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<TD style="WIDTH: 520px; BACKGROUND: #084982"><IMG border=0 alt="Media Matters for America" src="http://mediamatters.org/static/images/email/weekly-logo.gif"></TD>
<TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; WIDTH: 180px; BACKGROUND: #bdc7cb">May 07,
2010 </TD></TR>
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<p style="text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;"><strong>The Weekly Update from <em>Media Matters for America</em></strong></p>
-->
<P><STRONG>Media Matters: After Times Square plot, conservatives pass
Glenn Beck en route to crazytown</STRONG></P>
<P>When the right-wing media attack machine gets revved up these days,
it's a rare thing not to find Glenn Beck in the driver's seat. That said,
it's unheard of that Beck, who expresses his frustrations with the Obama
administration by pretending to <A title=http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200904090036?lid=1113376&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200904090036?lid=1113376&rid=46097952" target=_blank>light people on fire</A>, would actually stand athwart his
colleagues' hyperbolic attacks on the White House and actually come off as
a voice of (relative) reason.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>But these are strange times, and that's exactly the
situation we found ourselves in this week as conservatives grasped at each
and every straw in attempting to <A title=http://mediamatters.org/research/201005030019?lid=1113377&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/research/201005030019?lid=1113377&rid=46097952" target=_blank>politicize</A> the failed car-bombing in Times Square and
blame it all on President Obama.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>When word got out that the authorities had arrested
Faisal Shahzad as the suspected would-be bomber, Fox News immediately
began complaining that Shahzad, a naturalized U.S. citizen, might be read
his Miranda rights. Confronted with <EM>Fox & Friends </EM>host Brian
Kilmeade's scenario that Shahzad might "know information that could wipe
out some of your friends and family," Beck <A title=http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005040007?lid=1113378&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005040007?lid=1113378&rid=46097952" target=_blank>supported</A> giving Shahzad his constitutionally protected
rights. Of course, Beck's commitment to good civics was selective and
short-lived, and just a few hours later, he <A title=http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005040016?lid=1113379&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005040016?lid=1113379&rid=46097952" target=_blank>expressed</A> his desire to personally waterboard another
terrorism suspect and <A title=http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005040050?lid=1113380&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005040050?lid=1113380&rid=46097952" target=_blank>otherwise torture</A> non-U.S. citizens. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>But still, it's a sad commentary on the state of the
right-wing media when Glenn "<A title=http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200908270038?lid=1113381&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200908270038?lid=1113381&rid=46097952" target=_blank>OLIGARH</A>" Beck comes off as (slightly) more reasonable
than the company he keeps. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>And just how out-of-hand did things get? Right from the
get-go, conservatives were claiming that the Times Square plot shows that
the White House doesn't care about terrorism, or is actually
<EM>inviting</EM> terrorism by being too nice to Muslims. Former CIA
employee and <A title=http://mediamatters.org/research/201005040023?lid=1113382&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/research/201005040023?lid=1113382&rid=46097952" target=_blank>longtime sayer of crazy things</A> Michael Scheuer
pronounced the failed attack a "100 percent success" for terrorists and
attacked the president, saying he "has made things much, much worse
because he promised the Muslim world things that he will never do" and
"bowed to the Saudi king," showing "subservience." <EM>New York Post</EM>
columnist and <A title=http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200911100050?lid=1113383&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200911100050?lid=1113383&rid=46097952" target=_blank>longtime</A> <A title=http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200909100056?lid=1113384&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200909100056?lid=1113384&rid=46097952" target=_blank>sayer</A> <A title=http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200909150001?lid=1113385&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200909150001?lid=1113385&rid=46097952" target=_blank>of</A> <A title=http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907070034?lid=1113386&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907070034?lid=1113386&rid=46097952" target=_blank>crazy</A> <A title=http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200906080009?lid=1113387&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200906080009?lid=1113387&rid=46097952" target=_blank>things</A> Ralph Peters <A title=http://mediamatters.org/blog/201005050031?lid=1113388&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/201005050031?lid=1113388&rid=46097952" target=_blank>wrote</A> that the administration "goes to absurd lengths to
convince Muslim radicals that we respect their views," and this sort of
"appeasement" emboldened Shahzad.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>The <A title=http://mediamatters.org/research/201005040028?lid=1113389&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/research/201005040028?lid=1113389&rid=46097952" target=_blank>reality</A> of the situation is that the administration has
been killing, capturing, and convicting terrorists like it's their job.
