Media Matters - The Politico

Media Matters - The Politico http://mediamatters.org/tools/syndication/tag_rss/the_politico This link is for use by RSS-enabled software to retrieve Media Matters items matching the term: The Politico en-US Copyright 2008, Media Matters for America Ignoring reported favors to lobbyists, land-swap deals, Politico's Martin and Allen uncritically quoted McCain's assertion that "[l]obbyists don't come to my office" http://mediamatters.org/items/200808210003 Politico's Mike Allen and Jonathan Martin uncritically reported Sen. John McCain's assertion during an "exclusive" interview: "Lobbyists don't come to my office. Because they know they're not going to be an earmark. They know they're not going to get a pork-barrel project. Senator Obama's gotten lots of 'em." Allen and Martin did not note that, to the contrary, lobbyists have reportedly received considerable benefits from McCain on behalf of their clients. http://mediamatters.org/items/200808210003 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:38:08 EST Citing response about Hanoi prison, Politico characterized as "new" McCain's willingness to discuss his "biography" http://mediamatters.org/items/200808180008 During an appearance at Pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, responding to a question about "the most gut-wrenching decision you've ever made," Sen. John McCain cited his refusal to accept an early release from a North Vietnamese prison camp. The Politico claimed that McCain's answer "shows the power of his biography, and a new willingness to publicly discuss it." In fact, McCain has repeatedly referred to his Vietnam war experiences and has specifically cited his refusal to accept an early release in a book, interviews, speeches, and campaign ads since 1999. http://mediamatters.org/items/200808180008 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:15:06 EST Politico's Allen repeats RNC ad verbatim, doesn't report Obama response http://mediamatters.org/items/200807070006 Politico's Mike Allen reported on the content of a Republican National Committee attack ad against Sen. Barack Obama, yet failed to report the Obama campaign's response. Blog posts about the ad at The Washington Post and The New York Times, meanwhile, noted the Obama campaign's response to it. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807070006 Mon, 7 Jul 2008 15:59:41 EST Politico's Smith, Martin reported McCain campaign's claim that Obama would raise taxes on 21 million small businesses without noting it's false http://mediamatters.org/items/200807070001 Politico writers Ben Smith and Jonathan Martin reported a claim by Tucker Bounds, McCain campaign spokesman, that "Barack Obama wants more taxes from 21 million small businesses," without noting that it is false. In fact, Obama has proposed rolling back President Bush's tax cuts only on "people who are making 250,000 dollars a year or more," and according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, 481,000 small businesses fall into the tax brackets that would be affected by those increases. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807070001 Mon, 7 Jul 2008 11:56:07 EST In Politico, TNR's Kirchick falsely claimed Clark's comments were part of a "pattern of attacks" on McCain as "psychologically unfit for presidential office" http://mediamatters.org/items/200807030011 In a Politico op-ed, The New Republic's James Kirchick cited Wesley Clark's comments about Sen. John McCain on CBS' Face the Nation as part of a "pattern of attacks meant to insinuate that McCain's Vietnam experience not only shouldn't count as meaningful 'experience,' but rendered him psychologically unfit for presidential office." In fact, Clark did not "attack[]" McCain's Vietnam experience or suggest that it "rendered him psychologically unfit for presidential office." Kirchick also asserted that "one would be foolish not to at least consider the possibility they [the "attacks"] were coordinated by the Obama campaign." But Clark has been saying for months that McCain's military service alone does not make him qualified to be president, including while he was speaking on behalf of Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807030011 Thu, 3 Jul 2008 19:08:23 EST Ignoring GOP filibuster, Politico falsely claimed Medicare bill needed 60 votes for passage http://mediamatters.org/items/200807010009 The Politico falsely claimed that "[a] Democratic bill that would have blocked a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors fell just one vote short of the 60 it needed for passage Thursday." In fact, the vote in question was a cloture vote, which required a supermajority of 60 votes to overcome a Republican filibuster of a motion to proceed to consideration of the bill. The bill itself would have required a simple majority to pass. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807010009 Tue, 1 Jul 2008 19:15:37 EST Politico's Martin again uncritically quoted "most liberal" charge against Obama http://mediamatters.org/items/200806230004 Jonathan Martin uncritically quoted Regnery Publishing president Marjory Ross saying of Sen. Barack Obama, "He's the No. 1 most liberal member of the U.S. Senate, and nobody has really examined his record." Ross was apparently referring to the National Journal's 2007 Vote Ratings. Martin did not cite any criticism of the study's subjectivity -- including criticism by Obama during a February interview with Politico -- or note that a more comprehensive study reached a different result. