Smith also pointed to an analysis of federal records in the American Thinker magazine that found 20 times as many reporters gave contributions to Sen. Barack Obama in the presidential race than those who gave to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.



OK, Smith...I give that about as much credence as you would give a DKos report.

And people get upset when we equate Limbaugh and Hannity with conservatism.

Behold, Lamar Smith.


What a pedosmile may look like.

He said no mainstream organization has reported that the Almanac of Federal Judges gave her its worst rating for courtroom demeanor.

I tried looking that almanac up. I could only find a print copy for $1,530.00.

Demeanor? Puhlease.

He said no mainstream organization has reported that the Almanac of Federal Judges gave her its worst rating for courtroom demeanor.

O'RLY?(p)

Associated Press isn't "mainstream?"

A charitable reading would be that the GOP is finally done grossly hyperbolizing the threat from terrorism. I don't think that's what he was going for, though.

Darn tootin!

Well, if by "America" he means "hypocritical reactionary fundamentalist opportunistic demagogues", then he's right on the money.

the Almanac is a bunch of reports from anonymous lawyers to help rookie lawyers learn about judges they might run up against.
basically what a handful of them said was she's no pushover.
she doesn't tolerate incompetence before her bench.

Churchill2004: A charitable reading would be that the GOP is finally done grossly hyperbolizing the threat from terrorism. I don't think that's what he was going for, though.

what they're really afraid of is rulings going against their rich corporate overlords.

The only problem with conservatism is it's an idiot's ideology.

Ironically, he claims that one of the most biased channels is the least bias.

What, does he see them using the 'Fair and Balanced' tagline and that proves that they would never lie?

Oh, and before the usual trumpters come in with their 'CNN/MSNBC/DailyKos is also biased so leave Fox News alone!' defense, yes, all news channels/media have a bias. However, Fox News has the worst bias.

Though to be fair, automobile accidents, heart disease, swimming pools, and STDs are bigger threats than terrorism, too.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH LOLOLOLOLOLOL,.......HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... i cant stop.....HAHAHAHAHAHAHA..... now thats some funny shiat....oh they werent trying to be funny... thats pathetic

Can we give Texas back to Mexico now?

Argh2: Though to be fair, automobile accidents, heart disease, swimming pools, and STDs are bigger threats than terrorism, too.

Only if you limit your consideration of the effects of a terrorist attack to just the body count.

NeverDrunk23: What, does he see them using the 'Fair and Balanced' tagline and that proves that they would never lie?

would be rofl funny if MSNBC would put a tagline out saying "we're the fairest and most balanced of them all"
then watch as the Foxtards heads asplode.

Again with the fictional liberal media, and Fox the biggest source of that lie.

lol

Yep. The channel that ran a story that has convinced my family members that Barack Hussein Obama has replaced the CEO of GM with a 31 year old campaign worker with little experience is the place to go for unbiased information. Stewart nailed it once again.

Link (new window)

My co-worker always tells me he watches only Fox News because it's the only news network that reports the truth. He's also a Freeper and thinks Obama is a Muslim. He lectures me about the greatness of Ronald Reagan about once a week and how Hussein Obama will ruin everything Bush had done for the past eight years. Other than the crazy stuff, he's a nice guy though. He's considered normal here in Texas.

What, you mean that ugly watch?

OMG she a tough women judge who expects that the lawyers know what the hell they are talking about. How will the Supreme Court survive after years of Thomas never bothering to ask a question??

A liberal-leaning media watchdog group discounted Smith's charges as unfounded.

"It seems to me there is more a conservative bent in mainstream media," said Erikka Knuti with Media Matters for America, a non-profit liberal group that monitors the news media to correct conservative misinformation in stories and analysis.

Smith also thanked the Fox network for being "the only balanced coverage out there, and it's much appreciated by a lot of us."

When talking about Fox News, make sure you emphasis it's fairness. When talking about Media Matters for America, make sure you call it liberal. Are these people really this blind?

Pechorin: Are these people really this blind?

Yes. I used to think that we were going to have a political battle based on class in America, but over the last 6 years or so it is really coming down to honesty and information. Look I am perfectly able to disagree with someone and still like them, what I am not cool with is having someone lie to me on a daily basis. This happens on both sides of the aisle to an extent, but the rhetoric on the right has become down right comical for anyone with the ability to use Google.

Asses.

The problem isnt people paid to talk about us.

The problem is us.

('us' being here used to signify all participants (and non-participants) in the American political process)

TheOther: Asses.

The problem isnt people paid to talk about us.

The problem is us.

('us' being here used to signify all participants (and non-participants) in the American political process)

I used to be a populist, but then I realized that most people are farking idiots.