Because, you know, it is. In fact, Shahzad reportedly told authorities
that he was driven to attack the United States because we've become <A title=http://mediamatters.org/rd?to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nypost.com%2Fp%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Ftaliban_lackey_Su3wybDRpAYfahVx03zskI%2F0&lid=1113390&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/rd?to=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.nypost.com%252Fp%252Fnews%252Flocal%252Ftaliban_lackey_Su3wybDRpAYfahVx03zskI%252F0&lid=1113390&rid=46097952" target=_blank>way too good at killing terrorists</A>.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Then there came word that the Obama administration
might have removed Shahzad from a terrorist "watch list" prior to the
attempted attack. The third-rate right-wing blogger who <A title=http://mediamatters.org/rd?to=http%3A%2F%2Fgatewaypundit.firstthings.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fbreaking-obama-administration-removed-faisal-shahzad-from-terror-surveilance-list-before-attack%2F&lid=1113391&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/rd?to=http%253A%252F%252Fgatewaypundit.firstthings.com%252F2010%252F05%252Fbreaking-obama-administration-removed-faisal-shahzad-from-terror-surveilance-list-before-attack%252F&lid=1113391&rid=46097952" target=_blank>started this story</A> (which predictably jumped to Fox
News) <A title=http://mediamatters.org/blog/201005070015?lid=1113392&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/201005070015?lid=1113392&rid=46097952" target=_blank>based the claim</A> on a CBS News report saying that Shahzad
was on the list from 1999 to 2008. For those of us with even a semi-firm
grasp of the American political system and the immutable progress of time,
it was immediately clear that Barack Obama could not have removed Shahzad
from that list because he was president for exactly zero days between 1999
and 2008.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>And, of course, no high-profile act of violence can be
committed on U.S. soil without the right claiming that the perpetrator is
a liberal Democrat, and thus Rush Limbaugh, picking up where the
blogosphere left off, <A title=http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005040025?lid=1113393&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005040025?lid=1113393&rid=46097952" target=_blank>proclaimed</A>: "Guess what? Faisal Shahzad is a registered
Democrat." To be a "registered Democrat," however, one has to register to
vote, and Shahzad had <A title=http://mediamatters.org/research/201005050022?lid=1113394&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/research/201005050022?lid=1113394&rid=46097952" target=_blank>not fulfilled that requirement</A>. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>The lesson to take away from all of this is that
right-wingers make these sorts of ludicrous statements about Obama
ignoring terrorism and appeasing our enemies not just because they
themselves are detached from reality, but because they really have no
other option. As Slate.com's John Dickerson <A title=http://mediamatters.org/rd?to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.slate.com%2Fid%2F2253100%2F&lid=1113395&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/rd?to=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.slate.com%252Fid%252F2253100%252F&lid=1113395&rid=46097952" target=_blank>observed</A>, Obama "has spent a lot of time formulating and
putting in place anti-terrorist policies and giving speeches devoted to
the more efficient killing of terrorists," and that strategy has been
effectively implemented. Sure, they <EM>could</EM> argue as to whether the
