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1. Media Prism: Repubs 'Block' Lower Gas Prices by Spurning Tax Hike The three broadcast network evening newscasts on Tuesday framed coverage, of a Democratic Senate plan to somehow lower gas prices by imposing a "windfall profits" tax on oil companies which they would just pass on to consumers, around how Republicans "blocked" the effort. No one cast any doubt on the presumption the oil companies are earning "windfall" and/or "excessive" profits. Fill-in NBC anchor Ann Curry's very short update: "Now to the high price of oil and gas. Senate Republicans today blocked a Democratic plan to impose a windfall profit tax on oil companies." CBS's Katie Couric, who unlike Curry at least noted how "Republicans said it would have done nothing to lower the price of gas," asserted: "Senate Republicans today blocked Democrats from slapping a tax on the windfall profits of oil companies." ABC twice displayed on screen text favorable to the liberal position: "Senate Republicans block Democratic plan to tax oil companies' windfall profits." And: "Special tax for excessive oil profits." 2. CNN's Blitzer Mouths Liberal Talking Points on Taxes, Oil Profits CNN's Wolf Blitzer pressed McCain campaign adviser Carly Fiorina, about oil companies "awash in record profits," on Tuesday's The Situation Room. The CNN host used ExxonMobil as an example five different times in his questioning: "ExxonMobil has got these billions and billions of dollars in record profits. They can afford to not necessarily get additional tax cuts." After Fiorina outlined McCain's proposal to lower the federal business tax rate at the beginning of the segment, which began 14 minutes into the 5 pm Eastern hour of the CNN program, Blitzer took a persistent stance in asking if the reduction in taxes included "big oil." First, the CNN host asked: "Would that reduction of the tax rate also include, as Obama says, ExxonMobil and the other big oil companies, who are awash in record profits?" Once Fiorina answered by making the point that Obama's proposal "to levy a windfall profits tax against oil companies will only do two things for the American consumer -- limit supply and raise prices, neither of which is very good," Blitzer rephrased his original question: "So, in other words, is Obama right when he says, under a McCain administration, ExxonMobil would get additional tax breaks?" 3. Matthews: McCain = Staying On the Titanic, Obama = Deliverance Chris Matthews put the choice before voters in 2008 in the starkest terms possible on Tuesday's Hardball as he claimed a vote for McCain was akin to staying on a sinking Titanic while a vote for Obama was a chance at "deliverance." Matthews started the day citing the line on "Morning Joe" and continued that line of attack later on the June 10 edition of Hardball: "You're on this big comfortable ocean liner and it's starting to sink. Do you board the little life boat or stay on the big ship with the light still shining, the band still playing? You're the American voter, the year is 2008 and you've got till November to decide. Let's play Hardball!" 4. Matthews Gets Touchy About Attacks on His Old Boss Jimmy Carter Chris Matthews was not happy and seemed overly sensitive when John McCain compared Barack Obama to his old boss Jimmy Carter. On Tuesday night's Hardball, after Matthews played a clip of McCain saying Obama was running for "Carter's second" term, he declared "I don't like it," and tried to write the attack off by saying not enough voters "even remembered voting for the guy." 5. Poor Economy Leading to Suicides? Cuomo Invokes Great Depression On Tuesday's Good Morning America, highlighting the Great Depression, increased suicides and a so-far non-existent recession, GMA news anchor Chris Cuomo declared that in the current economy, people are "struggling to pay for the basic necessities" and that such a "heavy burden" could lead to "pressure [that] can cause your body to start breaking down." Cuomo hyperbolically connected modern, stress-induced medical problems with suicides during the calamitous Great Depression: "The link between financial troubles and psychological problems is well documented. In the U.S., the seminal example is the Great Depression when the suicide rate jumped from 14 to 17 for every 100,000 Americans." Interestingly, Cuomo's comments, which included mentioning the "threat of recession," didn't even go as far as the ABC graphic produced for the piece. It deceptively read, "Recession Depression: Beating the Economic Blues." Now, considering that a recession is two quarters of negative economic growth, and the United States hasn't even had one, that's more than just sloppy journalism.