DaSwankOne: Pechorin: Are these people really this blind?

Yes. I used to think that we were going to have a political battle based on class in America, but over the last 6 years or so it is really coming down to honesty and information. Look I am perfectly able to disagree with someone and still like them, what I am not cool with is having someone lie to me on a daily basis. This happens on both sides of the aisle to an extent, but the rhetoric on the right has become down right comical for anyone with the ability to use Google.

Agree 100%. And I think I could pretty much copy and paste your profile as mine and it would be accurate.

I want to thank moderate conservatives for allowing the Republican party to be controlled by the right wing version of Code Pink.

The Numbers: Only if you limit your consideration of the effects of a terrorist attack to just the body count.

If the people in your country have any courage, you can do just that.

Being terrorized rewards the terrorists.

DaSwankOne: TheOther: Asses.

The problem isnt people paid to talk about us.

The problem is us.

('us' being here used to signify all participants (and non-participants) in the American political process)

I used to be a populist, but then I realized that most people are farking idiots.

I used to be believe government could help people. Then I started working in government and witnessing State Sanctioned Abuse first hand. I pretty much sum up my views with this quote, "I said, 'government is powerless to protect you,' not powerless to punish you." --Chief Wiggum

I think I could make a good argument that today's crappy and corporate and lazy media has done more harm to America than Al Qaeda.

FOXhole News biased?

how could you think that. Faux News would never skew the news to satisfy their Check signers.

oh, you are so negative!

no go and apologize to Fake News.

Planterz: I want to thank moderate conservatives for allowing the Republican party to be controlled by the right wing version of Code Pink.

Don't be fooled into thinking that the 'control' has any real permanence though.

There are a number of problems in the US, just like every other country. What I don't think is one of them are media outlets that differ from Murdoch's reliance on tabloid journalism.

I think it's a pretty big threat to Sarah Palin's Real America, apparently this guy lives in it

Sounds a lot like a Fairness Doctrine.

NeverDrunk23: Ironically, he claims that one of the most biased channels is the least bias.

What, does he see them using the 'Fair and Balanced' tagline and that proves that they would never lie?

Oh, and before the usual trumpters come in with their 'CNN/MSNBC/DailyKos is also biased so leave Fox News alone!' defense, yes, all news channels/media have a bias. However, Fox News has the worst bias.

As retarded as I think the notion of a "Liberal Mainstream MSM Media" is- especially for those who remember the run-up to the Iraq invasion- I would be willing to discuss it with someone, so long as they are not trying to hold up FOXNEWS as the shining example of "fair and balanced."

I think the problem is: Most people who buy into the liberal media boogeyman think fair == balanced- that equal credence must be given to both sides just for the sake of balance, even if one side is acting insane. The past election highlighted this well: McCain's campaign well apart, creating hours upon hours of bad press for themselves- which of course the media reported. Obama's campaign, OTOH was a PR juggernaut, creating mostly good press for themselves. When the media reports all the McCain slipups people scream and yell about "bias" because they don't also bash the Obama campaign... for something.

//yea, I know; tldr;

Argh2: Well, if by "America" he means "hypocritical reactionary fundamentalist opportunistic demagogues", then he's right on the money.

And if by "media" he means "corporate-sponsored propaganda initiatives."

More proof Rush really does run the GOP. The talking point is straight from his show.

The RIchest Man in Babylon: As retarded as I think the notion of a "Liberal Mainstream MSM Media" is- especially for those who remember the run-up to the Iraq invasion- I would be willing to discuss it with someone, so long as they are not trying to hold up FOXNEWS as the shining example of "fair and balanced."

I think John Stossel was pretty close to the mark when he observed that it probably has more to do with the cult of "objectivity" than overt political bias. When the government speaks with its aura of neutral authority, that appeals to the "there is only one absolute truth" mentality behind the quest for absolute objectivity.

Of course, their idealized objectivity is impossible, and I for one think we're much better served by de facto overtly labeled partisan/ideological outlets than the bland uniformity of "objectivity".

Fox actually makes money...

The Government run MSM all, make little money.

Get it?????? Now apply that thinking to Government Motors.

Well i think idiotic Texas lawmakers are the biggest threat to America aside from terrorism. If they're not trying to turn this counrry into a theocracy, they're saying utterly stupid shiat. And people believe them.

Churchill2004: The RIchest Man in Babylon: As retarded as I think the notion of a "Liberal Mainstream MSM Media" is- especially for those who remember the run-up to the Iraq invasion- I would be willing to discuss it with someone, so long as they are not trying to hold up FOXNEWS as the shining example of "fair and balanced."