strategy best serves U.S. interests, but why engage in an informed
discussion about terrorism when there's politics to be played?</P>
<H2 class=MsoNormal>Other stories this week:<BR></H2>
<P class=MsoNormal><STRONG>Heckuva damage control job, Fox</STRONG></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>It wouldn't be a normal week without a scandal over the
complete lack of journalistic standards at Fox News. Once again, they
didn't disappoint. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>On Monday, Neil Cavuto hosted disgraced former FEMA
director Michael Brown to discuss the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf
of Mexico. Rather than share his expert advice on how to properly
mismanage disaster relief and judge show horses, Brown used the time to
throw around insane conspiracy theories about the Obama administration's
response to the spill. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Brown <A title=http://mediamatters.org/blog/201005040066?lid=1113396&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/201005040066?lid=1113396&rid=46097952" target=_blank>repeatedly suggested</A> that the administration
deliberately let the spill worsen so it would have an excuse to "shut down
offshore drilling." This apparently didn't bother host Neil Cavuto, who
offered no pushback. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>On Tuesday, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs <A title=http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005040047?lid=1113397&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005040047?lid=1113397&rid=46097952" target=_blank>called out</A> Fox for its failure to challenge Brown's
absurd conspiracy. In response, Fox publicly reprimanded Cavuto and
apologized for helping to promote outlandish conspiracy theories on its
"news" network. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Just kidding -- Fox hosts attacked Gibbs and completely
misrepresented the Brown interview in order to cover their tracks. <A title=http://mediamatters.org/blog/201005040066?lid=1113398&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/201005040066?lid=1113398&rid=46097952" target=_blank>Discussing</A> Gibbs' criticism on Fox's flagship "news"
program, <EM>Special Report,</EM> that night, senior political analyst
Brit Hume and anchor Bret Baier zeroed in on a mostly insignificant
distinction between Gibbs' characterization of what Brown said and Brown's
actual remarks. To further obscure Cavuto's failure to challenge Brown,
Baier and Hume refused to air, quote, or accurately describe Brown's
controversial remarks.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>On Wednesday morning, Bill O'Reilly got involved,
telling ABC's George Stephanopoulos on <EM>Good Morning America</EM> that
he "would have slapped" Brown if he had made the comments on the
<EM>Factor</EM>, "but he was on another program." While this certainly
sounded like a repudiation of Cavuto, O'Reilly was singing another tune
when he returned to his own show, <A title=http://mediamatters.org/research/201005050067?lid=1113399&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/research/201005050067?lid=1113399&rid=46097952" target=_blank>falsely claiming</A> that Cavuto "stuck up" for Obama during
the Brown interview.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Cavuto was apparently so impressed with Baier and
Hume's dishonest defense that he <A title=http://mediamatters.org/blog/201005050068?lid=1113400&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/201005050068?lid=1113400&rid=46097952" target=_blank>adopted it</A> on his own show the next day -- focusing on
the same insignificant distinction and refusing to air the worst of
Brown's comments (or discuss his complete failure to challenge them).
