Full Spin Mode on IRS, Benghazi, AP Scandals as WH Advisor Does 'Full Ginsburg'

Senior White House advisor Dan Pfeiffer is set to perform the 'full Ginsburg' on Sunday, appearing on all five major Sunday morning news shows in the latest sign that the Obama administration is determined to fight for control of the news cycle following an explosion of major scandals in the past several days. Pfeiffer will appear on CNN's State of the Union, ABC's This Week, CBS's Face the Nation, NBC's Meet the Press, and Fox News' Fox News Sunday. by Joel B. Pollak 19 May 2013, 5:57 AM PDT

New York Times Lauds Jay Carney

The New York Times, ever eager to leap to the defense of embattled Obama Administration officials, has a puff piece extolling the virtues of White House Spokesman Jay Carney amid the slings and arrows he must suffer. by William Bigelow 18 May 2013

Joe Scarborough, Piers Morgan: Obama Scandals Prove Gun Advocates Aren't Crazy

How big of a wake-up call are the Obama scandals? So big that two of the media's most shameful and shameless gun control advocates -- Joe Scarborough and Piers Morgan -- have finally conceded that arguments made by pro-Second Amendment activists against the expanding of background checks might not be so ridiculous. by John Nolte 18 May 2013

NYT: Obama Administration Knew of IRS Scandal 5 Months Before Election

In no uncertain terms and with no hedging, The New York Times reports that the Obama Administration was aware of the fact that the IRS was targeting Tea Party groups as far back as June of 2012. The Treasury Department's Inspector General confirmed that he told senior Treasury officials in June of 2012, a full five months before Election Day. by John Nolte 17 May 2013

Fisking the New York Times' Attempt to Fisk Obama Scandals

Today's lead editorial in the New York Times, "The Republicans' Scandal Machine," attempts to dismiss two out of the three major scandals that have hit the Obama administration over the past week. Never has the so-called "paper of record" even been as uninterested in the record of what actually happened. The Times' attempted "fisking" of the scandals is so shameful and inaccurate that it deserves a fisking of its own. by Joel B. Pollak 17 May 2013

Report: IRS Covered Up Scandal Until After Election

NBC's Lisa Meyers: "Imagine if we -- if you can -- what would have happened if this fact came out in September 2012, in the middle of a presidential election? The terrain would have looked very different." by John Nolte 17 May 2013

News Anchor Who Complained of IRS Harassment 'Off the Air'

Larry Conners, the KMOV anchor who asked Barack Obama some tough questions about his family's vacation habits and claimed earlier this week that he might have been harassed by the IRS as a result, has been taken off the air. by John Nolte 17 May 2013

Liberal Talk Show Host: AG Eric Holder Should Be Fired

Bill Press is a liberal radio show host with a syndicated show heard across the country, so, naturally, Press is also an Obama supporter. But even this Obama supporter thinks that it is time for U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to be fired. by Warner Todd Huston 17 May 2013

Geraldo 'Can't Imagine' IRS Henchwoman Was Rewarded for Harassing Conservative Groups

"I can’t imagine that she was rewarded for targeting conservative groups by getting that big job, because I think the president is smart enough to know that if you take someone who is wounded in that way, they have this metastasizing disease, this scandal, attached to them, and you give them a big job, it’s not going to protect them." by Larry O'Connor 17 May 2013

Woodward Compares Benghazi To Watergate

Bob Woodward appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" this Friday morning and, in stark contrast to his less-concerned Watergate colleague Carl Bernstein, he admonished the show's hosts to "not dismiss Benghazi" and compared the White House's behavior over CIA/State Department talking points with President Nixon's handling of edited transcripts of taped conversations in the oval office. by Larry O'Connor 17 May 2013

MSNBC Analyst: Breitbart Sets GOP Agenda

"I think what you're seeing is right wing media, that has taken hold among the base. Whether it's conservative talk radio, whether it's Breitbart.com online, all now fused together as the Republican agenda on Capitol Hill. Right now this is not about legislating anymore, this is about John Boehner, who was seen as an outsider to the tea party movement within the party, now bringing together all the conspiracy theories, all of the fear of the Obama Administration, under one umbrella. So now we see the right wing media agenda, which we used to see as outside the purvue of Washington, brought inside." by Larry O'Connor 17 May 2013

