Media Matters - Mika Brzezinski

Media Matters - Mika Brzezinski http://mediamatters.org/tools/syndication/tag_rss/mika_brzezinski This link is for use by RSS-enabled software to retrieve Media Matters items matching the term: Mika Brzezinski en-US Copyright 2008, Media Matters for America Brzezinski continues pattern of MSNBC hosts not challenging false assertion that McCain called for Rumsfeld's resignation http://mediamatters.org/items/200807160009 On MSNBC Live, Mika Brzezinski failed to correct Mitt Romney's false assertion that Sen. John McCain "said that [Donald] Rumsfeld needed to go." Although a McCain spokesman reportedly acknowledged that McCain "did not call for his resignation," MSNBC hosts have repeatedly failed to correct guests' assertions that he did so. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807160009 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:19:02 EST Citing "her infamy within American politics," MSNBC interviewed Tonya Harding on Clinton's alleged "Tonya Harding strategy" http://mediamatters.org/items/200805150005 On MSNBC Live, Tamron Hall stated: "Well, remember when there were those reports out that Hillary Clinton would use the so-called 'Tonya Harding strategy' to perhaps take out Barack Obama? Well, we're going to talk to the real Tonya Harding about her place in history and now her infamy within American politics. Yes, really, Mika." Mika Brzezinski said: "Oh, my God," later adding: "I can't believe that. It's great." http://mediamatters.org/items/200805150005 Thu, 15 May 2008 17:03:27 EST Scarborough and Brzezinski denounced Jillette's "bitch" joke, but MSNBC had plenty of notice he likes to tell it http://mediamatters.org/items/200805060005 On MSNBC Live, magician Penn Jillette told a version of a joke about Sen. Hillary Clinton: " '[Sen. Barack] Obama did great in February, and that's because that was Black History Month. And now Hillary's doing much better 'cause it's White Bitch Month,' right?" After Jillette told the joke, co-host Joe Scarborough said, "I knew I -- you know, I knew I should have warned you before you started it." Co-host Mika Brzezinski added: "I don't like that." But MSNBC had plenty of notice that Jillette likes to tell the joke, which he is seen telling in a Web video, clips of which aired while Scarborough and Brzezinski introduced him. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805060005 Tue, 6 May 2008 15:41:32 EST On MSNBC, A.B. Stoddard asserted that if McCain "did something even nakedly partisan now, we'd all have trouble seeing it that way" http://mediamatters.org/items/200804160008 The Hill's A.B. Stoddard asserted of Sen. John McCain: "[H]e is seen as so nonpartisan, someone who has bucked his party so many times, if he did something even nakedly partisan now, we'd all have trouble seeing it that way." In fact, McCain has reversed his positions on numerous issues to align himself more closely with his party's base. http://mediamatters.org/items/200804160008 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:51:44 EST On MSNBC, Brzezinski and Novotny falsely asserted McCain's gas tax plan would eliminate "20 percent of the cost" http://mediamatters.org/items/200804150003 On MSNBC Live, Mika Brzezinski said that Sen. John McCain "wants to eliminate the federal gas tax -- that's about 20 percent of the cost." Later, Monica Novotny said McCain is "proposing suspending the federal gas tax for the summer, potentially cutting prices by nearly 20 percent." In fact, the federal gas tax -- 18.4 cents per gallon -- comprises only 5.4 percent of the current average cost of regular gasoline. http://mediamatters.org/items/200804150003 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:33:37 EST Brzezinski and McCain adviser agree that McCain admitted lack of economic knowledge once -- but he's done so several times http://mediamatters.org/items/200804070004 On Morning Joe, co-host Mika Brzezinski and Carly Fiorina, an economic adviser to Sen. John McCain, suggested that McCain acknowledged his weakness on economic issues only once. But the Boston Globe has reported that "on numerous occasions over the course of the campaign, McCain has volunteered that he is unsatisfied with his lack of knowledge about aspects of economics." http://mediamatters.org/items/200804070004 Mon, 7 Apr 2008 14:23:27 EST Scarborough, Brzezinski advance myth that McCain "stayed with" his immigration position http://mediamatters.org/items/200804010010 On Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough advanced the myth that Sen. John McCain hasn't flip-flopped on his position on immigration reform by asserting: "[T]here are a lot of issues that Republicans have despised John McCain for taking positions on. He stayed with those positions, and it makes him much stronger in the fall campaign because of it, and I speak mainly of illegal immigration." In response, co-host Mika Brzezinski said, "Absolutely." Indeed, conservatives have praised McCain's rightward shift on the issue. http://mediamatters.org/items/200804010010 Tue, 1 Apr 2008 19:42:22 EST Morning Joe reported that Saddam allegedly financed three Dems' Iraq trip, but not that DOJ reportedly said they didn't know http://mediamatters.org/items/200803270005 On Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough discussed "[a] trip made by three U.S. lawmakers to Iraq before the war [that] was secretly financed by -- Saddam