Patterico's Pontifications

4/16/2009

LAT’s Rainey: (Shouted) Fox News Is A Bunch of Shills! (Whispered: Yeah, MSNBC Is Too) (Absent: Any Reference to CNN)

Filed under: Dog Trainer,Obama — Patterico @ 6:49 am



How can you tell when a journalist is firmly on one side of the political spectrum, and not doing a very good job of hiding it? When left and right are doing the same thing — and the journalist slams the right, while giving a slight rebuke to the left.

For example, L.A. Times media columnist James Rainey has a piece about the tea parties that starts off with a four-paragraph slam at Fox News:

It’s a real team effort over at Fox News.

You’d expect conservative commentators like Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity to be hyping today’s wave of anti-tax “tea parties.” But Fox personalities labeled “news” anchors are right there with their blessings too — one telling us the protests will focus on “how much of our hard-earned money is going to the federal government,” another assuring us the tea parties themselves are sparking economic activity.

The Fox promotions people have been pumping up the volume, with ads celebrating hundreds of rallies and citizens who are “demanding real economic solutions.” That’s in contrast, you see, to the fake solutions President Obama wants to foist on the American people.

There’s something dispiriting, though not surprising, in watching the conservative movement’s favorite news outlet shamelessly promote a political happening, while simultaneously claiming its coverage will be “fair and balanced.”

Then we get a tepid Oh, and some on the other side are also bad:

That said, some liberal media voices seem just as intent on squelching the protesters before they’ve shoveled a single bag of Lipton into a single pond. At MSNBC, commentators Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews wrote off the demonstrations as the work of nothing more than crackpots or political stooges.

The rest of the piece is like that: ranting against Fox News, and then references to Olbermann, Matthews & Co. that sound obligatory, as though Rainey realizes that failing to mention those clowns would be prima facie evidence of his ridiculous bias.

Not mentioned: CNN, a network capable of putting out sober and objective journalism like this: a reporter who goes walking through a crowd looking for nuts to pick out, to show how the whole gathering is extremist. Having found one, she then runs into someone who threatens to make a good case for the purpose of the gatherings. She shouts some leftist propaganda into his face, and when he responds, she cuts him off just as he’s getting to his point. The crowd doesn’t like how she treats him, and she plays the victim — acting as though the negative reaction to her liberal filibustering and demagoguing demonstrates what a dangerous, angry crowd this is:

Note how impressed reporter Roesgen is that Illinois is receiving a big chunk of money from the government, even as Roesgen interrupts citizens so she can repeatedly scream: “What does this have to do with taxes?” Where does she think the wonderful grant to Illinois comes from??

How about that, James Rainey?

63 Responses to “LAT’s Rainey: (Shouted) Fox News Is A Bunch of Shills! (Whispered: Yeah, MSNBC Is Too) (Absent: Any Reference to CNN)”

  1. New math under Obama:

    CNN: “Why are you complaining, you’re going to get $400.”

    Man: “You idiot, how many thousands of dollars will it cost me.”

    Alta Bob (419ad8)

  2. You’ll also note CNN uses the lewd term “teabagging” for the event, instead of Tea Party. No bias there.

    ManlyDad (506a95)

  3. Also, Rick Sanchez on CNN called all the protesters racist!
    http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/15/phillips.tea.party/

    Cory (81bf4b)

  4. Manly Dad #2. That’s becausse it’s the teabagging Roesgen and Anderson Cooper engage in and understand. The only one that fits their mentality and frame of reference. (Link might not be safe for work.)

    nk (26bcaa)

  5. I’m so square that I didn’t know “teabagging” means blowjobs. Thank you Anderson Cooper. No wonder they have adopted that term on the MSM. They are obviously more in tune with that culture than I am. We just call them tea parties.

    Mike K (2cf494)

  6. According to FOX, CNN said the reporter was just doing her job, reporting the news.

    John Hitchcock (fb941d)

  7. Yeah, I’ve got to learn more about “mainstream culture”, too.

    nk (26bcaa)

  8. I read and reread Rainey’s article and didn’t think it was that bad. He seemed to me to make an honest attempt to understand what was going on. His final words are instructive:

    Opponents of Obama’s economic policies remain in the minority for now. But the time of small government, anti-tax crusaders likely will come again. Matthews might want to get himself out of the studio and into the field, lest he miss that development.