'Visionary' Roger Ailes to Receive Bradley Award

FOX News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes will be honored with the $250,000 Bradley Prize for being a "visionary of American journalism" on June 12 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. by Stephen K. Bannon & Tony Lee 16 May 2013

Piers Morgan Uses IRS Scandal to Re-Litigate Nixon

During an appearance on Piers Morgan Live Wednesday, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld would not allow Morgan to imply that keeping a list of political enemies is the same as using the IRS to target political enemies. by AWR Hawkins 16 May 2013

Fox News Hires Former US Rep. Allen West

On May 16, Fox News announced it had hired former Florida Representative Allen West as a contributor to offer political commentary during the network's daytime and prime time shows. by Warner Todd Huston 16 May 2013

Fox News' Eric Bolling: 'I Was Audited by IRS' After Criticizing Obama

During the May 14th broadcast of Fox News' The Five, panel member Eric Bolling announced that he believes he was audited by the IRS after criticizing President Obama. by Warner Todd Huston 16 May 2013

AP Scandal: Washington Post Questions Holders 'People at Risk' Claim

"Now, some members of Congress and media advocates are questioning why the administration viewed the leak that led to the May 7 AP story as so grave." by Breitbart News 16 May 2013

Ari Fleischer: White House Claim Of 'One Word Change' To Talking Points Not True

"I look at these emails and I say, 'you know what, that's just simply not true,'" Wilson said, regarding the assertion that only one word was changed in the talking points. "On that issue, I think you're entirely right about that. And, I think the emails show that's right," Fleischer responded. by Larry O'Connor 16 May 2013

Lowry: When It's Their Rights, Media Become Tea Party, NRA

Look at the reaction this week from that very same media in the wake of the Associated Press scandal. Suddenly the media don't like Big Government doing to them what ObamaCare and background checks will do to us. Moreover, the very same media that suggest not trusting the government is a form of extremism, is suddenly demanding a law be passed to shield them from government intrusion. by John Nolte 16 May 2013

Chris Matthews Loses That Tingling Feeling… For Now

This won't last. Chris Matthews is in love with Barack Obama. I'm not being hyperbolic, either. This isn’t about a a man-crush or even partisan worship. What Matthews feels is way beyond that. The "Hardball" anchor is deeply in love with the President. It's not a sexual thing, but it is romantic and unrequited. by John Nolte 16 May 2013

'Morning Joe' Worries IRS Scandal Will Lead To 'More Extremist Candidates'

"Basically what it is going to do, it’s going to force, in the primaries, to galvanize the Tea Party. You’re going to get more extremist candidates. They’ll lose in general election. Come general election time, if somebody voted against background checks for guns, if somebody is still doing the crazy, crazy, crazy social issues, I disagree with you." by Larry O'Connor 16 May 2013

O'Donnell: IRS Did Nothing Wrong

"I do not believe what the IRS was reported to have been doing is an outrage. I believe that the IRS agents in this case did nothing wrong. Let me say it again, you won’t hear it anywhere else: the IRS agents did nothing wrong. They were simply trying to enforce the law as the IRS has understood it since 1959." by Larry O'Connor 16 May 2013

NBC News Hosts: White Supremacy Motivates Obama's Critics

They can't stand the idea that he's president. And a piece of it is racism. Not that somebody in one racial group doesnt like someone in another racial group, so what? It's the sense that the white race must rule. That's what racism is. And they can't stand the idea that a man who's not white is president. That is real. That sense of racial superiority and rule is in the hearts of some people in this country. by Larry O'Connor 16 May 2013

Gut Check: Intervention

Here is a simple fact: a liberal president operating with a liberal media leads us to a really unpleasant place--populated with programs, policies, and principles that are woefully inept and corrupt. There is no guard rail anymore when you’ve got the left monitoring the left. by Greg Gutfeld 15 May 2013

