And the gold medal goes to...

Media Matters congratulates Beck, Hannity, Drudge and others for successful assault on America's global image

Washington, D.C. -- Today, Media Matters for America offered its congratulations to Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Matt Drudge, and the entire right-wing media establishment in light of the International Olympic Committee's decision not to award the 2016 games to the City of Chicago. Beck and his conservative followers loudly denounced -- and even mocked -- the efforts on the part of the Obama administration to make the case for Chicago's bid.

Today's news that Chicago had lost its bid was immediately cheered by some of the conservative media's most influential voices, among them:

• Glenn Beck, who rejoiced at the "sweet" news that Chicago lost its Olympic bid
• Rush Limbaugh, who joined Beck in rejoicing: "The world has rejected Obama"
• Michelle Malkin, who jokingly asked, "Hey, can we close the White House Olympic Czar's office now?"

• Erick Erickson of RedState, who summed up his feelings by writing, "Hahahahaha."

• Matt Drudge, whose webpage's top story soon blared, "THE EGO HAS LANDED, WORLD REJECTS OBAMA: CHICAGO OUT IN FIRST ROUND."

"Today, our country can stand proud knowing that its conservative media rooted so hard against its bid to host the 2016 Olympics," said Eric Burns, President of Media Matters. "By relentlessly attacking one of our greatest cities, the right-wing media machine has once again shown its willingness to score political points at the direct expense of America. Its glaring lack of patriotism is surely appreciated by every citizen."

BACKGROUND

Chicago's elimination as a potential host followed days of relentless attacks by the right-wing media that portrayed the city as being unworthy of consideration:

Beck: "Chicago is good at ... organized Mafi -- oops, did I say that out loud?"

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200910010047

On his October 1 Fox News show, Beck listed a number of ways in which, he claimed, "corrupt politicians" have "humiliated" Chicagoans, and suggested that the city's residents are against the Olympic bid. Beck then said: "It's a tough choice, what should we do? What should we do? Well, in the America that I grew up in, we would use logic. The way the IOC normally does it is to select the city which presents the superior plan. OK, that makes sense. All right, does the best job in organizing. Oh, Chicago is good at community organizing, and organized labor, and organized Mafi-- oops. Did I say that out loud?"

Hannity: "Is this a city where we want the Olympics taking place?"

http://mediamatters.org/research/200910020003

On his October 1 Fox News show, Hannity said, "[E]arly this morning a 14-year-old boy was chased down a Chicago street and beaten with a pipe. ... This event occurs on the heels of the murder of Derrion Albert, the 16-year-old honor student who was beaten to death in a gang fight, and at the same time the president is lobbying to bring the Olympics to Chicago, which begs the question: Is this a city where we want the Olympics taking place?"

S.E. Cupp: "If I'm Rio, I'm not really worried."

http://mediamatters.org/research/200910020003

Also discussing the potential of Chicago hosting the Olympic games, Fox News contributor S.E. Cupp said on Hannity, "Have you have you been to Rio? I have. It's awesome. If I'm Rio, I'm not really worried." Later, in response to Fox News contributor Kimberly Guilfoyle's assertion that Chicago has "pressing problems" such as "lawlessness, violence on the street, innocent bystanders being killed, children beaten and unable to go to schools," Cupp said, "Yes, yes. I mean, who wants the Olympics in their backyard? Really, nobody. It's a circus."

Drudge headline: "OLYMPIC SPIRIT: VIDEO SHOWS BRUTAL GANG MURDER IN CHICAGO."

http://mediamatters.org/research/200910020003

On September 29, the Drudge Report linked to an article about the teenager who was beaten and murdered in Chicago under the following headline: "OLYMPIC SPIRIT: VIDEO SHOWS BRUTAL GANG MURDER IN CHICAGO."

Malkin on teen murder in Chicago: "Flying to Copenhagen isn't helping."

http://mediamatters.org/research/200910020003

On September 28, blogger Michelle Malkin posted video of the teenager being beaten to death and wrote: "Community organizing has not stopped Chicago's teen violence epidemic. The Olympics will not solve this long-festering problem, either." Malkin also wrote, regarding the "out-of-control violence" in Chicago: "Flying to Copenhagen isn't helping."

Fox News criticizes Obama's purported misplaced "priorities," spotlight-seeking, as well as carbon footprint of trip.

http://mediamatters.org/research/200910020003

In recent days, Fox News hosts, contributors, and guests have used Obama's promotion of the Olympics bid as an excuse to attack him, while Malkin has devoted several posts on her website to an "Olympics Crony Watch" or "the Obamas' Chicago Crony Olympics bid." Attacks on Obama's efforts include Hannity saying that "it sounds" like Obama "is more concerned about bringing the Olympics to Chicago than winning the war in Afghanistan," Brent Bozell claiming Obama's trip to Copenhagen to promote the Chicago bid "is evidence that this man just cannot stay away from the klieg lights," and Bret Baier invoking the "carbon footprint" of Obama's trip to Copenhagen to smear the president.

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