    Well said.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  9. We can turn it around:

    “We do Taxed Enough Already- parties. CNN does teabagging.”

    nk (26bcaa)

  10. Come on now, admit it. That toddler looked deranged. He was hyped on hate. Any objective reporter not associated with FOX News could see that.

    Chris (a24890)

  11. When you are so far left, the center looks extreme. These reporters seem unable to comprehend the reasons that got people to turn out yesterday, and so they conflate them with all those other right-of-center beliefs they’ve never understood.

    Now, if it was leftist stuff, they could differentiate 5 flavors of Trotskyism.

    Kevin Murphy (0b2493)

  12. I think this will backfire on the media darlings. Nixon used to talk about the “silent majority” and the teabag rallies may result in a similar bloc of citizens.
    People who don’t normally attend rallies or get that involved in politics were there. Political blogs are said to only have about 6% of total voters who regularly visit these types of sites. But there are many other parts of the blogosphere devoted to gardening, pets, canning, etc. I could see the message going through many diverse mediums. When they see their first time participation characterized in the way Matthews, Maddow, etc. are doing I think their resolve will be hardened rather than discouraged.
    Nixon won two elections despite the left slant in media. Someone was out there voting for him.
    Interesting times indeed.

    voiceofreason2 (10af7e)

  13. I like what I read at Instapundit earlier today. One place holding a TEA party offered “Obama Burgers.” So you line up, pay for your burger, then they cut the burger in two and give one of the halves to the person behind you, for free.

    But, yes, it is amazing to read how the press isn’t biased, isn’t it?

    Eric Blair (67731f)

  14. God Bless that man for getting to the microphone! Otherwise, they would have succeeded in painting the movement as a bunch of kooks.

    NJRepublican (e8b2d3)

  15. The reporter was not reporting. Not even close. It was actually pretty pathetic.

    Dave N (fe6851)

  16. That reporter should be fired.

    What a piece of human excrement.

    Not even an effort to report.

    Jimminy'cricket (637168)

  17. Paranoia will destroya

    Oiram (983921)

  18. Illustration of bias is paranoia? Thanks for clearing that up for us. I thought 9-11 trutherism was a bit over the top but you’re right, it’s got nothing on this post and the comments here.

    Chris (a24890)

  19. I love how he’s supposedly hypocritical for pointing out MSNBC’s bias, but you aren’t for supporting Fox’s?

    Fox is firmly in the tank for the conservative movement. One of Fox’s on-air reporters went on a rant about Obama being a “fascist”, the stimulus package being “fascist” and Democrats in congress being “fascists”.

    Did you post that video? Nope. That would make you look like a bit of a jackass, now wouldn’t it? Considering how much you object to a CNN reporter’s bias.

    Tom (954d11)

  20. How does coverage of these tea parties compare with coverage of the anti-Prop. 8 protests?

    Fox is firmly in the tank for the conservative movement.

    Not to the extent that they would rely on forged documents to broadcast a hit piece on an elected official. Nor to the extent that they would rig cars with explosives to fake the results of crash tests.

    Michael Ejercito (7c44bf)

  21. You didn’t bother reading the post did you Tom? Kinda makes you look like a jackass, doesn’t it?

    SPQR (72771e)

  22. Fox is firmly in the tank for the conservative movement.

    Since all the other networks lean left, Fox found a business opportunity to serve a right-leaning audience that has been marginalized.

    I think ideological diversity in the media is a good thing. Do you?

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R., (10cb85)

  23. I see that Chris and Tom have their marching orders and are being good little foot soldiers today.

    JD (eef042)

  24. Tom:
    One of Fox’s on-air reporters went on a rant about Obama being a “fascist”, the stimulus package being “fascist” and Democrats in congress being “fascists”.

    Did you post that video? Nope.

    “Tom” – Did you post that video? Nope. Are you going to link to it in a subsequent comment? Nope. Did it even happen? Nope.

    We have seen Bush = Hitler signs for 8 years and used them to paint the left as kooks. It really does sting when you see one for Obama. That is not helpful. Of course, I do not remember CNN challenging any of the kooks on air like this, but that’s “news” for ya.