White House Refuses Straight Answer to Request for Benghazi Emails

In a tense exchange Wednesday afternoon between Major Garrett of CBS News and White House spokesman Jay Carney, the White House refused to offer a straight answer to Garrett's repeated requests that the Administration release the full email chain surrounding the shaping of the CIA's Benghazi talking points. by John Nolte 15 May 2013

Politifact Knocks Obama for Second False Benghazi Claim

"While the [ARB] did investigate numerous angles of the security issues, it didn’t look at who perpetrated the attack, nor did it probe the administration’s public communications afterward." by John Nolte 15 May 2013

NBC News Reporter: AP Scandal Angers One Of Obama's 'Most Important Constituencies - The Press'

NBC News Senior Investigative Correspondent Lisa Myers appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" to discuss the growing AP scandal involving the Dept. of Justice secretly obtaining phone records of reporters with the Associated Press. by Larry O'Connor 15 May 2013

Axelrod Tries to Shift DOJ/AP Blame to Media

"Last summer, I appeared with you, and you challenged me with the same tone, actually, on these leaks and said, ‘When is the president going to send a strong signal to people that leaking classified information won’t be tolerated?’ ‘When is he going to make people accountable for these leaks?’ They’ve apparently interviewed 550 people and went to court and got a subpoena to do what they did. In order to do what you and others said should be done." by Larry O'Connor 15 May 2013

Stewart Nails Obama's Claim He Learned of Scandals from Media

One common thread in the multiple scandals hammering the Obama White House is the president's claim that he first heard of the stories from news reports. Many find this claim to be unbelievable and are beginning to echo Sen. Howard Baker's famous inquiry from the Watergate era: "What did the President know, and when did he know it?" by Larry O'Connor 15 May 2013

Media Matters Distributes Talking Points to Defend DOJ Spying on AP Reporters

In what might be a major tipping point against them, Media Matters for America released a set of pro-Obama talking points that take the Department of Justice's side in the case in which they seized the phone records of upwards of 20 Associated Press reporters. by John Nolte 15 May 2013

David Axelrod Calls on Obama to Release Libya Emails

Steve Rattner, a former New York Times reporter who believes the biggest scandal of the three currently facing the White House is Benghazi, asked David Axelrod what he believes the Administration should do to try and get out from under the scandal. Axelrod said, "I think they would benefit from getting all these emails out in public." by John Nolte 15 May 2013

Backfire: ABC, CNN, NBC Call for White House to Release Benghazi Emails

An act that was obviously meant to pour water on the Benghazi fire, started by an ABC News report, has only ended up being gasoline. Now both CNN and ABC have joined conservative media in calling for the White House to release all the emails surrounding the editing of the CIA talking points. by John Nolte 15 May 2013

Politico Absolves IRS: Actions Were Not Partisan

Politico reported on the IRS Inspector General report on the systematic targeting of grassroots conservative groups for extra scrutiny. And, ultimately, in its article Politico has done what it does best: Pretend to report on a story but ultimately give Democrats cover by declaring the story a non-story. by Larry O'Connor 15 May 2013

52 Media Orgs Sign Letter of Complaint to Eric Holder

The journalist group Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has penned a letter of complaint to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder after revelations that the Department of Justice obtained the phone records of some 100 reporters from the Associated Press. by Warner Todd Huston 14 May 2013

Media vs. Obama: Lovers' Quarrel, Not Divorce

Something may--temporarily--have shifted as the scandals have piled on, fast and furious (pun intended). It is not primarily the substance of the scandals that has moved the media to take notice, but rather the fact that the media are themselves the target or the injured party. by Joel B. Pollak 14 May 2013

Video: Jay Carney Caught in Falsehood Over Obama Support of 'Press Protection' Law

NBC's Chuck Todd, who had obviously done his homework, then dropped a nuke on Carney by revealing that, in 2009 as president, Obama changed his mind and "killed" the legislation, even though at the time it likely would have easily passed through both chambers of Congress, which were then controlled by Democrats. by John Nolte 14 May 2013