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806230004 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:54:25 EST Ben Smith ignored Politico's own reporting in claiming "the only outside attack ads to run this cycle have been financed by Obama allies" http://mediamatters.org/items/200806200010 The Politico's Ben Smith reported that Sen. Barack Obama "has complained that [Sen. John] McCain said he couldn't control attack ads from outside groups -- though the only outside attack ads to run this cycle have been financed by Obama allies and directed at McCain." In fact, the Vets for Freedom political action committee launched two Internet ads in May attacking Obama over issues related to the Iraq war, and the independent group Freedom's Watch ran television ads attacking Obama and two Democratic congressional candidates. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806200010 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:35:45 EST Ignoring attacks, Politico's Smith claimed "well-funded attacks from independent groups on behalf of John McCain" have "so far [been] absent" http://mediamatters.org/items/200806190003 In a blog post, the Politico's Ben Smith asserted that "well-funded attacks from independent groups on behalf of [Sen.] John McCain" have "so far [been] absent" during the presidential campaign. However, the Vets for Freedom political action committee has run television ads attacking Sen. Barack Obama over issues related to the Iraq war, and independent group Freedom's Watch has put out ads attacking Obama over tax and health care issues. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806190003 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:28:56 EST NY Post, Politico uncritically reported misinformation by CNBC's Bartiromo about Obama's tax proposals http://mediamatters.org/items/200806100012 The New York Post reported CNBC host Maria Bartiromo's assertion that Sen. Barack Obama would "take the capital gains tax at 15 percent right now all the way up to 25 to 28 percent." The Post further quoted Bartiromo: "Sell anything, like a home or stocks, and make a profit ... [almost] 30 percent of the profit will go to the government instead of 15' " [brackets in original]. But Bartiromo's suggestion that the entire profit on the sale of a house is always subject to tax is false; single homeowners can exempt up to $250,000 in gains realized from the sale of an owner-occupied home from capital gains taxes, and married homeowners can in most cases exempt up to $500,000. Politico's Mike Allen uncritically reprinted the Post report of Bartiromo's comments in its entirety. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806100012 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:52:37 EST Politico still ignoring Obama rebuttal to National Journal ranking, study's subjectivity http://mediamatters.org/items/200806050001 Ignoring its own interview with Sen. Barack Obama in which he criticized the National Journal study, the Politico uncritically reported Sen. John McCain's claim that Obama has the "most liberal voting record," without citing any criticism of the study or noting that the ranking was based on subjectively selected votes. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806050001 Thu, 5 Jun 2008 11:41:13 EST Ignoring Tennessee GOP and McCain staffers, Politico claimed "smears" against Obama "have not been traced back to GOP sources" http://mediamatters.org/items/200805220010 The Politico stated that Sen. Barack Obama is "blaming Republicans for the smears" about his religion, patriotism, and citizenship "even though they have not been traced back to GOP sources." In fact, there have been numerous instances in which Republicans, including on Sen. John McCain's own staff, have promulgated or promoted these smears, some of which the Politico itself reported on. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805220010 Thu, 22 May 2008 19:09:58 EST Politico uncritically described NRCC ad's reference to National Journal's flawed ranking of Obama http://mediamatters.org/items/200804300005 Reporting on advertising buys by the National Republican Congressional Committee "and GOP allies," the Politico's Josh Kraushaar cited an ad that refers to Sen. Barack Obama's "ranking by National Journal as having 'the most liberal voting record in the U.S. Senate.' " But Kraushaar did not mention that a respected, comprehensive vote study contradicts the National Journal's ratings, which were based on "99 key Senate votes" selected by Journal staff members. http://mediamatters.org/items/200804300005 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:59:40 EST Politico's Simon cropped Wright quote, claiming he "made it legitimate" to use Obama's middle name http://mediamatters.org/items/200804300002 In writing that Rev. Jeremiah Wright "made it legitimate" to use Sen. Barack Obama's middle name, the Politico's Roger Simon selectively quoted Wright saying at an NAACP dinner, "Please run and tell my stuck-on-stupid friends that Arabic is a language; it's not a religion. Barack Hussein Obama. Barack Hussein Obama. Barack Hussein Obama." Simon omitted the portion of Wright's remarks that immediately followed the part he quoted, in which Wright appeared to criticize those who use Obama's middle name. http://mediamatters.org/items/200804300002 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:53:25 EST Politico's Allen misrepresented Obama's April 16 debate response on "disown[ing]" Wright comments http://mediamatters.org/items/200804290002 Reporting on a speech by Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., Sen. Barack Obama's former pastor, Politico's Mike Allen misrepresented Obama's April 16 debate response on "disown[ing]" Wright's controversial remarks by writing, "Obama referred to Wright as 'somebody who is associated with me that I have disowned,' then clarified that to say he had disowned the comments." Allen left out the first part of Obama's sentence: "[T]he notion that somehow that the American people are going to be distracted once again by comments not made by me but somebody who is associated with me that I have disowned, I think doesn't give the American people enough credit." http://mediamatters.org/items/200804290002 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:33:53 EST