    At the airport yesterday, while waiting to board, some older lady said “I wonder if they even covered all of those tea parties. This is CNN, not Fox.” CNN may have a monopoly on in-airport news, but their bias is known.

    carlitos (c59d19)

  25. I see that Chris and Tom have their marching orders and are being good little foot soldiers today.

    Taking a break from their teabagging, likely.

    nk (56f8d1)

  26. I think my comment got eaten again. Trust me, it was really witty and filled with insight.

    carlitos (c59d19)

  27. Now we know what time the trolls get up. Good morning, Tom.

    Mike K (8df289)

  28. They really aren’t doing well with their readership walkout and the viewers turning the channel …

    America wants their watchdog back, without the agenda. Looks like they will have to build it themselves.

    bill-tb (26027c)

  29. Andersen Cooper and Olbermann are the “teabaggers in chief”.

    Clearly, teabag 360 knows how hard it is to talk while tea bagging…clearly spoken from experience.

    Sam
    Sons of Liberty

    Sam (18f265)

  30. I cleared the cache, re-loaded the page and got a slew of comments to appear. Just a tip for those in the same boat.

    carlitos (c59d19)

  31. carlitos,
    Thanks! I just did the same thing, and it worked.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R., (10cb85)

  32. One of Fox’s on-air reporters went on a rant about Obama being a “fascist”, the stimulus package being “fascist” and Democrats in congress being “fascists”.

    Gee, don’t you think that the other media outlets would’ve noticed that, Tommy? Tommy can you hear me? Tommy can you feel me? Toooommmmmmmmmyyyy!

    Dmac (1ddf7e)

  33. Perhaps Fox’s extensive coverage of the tea parties was a marketing move. If so, it was no doubt a good one. We’ll know for sure when the overnight ratings are posted.

    SukieTawdry (b7ff88)

  34. now even the cache-clearing doesn’t work. i’m on a different computer, on a different network, and comments aren’t updating. guess i better go back to work.

    carlitos (df673c)

  35. carlitos,
    Try using a different browser. If that doesn’t work . . .

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R., (10cb85)

  36. carlitos – They are not updating very often on my Clackberry either. I figured the infestation of astrotrufers has something to do with it.

    JD (6ed8b2)

  37. Jon Stewart keenly lampooned Fox by: a., noting that Fox was, indeed, promoting teabaggers by their graphics and logos; b. noting the hilarious irony of Fox shills crowing over a truck full of one million tea bags as a symbol of wasteful spending.

    Claiming crowds BBQing weenies on July 4 as protesting taxes should be equally amusing.

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  38. So all DCSCA has in rebuttal is more playing on the obscene vocabulary he no doubt is expert in.

    SPQR (72771e)

  39. Leftists like DCSCA don’t know how to handle the tea party events. They’d like to ignore them, but can’t. Every word they write belies their profesed nonconcern. They don’t dare remain silent, because they’re scared how popular it has become.

    Keep it up, DCSCA.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R., (10cb85)

  40. I was a few feet away from the incident in the video. This CNN person had been trolling for trouble with unconcealed partisanship and a nasty mouth full of disparagement for the people she was “reporting on”.
    What doesn’t show is the crowd broke into a loud chant of “CNN sucks! CNN sucks!” for quite some time, no doubt in response to the reporter’s verbal assaults.
    It’s also possible the chant influenced the final report even more than the content.
    To say that there was widespread derision by the 4-5000 attendees there in Chicago towards the CNN crew would be a polite understatement.
    So our estimable Senatorial replacement for Obama, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, tells us we’re despicable.
    Welcome back to Reno Time.

    WPZ (e1deb7)

  41. carlitos…
    Patterico might have turned on the Moderation Filter to deal with the troll attack…
    That slows everything down.

    AD (0053b8)

  42. For those interested, there’s a vid on Hot Air showing what happened after Ms. Douchebag reporter signed off – she got an earful, they’re lucky that crew only received verbal insults after that disgraceful treatment.

    Dmac (1ddf7e)

  43. The MSM can’t stop shooting themselves in the foot. I don’t feel as strong about this as some but the MSM is going to ensure I attend a TP on the 4th. If they treated these protests in the same sympathetic way they did to leftie protests for the last 8 years I probably wouldn’t. If it’s going to take big numbers for this movement to demand respect (and it will only be given grudgingly) then count me in.

    Good job, MSM. You’re the best recruiter the movement has to get the fence sitters like me to make the effort to join up.

    EBJ (2fd7f7)

  44. The CNN reporter in the vid above got an earful for her abhorrent behavior. I felt better.

    http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MzlkMmZlOTVlZmY2MGI2YWYwZGE4NWM2ZDFhZWYwNDQ=

    Keith Olbermann was priceless when he, with his marvelous omniscience in place, proclaimed that all the parties had such low numbers attending that they just made up numbers.