Prices by Spurning Tax Hike The three broadcast network evening newscasts on Tuesday framed coverage, of a Democratic Senate plan to somehow lower gas prices by imposing a "windfall profits" tax on oil companies which they would just pass on to consumers, around how Republicans "blocked" the effort. No one cast any doubt on the presumption the oil companies are earning "windfall" and/or "excessive" profits. Fill-in NBC anchor Ann Curry's very short update: "Now to the high price of oil and gas. Senate Republicans today blocked a Democratic plan to impose a windfall profit tax on oil companies." CBS's Katie Couric, who unlike Curry at least noted how "Republicans said it would have done nothing to lower the price of gas," asserted: "Senate Republicans today blocked Democrats from slapping a tax on the windfall profits of oil companies." ABC twice displayed on screen text favorable to the liberal position: "Senate Republicans block Democratic plan to tax oil companies' windfall profits." And: "Special tax for excessive oil profits." "In Washington today," ABC anchor Charles Gibson fretted, "instead of addressing the nation's concerns about high gas prices, the Senate killed a new energy bill." Senate Democrats, he explained, "have proposed a windfall profits tax on big oil companies. Republicans blocked it, arguing it would do nothing really to bring down gas prices." Jake Tapper reported: "Killed on the Senate floor today, a Democratic energy bill that would have imposed a windfall profits tax on oil companies -- a special tax on excessive profits that oil companies don't reinvest in new energy sources." In his story centered on partisan gridlock, Tapper at least recalled: "Today's vote came just a few weeks after a Republican energy plan was killed, a bill to open more areas of the U.S. to drilling -- for instance, in Alaska." [This item, by the MRC's Brent Baker, was posted Tuesday night on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ] With "OIL PROFITS" as the on-screen header, Ann Curry announced on the NBC Nightly News: "Now to the high price of oil and gas. Senate Republicans today blocked a Democratic plan to impose a windfall profit tax on oil companies. That news came on a wild day on the oil markets as prices first surged, then fell back, and then finished down just over $3 at $131.31 a barrel." With "WINDFALL PROFITS TAX" on screen, Katie Couric relayed on the CBS Evening News: "Senate Republicans today blocked Democrats from slapping a tax on the windfall profits of oil companies. The Republicans said it would have done nothing to lower the price of gas which tonight is a nationwide average $4.04 a gallon. The Energy Department predicted today gas prices will top out in August when they'll average $4.15 a gallon." The MRC's Brad Wilmouth corrected the closed-captioning against the video to provide this transcript of the story on the Tuesday, June 10 edition of ABC's World News: CHARLES GIBSON: In Washington today, instead of addressing the nation's concerns about high gas prices, the Senate killed a new energy bill, and the partisan divisions were evident, and were deep. Senate Democrats have proposed a windfall profits tax on big oil companies. Republicans blocked it, arguing it would do nothing really to bring down gas prices. Our chief political correspondent, Jake Tapper, is on Capitol Hill tonight. Jake?
JAKE TAPPER: Good evening, Charlie. Well, consumers looking to Congress to do something today about this energy crisis should probably look elsewhere. Democrats and Republicans agree on one thing: The American people are worried.
Points on Taxes, Oil Profits CNN's Wolf Blitzer pressed McCain campaign adviser Carly Fiorina, about oil companies "awash in record profits," on Tuesday's The Situation Room. The CNN host used ExxonMobil as an example five different times in his questioning: "ExxonMobil has got these billions and billions of dollars in record profits. They can afford to not necessarily get additional tax cuts." After Fiorina outlined McCain's proposal to lower the federal business tax rate at the beginning of the segment, which began 14 minutes into the 5 pm Eastern hour of the CNN program, Blitzer took a persistent stance in asking if the reduction in taxes included "big oil." First, the CNN host asked: "Would that reduction of the tax rate also include, as Obama says, ExxonMobil and the other big oil companies, who are awash in record profits?" Once Fiorina answered by making the point that Obama's proposal "to levy a windfall profits tax against oil companies will only do two things for the American consumer -- limit supply and raise prices, neither of which is very good," Blitzer rephrased his original question: "So, in other words, is Obama right when he says, under a McCain administration, ExxonMobil would get additional tax breaks?" [This item, by the MRC's Matthew Balan, was posted Tuesday night on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ] When Fiorina stuck to her point that McCain wanted to "lower the tax rate on all businesses, so that it is more in their interests to put jobs here in the U.S.," Blitzer continued to focus on "big oil:" "But no exemption for big oil and the -- no exemption for big oil then?" After the McCain adviser said there would be no exemption and tried to defend her answer, Blitzer continued to stress his point:
BLITZER: I understand the need to cut your taxes if you want to compete globally, which is the point you're trying to make but- This isn't the first time the CNN host has used this line of argument and questioning towards Fiorina on the subject of taxes and oil companies. About six weeks earlier, on May 1, Blitzer asked: "But what's wrong with a windfall profit tax? Exxon Mobil today announcing their first quarter profits almost $11 billion. They're raking it in right now....What do you say? Why not do what Hillary Clinton says, tax them a little bit more? They can certainly afford it better than working-class people...." Later, Blitzer asked Fiorina about another point of Obama's, that the billions of dollars being spent on the Iraq war could be "invested in our roads and schools and bridges and started to rebuild America." Blitzer's point: "You could do a lot of money with $12 billion -- you can do a lot of things with $12 billion a month." After Fiorina responded that "there's no question that the Iraq war is costing a lot of money" and that "Barack Obama has proposed no plan for how he is going to get out of Iraq successfully without creating genocide," Blitzer followed up: "The question is how much longer will the American taxpayers have to shell out $12 billion a month or $150 billion dollars a year or whatever it costs?"
