Muslim, some 45 percent of Alabama Republican respondents picked Muslim; 14 percent correctly identified him as Christian. Another 41 percent said they were unsure. In Mississippi, a majority of Republicans, 52 percent, identified Obama as Muslim; 12 percent said he was Christian and 36 percent were undecided.

Republican apologists can't excuse this since their own leadership won't give straight repudiations of these attacks on Obama, because their afraid the fringe base they're reaching out to.

3/9/12

Derrick Bell: Brown v. Board was Anti-Communist

Derrick Bell is the recently deceased African American law professor Andrew Breitbart is attacking from his grave.




Breitbart's website headline: THE VETTING: OBAMA EMBRACES RACIALIST HARVARD PROF. This is the video I mentioned in my last post Andrew Breitbart claimed he had from Obama's college days. I'll be covering the other stuff their claiming to expose about Obama as they release them. So far they are just rehashing old Obama mythology with Saul Alinsky mythology. Regarding the Derrick Bell video, Bell himself is well respected and there's nothing too controversial to see it even when Breitbart.com editor John Pollak is pressed on the so called "bombshell"


There's something else that might catch a right winger's attention. In another video of Bell posted online, he gives a lecture on the election of Barack Obama as President and the effect its had on America. He brought up how his critical race theory fits into that. Through what he calls interest convergence, he argues the equality, achievements, and interests of African Americans would be nothing like it is today if whites hadn't had their interests at stake. One of the most interesting examples he brings up is Brown v. Board, calling it an "anti-communist decision" rather than an equality decision.



Bell is right that passing laws combating inequality and discrimination in the United States were a strategy against Communism particularly from Franklin Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower. Racial discrimination was becoming the Communists' most valuable assets in propaganda against the United States during the early Cold War. That's a critical analysis when you look at the writings of the previous presidents, you see they saw racial discrimination as a national security priority. Fascinating that it was a contributing force in passing equality laws. Same applies to the Civil War being fought that freed the slaves. Most Northerners were fighting primarily to save the union. If it weren't for the South trying to secede, President Abraham Lincoln probably wouldn't have had the support to free slaves in the Southern states. 

Finally, that fits with the first African American elected president, Barack Obama. Obama did not win a majority of white votes, but enough saw him as the best man to lead our country. It was wondered that Obama would suffer the Bradley Effect, in which the polling was wrong because some voters, who did not want to appear bigoted, said they voted for Obama even though they did not. Bill Maher on Larry King Live in 2008 joked about there being a Reverse Bradley Effect saying: "The reverse Bradley Effect is the racists who get together with each other down by the moose lodge -- and, of course, they couldn't admit they're voting for Barack Obama, but they get in the voting booth and they go eww, you know what, my kid's teeth are falling out and it did sound like he had the better health care plan. I hope that curtain is closed all the way, because I'm going to vote for Barack Obama." Although the number of racists who did that is likely small, that would be an example of interest convergence. Bell did not refer to racists like Maher did, but the whites in general. Obama was seen by enough in that population as the best man.

3/6/12

UPDATE Rush Limbaugh Apologist Brent Bozell is Embarassing Himself Over Sandra Fluke


Recently after Rush Limbaugh issued a non-apology, Media Research Center (MRC) President Brent Bozell finally spoke out about Limbaugh's attack on Sandra Fluke testifying on contraception.
How does he handle it? He says "Rush crossed the line" and launches a Limbaugh defense site called istandwithrush.org.


From About section:
As the organized left mobilizes to silence once of the most effective conservative voices of our generation, we are providing an opportunity for patriotic Americans to stand with Rush Limbaugh who has fought so hard for our first principles and commonsense conservatism!
Petition States:
I stand with Rush Limbaugh and appreciate the massive contribution that he has made to the conservative movement and our nation over the last 25 years. Rush has apologized. But the radical left will never accept it because they despise him and want him off the air. I condemn attempts by radical left-wing organizations and the media to censor Rush and his commonsense conservative message.

Once again, Bozell is contradicting himself with what he believes censorship is. Also what does patriotism have to do with this? ConWebWatch has pointed out the crucial difference between Sarah Palin and Fluke Bozell is missing when trying to put the same standard on Bill Maher with Sarah Palin. 
Palin is a nationally known political figure, while Fluke's testimony was her very first appearance in a major political forum. Also, Maher made his "c-word" attack on Palin in a stand-up comedy appearance in Dallas; Limbaugh ranted for three days about Fluke's sex life on a nationally syndicated radio show. [ConWebWatch 3/5/12]
MRC does not apply their belief of what censorship is with themselves.

"It's not 'censorship' if ABC decides that Mr. Maher's regularly kooky left-wing remarks are too offensive to its audience or advertisers."- Brent Bozell
Petition states: “I demand that NBC take immediate action by terminating the employees who used a Sunday sports broadcast to insult people of faith.”
"It's perfectly acceptable for an organization to lobby to cancel a program they think is inappropriate. I don't think there's anything wrong with that at all."- Brent Bozell Los Angeles Times 3/20/00
Asking Comedy Central Advertisers to Not Sponsor what his organization called Religious Bigotry (for Christianity only).

UPDATE 3/13/12
For some reason the website I Stand with Rush is gone.
Con Web Watch has details.

3/5/12

Why Fox News Hates Media Matters Exhibit A

They (Media Matters For America) demonstrate how Fox News echo GOP talking points, more recently again blaming the Obama administration for rising gasoline prices.

Fox News had a different position back in the summer of 2008, when the average U.S. gasoline price hit a record high of $4.11, Fox said that "no President has the power to increase or to lower gas prices."Which by the way is true.

From Media Matters:
In 2008, Fox's coverage occasionally even mirrored the facts: expanding domestic oil drilling will not significantly lower prices, and the only way to reduce our vulnerability to gas price spikes is to use less oil.
Pay attention to what O'Reilly says...