Media Matters - Samuel Alito

Media Matters - Samuel Alito http://mediamatters.org/tools/syndication/tag_rss/samuel_alito This link is for use by RSS-enabled software to retrieve Media Matters items matching the term: Samuel Alito en-US Copyright 2008, Media Matters for America Will Wash. Post reconsider its Supreme Court endorsement criteria after Roberts, Alito? http://mediamatters.org/items/200706300001 The Washington Post editorial board endorsed the nominations of John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, asserting of Roberts that he possesses "a modest conception of the judicial function and a strong belief in the stability of precedent." Since then, the Post has criticized several Supreme Court decisions written by or joined by Roberts or Alito, claiming that they show a lack of judicial restraint and fidelity to precedent. Yet the Post has given no indication that its evaluation of either nominee was flawed, or that it intends to revisit its criteria for evaluating Supreme Court nominees. http://mediamatters.org/items/200706300001 Fri, 29 Jun 2007 20:54:36 EST CNN's "Broken Government" special on executive power filled with broken claims of its own http://mediamatters.org/items/200610300006 http://mediamatters.org/items/200610300006 Mon, 30 Oct 2006 16:21:29 EST WSJ mischaracterized Alito's expressed views on abortion rights http://mediamatters.org/items/200603090009 A Wall Street Journal article on the constitutionality of South Dakota's recently passed abortion ban stated that Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito "expressed skepticism about abortion rights while working for the Reagan administration." However, the suggestion that Alito merely "expressed skepticism" about abortion rights mischaracterizes his clearly articulated view that there is no constitutional right to abortion. http://mediamatters.org/items/200603090009 Thu, 9 Mar 2006 16:26:33 EST Matthews on Sen. Kennedy: "the guy that molested" Martha-Ann Alito http://mediamatters.org/items/200601310004 On Hardball, host Chris Matthews called Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) "the guy that molested" Martha-Ann Alito, Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr.'s wife. http://mediamatters.org/items/200601310004 Tue, 31 Jan 2006 13:53:19 EST Milbank ignored polling in presenting impeachment advocates as fringe element, overstated margin of Alito filibuster loss http://mediamatters.org/items/200601310003 Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank depicted advocates of impeachment as a fringe element of the Democratic Party, while ignoring polling that shows that a majority of Americans believe Congress should consider impeaching Bush over his authorization of warrantless domestic surveillance. Milbank also falsely reported that Sen. John F. Kerry (D-MA) "got only 25 of the 60 needed votes" to mount a filibuster against President Bush's nomination of Samuel A. Alito Jr. to the Supreme Court. In fact, it was Alito's supporters who "needed" the 60 votes to end debate on the nomination. http://mediamatters.org/items/200601310003 Tue, 31 Jan 2006 13:41:11 EST CNN: Filibuster comments from Switzerland made Kerry -- but not Chambliss -- seem "elitist" http://mediamatters.org/items/200601270009 CNN's Ed Henry said that Sen. John Kerry's call for a filibuster of Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr.'s nomination to the Supreme Court reinforced the "elitist" label given to Kerry by the GOP during the 2004 presidential campaign because he made the statement from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. However, when CNN later interviewed Sen. Saxby Chambliss about the potential filibuster, there were no "elitist" comments to be found, even though Chambliss was also commenting from Davos. http://mediamatters.org/items/200601270009 Fri, 27 Jan 2006 15:11:45 EST Echoing baseless conservative charges, ABC's Tapper said "some liberals" concerned about a "Catholic court"; ignored Republicans who touted nominees' faith http://mediamatters.org/items/200601270008 An ABC Nightline report noting that Samuel A. Alito Jr., if confirmed, would make the Supreme Court majority Catholic stated that "liberals do have some concerns about such a Catholic court." But the report quotes no identifiable liberals or Democrats expressing this view. Nor does it mention it is supporters of President Bush's nominees who have raised the issue of their religious affiliations while attacking critics as anti-religion. http://mediamatters.org/items/200601270008 Fri, 27 Jan 2006 15:10:45 EST CNN's Greenfield falsely suggested Media Matters is "extremely angry" at Democrats for not filibustering Alito http://mediamatters.org/items/200601260011 CNN senior analyst Jeff Greenfield falsely suggested that Media Matters for America "ha[s] been extremely angry" at Senate Democrats for being unwilling to pursue a filibuster against Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr. In fact, Media Matters is "dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media" and has