MRC Alert: Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996: Unhinged Ed Schultz Questions Ted Cruz’s Patriotism on Prisoner Swap: ‘Nothing American’

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

1. Unhinged Ed Schultz Questions Ted Cruz’s Patriotism on Prisoner Swap: ‘Nothing American’

A furious Ed Schultz on Monday questioned Ted Cruz’s patriotism after the Senator spoke out against the prisoner swap deal that involved top Taliban leaders and a U.S. soldier. The Ed Show host played a clip of the Senator wondering, “What does this tell terrorists? That if you catch a U.S. soldier, you can trade that soldier for five terrorists we’ve gone after?” Schultz spewed, “Ted Cruz has zero credibility. He has zero foreign policy experience. He’s a guy from Texas who doesn’t have a clue.” The host then openly questioned Cruz’s patriotism, dismissing his remarks: “And it’s all pablum, anything to take down the President. There’s nothing American about Ted Cruz.” http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/unhinged-ed-schultz-questions-ted-cruzs-patriotism-prisoner-swap-nothing-american

2. MSNBC’s Matthews, Guests Blast Koch Bros., GOP: ‘Hurting the Planet’ for Money, Partisan Gain

On his June 2 Hardball program, host Chris Matthews used new Obama EPA regs simply as an excuse to team up with his two liberal guests to blast Republicans as know-nothings on climate change who are motivated sheerly out of partisan animus in opposing the President’s push for curbing carbon dioxide emissions. Matthews also worked in a swipe at the Left’s favorite fraternal bogeymen, assailing the Koch brothers as moral monsters for “hurting the planet’s health so they can have more money.” http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/msnbcs-matthews-guests-blast-koch-bros-gop-hurting-planet-money-partisan-gain

3. ABC Spends Twice As Much Time on Hedgehogs Than New EPA Regulations

On Monday, June 2, the Environmental Protection Agency formally announced a slew of new regulations aimed at reducing carbon emissions by coal plants by 30 percent over the next 15 years. Despite the potential damaging impact the new regulations will have on the economy, ABCs World News with Diane Sawyer spent twice as much time on hedgehogs becoming popular pets instead of providing a full report on the new EPA regulations. In total, Sawyer provided a mere 45 seconds on the new EPA regulations and offered no quotes or soundbites from either side. http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/abc-spends-twice-much-time-hedgehogs-new-epa-regulations

4. NBC and CBS Hosts See Prisoner Swap As ‘Good Sign’ of ‘Diplomatic Breakthrough’ With Taliban

While all three broadcast networks provided critical coverage of the Obama administration’s decision to exchange five Taliban terrorists for American solider Bowe Bergdahl, Meet the Press host David Gregory and CBS This Morning co-host Norah O’Donnell both attempted to spin the controversial deal as brilliant diplomacy. Interviewing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Sunday’s Meet the Press, Gregory argued: “This is potentially a good sign if you think about the future of Afghanistan….does this pave the way for perhaps a new round of negotiations with the Taliban directly between the United States and the Taliban about the Taliban’s future in running Afghanistan?” http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/nbc-and-cbs-hosts-see-prisoner-swap-good-sign-diplomatic-breakthrough-taliban

5. NBC’s Gregory to Ben Carson: ‘Very Highly Charged’ to Demand Gov’t Follow Constitution

In an interview with Dr. Ben Carson for Meet the Press’s web-based feature Press Pass, NBC host David Gregory dismissed Carson’s call for “a government that placed the Constitution of the United States at the highest level”: “There are some people who say that. That’s a very highly charged thing to say. Where is the Constitution not placed in the right level today?” Carson gave Gregory a dose of reality: “Because it helps to define what the role of the government is. It doesn’t include being in every aspect of our lives….when you take people who are perfectly capable of doing things and you pat them on the head and then you say, ‘There, there, you poor little thing, we’re going to take care of this and this, you won’t have anything to worry about.'” http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/nbcs-gregory-ben-carson-very-highly-charged-demand-govt-follow-constitution

6. CBS Hails ‘Groundbreaking’ New EPA Regulations on Climate Change, Skips Job Risk

CBS and NBC’s morning shows on Monday avoided any mention of the potential job killing-harm that new Environmental Protection Agency rules will create. The three networks spent a scant 61 seconds total on the global warming regulations, but it was only Amy Robach on Good Morning America who raised a red flag. She pointed out: “The new rules will require power plants to cut Earth-warming pollution by 30 percent. Opponents say this will drive up energy costs and kill thousands of jobs.” On CBS This Morning, co-host Amy Robach cheered, “This morning, the EPA announces a groundbreaking plan to cut power plant emissions blamed for global warming.” http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/cbs-hails-groundbreaking-new-epa-regulations-climate-change-skips-job-risk