ObamaAdministration

NBC and CBS Frame 'Morning-After' Pill Decision as 'Politics' vs. 'Science'

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:55:00 +0000

Kyle Drennen

At the top of Wednesday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams fretted: "The Obama administration blocks a plan to make the 'morning-after' pill more easily available to young girls. Is this about medicine, politics or something else?" Moments later, he proclaimed: "We begin tonight with this surprise decision that takes us right to the intersection of medicine, science and politics."

NBC's Today Helps Sell Government Gimmick to Show Obama 'Gets It' on High Gas Prices

Thu, 26 May 2011 21:57:00 +0000

Kyle Drennen

On Wednesday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer invited on Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to tout federally mandated stickers that detail the fuel efficiency of new cars: "Another way to save money is to buy a fuel efficient car and today the federal government is unveiling new fuel economy labels that you soon will be seeing on all new cars."

CBS Notices Obama Administration Playing Politics with Nuclear Waste Disposal, NBC and ABC Silent

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:49:00 +0000

Kyle Drennen

Since Japan's earthquake and following nuclear crisis, the CBS Evening News has done two reports on the Obama administration blocking use of the Yucca Mountain storage facility in Nevada to safely dispose of U.S. nuclear waste. Meanwhile, NBC and ABC have ignored the controversy.

Obama Administration Found in Contempt of Court, Media Silent

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:50:00 +0000

Kyle Drennen

On Thursday, Louisiana Federal District Court Judge Martin Feldman found that the Obama Interior Department was in contempt of his ruling that the offshore oil drilling moratorium, imposed by the administration in 2010, was unconstitutional. After Feldman struck down the initial drilling ban, the Interior Department simply established a second ban that was virtually identical.

MSNBC's Tamron Hall: Part of Business Community Has 'In Some Ways Demonized' Obama Administration

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:17:00 +0000

Matt Hadro

Tamron Hall was joined by her MSNBC colleague Dylan Ratigan on the January 19 edition of News Nation in condemning

CBS 'Early Show': 'Centrist' Bill Daley Means White House 'Open for Business'

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 21:34:00 +0000

Kyle Drennen

Friday's CBS Early Show praised the pick of former Commerce Secretary William Daley as the new chief of staff for the Obama White House, with senior White House correspondent Bill Plante proclaiming: "While Daley has long ties to the Democratic Party, he's viewed as a centrist whose Wall Street connections should help him with the newly divided Congress."

Is Mika Brzezinski Auditioning for Robert Gibbs' Job?

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 20:21:00 +0000

Matt Hadro

The White House is opening a press bureau in New York City at 30 Rock - or so it seemed with MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski parroting the administrati

Worst of the Week: Team Obama's Media Helpers Hide Bad News for Democrats

admin — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:21:00 +0000

Tim Graham

While network correspondents complain about the unfairness of independent advertising, they might ponder the unfairness of their habitual tendency to omit or downplay bad news for Team Obama, especially in the crucial last weeks of a campaign. Consider some of the latest stories that would have drawn much more attention and media hostility if the shoe was on the Republican foot:

Labor Day Special: Top 10 Union Highlights of the Obama Administration

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:29:53 +0000

Jeff Poor

Jan. 20, 2009, was supposed to be the start of a new post-partisan political climate in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Washington. To some journalists, that day was confirmation that a message had been sent that the people’s government had “declared independence” from special interests.

ABC's Tapper: White House Hails A 'Good Week' After 'Gift' From Joe Barton

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:02:00 +0000

Kyle Drennen

On Friday's Good Morning America on ABC, White House correspondent Jake Tapper described White House reaction to Republican Congressman Joe Barton calling BP's $20 billion escrow fund the result of a government "shakedown": "...the argument they're making, that the Republican Party is too close to corporate America.....And they've been given this great foil by Joe Barton."

ABC's Stephanopoulos Lobbs Softballs to Gibbs; CBS and NBC Provide Challenge

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:16:00 +0000

Kyle Drennen

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs made the rounds on the network morning shows on Tuesday, ahead of President Obama's prime time Oval Office address on the Gulf oil spill. While he had confrontational interviews on CBS's Early Show and NBC's Today, on ABC's Good Morning America, co-host George Stephanopoulos made sure Gibbs's appearance was low-stress.

MSNBC's Mitchell: Oil Spill An 'Opportunity' for Obama to Push Energy Bill

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:10:00 +0000

Kyle Drennen

Speaking to New York Magazine columnist John Heilemann on MSNBC Friday, anchor Andrea Mitchell wondered if the Gulf oil spill could be a political opportunity for President Obama: "Is there an opportunity now to do something real on energy?"Heilemann proclaimed the disaster was "a triggering action for us to try and get toward a greener future...break our addiction to oil..."

Newsweek's Jonathan Alter Pouts that Obama Has to Clean Up Bush's Mess

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:30:00 +0000

Matt Hadro

Jonathan Alter of Newsweek once again blamed Bush and the Republicans for creating the mess that Obama is now cleaning up, preventing the Presi

CBS's Schieffer: If Oil Leak Plugged, White House Job Scandals Will 'Go Away'

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:16:00 +0000

Kyle Drennen

On Friday's CBS Early Show, Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer argued that if the Gulf oil spill could be stopped, the scandal of the Obama administration offering jobs to Democratic senate candidates would suddenly disappear: "...all of this business about offering jobs to candidates if it they won't run, all of that, all of that stuff is going to go away if you can get this thing capped..."

The AG vs. BP: Little Skepticism on ABC and NBC, While Lefty Talker Blasts Holder as 'Corporatist' Pretender

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:19:00 +0000

Rich Noyes

The American lawyers who flock to Guantanamo Bay to represent captured terrorists are simply fulfilling their duty to provide representation, it is often argued by those who seem to enjoy mucking up efforts to curtail future terrorism.