not taken a position on whether Alito should be confirmed or on whether senators should filibuster his nomination. http://mediamatters.org/items/200601260011 Thu, 26 Jan 2006 18:31:32 EST In Alito coverage, media outlets failed to challenge GOP senators' claims about Ginsburg and Breyer http://mediamatters.org/items/200601250009 Various media outlets have failed to challenge the claims of Republican senators that they disregarded ideology when voting to confirm Supreme Court justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer in the 1990s. In fact, both Ginsburg and Breyer were consensus nominees, suggested to President Clinton by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and had reputations and judicial records of moderates at the time of their nominations. http://mediamatters.org/items/200601250009 Wed, 25 Jan 2006 17:24:47 EST W. Va. newspaper's signed editorial falsely stated PFAW president Neas attacked "evil churchgoers" http://mediamatters.org/items/200601230004 A West Virginia Sunday Gazette Mail column quoted Ralph G. Neas, president of People for the American Way, that "[t]he religious right already controls the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives" and plans to "pack the Supreme Court with right-wing ideologues" but then falsely attributed words to Neas, suggesting without basis that by "religious right," Neas meant "these evil churchgoers." http://mediamatters.org/items/200601230004 Mon, 23 Jan 2006 15:48:13 EST Hewitt accused CNN of ignoring criticism of Dems in Alito coverage -- but CNN guest lineup and coverage say otherwise http://mediamatters.org/items/200601180004 On CNN's On the Story, conservative blogger and radio host Hugh Hewitt accused CNN of ignoring conservative criticism of Democratic senators' performance during the nomination hearing for Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. In fact, CNN featured six solo appearances by non-senators who criticized Senate Democrats over their questioning of Alito, and no solo appearances by non-elected progressive critics of Alito. Moreover, CNN offered no opposing viewpoint to counter Hewitt's baseless accusation. http://mediamatters.org/items/200601180004 Wed, 18 Jan 2006 14:10:32 EST Arguing that Democrats looked "like bullies," Newsweek ignored conservative groups' efforts to capitalize on Alito's wife's tears http://mediamatters.org/items/200601170012 A Newsweek article argued that Samuel A. Alito Jr.'s wife bursting into tears during his nomination hearing has left Democrats "looking like bullies," thanks to "a coalition of liberal interest groups" that "pushed the lawmakers to come on stronger." But the article ignored the campaign launched by conservatives immediately after the incident to blame Democrats for Martha-Ann Alito's tears, which came during Sen. Lindsey Graham's questioning. http://mediamatters.org/items/200601170012 Tue, 17 Jan 2006 16:30:11 EST Following ABC's Stephanopoulos, NBC's Williams used partial Alito response to suggest Alito rejected strong executive power http://mediamatters.org/items/200601170006 Covering the nomination hearing of Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr., NBC News correspondent Pete Williams asserted that "Alito himself told the senators this week that a president does not have the power to disregard a law." But Williams based this on only a part of a response Alito gave on the issue of presidential power. In fact, Alito's entire response on the issue constitutes a legal truism that tells senators nothing about his views on presidential power versus congressional power -- that the president cannot disregard a law that is constitutional. Simply put, Alito told the committee that the president has to follow the law except when he doesn't have to. http://mediamatters.org/items/200601170006 Tue, 17 Jan 2006 13:13:16 EST Hotline's Chuck Todd ignored key fact in stating that Bradley, too, was a member of CAP http://mediamatters.org/items/200601150003 Hotline editor-in-chief Chuck Todd defended Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr.'s membership in the Concerned Alumni of Princeton by saying former Sen. Bill Bradley also was a member. Todd neglected to mention that Bradley resigned his membership in the first year after the organization was formed because of its stance on women and minorities. http://mediamatters.org/items/200601150003 Sun, 15 Jan 2006 16:17:59 EST ABC's Stephanopoulos omitted key part of Alito quote to claim Alito had "backed down" from supporting strong executive power http://mediamatters.org/items/200601130014 On ABC's World News Tonight, George Stephanopoulos cropped a clip from Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel A. Alito's nomination hearing to suggest Alito had "backed away from past statements suggesting a supremely powerful president." But contrary to Stephanopoulos's assertion, the entirety of Alito's response illustrated that he has not, in fact, "backed away" from earlier views on executive power. http://mediamatters.org/items/200601130014 Fri, 13 Jan 2006 18:54:56 EST