1. NBC: 'Ugly Emotions' on Illegal Immigration 'Fanned' by Limbaugh
On Sunday's NBC Nightly News, reporter John Yang distorted Pat Buchanan's point about the level of crime committed by illegal immigrants as he impugned Rush Limbaugh for helping to "fan" such "ugly emotions." Previewing the expected Senate vote Tuesday on whether to revive the immigration bill, Yang asserted that "the outcome is uncertain, largely because of the heated debate over how to treat people illegally in the country." Yang charged: "On NBC's Meet the Press today, that debate turned ugly." Viewers then saw a soundbite from Buchanan: "Many of them are child molesters or drunk drivers, they're rapists, they're robbers, they've got a variety of crimes but they commit a felony by being here." After a clip of Democratic Congressman Luis Guttierrez, on the same show, condemning Buchanan for casting "aspersions" and reasonably insisting that "the vast, overwhelming majority of immigrants that come here to this country come here to work hard, sweat, toil, and make our country a better place," Yang, presumably referring back to Buchanan, alleged: "Those emotions are being fanned by conservative radio talk show hosts, such as Rush Limbaugh." Yang played an audio clip of Limbaugh: "They want low-skilled, uneducated, cheap labor in the country -- because that's their next class of victims."

2. ABC's Marlantes: Bush Policies Worse than Illegal CIA of Past
On ABC's World News Sunday, during a story about the release of classified information regarding the CIA's "cloak and dagger" past in the 1960s and 1970s, correspondent Liz Marlantes suggested that the Bush administration engages in abuses that are worse than the illegal activities detailed in the documents: "But this all comes when the CIA is under fire for an alleged array of current abuses, including the use of secret prisons and torture. Some say the activities of the past may look mild by comparison."

3. NYT Movie Critic Praises 'Sicko,' Frets Lack of 'Social Welfare'
New York Times movie critic A.O. Scott called Michael Moore "a credit to the Republic" after Fahrenheit 9-11 and now thinks Sicko is his "funniest," "most broadly appealing" film yet. In Friday's paper, Scott again defended (in a markedly defensive manner) dubious left-wing documentarian Moore in his glowing review of Sicko, Moore's new documentary on the U.S. health care system. Scott empathized with Moore's bewilderment over why the U.S. is now more like Western European nations: "He wants us to be more like everybody else. When he plaintively asks, 'Who are we?,' he is not really wondering why our traditions of neighborliness and generosity have not found political expression in an expansive system of social welfare. He is insisting that such a system should exist, and also, rather ingeniously, daring his critics to explain why it shouldn't."

NBC: 'Ugly Emotions' on Illegal Immigration
'Fanned' by Limbaugh

     On Sunday's NBC Nightly News, reporter John Yang distorted Pat Buchanan's point about the level of crime committed by illegal immigrants as he impugned Rush Limbaugh for helping to "fan" such "ugly emotions." Previewing the expected Senate vote Tuesday on whether to revive the immigration bill, Yang asserted that "the outcome is uncertain, largely because of the heated debate over how to treat people illegally in the country." Yang charged: "On NBC's Meet the Press today, that debate turned ugly." Viewers then saw a soundbite from Buchanan: "Many of them are child molesters or drunk drivers, they're rapists, they're robbers, they've got a variety of crimes but they commit a felony by being here." After a clip of Democratic Congressman Luis Guttierrez, on the same show, condemning Buchanan for casting "aspersions" and reasonably insisting that "the vast, overwhelming majority of immigrants that come here to this country come here to work hard, sweat, toil, and make our country a better place," Yang, presumably referring back to Buchanan, alleged: "Those emotions are being fanned by conservative radio talk show hosts, such as Rush Limbaugh." Yang played an audio clip of Limbaugh: "They want low-skilled, uneducated, cheap labor in the country -- because that's their next class of victims." Yang proceeded to segue to a clip, of Newt Gingrich, by adding: "And TV ads."

     Two major problems with Yang's presentation in which he tried to characterize conservative analysis as illegitimate: First, the soundbite selected of Buchanan suggested he was making a generalization about how most illegal aliens are criminals, but his previous sentence made clear he was referring only to a sub-set who have committed crimes: "You go after, in deportation, the 600,000 who've been ordered deported who are now criminal felons who have stayed in this country. Many of them are child molesters, they're drunk drivers..." Buchanan also cited "the gang members who don't belong in the country," a well-known problem to anyone in a major urban area. Second, the soundbite featured from Limbaugh hardly supported the contention Limbaugh and other conservative talk hosts have "fanned" irrational fear of illegal aliens. In the bite Limbaugh was clearly making a claim about the motivation of liberals.

