Shutdown Day 4: Media Move From Sob Stories to Scare Tactics

Shutdown Day 4: Media Move From Sob Stories to Scare Tactics

Your one-stop shop for all things government shutdown; especially dishonest media coverage.

Email tips to jnolte@breitbart.com or @NolteNC. Newest updates at the top…

4:36 – Half-Million Uninsured in Kentucky; Obama Brags 11,000 Signed up for OCare

According to this 2003 study 517,200 people have no health insurance in Kentucky. According to this more recent report, 1-in-4 Kentuckyians between the ages of 18-64 are uninsured in a state with 4.3 million resident.

Yesterday President Obama bragged that 11,000 people in Kentucky have signed up for ObamaCare.

3:58 – CNN Airs Segment On Park Closings  Without Disclosing GOP Want to Fund

CNN just aired a lengthy segment about public frustration over the closing of national parks due to the shutdown. The on-scene reporter at the St. Louis Arch talked about how “disgusted” people are with congress. 

At no time, though, did CNN inform its viewers that the GOP have agreed to compromise on the funding of the national parks and that the Democrats and Obama are refusing.

3:45 – Video: Carney Can’t Explain Why Dems Won’t Agree to Fund Vets, Cancer Treatments

I have been critical of NBC’s Chuck Todd coverage of the government shutdown, but here he digs into White House spokesman Jay Carney over the White House refusing to agree to join Republicans in funding budget items like national parks, veteran services, and the National Institute of Health:

It is great Todd asked this question, but what good does it do unless the media use this line of reasoning and questioning to pressure the White House to budge? It is not as though the media haven’t applied that same pressure to the GOP.

Carney’s answers here are ridiculous, especially in the face of kids who need cancer treatments and the possibility of a hurricane hitting Florida this weekend.

The emotional blackmail over park and veteran funding coming from the media was in high-gear a few days ago. Now that the GOP has agreed to compromise on these issues, the blackmail has pretty muched vanished. 

As I write this a CNN reporter is standing in front of the St. Louis Arch and talking about the “disgust” tourists feel over its closure. But nowhere does the on-scene reporter or the anchor (Don Lemon) inform viewers that the GOP have agreed to fund the parks and that Democrats are refusing.

2:26 – Gallup: Obama Approval Plummets to 41%

This is only a few days into the shutdown.

1:52 – NPR: ‘ObamaCare Rolled Out as Planned’

Breitbart News editor-in-chief Joel Pollak:

National Public Radio’s David Greene introduced Friday’s Morning Edition by pronouncing: “Obamacare rolled out as planned.” He repeated the phrase in introducing NPR’s news story, “Ready or Not, Obamacare Rolls Out As Planned.” The story did cover the “computer glitches and slowdowns” that plagued the launch of Obamacare’s insurance exchanges. But NPR insisted on the fundamentally false premise: “as planned.” …

What NPR–and other mainstream media outlets–refuse to do is accept reality and shift to a new paradigm. Instead of being a good program with a few flaws, Obamacare is a disaster with a few possible ideas that might be preserved when the system is scrapped (as it must be). Their bias reflects a tendency to view Obama as an essentially good but frustrated president, instead of a near-complete failure with one or two achievements.

As of now, it appears as though things went so bad with the roll-out, the media can’t even find someone who enrolled for ObamaCare who isn’t tainted in some by an association with the administration.

As I have said before, ObamaCare is probably going to go down like Prohibition did in the 20s and 30s. The People are going to kill it because you can only push us so far. We want our booze and we don’t want to told to buy something we neither want nor need.

1:24 – After Obama Uses Violent Metaphor to Describe GOP, CNN’s Jim Acosta Reports On Obama’s Sandwich

CNN, a network that regularly attacks and attempts to throw Republicans off message over rhetoric, dutifully reporter Friday afternoon that Obama once again accused Republicans of putting a gun to the American people’s head. Rather than take issue with the use of violent imagery, Jim Acosta reported on what kind of sandwich Obama had for lunch.

No, I am not kidding.

1:23 – CNN Finally Reports On White House ‘We’re Winning’ Comment After Obama Disavows

The first time I heard CNN mention the quote from a senior administration official about how happy the White House is to have the shutdown because “we’re winning,” is only after Obama disavowed it.

Unlike numerous comments from some in the GOP that have gotten all kinds of attention, CNN appeared unwilling to inform the public that the White House is happy to see the shutdown last for as long as they feel they are winning the political fight. 

It was only AFTER the White House disavowed the comment that CNN found it worthy to report.

Democrats sure have it good.

1:15 – Obama Trolls NBC to Its Face with Violent Metaphor, NBC Plays Stenographer

One day after a tragic shooting on Capitol Hill, that left a single mother dead and a policeman injured, the president once again violated the media’s, and his own, New Tone rule by using violent metaphors to describe the GOP:

President Barack Obama told reporters Friday that he won’t negotiate with Republicans to end the budget standoff “with a gun held to the head of the American people.”