    Dana (d08a3a)

  45. Back to Rainey: He writes staunchly from the left, for sure — on the Times news pages, no less — but this column was much less slanted than some of his earlier sermonizing. Yes, I concede his mild criticism of MSNBC was a token effort at “balance.”

    James Fulton (9d1bb3)

  46. The head of Obamessiah’s crack auto team gets a flat

    Steven Rattner, the leader of the Obama administration’s auto task force, was one of the investment-firm executives involved with payments now under scrutiny in a state and federal investigation into an alleged kickback scheme at New York state’s pension fund, according to a person familiar with the matter.

    A “senior executive” of Mr. Rattner’s firm, Quadrangle Group, met with a politically connected consultant about a finder’s fee, then the firm agreed to pay what became a $1.1 million fee after receiving an investment from the state pension fund, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission complaint against two former New York political officials and others.

    The person identified in the complaint as a “senior executive” is Mr. Rattner, who co-founded Quadrangle, according to the person familiar with the matter. Neither Mr. Rattner nor Quadrangle has been accused of any wrongdoing. Mr. Rattner did not return calls for comment.

    A spokeswoman for the Treasury Department, which is in charge of the auto task force, said that “during the transition, Mr. Rattner made us aware of the pending investigation.”

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R., (10cb85)

  47. It is sooooooo racist to point out the flaws in Barcky appointees.

    What in this guy’s resume suggests he is the right guy to turn around GM ?

    JD (34eca7)

  48. He contributed to Obama!

    AD (0053b8)

  49. It is sooooooo racist to point out the flaws in Barcky appointees.

    ..but he keeps giving us so much to work with.

    Dana (d08a3a)

  50. Wacists! Also the worst vetting process in any administration that comes to mind – these folks makes Clinton’s fumbles look like rookie mistakes by comparison.

    Dmac (1ddf7e)

  51. #44- The propaganda moment caught on camera of Neil ‘Million Man March Fox News footage for sale’ Cavuto literally making up numbers was hilarious. His credibility is thoroughly gutted.

    Stephen Colbert’s magnificent lampoon of new conservative brain trust, Glenn Beck, proclaiming the Alamo as the perfect place to start teabagging brought America to tears– of laughter. Keep it up, Glenn, so to speak. Little wonder Texans want to secede.

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  52. If “teabagging” was going on at the Alamo, would Texas law-enforcement step in with arrests for violation of statutes on public indecency?

    AD (0053b8)

  53. Here’s where I show my firm grasp of the obvious…

    .

    .

    .

    Anyone who uses the term “teabagging” when talking about the TEA Parties has absolutely no desire to discuss anything regarding the TEA Parties and is too cowardly to actually say anything truthful.

    John Hitchcock (fb941d)

  54. John Stewart “keenly” lampoons, and Stephen Colbert’s lampoons are “magnificent.” I think I see why Walter Mitty’s analysis is so insightful.

    carlitos (56cf62)

  55. Safe at third, conservatives. George Bush thinks a teabagger is a triple.

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  56. In your big mouth, possibly, DCSCA.

    nk (56f8d1)

  57. DCSCA pulls out his Leftist Safety Blanket: When you’ve got nothing pertinent to say, attack George Bush.

    Brother Bradley J.Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  58. I cannot believe that the MSM folks are using the word teabagging. What’s next? Dirty Sanchez?

    JD (1910a1)

  59. The propaganda moment caught on camera of Neil ‘Million Man March Fox News footage for sale’ Cavuto literally making up numbers was hilarious. His credibility is thoroughly gutted.

    You keep bringing this up. Yes, Fox News Channel was not in operation when the Million Man March took place. However, Fox existed as a broadcasting network at the time. I don’t remember whether it had a network news program, or any kind of news/talk show. If it did, it’s certainly not a stretch to think that Fox covered the event.

    Steverino (b12c49)

  60. The Fox channel in my neck of the woods had 10 o’clock news with local and national news type stuff. I remember this because the time of the news was a bit of a gimmick, since around here, it’s 11 o’clock news and Fox was letting you get to bed earlier.

    John Hitchcock (fb941d)

  61. That was before the Fox News channel existed.

    John Hitchcock (fb941d)

  62. Have I told you that we do not watch TV at may house? And how happy I am to be, like now, reminded why not?

    nk (56f8d1)

  63. What’s next? Dirty Sanchez?

    Only when it pertains to the excreable “reporter” Sanchez at CNN.

    Dmac (1ddf7e)


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