Obama = Deliverance Chris Matthews put the choice before voters in 2008 in the starkest terms possible on Tuesday's Hardball as he claimed a vote for McCain was akin to staying on a sinking Titanic while a vote for Obama was a chance at "deliverance." Matthews started the day citing the line on "Morning Joe" and continued that line of attack later on the June 10 edition of Hardball: "You're on this big comfortable ocean liner and it's starting to sink. Do you board the little life boat or stay on the big ship with the light still shining, the band still playing? You're the American voter, the year is 2008 and you've got till November to decide. Let's play Hardball!" [This item, by the MRC's Geoffrey Dickens, was posted Tuesday evening on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]
Matthews soon elaborated: "Let's say we're on the Titanic, as I said, and you knew it was sinking, some people are jumping off the huge ocean liner and getting to lifeboats that are bobbing out there in the cold, dark ocean. You look around the Titanic, the lights are still on, the music's still playing, the ship's still above the water, it seems secure. You've been comfortable there before. Do you stay on the Titanic, knowing it might sink, or do you get into that crowded lifeboat and take a chance with the unknown dangers of the ocean at night? That's what a lot of people feel about this election right now. It's future change versus past security. Barack Obama, young, little known candidate, is all about change. John McCain, a familiar member of the Washington establishment, as defined by his hawkish views on national security. Tonight we're gonna take a look at the decision in '08. And joining us right now is Pat Buchanan and Joan Walsh and John Harwood. So Pat, you're first. That's a big decision. You gotta decide to get out of the big boat that's sinking- To see how Matthews started the day by comparing a vote to McCain to staying on the Titanic: Http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein/2008/06/10/matthews-voting-mccain-staying-sinking-titanic
His Old Boss Jimmy Carter Chris Matthews was not happy and seemed overly sensitive when John McCain compared Barack Obama to his old boss Jimmy Carter. On Tuesday night's Hardball, after Matthews played a clip of McCain saying Obama was running for "Carter's second" term, he declared "I don't like it," and tried to write the attack off by saying not enough voters "even remembered voting for the guy." [This item, by Geoffrey Dickens, was posted Tuesday evening on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ] The following exchanges occurred throughout the June 10 edition of Hardball:
JOHN HARWOOD, CNBC: Look John McCain has a more complicated task because he's got to try to discredit Obama but also say he's not gonna be like George Bush either. And I think the difficulty of this task is highlighted by, you look at the examples, Barack Obama is saying John McCain would be George Bush's third term and McCain comes back with Jimmy Carter. Well you know there are a lot of voters out there saying, "And who was Jimmy Carter exactly?" They don't remember that. ... MATTHEWS: Are you old enough, are, are you old enough to remember the 1980 race? I remember it quite well.
HEIDI HARRIS, TALK SHOW HOST: Oh thank you for that! ... HARRIS: Well I think it's true that Jimmy Carter was at fault for all of those things but secondly- ...
[BEGIN CLIP] ...
JILL ZUCKMAN, CHICAGO TRIBUNE: The reason I like the Carter second term theme, just as an attack mechanism, is because it, it does appeal to voters of a certain age. I mean, it means something to them. And those-
Invokes Great Depression
On Tuesday's Good Morning America, highlighting the Great Depression, increased suicides and a so-far non-existent recession, GMA news anchor Chris Cuomo declared that in the current economy, people are "struggling to pay for the basic necessities" and that such a "heavy burden" could lead to "pressure [that] can cause your body to start breaking down." Cuomo hyperbolically connected modern, stress-induced medical problems with suicides during the calamitous Great Depression: "The link between financial troubles and psychological problems is well documented. In the U.S., the seminal example is the Great Depression when the suicide rate jumped from 14 to 17 for every 100,000 Americans." Referencing a new AP poll that claims rising debt is leading to more physical ailments, Cuomo darkly intoned, "People struggling to pay for the basic necessities. Food, gas, housing, seeing savings depleted, plans for kids and future threatened. Now, that's a heavy burden and over time that pressure can cause your body to start breaking down." Now, of course some Americans are suffering tough economic times, but to draw a parallel between 2008 and the stresses of the Great Depression, which saw up to 25 percent of the country unemployed, is rather silly. [This item was prepared for CyberAlert by the MRC's Scott Whitlock.] Interestingly, in a 8am news brief, Cuomo himself admitted that, perhaps, things aren't quite so bad. Referencing the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, he explained, "Turn now to the economy where the news is not all bad. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the danger of a substantial economic downturn has faded, thanks to reforms in the financial markets and strong exports." Perhaps Cuomo's bleak outlook shouldn't be surprising. In a June 2008 study, the Business and Media Institute found that today's journalists are four times more negative than their counterparts were during the stock market crash of 1929: businessandmedia.org A transcript of the segment, which aired at 7:43am on June 10, follows:
ROBIN ROBERTS: And now hitting home. You know the kind of damage paying more than $4 for a gallon of gas can do to your wallet, but could it also be hurting your health? It's a side effect you never thought of, but doctors say the slumping economy could be taking a serious toll on your body. And Chris has been following that for us.
-- Brent Baker
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