Biased Media Covers Credit Downgrade Instead Of Mike Ditka Complimenting Palin

Written by Ben Dimiero

Published

Today at Big Journalism, contributor AWR Hawkins has a strange complaint: The “mainstream media” is refusing to report that former Bears coach and Levitra pitchman Mike Ditka “heaped praise on Sarah Palin.”

According to Hawkins, the Ditka-praise blackout in the mainstream media stretches back years, dating back to when Ditka stumped for the Palin/McCain ticket in 2008 and bravely pointed out that he was an American:

When he stumped for Palin/McCain in 2008, Ditka said Palin “epitomizes all the good qualities of this country.” He also called on audience members to put party affiliation and anything else that divided them aside long enough “put Country First” for a change. (Ditka lead by example by unashamedly admitting he was a Republican and a conservative, and most importantly, he said, “I am an American.”)

Of course, I don't recall hearing Chris Matthews, Matt Lauer, or anyone in the MSM mention Ditka's kind words for the Governor in 2010 (nor do I remember them making fun of him for being a Republican). And since that was back in the days when Keith Olbermann still had a show, you'd at least think Ditka would have made the “Worst Person in the World” list.

In his post, Hawkins seeks to explain the MSM's refusal to cover Ditka's kind words for Palin. No, not that a former football coach saying nice things about a former half-term governor and unsuccessful vice-presidential candidate doesn't rank too high on the list of newsworthy events this week, but that media figures “fear” Ditka:

Come to think of it, I don't recall hearing them talk about Ditka's kind words for Palin on the campaign trail in 2008 either. (I've got a feeling Matthews, Lauer, and Olbermann would rather pick fights with people who don't fight back, and they all know Ditka isn't the type to just shut up and take it. That's why they fear him and that's why we love him.)

That's also why we love Palin.

I'm not sure what kind of ideal media world Big Journalism contributors envision, but apparently it would involve media outlets running Breaking News reports covering Mike Ditka calling Sarah Palin a “great lady, mother and wife.”