Like the good stenographers they are, though, NBC dutifully wrote down what Obama said without mentioning or making issue of Obama’s violent rhetoric — which is something the unbiased, objective, not-at-all liberal NBC regularly does to Republicans.

Democrats sure have it good.

1:00 – With No Political Upside, Media Drop Capitol Hill Shooting Coverage

Oh, there is some coverage here and there, but even though Thursday’s shooting took place right in front of the DC media, the story is already over or being wound down. The reason for this is simple: There is no political agenda to wring out of a mentally ill black woman who wasn’t even carrying a gun.

When the media can blame a gun or Sarah Palin, shooting narratives can last for days, even weeks and months. 

Unfortunately for the media, the only way to get a What-Does-It-All-Mean narrative from yesterday’s terrible events, would be to look at mental illness. And any talk about doing something to protect society from the mentally ill (and protect the mentally ill from themselves) means confronting the left-wing ACLU — something the media will never do.

You see, the media don’t care about what might prevent the next black single mother from succumbing to her mental illness — not if the solution is politically inconvenient. 

12:42 – CNN’s Christine Romans ThisClose to Predicting Shutdown Will Lead to Cannibalism

The fear-mongering in the media is getting laughable, especially over at the no-longer-trusted-name-in-news, CNN. Without ever mentioning Obama’s refusal to negotiate, economic reporter Christine Romans told viewers that “unless Congress acts,” food prices could skyrocket. Without a new farm bill prices of cheese, and eggs could double.

This apparently surrounds a Farm Bill and the subsidies that go to fat cat corporations fronted by guys wearing straw hats and overalls. 

12:24 – Video of CNN’s Sanctimonious Ashleigh Banfield’s Most Unattractive Moments

How any CNN network executive or producer could watch Ashleigh Banfield in action and not think she’s turning off who-knows-how-many viewers, is beyond me. Her mean girl preening and all-about-me sanctimony is a real turn off. 

I’m not even talking politics. MSNBC’s Alex Wagner and Thomas Roberts are much further left, but very easy to watch because they are appealing on a personal level.  

Banfield has been especially awful this week, which you can see in the video below:

 

 

12:16 – New Media Force Reid to Apologize for ‘Nasty Tone’

The objective, unbiased, not-at-all-liberal media suspended their New Tone policy in order to allow Democrats and Obama to compare the GOP to terrorists and arsonists in the shutdown battle. But having the media cover for you is no longer enough. New Media has been exposing Reid all week and Friday he finally relented and apologized on the Senate floor for his “nasty tone.”

12:02 – Today’s Edition of Tweets Media Never Send About ObamaCare Victims

Rather than report on the hundreds of thousands of working class losing their hours, doctors, jobs, and insurance due to ObamaCare and its costs, the media pretend they do not exist. But now that the shutdown will affect hundreds of thousands of federal workers (who will likely get back pay, unlike the ObamaCare victims), suddenly the media find compassion for “the common man.”

The tweet simply can’t be referencing those in the Obama economy in need of jobs and better pay, because as we’ve been told by the media for years now, Obama saved the economy and we are now in recovery!

11:25 – NBC News Credits Breitbart News’ ‘Echo Chamber’ with Helping GOP Hold Firm

Nothing is funnier than being accused by THE echo chamber of being part of an echo chamber. But that is what NBC News did today in a First Read piece that reeks of frustration over the fact that the mainstream media and NBC News now have competition for the Narrative and are being held accountable for their open- water carrying for Democrats and President Obama:

Despite polls showing that more Americans are blaming Republicans than Democrats for the shutdown, and despite establishment Republicans admitting they aren’t winning this fight, conservatives aren’t backing down. In fact, they feel they have survived the fallout from the first few days. Case in point is Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) admission in that hot-mic moment that “We’re gonna win this, I think.” Is that the reality of this standoff? Or it is simply due to the conservative echo chamber? After all, one of the major differences between the last shutdown (in 1995-1996) and now is the rise of FOX News, Drudge, and Breitbart News.

Just look at the left-wing bias and lies of omission in those few words…

1. NBC does not tell its readers that a new CBS poll shows that 76% of the American people want Obama to negotiate.

2. NBC News does not tell its readers that when you add in the “Blame all” numbers, Obama is receiving over over 50% of the blame.

3. NBC News does not tell its readers that the blame difference is a mere 9 points and that Republicans are under 50%, at 44%. Which kind of matters.

Those few words are a remarkable look at a frustrated, dishonest, and context-challenged media desperate to shape reality rather than report reality. 

And for the likes of a Chuck Todd or Mark Murray — creatures of the velvet bubbles of DC, Morning Joe, MSNBC, and the world of left-wing media — to accuse anyone of being in an echo chamber; well, that is like water accusing you of being wet. 

What you do get from this piece, though, is that the media elites were pretty sure they would already have this government shutdown-win wrapped up for Obama. But they now have a fight on their hands and are frustrated by the competition and the relentless exposure of their lies and bias.

