The communist regime is a bunch of absolute phonies but why stop now? They've been getting away with this for years and have everyone shaking in the boots, afraid of angering their discount business partners. Let China go ahead and cancel all of the European and US TV contracts for the Olympics and see how much money they make. Isn't it obvious that the Olympics mean much more to China than to others countries. (Nike, GE and Coke are another story.) Go ahead and cancel the whole thing. We'll survive.
CNN and other foreign satellite broadcasts can be seen only in hotels, offices and housing developments open to foreigners, meaning very few Chinese would have heard Cafferty's original comments.
Censors also block many foreign news sites on the Internet, pointing to an underlying irony of the ongoing protests — that they profess outrage over foreign media reports that their government does not permit them to view.
The entirely state-controlled media has joined in the vilification campaign, with the criticisms of CNN featuring prominently in Thursday's newspapers and TV shows.
So what did China's thugs do in response? They acted like thugs and went ballistic on CNN. Message to China's leaders: The reason you get so much bad press is because you are murderous communist dictator thugs, and the entire world knows it. The only reason any nation is nice to you is because you're big, not because you're nice, not because they like or respect you. They respect your size and your power. Don't confuse that with anyone having forgotten that at the end of the day, you're still dangerous petty dictators, and we all look forward to the day you're overthrown. Oh yeah, and your dog food stinks too. You can watch Cafferty's comments here.
Jonathan Klein, the President of CNN, has got himself yet another biased reporter.
The wife of Dan Senor, who served as a spokesperson for Bush in Iraq, is now working for CNN. Normally, who a reporter's spouse is wouldn't and shouldn't matter. And, it wouldn't if Campbell Brown didn't show an obvious bias. Last night, in her first week on the job, she attacked MoveOn:
During the November 28 CNN special Campaign Killers: Why Do Negative Ads Work?, CNN anchor Campbell Brown said: "General David Petraeus made his reputation taking on insurgents in Iraq. But when he came to Capitol Hill in September, he was confronted by American insurgents, a liberal anti-war group called MoveOn.org."
Seriously, comparing MoveOn to insurgents is beyond the pale. That is such an obviously loaded term. Campbell Brown showed a clear bias, plain and simple.
Actually, Campbell, if you want to know what real insurgents are, ask your husband and his colleagues who let the insurgency grow in Iraq under their watch. He even still has his White House web page touting that gig.
CNN had a big debate tonight, but turns out they've got a potential presidential candidate within their own network.
Taegan Goddard has a report that CNN's Lou Dobbs is "seriously" thinking about running for President. He's clearly delusional and all that immigrant bashing has gone to his head. It's creepy.
So, Jonathan Klein, now you know. As long as Dobbs is making noises about being a candidate, take him off the air. Let Dobbs launch his campaign from some other platform, not from the perch of his hour long show at CNN.
Jonathan Klein, the inept President of CNN, is doing it again.
On the one hand, CNN has been promoting this week's special, "Planet in Peril" almost non-stop. CNN actually changed its on-screen logo color to green to mark the occasion.
Yet, on his other network, CNN Headline News, Klein continues to give prime-time billing to global warming denier Glenn Beck. Think Progress has video of Beck's show from Tuesday night -- the very night Planet in Peril was airing.
So, Mr. Klein, is the planet in peril or not? On CNN, the planet is in peril. On CNN's Headline News, it's not. CNN is green. CNN's Headline News is not. How come Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and that animal planet guy aren't on Glenn Beck's show to explain why CNN thinks the planet is in peril? Maybe you could force Glenn Beck to watch "Planet in Peril" and hope he'll learn something.
Anderson, I hate to say this, but this is another example of Jon Klein letting Glenn Beck make a mockery of your work. Klein did it on Katrina, too. It's wrong, Anderson -- and, you know I'm on your side.
What bold coverage from CNN, who must have run out of "Mrs. Smith's cat 'Mittens' rescued from tree, live from Elwood City" stories. Sounds like there's nothing to report about Iraq or Afghanistan because it's all going so well. With the US economy booming, hell, what else can they run as the headline story other than a ticket scandal for some bubblegum performer? Brought to you by the proud sponsors of the why America must defend itself and invade Iraq, how we're winning the war in Iraq, why the surge is working despite Democrats that hate America, why we need to nuke Iran and why global warming is a fraud. Where would America be without CNN?