News Anchor: IRS Targeted Me After Obama Interview (Video)

KMOV anchor Larry Connors says that, with these new revelations about the IRS targeting Tea Party groups, he now has to ask himself if "the IRS put a target on me." by John Nolte 14 May 2013

Politico Columnist: McCain Sexist for Calling Clinton Emotional When Testifying

The Benghazi cover-up is falling apart and the left is desperate. They will do anything to protect former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from any blame in the scandal. In this instance, Politico's Roger Simon has fallen back on the tired sexism charge against Senator John McCain (R-AZ) for his comments about Clinton on ABC’s This Week. by Mary Chastain 14 May 2013

Why Didn't Hillary Clinton Appear on Sunday Shows After Benghazi?

Why was U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice sent to appear on the Sunday talk shows on September 16, 2012 instead of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss the terrorist attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya? by AWR Hawkins 14 May 2013

Media AWOL: IRS, Libya Legitimate Stories Before Obama's Reelection

The fact is, though, that both Libya and the IRS scandals should have been treated as legitimate stories and scandals eight months ago. But last year, when Obama's re-election wasn't looking like a sure thing, the media wasn't going to give him a bad news cycle, much less drop a couple of legitimate scandals on his corrupt head. by John Nolte 14 May 2013

New State Dept. Spokesperson Gets Slammed over Benghazi

It has been eight months since the terrorist attacks on our facilities in Benghazi, Libya--attacks that ended up killing four Americans including our ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens. Still we haven't had a concrete explanation about this incident, and new State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki didn't do anything to alleviate that state of affairs as reporters peppered her with uncomfortable questions in her May 13 press briefing. by Warner Todd Huston 14 May 2013

CNN Top Story Is Angelina Jolie -- Not Libya, AP, or IRS

CNN not only made Jolie the lead story for the 9 am and 10 am hours, CNN also talked about the Oscar-winner's decision to have a double mastectomy until ten-minutes had passed in the newscast. by John Nolte 14 May 2013

PolitiFact: White House Claim Susan Rice 'Didn't Play Down' Libya Terror Angle Untrue

PolitiFact jumped in with both feet against White House spokesman Jay Carney's absurd claim, in a Friday afternoon press briefing, that UN Ambassador Susan Rice had not played down the fact that Libya was an act of terror during her round robin appearance on all five Sunday talk shows a few days after the attack. by John Nolte 14 May 2013

Washington Post Factchecker Destroys Obama's Claim he Called Libya 'Terrorism'

The lying from this Administration about Libya never stops. And it is not some midlevel administration official doing the lying, nor is it some political flak. The President is doing the lying and doing so before all of the media in the most brazen and craven way imaginable. by John Nolte 14 May 2013

Flashback: Emails Expose Relationship Between DOJ, Media Matters

Newly discovered intrusions on the media from Holder and the DOJ are just the latest in a litany of others. As this reporter uncovered before the election, emails between now former Holder spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler and the leftwing advocacy organization Media Matters for America show the administration colluding with the far left-wing group to smear media figures, whistleblowers and members of Congress like Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. by Matthew Boyle 14 May 2013

NBC News Somehow Connects Citizens United to IRS Scandal

On the "Open Channel" investigative reporting blog at NBCNews.com Dave Levinthal of The Center for Public Integrity gets to the real root of the problem surrounding the IRS scandal involving revelations that conservative groups suffered more intense scrutiny when qualifying for their non-profit status. According to Levinthal, Citizens United is to blame. by Larry O'Connor 14 May 2013

Flashback: Far-Left Group Coordinated Attacks on Journalists with Holder's DOJ

When the Department of Justice secretly seized phone records for the Associated Press, it was not the first time Attorney General Eric Holder's Cabinet department used unseemly tactics against journalists. by Matthew Boyle 13 May 2013

Obama: Rush Limbaugh Kept Republicans Fighting in Second Term

President Barack Obama hoped Republicans would grant him more legislative victories after his 2012 reelection, but he believes GOP lawmakers continue to fight back thanks in part to radio host Rush Limbaugh. by AWR Hawkins 13 May 2013

