Media Matters: False News Channel
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Updated: 15 min 29 sec ago
Despite lack of evidence, Fox News suggested Clinton's speech was "more diss than endorsement for Obama"
On America's Newsroom, during a segment about Sen. Hillary Clinton's convention speech, Fox News aired on-screen text that asked: "Was Hillary Clinton's speech more diss than endorsement for [Sen. Barack] Obama?" But at no point during the segment did Fox News present evidence that Clinton's speech was, in fact, a "diss" of Obama.
Categories: Politics
On <em>Fox & Friends,</em> Trump claimed unchallenged that Obama plans to have "everybody ... pay double and triple the taxes"
During an appearance on Fox & Friends, Donald Trump claimed, "The worst thing that can happen [in this economy] is everybody has to pay double and triple the taxes, and that's what [Sen. Barack] Obama is looking to do." Fox & Friends co-hosts did not challenge Trump's claim, even though it is false. Obama has proposed cutting taxes for low- and middle-income families and raising taxes only on households earning more than $250,000 per year in income.
Categories: Politics
Fox News aired two minutes of Democratic keynote address, discussed Ayers instead
On August 26, Fox News aired just over two minutes of former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner's keynote address to the convention. After returning from a commercial, Alan Colmes stated, "In other election news, an independent group supporting John McCain released an ad last week attacking [Sen.] Barack Obama's ties to former Weather Underground leader Bill Ayers," and aired an ad from the Obama campaign responding to the independent ad. Colmes and Sean Hannity then interviewed Rudy Giuliani.
Categories: Politics
Fox News aired two minutes of Democratic keynote address, discussed Ayers instead
On August 26, Fox News aired just over two minutes of former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner's keynote address to the convention. After returning from a commercial, Alan Colmes stated, "In other election news, an independent group supporting John McCain released an ad last week attacking [Sen.] Barack Obama's ties to former Weather Underground leader Bill Ayers," and aired an ad from the Obama campaign responding to the independent ad. Colmes and Sean Hannity then interviewed Rudy Giuliani.
Categories: Politics
Media bury, ignore Leach speech at Democratic National Convention
Several media outlets have ignored or buried the Democratic National Convention speech by former Rep. Jim Leach, an Iowa Republican, in which Leach endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president. Indeed, ABC, CBS, and NBC did not air any of Leach's speech, while MSNBC and Fox News aired only seconds of it.
Categories: Politics
Sean Hannity on "demoniz[ing]" Hillary Clinton: "That's my job"
On Fox News, Sean Hannity stated, "If Hillary was chosen [as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee], this would have electrified" the DNC. Juan Williams replied: "I agree, but I can't believe you are saying this. You demonized Hillary." Hannity then said: "That's my job ... I led the 'Stop Hillary Express.' By the way, now it's the 'Stop Obama Express.' "
Categories: Politics
Fox News' Kelly asked whether Michelle Obama gave "her critics fodder" with word she didn't say
Fox News' Megyn Kelly noted that during her DNC speech Michelle Obama said, "The world as it is just won't do," and then Kelly continued: "If you replace 'world' with 'country', you are back to the same debate, arguably, that you have been having about Michelle Obama's feelings about the country. Did she give her critics any fodder with that comment?"
Categories: Politics
Contradicting his own book, Freddoso claimed "there's nothing" in Obama's record indicating he is a "reformer"
On Fox News' America's Election HQ, David Freddoso claimed: "Senator [Barack] Obama says that he is a reformer, an agent of positive change. And looking at his record, though, in Chicago, Springfield, and Washington, I found that he is absolutely -- there's nothing in his record to bear out that claim." However, in Freddoso's recently released book, he specifically credited Obama with two "real accomplishment[s] ... in the name of reform" -- the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, and a 1998 Illinois ethics bill.
Categories: Politics
Sean Hannity: "I think I was more fair to the Clintons"
On Hannity & Colmes, Sean Hannity said to Fox News contributor Geraldine Ferraro: "[Y]ou've been one of the Clinton supporters that have been very vocal, very unhappy about the way [Sen. Barack] Obama treated [Sen. Hillary] Clinton." Ferraro responded: "And the media treated Clinton." Hannity said: "No, I think I was more fair to the Clintons." In fact, during the Democratic presidential primaries, Hannity asserted: "I'm leading the Stop Hillary Express." Hannity also reportedly referred to his nationally syndicated radio program as "The Stop Hillary Express" during the time and has repeatedly advanced smears of the Clintons.
Categories: Politics
Juan Williams says Michelle Obama "sometimes uses" a "kind of militant anger"
Fox News' Juan Williams asserted of Michelle Obama's upcoming speech at the DNC: "Well, she's got to be herself, but I do not think she can go for it all out in terms of this kind of militant anger that she sometimes uses." Williams gave no examples of what he claims to be "this kind of militant anger" that Michelle Obama "sometimes uses."
Categories: Politics
Hannity, Rove repeated refuted claim about Obama's house
Fox News' Sean Hannity and Karl Rove each repeated the claim that Sen. Barack Obama paid below market value for his house, despite the fact that the sellers reportedly said that they did not cut the price for Obama.