What the hell is that? It's only been announced this morning and CNN is already attacking Gore with their headline story? I would expect a hit piece like this from Fox, but CNN is bottom feeding with this.
Ahh, if only there was a new war that CNN could help the country leap into as they did with Iraq we would all be better off. Then we wouldn't have to bother reporting on someone who made it his mission to improve the planet and win a Nobel Peace Prize.
Okay, Jonathan Klein and CNN, make up your mind about New Orleans.
You sent Anderson Cooper to New Orleans to report live about the struggle to rebuild the city:
Good evening.
We don't care much for anniversaries on this program, solemn remembrances of stories long since past. But, tonight, we come to you from New Orleans to report on a story which is still very much unfolding.
Two years ago tonight, these streets were filling with water. Levees poorly built over decade on shifting sands failed. And, two years ago tonight, what was a natural disaster became very quickly a manmade one.
Now, two years later, the recovery of this city, this region, is under way. And it, too, is manmade. Two years ago tonight, governments failed. The people here have not. New Orleans is rising again.
You also had Soledad O'Brien (who never should have left the morning show, p.s.) do an hour long special on called "Children of the Storm."
But then, Mr. Klein, you have one of the stars of your network, Glenn Beck, completely trash New Orleans -- and say that the city should not be rebuilt.
Chris Achorn, who does yeoman's work bird-dogging Beck, reports that last night, while O'Brien and Cooper were doing their Katrina reports on one CNN network, the controversial host Glenn Beck was on CNN's Headline News saying don't rebuild New Orleans:
On the two year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Glenn Beck takes his distain and outright hatred for the city and people of New Orleans to another level. He just comes right out and says it, that we should not spend a single dime to rebuild New Orleans.
GLENN BECK, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, two years since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and everybody`s still talking about rebuilding. I say don`t spend one thin dime. I`ll explain why.
BECK: Hello, America. Do not adjust your set, the truth coming your way. Possibly for the first time on Katrina.
It was two years ago that Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans, and the gulf region. Thousands were left homeless, causing well over $150 billion in damages. And without question, Katrina is the worst national disaster in national history.
President Bush, Congress responded over $100 billion in aid to rebuild New Orleans. A lot of people, including me, think the president has blown it. Here`s the point tonight.
How much do I think should be spent rebuilding New Orleans? Zero. Nothing. Not a dime. And here`s how I got there.
So what is it, CNN? Do we believe Anderson and Soledad that your network cares about the people of New Orleans? Or is Glenn Beck the voice of CNN? More and more, it seems that the Beck's warped world-view is what Jonathan Klein wants his network to be.
I watched the third part of CNN's documentary with Christiane Amanpour, "God's Warriors" and it will have the fundies hopping mad. Parts one and two dealt with extremist movements in Judaism and Islam. Last night's installment took a look at religious fundamentalists in the U.S., the "Christian" right wing. The transcript is here.
Amanpour conducted the last TV interview with Rev. Tinkywinky at Liberty University the week before Falwell died. He again recanted the apology he made for saying "the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians" were responsible for 9/11. He calls his young Liberty University scholars "pit bulls for Christ;" his goal is to graduate as many fundie lawyers as possible, to infiltrate and influence the judicial system in favor of God's law.
Michael Jensen has a great piece up at AfterElton about this part of the doc series. A snippet:
It would be hard to imagine a documentary examining the impact of Christian fundamentalists on American culture that didn't include a look at the part played by gay issues. Fortunately, God's Christian Warriors doesn't disappoint and the result is a fascinating and often frightening look at the religious right that any progressive -- but especially any gay progressive -- would be well advised to watch.
...While watching Amanpour interview some of these fundamentalists, I hoped she would ask just what would happen to gay people should they get their way: stoning to death, as suggested in Leviticus? After all, fundamentalists claim the Bible should be the foundation upon which America is built and that would be the logical conclusion.
...If looked at through the prism of understanding what the religious right wants for America, however, then the documentary can be considered a success if even only a few Americans -- especially gay ones -- wake up to what these Christian fundamentalists aspire to. And for anyone paying attention for the last twenty years, no explanation is needed as to what it is the religious fundamentalists want for America.