     MSNBC.com's transcript of the June 24 Meet the Press: www.msnbc.msn.com

     And I could add as a third distortion, the soundbite of Gingrich in a television ad -- "This bill does not even allow convicted criminals to be deported" -- hardly is an "ugly" criticism of the bill.

     [This item was posted late Sunday night on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]

     The soundbite from Limbaugh is at least nine days old since he was on a golf vacation last week. In fact, I searched his site and found matching words on his June 11 program:
     "The real reason the Democrats want this -- I keep saying this, and I know this sounds harsh to some people, but -- is liberal Democrats don't like many of the traditions and institutions, the guardrails, the fences, that have made this country great. They want to tear down and rebuild the country in their image, and here you go. One of the things they believe in is a huge government and they want people dependent. They want low-skilled, uneducated, cheap labor in the country, because that's their next class of victims. As affluence in this country continues to increase -- and it is. I think one of the best kept secrets in the country right now is the strength of the economy and the overall affluence and prosperity and the opportunity to achieve it. It's never been better than it is today in this country. So more and more people are opting out of the total dependence cycle. I mean, it's impossible almost not to with Social Security. Fifty-one or 52 of the American people get a government check for something, but they're always out pushing. The food stamp program, they're advertising for more people to participate in that. Here you import these people that remain constantly dependent. They will need access to the safety hammock -- not the welfare net, but the hammock -- and that's made to order for raising taxes and redistributing wealth. You're right. Everything that liberalism is, is contained in this legislation. It's sort of like a big, concentrated dose. That's what's so frustrating about it, to see the Republicans just dive headlong into this as though they haven't the slightest clue what will happen to them and their party and the country, which is what we're concerned about."

     That's online at: www.rushlimbaugh.com

     This is the second time in just over a month that NBC News has maligned Limbaugh. The Tuesday, May 22 CyberAlert, "NBC Impugns Limbaugh Over 'Barack the Magic Negro' Parody Song," recounted:

On Monday, NBC's Today allowed itself to be used as a publicity machine for a left-wing attempt to whip up an Imus-style campaign against conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh for daring to air the parody song "Barack the Magic Negro" -- a parody inspired by a black writer who used that term in March in a Los Angeles Times op-d about Obama -- in which an Al Sharpton impersonator sings about how Barack Obama isn't an authentic black.

The song has been around for two months, but NBC acted like they just found out about it. Co-host Matt Lauer charged: "Rush Limbaugh airing a racially-charged parody about presidential candidate Barack Obama. Is the radio talk show host getting a free pass? We'll have more on that in our next half-hour." The on-screen graphic also asked: "Obama Parody, Is Limbaugh Getting A Free Pass?"

The story by NBC reporter Michael Okwu presumed Limbaugh guilty of some great offense, and suggested his conservative audience is also culpable: "Media watch dogs say there's no hue and cry to stop Limbaugh because he speaks to a niche audience who either expects this or is willing to let him slide." Okwu included two sound bites from Paul Waldman of the hard-left Media Matters, who ludicrously claimed: "This is basically the radio equivalent of a black-faced, minstrel show." NBC helpfully put some old minstrel video on screen to illustrate the point.

"Legitimate satire, or something darker?" Okwu ominously wondered.

     END of Excerpt

     For the CyberAlert item, by Rich Noyes, in full: www.mrc.org

     A transcript of the Sunday, June 24 NBC Nightly News story:

     ANCHOR LESTER HOLT: That sweeping immigration overhaul plan that only a few weeks ago seemed doomed, may get a second chance this week as the Senate decides whether to bring it to a vote. The plan includes stronger border security as well as a guest worker program. NBC's John Yang is at the White House, which has a lot riding on all this. John, good evening.