Categories: Politics
Couric didn't challenge McCain's false claim that Biden proposed "break[ing] Iraq up into three different countries"
During an interview with Sen. John McCain, Katie Couric did not challenge McCain's false claim that Sen. Joe Biden "said you had to break Iraq up into three different countries" as part of his Iraq plan. On America's Election HQ, Karl Rove falsely asserted that Biden's proposal for Iraq involved "unilaterally splitting up a sovereign nation," a statement that Chris Wallace echoed. In fact, Biden introduced a "five-point plan" to "[m]aintain a unified Iraq by decentralizing it and giving Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis breathing room in their own regions." Further, Biden has made clear that he was not proposing that his plan be imposed on Iraq "unilaterally."
Categories: Politics
CNN's King, Blitzer selectively cited poll showing less support for Obama among Clinton backers
On Late Edition, Wolf Blitzer and John King both cited an August 15-18 Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll in which 52 percent of Sen. Hillary Clinton's supporters said they will support Sen. Barack Obama, but neither noted that an August 19-22 Washington Post/ABC News poll found that 70 percent of Clinton supporters "back Obama," according to the Post.
Categories: Politics
Cavuto guest Hoenig: "[W]hy should I be responsible for paying for Joe Biden's brain aneurysms?"
On Cavuto on Business, Jonathan Hoenig, a regular panelist on Fox News' Cashin' In, falsely asserted that both Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Joe Biden "have made it very clear that they support socialized health care." Hoenig went on to say: "I know it sounds kind of curt in this age of political correctness and altruism, but why should I be responsible for paying for Joe Biden's brain aneurysms?" Biden suffered two brain aneurysms in 1988.
Categories: Politics
Cavuto hosted "anti-feminist attorney" Den Hollander, who advocated "cut[ting] out the feminazi, feminist women's studies programs" at Columbia
Fox News' Neil Cavuto interviewed "anti-feminist attorney" Roy Den Hollander, who discussed his lawsuit against Columbia University for offering a women's studies program "but not a men's studies program." Den Hollander said: "[C]ut out the feminazi, feminist women's studies programs and bring back varsity sports, and you're going to do a lot better for the university." Den Hollander later said that women "are a suspect class. Every time they open their mouths, I begin to suspect something."
Categories: Politics
Misrepresenting Obama's audiobook, Hannity claimed Obama said, "White folks' greed runs a world in need"
On his radio show, Sean Hannity falsely asserted that Sen. Barack Obama had "openly complained about 'white folks' greed.' " Hannity played a clip from the audiobook version of Obama's memoir in which Obama says, "White folks' greed runs a world in need." However, the clip is taken from a passage in which Obama is quoting from a sermon by Rev. Jeremiah Wright. In fact, Hannity himself acknowledged as much on Hannity & Colmes in March, saying, "Even the 'Audacity of Hope' speech or sermon had, you know, 'white greed' in there."
Categories: Politics
Coulter, Limbaugh smeared Obama with false claim that he "believes it is proper to kill a baby that has survived an abortion"
Rush Limbaugh stated that Sen. Barack Obama "believes it is proper to kill a baby that has survived an abortion" and Ann Coulter said that Obama "wants the doctors ... chasing it through the delivery room to make sure it gets killed." They based their claims on Obama's opposition to an Illinois bill that he and other opponents said posed a threat to abortion rights and was unnecessary. Indeed, the Illinois Department of Public Health reportedly said that conduct alleged by proponents of the bill, if it had occurred, would have violated then-existing law.
Categories: Politics
Luntz falsely claimed McCain had "never really talked about" decision to refuse early release prior to Saddleback forum
Frank Luntz falsely claimed that Sen. John McCain had "never really talked about" his decision to refuse an offer of early release from a North Vietnamese prison camp prior to mentioning it during an August 16 forum hosted by Pastor Rick Warren. In fact, McCain has repeatedly cited his refusal to accept an early release in a book, interviews, speeches, and campaign ads since 1999.
Categories: Politics
Fox's Carlson repeats claim that McCain "doesn't like to talk about when he was a POW"
Referring to a response given by Sen. John McCain at the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency, Fox News' Gretchen Carlson asserted that "he doesn't like to talk about when he was a POW." In fact, McCain has repeatedly highlighted his experience as a POW, even as he and the media have promoted the notion that he is reluctant to do so.
Categories: Politics
Fox News' Sammon dismissed "nature of" Corsi falsehoods as "relatively innocuous"
On Hannity & Colmes, Bill Sammon said of falsehoods in Jerome Corsi's The Obama Nation: "Well, the nature of those inaccuracies, I think, is relatively innocuous. ... The first thing on that 40-page document that the Obama camp points out is that the author got their wedding date wrong -- the year of their wedding wrong. OK. Well, that's not a good thing, but it doesn't go to the ideology of Obama." In fact, Corsi's book also includes a number of falsehoods about Obama's policy positions.
Categories: Politics