Govt Obtains Wide AP Phone Records in Probe

The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news cooperative's top executive called a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into how news organizations gather the news. from AP 13 May 2013

AP: Holder Approves Subpoenas of Phone Records

The AP reports that according to the Justice Department's own rules, subpoenas of records involving news organizations must be "personally approved," by the Attorney General, Eric Holder. by John Nolte 13 May 2013

'Today' Host to Marry Longtime Democrat Operative

The warm fuzzies were everywhere as "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie announced on-the-air that she was officially engaged to her boyfriend of four years, Mike Feldman -- a longtime Democratic operative. by John Nolte 13 May 2013

Time's Joe Klein Walks Back Obama/IRS Criticism

Looks as though Joe Klein is back on the Narrative Plantation. After blistering the Obama Administration over revelations that the IRS was targeting conservative groups, today Klein took his marching orders from Ezra Klein and publicly walked it all way back. by John Nolte 13 May 2013

Newseum Reverses Decision to Honor Hamas-Linked Journalists

"The Newseum announced Monday that it will not honor two cameramen killed while working for Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV, reversing a Friday decision to include them on a memorial for fallen journalists following pressure from conservative media outlets and organizations supporting Israel." by Breitbart News 13 May 2013

'Terminal Spying' Began On Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Watch

Winkler's editorial admits that the spying began on Mayor Michael Bloomberg's watch. Bloomberg, of course, is the founder of the Bloomberg empire that thus far has made him a billionaire 25 times over. After he became mayor of New York in 2001, Bloomberg kept his financial stake in the company but stopped running the day-to-day operations. So what exactly did Mayor Bloomberg know and when did he know it? by John Nolte 13 May 2013

WaPo's Jackson Diehl Is Wrong on Benghazi

Jackson Diehl, who writes about foreign affairs for the Washington Post, is no Obama administration shill. He has taken on the White House on several occasions, notably on the issue of human rights, where he has been willing--as few others in the media have--to point out that President Barack Obama shows little interest in the subject, despite the high rhetoric of his campaign speeches and the global expectations of his presidency. by Joel B. Pollak 13 May 2013

Bloomberg Admits To Snooping, Media Matters Ignores

Matthew Winkler, Editor-In-Chief of Bloomberg News, admitted Sunday that his reporters had accessed proprietary trading information and used the information in their reporting. The admission was made in an article posted on the Bloomberg website titled "Holding Ourselves Accountable:" by Larry O'Connor 13 May 2013

Report: Bloomberg News Snooping Included Bernanke, Geithner

CNBC is reporting that the spying included terminals used by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, and that this snooping occurred "a number of times." by John Nolte 13 May 2013

All The President's Yes Men: Bernstein 'Can't Imagine' Obama Involved In IRS Scandal

"We know a lot about President Obama and I think the idea that he would want the IRS used for retribution, we have no evidence of any such thing. I think we also got a look at all of these events in the last couple of days in terms of the poisonous hyper-partisanship and ideological warfare in Washington that is making governance impossible." by Larry O'Connor 13 May 2013

Barbara Says 'Bye-Bye'

Late Sunday night Barbara Walters took to Twitter to announce that she is retiring "next summer." She will make the formal announcement Monday morning on "The View." by Larry O'Connor 13 May 2013

Teen Fans: Boston Bomber 'Too Beautiful To Be Terrorist'

The media is giving oxygen to a bizarre facet of the Boston terror bombings: The strange movement of young teen girls who seem to have a Bieber-like crush on Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The #FreeJahar movement on social media is gaining steam on Facebook, Twitter and Tumbler, and the media is now focusing on the young women and giving them 15 minutes of fame for their disturbed attraction. by Larry O'Connor 13 May 2013

Chuck Todd On IRS Story: 'Where's The Outrage?'