     JOHN YANG, from the White House: Good evening, Lester. President Bush is hoping the Senate will snatch this immigration bill from the jaws of defeat and give new life to his top domestic priority. In Los Angeles today, a rally in support of President Bush's sweeping overhaul of immigration laws which faces a make-or-break week on Capitol Hill.
     SENATOR TRENT LOTT: If we don't get it done in the Senate now, it will not be done in the Senate this year or next year and not before sometime in 2009.
     YANG: That would suit the bill's opponents just fine.
     SENATOR JEFF SESSIONS, outside ABC News in DC: We've got to go back to the drawing board and work out something that will be effective.
     YANG: On Tuesday, Senators are to decide whether to revive the measure, which they stalled earlier this month. The outcome is uncertain, largely because of the heated debate over how to treat people illegally in the country. On NBC's Meet the Press today, that debate turned ugly.
     PAT BUCHANAN, on Meet the Press: Many of them are child molesters or drunk drivers, they're rapists, they're robbers, they've got a variety of crimes but they commit a felony by being here.
     CONGRESSMAN LUIS GUTIERREZ (D-ILL), on Meet the Press: The vast, overwhelming majority of immigrants that come here to this country come here to work hard, sweat, toil, and make our country a better place and to cast aspersions on them and to generalize -- if I could just finish, Pat, if I could just finish-
     YANG: Those emotions are being fanned by conservative radio talk show hosts, such as Rush Limbaugh.
     UNDATED AUDIO OF LIMBAUGH: They want low-skilled, uneducated, cheap labor in the country -- because that's their next class of victims.
     YANG: And TV ads.
     NEWT GINGRICH, IN TV AD: This bill does not even allow convicted criminals to be deported.
     YANG: Some of them targeting specific lawmakers.
     WOMAN IN TV AD: Where's the fence?
     YANG: The issue cuts across party lines, putting Mr. Bush on the same side as liberal Democrats and against conservative Republicans, including Senator Jeff Sessions, for whom he helped raise nearly $1 million in campaign money just this past week. President Bush has been personally involved in lobbying for this bill and on Tuesday, the day of the Senate vote, he'll have an immigration event here at the White House.

ABC's Marlantes: Bush Policies Worse
than Illegal CIA of Past

     On ABC's World News Sunday, during a story about the release of classified information regarding the CIA's "cloak and dagger" past in the 1960s and 1970s, correspondent Liz Marlantes suggested that the Bush administration engages in abuses that are worse than the illegal activities detailed in the documents: "But this all comes when the CIA is under fire for an alleged array of current abuses, including the use of secret prisons and torture. Some say the activities of the past may look mild by comparison."

     As anchor Dan Harris set up the report, he conveyed that the documents "detail 30 years of illegal CIA operations, from assassination plots to experiments on humans." Marlantes listed some of the activities that included "assassination conspiracies against foreign leaders like Fidel Castro, the infiltration of anti-war groups, and screening of private mail, including letters to actress and antiwar activist Jane Fonda," and "putting journalists under surveillance."

     As Marlantes relayed CIA Director Michael Hayden's comments that the documents detail activities of "a very different time and a very different agency," the ABC correspondent saw it differently: "But this all comes when the CIA is under fire for an alleged array of current abuses, including the use of secret prisons and torture. Some say the activities of the past may look mild by comparison."

     After showing a clip of Bush administration critic James Bamford complaining that some of the controversial actions that were done "in a very mild degree" decades ago are now being done "wholesale," Marlantes concluded: "A look back at a controversial history, whose lessons may be more relevant than ever."

     [This item, by Brad Wilmouth, was posted late Sunday night on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]

     Below is a complete transcript of the report from the June 24 World News Sunday on ABC:

     DAN HARRIS: The CIA is going to release some of its deepest, darkest secrets tomorrow, documents detailing 30 years of illegal CIA operations, from assassination plots to experiments on humans. Not only is the spy agency disclosing this long-hidden information, it is also doing it voluntarily. ABC's Liz Marlantes has the story.