According to Fox's response, the fact that Brown <EM>only</EM> suggested
that the administration let the spill worsen on purpose rather than claim
it started it isn't too troubling.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>After all, Brown was merely echoing Fox's Eric Bolling,
who pushed almost the <A title=http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005030005?lid=1113401&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005030005?lid=1113401&rid=46097952" target=_blank>exact same conspiracy theory</A> on <EM>Fox & Friends
</EM>on Monday morning. As <EM>Media Matters</EM> president Eric Burns <A title=http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005050059?lid=1113402&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005050059?lid=1113402&rid=46097952" target=_blank>noted</A> on MSNBC, by pushing these absurd oil spill
conspiracy theories, Fox is putting itself "in a league with the 9-11
truthers."</P>
<P class=MsoNormal><STRONG>The Phoenix Suns, "Protesting the American
Dream" of racial profiling</STRONG></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>The controversy over the recently passed Arizona
immigration law crossed over into the sports world this week, and
conservative media figures responded with their usual combination of
smears and dishonesty.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>On Tuesday, the Phoenix Suns announced they would wear
their "Los Suns" jerseys during a May 5th playoff game in order to, in the
words of managing partner Robert Sarver, "honor our Latino community" and
the "diversity of our league." Sarver expressed concerns about the law's
effects on "basic principles of equal rights and protection." Suns star
Steve Nash <A title=http://mediamatters.org/rd?to=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.orlandosentinel.com%2Fsports-sentinel-sports-now%2F2010%2F05%2F05%2Farizona-law-steve-nash-speaks-out-on-espns-pardon-the-interruption%2F&lid=1113403&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/rd?to=http%253A%252F%252Fblogs.orlandosentinel.com%252Fsports-sentinel-sports-now%252F2010%252F05%252F05%252Farizona-law-steve-nash-speaks-out-on-espns-pardon-the-interruption%252F&lid=1113403&rid=46097952" target=_blank>echoed</A> Sarver's concerns by saying the law "really
damages our civil liberties."</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Apparently not convinced by Nash and Sarver, Fox News
<A title=http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005050007?lid=1113404&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005050007?lid=1113404&rid=46097952" target=_blank>ran with</A> a slightly different interpretation of the
Suns' protest:</P>
<P class=MsoNormal><IMG border=0 src="http://mediamatters.org/static/images/item/fnc-20100507-lossuns.jpg" width=298 height=248></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Fox <A title=http://mediamatters.org/research/201005060006?lid=1113405&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/research/201005060006?lid=1113405&rid=46097952" target=_blank>wasn't alone</A> in attacking the Suns. Limbaugh called the
protest "cowardice," and Michelle Malkin labeled the team the
"open-borders sympathizing Phoenix Suns." Despite the fact that the team
unanimously agreed to wear the jerseys, Brian Kilmeade <A title=http://mediamatters.org/research/201005060006?lid=1113406&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/research/201005060006?lid=1113406&rid=46097952" target=_blank>decided</A> the players were forced to be used "as
billboards."</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Of course, the Suns' political statement wasn't the
only angle conservatives found to mislead on immigration policy this week.
Since the start of the debate over the immigration law, numerous
conservatives have cited violent crime in Arizona as a reason the new law
is important. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>As <EM>Media Matters</EM> <A title=http://mediamatters.org/research/201005060024?lid=1113407&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/research/201005060024?lid=1113407&rid=46097952" target=_blank>documented</A>, Phoenix police chief Jack Harris rejected
the conservative argument, pointing out that it's not "true" that "the new
law provides a tool for local law enforcement." Others in law enforcement
officials agree that the new law could distort police priorities.
Additionally, despite the prevailing narrative among conservative media
figures, crime rates in Arizona are at their lowest point in decades.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Promoting conservatives' fearmongering over crime and
immigration, <EM>Fox & Friends</EM> <A title=http://mediamatters.org/research/201005060034?lid=1113408&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/research/201005060034?lid=1113408&rid=46097952" target=_blank>ran with</A> an absurd "estimate" from Family Security
Matters that there are "2,158 killed by illegals every year." The "crude"
statistic relied on baseless assumptions about immigrants' crime rates. As
we noted, less ridiculous studies have found that immigrants in general
are less likely to be incarcerated, and there is no credible evidence that
undocumented immigrants commit a disproportionate amount of crime. Other
than that, though, it was very responsible of Fox News to run with this
"estimate." </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>With this latest "study" debunked, Family Security
Matters can return to the important business of <A title=http://mediamatters.org/rd?to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysecuritymatters.org%2Fpublications%2Fid.1583%2Fpub_detail.asp&lid=1113409&rid=46097952 href="http://mediamatters.org/rd?to=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.familysecuritymatters.org%252Fpublications%252Fid.1583%252Fpub_detail.asp&lid=1113409&rid=46097952" target=_blank>promoting</A> the birther conspiracy theory.</P>
<P><EM>This weekly wrap-up was compiled by Simon Maloy and Ben
Dimiero.</EM></P>
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