*post above has been edited*

11:21 – Even After Boehner Comment, CNN Doesn’t Inform Viewers of White House ‘We’re Winning’ Quote

Rather than fill their viewers in about the context  surrounding Speaker Boehner’s quotes, CNN pretended as though a White House official did not tell the WSJ that they don’t care about how long the shutdown lasts because “we’re winning.”

CNN did, though, play the hot mic video of Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul for the millionth time.

11:12 – Boehner Confuses America with White House Quote Media Haven’t Reported On

In a press briefing Friday, House Majority Leader John Boehner quoted a senior White House official who told the Wall Street Journal that they don’t care how long the shutdown lasts because “We are winning.”

Boehner said of the quote, “This isn’t some damn game!”

Boehner’s comments aired live across the cable networks, which most certainly confused tens of millions of Americans who had not heard of the White House “winning” quote because the media have refused to report on it.

10:26 – BREAKING: Media Reverses Reversed Policy Now that White House Gaffes with ‘We’re Winning’

As you can see below, a gaffe made a Republican is getting media coverage. Strangely, though, the media do not seem at all interested in the news that the White House doesn’t care when the shutdown ends because they feel they are winning.

Such a cold-hearted admission is The Mother of all Gaffes. 

So the reversed policy on beating Republicans senseless with gaffes that was reversed earlier and has now seen a reversal is my head hurts.

9:28 – BREAKING: NBC’s  Chuck Todd Reverses Policy on Gaffes Being Political Stunts

After being OWNED by Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn (I’ll have the video soon), the same Chuck Todd who declared the uproar over Harry Reid dismissing kids with cancer as a “political stunt” then played video of a Republican telling a park ranger she should be ashamed of herself for blocking WWII vets from their open-air memorial.

No political stunt was making hay out this.

Oh, no, it was a real GOP misstep.

You know, cuz Chuck Todd says so.

On top of that, Todd lamented the poor unpaid park workers without informing his audience that the GOP have offered to fund these parks and the park workers and that it is Democrats and Obama blocking this funding.

On top of THAT, the same Chuck Todd who accused GOP lawmakers of living in a bubble on Morning Joe just a few hours before, then hosted a panel where everyone agreed with him that the GOP are stupid and doomed.

Overall, during his MSNBC show today, Todd came off as frustrated and flustered; which usually means good news for America.

8:59 – Hollowed-Out Volcano Meeting Results In New Media Strategy: FEAR

Do the media really meet every night in a hollowed-out volcano to discuss the next day’s political strategy?

I think they do, and I think Chuck Todd sits at the head of the table stroking a white kitten.

Okay, I’m kidding. They really meet in a velvet bubble that serves Starbucks.

How else to explain how dozens of media outlets that are supposed to compete with one another are all on the exact same page every single morning?

Wherever they meet or however this happens, this is what is happening today….

The media era of the shutdown sob story is over. Because the GOP have agreed, and Democrats and Obama have refused to fund the parks, veteran services, and the National Institute of Health, the media are  no longer interested in reporting on individuals inconvenienced by or put in jeopardy over those closings — not when it means those stories will hurt Democrats.

So instead, today the media have decided to try and terrify the public over the coming debt ceiling debate.

Keep in mind, though, that this is the same media that joined Obama’s Chicken Little propaganda over the sequester cuts. And we all know that did not result in widespread cannibalism. It didn’t even hurt the economy, because as we all know from the media, Obama’s economy is awesome!

The idea, of course, is for the media to try and use the Debt Ceiling to terrify the public into putting pressure on the GOP to cave.  

In summation, today’s media narrative is: “Wolf, America! Wolf! For realsies this time!”

 

8:53 – BREAKING: Media Suspend ‘New Tone Era’ To Win Budget Battle for Obama

After the tragic shooting of Rep. Gabby Giffords, the media and Democrats said it was time for what they called a “New Tone.” Gone would be the days of the violent political metaphor. We weren’t even going to be allowed to use the term “targeting.” Oh, and the media was going to enforce this New Tone Era by ensuring that any politician who violated it would pay a heavy political price.

The President even gave speeches about the New Tone, and oh how the media wiped their tears and applauded.

Moreover, it wasn’t just lawmakers who would pay a price, it would also be their supporters — like Tea Partiers who used words as dangerous as “socialist.”

But now that Obama desperately needs a political win, the media have suspended the New Tone Era. Here is a list of what the media have allowed to go unpunished in just the last week or so.

The era of the New Tone is over and it was the media that killed it … purely for partisan political reasons.

 8:14 – BREAKING: Media Prove Capable of Covering Two Things At Once

Since Monday some in media, MSNBC’s Luke Russert for one, have taunted the GOP with the hustle that it is our fault the media have ignore the rolling failure that is ObamaCare:

Except this morning, the media are covering two things at once: The Capitol Hill shooting and the shutdown.

How about that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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