     LIZ MARLANTES: They are known as the "family jewels," documents so secret and so potentially damaging that the CIA has fought to keep them classified until now.
     THOMAS BLANTON, National Security Archive: The "family jewels" are a series of CIA officers going into the confessional and saying, "Forgive me, father, for, I have sinned."
     MARLANTES: Then-CIA director James Schlesinger ordered the 700-page dossier in 1973, compiling decades of illegal activities by the agency. Many details were later revealed in newspaper reports and congressional hearings. It is the stuff of spy novels. Among the abuses, assassination conspiracies against foreign leaders like Fidel Castro, the infiltration of anti-war groups, and screening of private mail, including letters to actress and antiwar activist Jane Fonda. The CIA also put journalists under surveillance, like columnist Jack Anderson and his then-assistant Brit Hume.
     MICHAEL GETLER, former Washington Post reporter: It was very spooky, very spooky. I mean, this is America. And you don't expect that.
     MARLANTES: Former Washington Post reporter Michael Getler was monitored by a team of agents around the clock.
     GETLER: They were watching who I was talking to. They took pictures of who I was having lunch with. They actually took pictures through the picture window of our home.
     MARLANTES: The CIA would have had to release the documents eventually under the Freedom of Information Act. But the decision to do it now may reflect a new openness on the part of the agency about its cloak and dagger past. CIA director Michael Hayden described the documents as a glimpse of a very different time and a very different agency. But this all comes when the CIA is under fire for an alleged array of current abuses, including the use of secret prisons and torture. Some say the activities of the past may look mild by comparison.
     JAMES BAMFORD, author of Body of Secrets: A lot of the things that were done in a very mild degree back in the '50s, '60s and '70s are now being done on a whole scale basis.
     MARLANTES: A look back at a controversial history, whose lessons may be more relevant than ever. Liz Marlantes, ABC News, Washington.

NYT Movie Critic Praises 'Sicko,' Frets
Lack of 'Social Welfare'

     New York Times movie critic A.O. Scott called Michael Moore "a credit to the Republic" after Fahrenheit 9-11 and now thinks Sicko is his "funniest," "most broadly appealing" film yet. In Friday's paper, Scott again defended (in a markedly defensive manner) dubious left-wing documentarian Moore in his glowing review of Sicko, Moore's new documentary on the U.S. health care system. Scott empathized with Moore's bewilderment over why the U.S. is now more like Western European nations: "He wants us to be more like everybody else. When he plaintively asks, 'Who are we?,' he is not really wondering why our traditions of neighborliness and generosity have not found political expression in an expansive system of social welfare. He is insisting that such a system should exist, and also, rather ingeniously, daring his critics to explain why it shouldn't."

     [This item is adapted from a posting Friday, by Clay Waters, on the MRC's TimesWatch site: www.timeswatch.org ]

     In the June 22 review, "Open Wide and Say 'Shame,'" Scott asserted:
     "His regular-guy, happy-warrior personality plays a large part in the movies and in their publicity campaigns, and he has no use for neutrality, balance or objectivity. More than that, his polemical, left-populist manner seems calculated to drive guardians of conventional wisdom bananas. That is because conventional wisdom seems to hold, against much available evidence, that liberalism is an elite ideology, and that the authentic vox populi always comes from the right. Mr. Moore, therefore, must be an oxymoron or a hypocrite of some kind."

     Scott got defensive about his hero's praise of France and even Cuba (while talking in misleading fashion about "free medical care" in countries with high marginal tax rates or are communist countries):
     "Here is our way, and here is another way, variously applied in Canada, France, Britain and yes, Cuba. The salient difference is that, in those countries, where much of the second half of 'Sicko' takes place, the state provides free medical care....Yes, the utopian picture of France in 'Sicko' may be overstated, but show me the filmmaker -- especially a two-time Cannes prizewinner -- who isn't a Francophile of one kind or another. Mr. Moore's funny valentine to a country where the government will send someone to a new mother's house to do laundry and make carrot soup turns out to be as central to his purpose as his chat with Tony Benn, an old lion of Old Labor in Britain. Mr. Benn reads from a pamphlet announcing the creation of the British National Health Service in 1948, and explains it not as an instance of state paternalism but as a triumph of democracy."

     (Where was that vaunted French compassion during the 2003 heat wave that claimed over 10,000 elderly lives, a cynic might wonder.)

     In the next, concluding paragraph, Scott pushed socialism in America and wondered why it wasn't here already:
     "More precisely, of social democracy, a phrase that has long seemed foreign to the American political lexicon. Why this has been so is the subject of much scholarship and speculation, but Mr. Moore is less interested in tracing the history of American exceptionalism than in opposing it. He wants us to be more like everybody else. When he plaintively asks, 'Who are we?,' he is not really wondering why our traditions of neighborliness and generosity have not found political expression in an expansive system of social welfare. He is insisting that such a system should exist, and also, rather ingeniously, daring his critics to explain why it shouldn't."

     For Scott's laudatory review: www.nytimes.com

     For Clay's daily look at bias in the New York Times: www.timeswatch.org

-- Brent Baker

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