Hussein." Brzezinski stated, "The dates of the tour match one taken by Democratic representatives Jim McDermott, David Bonior, and Mike Thompson." But neither Brzezinski nor Scarborough mentioned that, as reported on the Morning Joe on-screen news ticker, "The Justice Department [told] NBC News it is satisfied the lawmakers believed in good faith the trip was funded by a legitimate charity." http://mediamatters.org/items/200803270005 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:02:36 EST Brzezinski said Obama "claimed" McCain "flip-flopp[ed]" on Bush tax cuts -- but it's not a "claim"; it's a fact http://mediamatters.org/items/200803140009 On MSNBC Live, Mika Brzezinski stated that Sen. Barack Obama "claimed" that Sen. John McCain "had initially opposed the tax cuts and was flip-flopping, just to get elected," and aired a clip of McCain saying, "Senator Obama has stated very clearly his desire to increase Americans' taxes." But Brzezinski did not acknowledge that Obama's "claim[]" that McCain reversed his position on the Bush tax cuts is in fact true, or that, contrary to McCain's assertion, Obama has proposed tax cuts for the poor and the middle class. http://mediamatters.org/items/200803140009 Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:48:13 EST Noonan, Brzezinski mischaracterized Clinton's 60 Minutes response about Obama's religion http://mediamatters.org/items/200803140003 While discussing Sen. Barack Obama, The Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan said, "Remember that thing Mrs. Clinton said where she was asked, 'Do you think he's a Christian?' And she said one of those formulations like 'Oh, as far as I know, look into it.' " MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski replied, "Wink-wink, yeah." In fact, during an interview on CBS' 60 Minutes, Clinton was not asked, "Do you think he's a Christian?" -- when asked, "You don't believe that Senator Obama is a Muslim?" she immediately responded, "Of course not." Moreover, she compared "ridiculous rumors" circulating about her to rumors about Obama, making clear that the Obama rumors are false. http://mediamatters.org/items/200803140003 Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:27:11 EST Brzezinski cherry-picked polling to assert "McCain's crossover appeal is apparently even greater than" Obama's http://mediamatters.org/items/200803070008 Citing a Pew Research poll, MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski asserted that "John McCain's crossover appeal is apparently even greater than Barack Obama's." However, polling has differed on the question of whether McCain or Obama would have greater "crossover appeal" -- appeal to members of the opposite party -- and two polls more recent than the Pew poll Brzezinski cited found that Obama received greater "crossover" support. http://mediamatters.org/items/200803070008 Fri, 7 Mar 2008 17:32:33 EST Scarborough, Brzezinski defended MSNBC from charges of "sexism" in political coverage http://mediamatters.org/items/200802280016 MSNBC's Joe Scarborough again defended Chris Matthews' controversial comments about Sen. Hillary Clinton, saying, "[W]hat Chris Matthews said is the same thing Maureen Dowd has been saying since 1998. ... Maybe he said it more bluntly, but to say, that's sexism?" Additionally, co-host Mika Brzezinski called criticism of MSNBC as sexist "unfair." http://mediamatters.org/items/200802280016 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:47:16 EST MSNBC's Buchanan compounded sexist comments, misquoted Samuel Johnson http://mediamatters.org/items/200802270004 Referring to comments he had made about Sen. Hillary Clinton's voice, MSNBC contributor Pat Buchanan said on the February 27 edition of Morning Joe, "Look, the famous Dr. Johnson, and I hate to repeat it, said, you know, 'To see a woman speaking is to watch a dog walking on its hind legs ... Sure, he said you're surprised not to see it done -- not that it's not done well, but to see it done at all." http://mediamatters.org/items/200802270004 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:13:21 EST MSNBC's Brzezinski asked if McCain is "the perfect candidate" without disclosing that her brother advises him http://mediamatters.org/items/200802070004 On Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski asked presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin: "[A]t this moment in history, isn't John McCain the perfect candidate to deal with what challenges we face as a country, and given the presidency that is just coming to a close right now?" At no point during the segment, however, did Brzezinski disclose that her brother is a McCain adviser. http://mediamatters.org/items/200802070004 Thu, 7 Feb 2008 16:25:43 EST Brzezinski falsely asserted that McCain "stood by" his views on immigration http://mediamatters.org/items/200802040004 On Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski said of Sen. John McCain, "[F]or the most part, he really does stick to his views even if they're unpopular," adding that McCain's "views on immigration were unpopular, and he stood by them even at the peril of his campaign." In fact, McCain once called for comprehensive reform that addressed the creation of a guest-worker program, a path to citizenship, and border security, but now says he supports addressing border security first. http://mediamatters.org/items/200802040004 Mon, 4 Feb 2008 14:49:48 EST