Rich Journalists Denounce Ryan For Not Raising Taxes On The Middle Class

Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996
Monday April 11, 2011 @ 09:35 AM EDT

1. Journalists Denounce Ryan for Not Raising Taxes: 'Rich Get Off Like Scoundrels,' Slam Tea Party as 'Far Right' Impediment

A round-up from over the weekend of journalists denouncing Republican Congressman Paul Ryan for not including a big tax hike in his deficit-reduction plan and discrediting the Tea Party’s pressure on House Speaker John Boehner as a “far right” impediment to good government. “He doesn't deal with the revenue side at all,” despaired Newsweek veteran Evan Thomas on Inside Washington, arguing: “We cannot survive on 18, his goal is to do 18% of GDP as revenue. That's not enough. We're going to have to raise some taxes...” On HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday night, Katty Kay, anchor of BBC’s World News America, echoed, “He does nothing on the revenue side,” fretting: “There is this allergy, amongst Republicans, about saying ‘you know what, we actually do have to deal with taxes too.’” Juan Williams charged “the rich get off like scoundrels...”

2. ABC's Amanpour Warns GOP's 'Wind in Their Sail' from Budget 'Victory' Could Hurt Future Negotiations

Appearing on Sunday’s Good Morning America on ABC, This Week host Christiane Amanpour suggested that Republican House Speaker John Boehner’s perceived victory in recent budget negotiations with President Obama could be harmful in the long run as it will “give Republicans a lot more wind in their sail” and make it more difficult for both sides to compromise on the larger portions of the budget.

3. Video: Media Fawned Over 'Grown Up,' 'Adult' Obama vs. 'Childish' Tea Party

Prior to this week, President Obama had been so detached from the budget debate that some in his own party have openly criticized him for failing to lead. Yet when the President parachuted into the budget talks, most of the mainstream media acted like White House stenographers in praising his "adult" and "grown-up" approach - conveying the obvious implication that House Republicans and/or the Tea Party have been acting like children.

4. CNN Frets Over 'Crime' of Gov't Shutdown's Impact on Washington Museums, National Parks

Along with other institutions and people who will be impacted by a government shutdown, CNN spotlighted, throughout the day Thursday, the "grave" plight of museums and parks that may be forced to a "screeching halt" in the "height of tourism season." CNN devoted its entire 2 p.m. EDT news hour to the possible government shutdown and what its consequences would be. Anchor Randi Kaye began the 2:15 p.m. EDT segment casting the shutdown as a "grave" threat to the U.S. economy and tourism.

5. CBS Goes to Statue of Liberty to Hype Shutdown's 'Ripple Effect'

On Friday's Early Show, CBS's Betty Nguyen used the Statue of Liberty as a live backdrop to play up how "visitors would miss out on the Smithsonian and its 19 museums...even the National Zoo" if the federal budget impasse leads to a government shutdown. Nguyen also highlighted that the "Cherry Blossom Festival...[is] set to wrap up this weekend, but the parade may not march on if the government shuts down." Fill-in anchor Rebecca Jarvis introduced the correspondent's report, which ran 10 minutes into the 7 am Eastern hour, by outlining that the cost of a shutdown might be $8 billion a week "because there are so many government employees who won't be working, agencies that will shut down, and there are costs to restarting them, including our country's national parks, which is where we find...Betty Nguyen at Liberty State Park, in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, with more on the expected impact at those locations."

6. NBC's Gregory Asks Representative Hoyer About Dem Strategy to 'Cast Republicans as Extremists'

In an interview with Democratic Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer on NBC's Today, Meet the Press host David Gregory, filling in for Matt Lauer, asked: "I wonder, as a Democratic leader, whether part of the strategy here is to cast Republicans as extremists and ultimately get a lot more of a winning political hand for the Democrats through this process." With that setup, Hoyer proclaimed: "David, I think the Republicans are doing that to themselves very frankly. I don't think we have to cast them in that light. They're casting themselves in that light with the Tea Party coming to town and demanding that they either get 100% or shut down the government."

7. Paul Begala Demonizes Paul Ryan as the 'Dr. Kevorkian of Medicare'

Trashing Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI1) as "Dr. Kevorkian," CNN political contributor Paul Begala condemned the congressman's bold proposal to revamp Medicare in his latest op-ed for CNN.com. If the GOP follows Ryan's plan, "like lemmings," Begala wrote that their agenda will end in disaster. He interprets the plan as nothing less than an attempt "to deny ill and infirm seniors the health care they deserve – while giving oil companies billions in taxpayer subsidies." The "lives and health" of the elderly are now in the hands of the "tender mercies" of the insurance companies. Is this a hint at death panels?

8. ABC Continues to Gush Over Kennedy Family, Including 'Critical' Role of 'Senate Lion' Ted

Good Morning America on Friday continued to demonstrate a fascination with the Kennedy family, highlighting Ted Kennedy and his "critical" role as a "politician and a leader." Co-host George Stephanopoulos introduced the piece by recycling, "They called Ted Kennedy the lion of the Senate." Correspondent Claire Shipman caught up with Vicki Kennedy and recapped the current status of the famous family. Speaking of the late senator, the reporter enthused, "He was obviously so critical as a politician and a leader in our country. He was also a leader of the Kennedy family for so many decades."