http://mediamatters.org/tools/syndication/tag_rss/ben_smith This link is for use by RSS-enabled software to retrieve Media Matters items matching the term: Ben Smith en-US Copyright 2008, Media Matters for America http://mediamatters.org/items/200808220019 <em>Politico</em>'s Ben Smith and <em>Time</em>'s Mark Halperin uncritically reported Rush Limbaugh's baseless assertion that Sen. Barack Obama "got all kinds of sweetheart deals with [convicted Chicago businessman Antoin] Rezko" and that "[Sen. John McCain] and his wife did not get a sweetheart deal from a fraud embezzler like Tony Rezko to buy their houses." Smith and Halperin did not note that the sellers of the house Obama bought reportedly said they did not cut their asking price because Rezko bought the adjacent lot, even though they had each previously reported it. http://mediamatters.org/items/200808220019 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:42:53 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200807070001 <em>Politico</em> 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 http://mediamatters.org/items/200806200010 The <em>Politico</em>'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 http://mediamatters.org/items/200806130005 The <em>Politico</em>'s Ben Smith falsely suggested that Sen. Hillary Clinton criticized Sen. Barack Obama's proposal to address the solvency of Social Security, which includes raising the payroll tax on workers earning more than $250,000 per year. In fact, while Clinton said in November 2007 that she opposes "lift[ing] the cap completely," she has not said that she opposes raising the cap on payroll taxes if the plan to do so includes a so-called "doughnut hole" exempting those earning less than $250,000 from a tax increase, as Obama has proposed. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806130005 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:25:01 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200802250002 A CNN online poll asked: "Does [Sen.] Barack Obama show the proper patriotism for someone who wants to be president of the United States?" The <em>Politico</em>'s Ben Smith wrote: "[I]t's odd to see the mainstream media drive a largely whispered question that none of his main, named critics -- Hillary, McCain or the RNC -- will touch." http://mediamatters.org/items/200802250002 Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:36:07 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200801150017 On <em>MSNBC Live</em>, anchor Kevin Corke falsely asserted that Sen. Barack Obama "said he doesn't have the, quote, 'experience to run a bureaucracy.' " Corke was apparently referring to a <em>Reno Gazette-Journal</em> article that reported, "Obama freely admits he doesn't have the experience to run a bureaucracy"; however, the newspaper did not quote Obama saying he lacks the "experience to run a bureaucracy." http://mediamatters.org/items/200801150017 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:02:23 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200801110012 <em>Politico</em>'s Ben Smith claimed that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton "chok[ed] up in a Portsmouth coffee shop, in response to a question about her hair." But Smith did not report that the question was about more than just Clinton's hair; as video of a portion of the exchange makes clear, the questioner also asked Clinton: "And my question is very personal, how do you do it? How do you, how do you keep upbeat and so wonderful?" http://mediamatters.org/items/200801110012 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 18:15:36 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200801080003 <em>The New York Times</em> and the <em>Politico</em>'s Ben Smith misreported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's emotional remarks during a campaign event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The <em>Times</em> reported that Clinton said, in part, "I have so many <em>ideas for</em> this country, I just don't want to see us fall backwards," while Smith reported that Clinton said: "I have so many opportunities <em>for</em> this country. I don't want to see us all fall back" [emphases added]. In fact, Clinton said, "You know, I have so many <em>opportunities from</em> this country" [emphasis added]. http://mediamatters.org/items/200801080003 Mon, 7 Jan 2008 22:56:32 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200710040003 http://mediamatters.org/items/200710040003 Wed, 3 Oct 2007 21:29:04 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200707250004 http://mediamatters.org/items/200707250004 Wed, 25 Jul 2007 12:24:08 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200707220002 http://mediamatters.org/items/200707220002 Sun, 22 Jul 2007 16:45:58 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200705210004 http://mediamatters.org/items/200705210004 Mon, 21 May 2007 15:32:54 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200704110012 http://mediamatters.org/items/200704110012 Wed, 11 Apr 2007 18:51:21 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200704110007 http://mediamatters.org/items/200704110007 Wed, 11 Apr 2007 15:51:15 EST