I think John Stossel was pretty close to the mark when he observed that it probably has more to do with the cult of "objectivity" than overt political bias. When the government speaks with its aura of neutral authority, that appeals to the "there is only one absolute truth" mentality behind the quest for absolute objectivity.

Of course, their idealized objectivity is impossible, and I for one think we're much better served by de facto overtly labeled partisan/ideological outlets than the bland uniformity of "objectivity".

I agree with you entirely, I should have been more clear in my post- The issue is with objectivity. To report an event objectively does not necessarily mean that it will be balanced (in the FOXNEWS sense of the word). The claims of liberal or conservative bias come most often from confusing these ideas- specifically the idea that to be truly objective one must present both sides of a discussion as equal, even if the reality is that one side is wrong/insane/irrational/illogical.

Or as it has been joked: Reality has a liberal bias.

Zoophagous: More proof Rush really does run the GOP. The talking point is straight from his show.

Really? Correlation = Causation?

The RIchest Man in Babylon:
I agree with you entirely, I should have been more clear in my post- The issue is with objectivity. To report an event objectively does not necessarily mean that it will be balanced (in the FOXNEWS sense of the word). The claims of liberal or conservative bias come most often from confusing these ideas- specifically the idea that to be truly objective one must present both sides of a discussion as equal, even if the reality is that one side is wrong/insane/irrational/illogical.

Or as it has been joked: Reality has a liberal bias.

During the Democratic primaries, it always made me smile reading sites like Hillary is 44, because they couldn't grasp that the reason the media was more critical of Hillary than Obama was because she was the worse candidate; claiming instead it must be evidence of bias.

The RIchest Man in Babylon: I agree with you entirely, I should have been more clear in my post- The issue is with objectivity. To report an event objectively does not necessarily mean that it will be balanced (in the FOXNEWS sense of the word). The claims of liberal or conservative bias come most often from confusing these ideas- specifically the idea that to be truly objective one must present both sides of a discussion as equal, even if the reality is that one side is wrong/insane/irrational/illogical.

And of course, with "equal time for nutjobs" comes the equally pernicious "there are exactly two sides, 'liberal' and 'conservative', to every story" crap. If you're being "balanced" between the two political parties then you end up killing all nuance and diversity, the same way the duopoly kills all nuance in the political sphere. Being "balanced" between Generic Republican and Generic Democrat means pretending no other viewpoints exist.

The RIchest Man in Babylon: Or as it has been joked: Reality has a liberal bias

Only in the classical sense of the term, but perhaps that's just my own pro-freedom bias coming through.

Churchill2004: The RIchest Man in Babylon: I agree with you entirely, I should have been more clear in my post- The issue is with objectivity. To report an event objectively does not necessarily mean that it will be balanced (in the FOXNEWS sense of the word). The claims of liberal or conservative bias come most often from confusing these ideas- specifically the idea that to be truly objective one must present both sides of a discussion as equal, even if the reality is that one side is wrong/insane/irrational/illogical.

And of course, with "equal time for nutjobs" comes the equally pernicious "there are exactly two sides, 'liberal' and 'conservative', to every story" crap. If you're being "balanced" between the two political parties then you end up killing all nuance and diversity, the same way the duopoly kills all nuance in the political sphere. Being "balanced" between Generic Republican and Generic Democrat means pretending no other viewpoints exist.

You'll find no argument from me about that. CNN had a little roundtable discussion yesterday about whether the media is failing in its duty to inform the American people, because the issues are so complex that it is hard to synthesize it into a format easily explained and shortened for quick consumption. They are best served (serving themselves, not us, mind you) by simplifying everything down to red team vs. blue team, to avoid all the icky "details" and "nuance" of say, Healthcare reform or a comprehensive foreign policy discussion. They basically admitted as much and accepted it- I literally facepalmed: "Math Reporting is too hard!"

It is sad, but reality. The only thing you can do is research for yourself, taking everything with a grain (or entire shaker) of salt, and form opinions on your own. Sadly, this is too much for the majority of Americans to do. And here we are.

Pechorin: I used to be believe government could help people. Then I started working in government and witnessing State Sanctioned Abuse first hand. I pretty much sum up my views with this quote, "I said, 'government is powerless to protect you,' not powerless to punish you." --Chief Wiggum

As someone who makes a career of helping people deal with the government, I could not agree more. However I would disagree that all government is bad. I look at the different jurisdictions and see how they operate. Some are great; some down right abusive. I really believe that it is a matter of people starting to pay attention. The problem is that we have local elections where less than .01% of the people bother to vote and a large percentage of the population that will believe anything a talking head tells them, no matter how ridiculous it is. This goes back to access to the information and the average intelligence of the average human. Unfortunately we may be farked. The only option might be to try to replace the current oligarchy with a more benevolent one.