"It didn’t seem like they had a sense of urgency about it, a real sense of outrage. And then look at the reaction of the entire Democratic Party. Of course the Republican Party’s jumping on this, they’re standing up for members of their base constituency, and at the same time, beating up the IRS is always good politics. Why aren’t there more Democrats jumping on this? This is outrageous no matter what political party you are. Where was the sense of outrage?" by Larry O'Connor 13 May 2013

Kristol: Stop Attacking Hillary on Benghazi

Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, who told Republicans in late 2012 to cave on higher taxes to President Obama, now thinks Republicans should stop attacking former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her role in American failures before, during, and after the September 11, 2012 Benghazi terror attacks. Appearing on Fox News Sunday on Sunday, Kristol said that ads against Hillary were “ridiculous.” by Breitbart News 12 May 2013

Mom of Rescued Girl: Best Mother's Day

After nearly a decade of Mother’s Days without her daughter, Nancy Ruiz is finally celebrating with her child by her side. by Heather Piedmont 12 May 2013

Wallace Responds To Dem Rep's Attack On Benghazi Talking Points: 'I'm Not A Potted Plant'

It's clear that Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) had an aggressive strategy for his appearance on "Fox News Sunday" for a segment on the emerging scandal and cover-up surrounding the alteration of talking points for Amb. Susan Rice the week after the deadly terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2012. by Larry O'Connor 12 May 2013

MSNBC Politicizes Ohio Kidnapping To Fit 'Women's Health' Agenda

In a segment that was introduced with the dramatic 911 call made by Amanda Berry that led to the incredible story that unfolded last week, Harris-Perry not-too-subtly pivoted to American laws and policies related to women's health and contraception, suggesting that the continuous decades-long rape of the three captive victims in Ohio were somehow comparable. by Larry O'Connor 12 May 2013

7-10 PM EDT on 'Breitbart News Sunday': 'Pentagon Attacks Christians; IRS Attacks Tea Party'

On "Breitbart News Sunday," which airs on Sirius XM Patriot Channel 125 from 7 p.m. EDT to 10 p.m EDT, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), who heads the influential conservative House Republican Study Committee, will discuss reports indicating the Pentagon may be persecuting Christians in the military and what Congress may do about it. by Breitbart News 12 May 2013

Report: NBC Spiked Story ID'ing Benghazi Whistleblower as Obama/Clinton Voter

Victoria Toensing, attorney for Benghazi whistleblower Gregory Hicks, says Hicks is a Democrat who voted for Hillary Clinton during the 2008 primaries, and President Obama twice for President. Toensing also said that NBC News "spiked" the story this week, prior to Hicks' dramatic testimony before congress. by Larry O'Connor 12 May 2013

NBC News' Gregory Comes This Close To Calling Carney Liar

In Washington DC, using the word "lie" or calling someone a "liar" is almost completely forbidden, unless you're talking about President Bush and weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. But, let's parse this passage on "Meet the Press" for a moment and reach our own conclusions, as informed and responsible adults, shall we? by Larry O'Connor 12 May 2013

Dowd On Benghazi: Clinton-Era Déjà Vu

Unlike most left-leaning journalists, who are just now discovering the Benghazi story because they're collective noses are out of joint because the Obama Administration left a paper trail proving they lied to reporters over the Susan Rice talking points, Dowd also focuses on some of the less-reported outrages over the State Department's deadly negligence in the months leading up to the attacks: by Larry O'Connor 12 May 2013

Obama Loses The New Yorker Over Benghazi Spin

Alex Koppelman at The New Yorker is usually a reliable apologist, if not cheerleader, for the Obama Administration. But even Koppelman seems to have had enough with spokesman Jay Carney's transparently deceitful assertion that the White House was truthful when they maintained that only one word was changed in the talking points supplied to Amb. Susan Rice days after the Sept. 11th Benghazi attacks. by Larry O'Connor 12 May 2013

Former Clinton Official: Bill Wouldn't Have Gotten Away With Benghazi

"If it was President Bill Clinton. I'm sorry, like I worked in the Clinton administration. I have never seen anything like this. Bill Clinton would not have gotten away with this." by Larry O'Connor 12 May 2013