Schieffer Hits Christie for How He "Demonized Teachers," Presses Him To Offer "Straight Talk" On "Raising Taxes"

Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996
Monday February 28, 2011 @ 09:39 AM EST

1. Schieffer Hits Christie for How He 'Demonized Teachers' and Presses Him to Offer 'Straight Talk' on Raising Taxes

CBS’s Bob Schieffer hit Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie from the left on Sunday’s Face the Nation, claiming he has “demonized” teachers and urging him to give some “straight talk” about the necessity to raise taxes. After asking if he thinks “Governor Walker out there in Wisconsin has gone too far?” in trying to end collective bargaining, Schieffer ludicrously asserted “everybody in this country on all sides of this thinks we need education reform,” but he wanted to know if Christie realized his stance has “demonized teachers and will raise questions in young people's minds as to whether they want to go into the profession?” Soon, “Banal Bob” implored Christie with his standard plea: “You have a reputation as a straight talker, I think. Do you believe that the budgetary problems across this country can be resolved without raising taxes?”

2. NBC Mislabels Dem Mayor as 'R' After Providence Fires All Its School Teachers

On Sunday’s NBC Nightly News, a report filed by correspondent Kevin Tibbles mislabeled the Democratic Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, Angel Taveras, as a Republican during the piece which recounted that the city’s school board had fired all its teachers with the intent to hire back some of them to help solve the city’s budget problems.

3. MSNBC's O'Donnell Suggests 'Racist Message' in RNC Ad Linking Obama to Labor Unions

On Friday’s Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC host O’Donnell seemed to channel his predecessor, Keith Olbermann, as he ridiculously suggested racism in an RNC ad which accused President Obama of being beholden to organized labor, a charge often made against Democrats for many years in the past.

4. NY Times Reporting Dotted With Warnings of 'Far-Right,' 'Hard-Right' Conservatives

From Wednesday's Times: Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli "was known for his hard-right stances on illegal immigration, same-sex marriage, gun control and abortion." A Nexis search indicates Times reporters have used the description “hard-right” five times in the last two years, and the paper's liberal columnists employ it regularly. By contrast, no Times reporter, columnist, or editorial writer has used the term “hard-left” to describe an American political figure or movement a single time in that same period.

5. Arguing with Rand Paul, Letterman Urges Tax Hike to Pay Wisconsin Workers and Displays Ignorance of Tax Burdens

Catching up with a Thursday night appearance by Senator Rand Paul to plug his new book, Paul’s segment on the Late Show exposed David Letterman as an arrogantly ill-informed ally of Wisconsin’s public employee unions: “Why don't we just raise the taxes and let these folks have their collective bargaining, have their union representation and go back to their jobs? Raise the taxes on the wealthy.” When Paul tried to educate Letterman about how a small percent of the wealthy pay far more than their fair share, Letterman was an oblivious student as he baselessly countered: “I think there's something wrong with those numbers. I don't know what it is exactly, but I'm pretty sure there's something wrong with them.”

6. You Read It Here First: Coverage of MRC's Expose of Wisconsin Coverage Double Standard

Fox News Channel's Special Report with Bret Baier, nationally-syndicated radio host Mark Levin, the Wall Street Journal's OpinionJournal.com and columnist Bernard Goldberg all picked up on Tuesday’s Media Reality Check documenting the broadcast networks’ incredible double standard on the Wisconsin union protests vs. the Tea Party.

7. Why Is MSNBC Allowing Conspiracy Theorist Alex Jones to Hype His Truther Website?

MSNBC anchors, such as Chris Matthews, often rail about a supposed failure by conservatives and Republicans to denounce birthers from their ranks. Yet, host Contessa Brewer interviewed 9/11 truther (and seller of birther merchandise) Alex Jones on Friday, allowing him to hype his conspiracy website three times. Jones appeared on MSNBC's News Live to recount his gossip-filled interview with actor and friend Charlie Sheen. So desperate for the latest news on the unpredictable celebrity, Brewer blandly introduced, "Sheen was speaking with Alex Jones. He's the host of his own nationally syndicated radio show."