As God's Christian Warriors makes amply clear, their goal is an America that is governed by biblical principles; principles that leave no room for gay people to co-exist in any meaningful way except by going deeply back in to the closet.
CNN has done a fine job on this series; I am curious how the documentary is being received by fundamentalists, considering it is quite harsh (but accurate) about the violent history of the religious right regarding abortion activity, showing the shootings of doctors and bombings of clinics -- acts Falwell condemned when the topic was raised by Amanpour. I'd venture a guess that being lumped in with extremist factions of Islam and Judaism is going to cause a massive uproar in the fundie press shortly.
Oh wait...take a look at the drivel already up at WingNutDaily.
And the headline of the related story, which has all of the expected hysteria: CNN airs 'one of the most distorted programs' ever Documentary compares Jews, Christians to Muslim terrorists
CNN will proabably re-air all three parts over the weekend. Check listings.
I almost missed the news in the Politico's gossip column that CNN has let go their ace Internet reporter, Jacki Schechner. Actually, word from inside CNN is that their President, Jonathan Klein, made the call himself. Apparently, a lot of people at the network are none too happy -- Klein's decision was not well received, at all. There are a lot, and I mean a lot, of grumblings about this decision at "the most trusted name in news."
Full disclosure: John and I both think Jacki is great. We've been big fans since she arrived at the network. Besides being a truly smart and cool person, she understood the Internet and, unlike most of the media, she gets the blogs. Can't have a reporter like that at CNN, oh no. Klein is unfortunately taking CNN back to the 90s. And when you consider that Jacki supposedly isn't CNN material, but race-baiting homophobe Glenn Beck is, well, let's just say some priorities are a little screwed up.
Jacki will be a star wherever she lands. As for CNN, you're really not in a position to be losing your top talent. Big mistake, Mr. Klein. Big mistake.
Forgot to mention that Klein is bringing in Laura Ingraham, who Atrios reminds us tried "to jam a voter hotline" on Election Day. Classy. She'll fit right in with Beck.
CNN has finally decided to become FOX News. What other explanation for why, after everything far-right extremist Glenn Beck has said on the air, CNN would let him host Paula Zahn's prime-time show for a week? The man has suggested that Muslim-Americans, all of them, are working with the terrorists. He's riffed about "faggots" and fat chicks. He "hates" the families of the victims of September 11, and think Katrina victims are "scumbags." He compared Hillary Clinton to Adolf Hitler. He said, on the air, that Dennis Kucinich may have given his wife a date rape drug.
Even by FOX News standards, this guy is an idiot. But for CNN? This is truly embarrassing. If ratings are all that matter (and actually, Beck's ratings are terrible, and falling), and CNN's top brass doesn't care any more about being the most trusted name in news, then why not just air porn and snuff films and quit pretending that the network has any credibility left?
PS Joe had an idea. Since Paula Zahn has done all those shows about how horrible "Hate in America" is, maybe Glenn Beck could redo them, you know, presenting the other side's position?
[W]hereas CNN last year traded away its good name in exchange for debuting Beck's factually challenged and hateful brand of broadcasting, at least CNN execs were getting a ratings boost out of the Faustian bargain. Today, Beck's still making a mockery out of CNN's reputation on a daily basis, as he disparages liberals, gays, Democrats, blacks, immigrants, and Muslims at will. But in return, CNN's now stuck with a Beck program that's trapped in neutral and shows signs of sliding into reverse.
Well played, CNN....
It truly has become amateur hour at CNN.
James Zogby got it right late last year. After watching Beck's nearly year-long McCarthy-like crusade against Arabs and Muslims, the president of the Arab American Institute wrote, "While [the CNN] network may have hoped that Beck's flamboyant style would increase ratings, the cost to their integrity has been staggering."...
Indeed, the dirty little media secret is that Beck's show has hit a ratings brick wall. Despite the glowing press from The New York Times and The Washington Post, among others, which showered Beck with profiles because his show was being touted as the fastest-growing program on prime-time cable news, Beck in recent months has been flat-lining. In fact, he's actually losing viewers.
And Beck's ratings are plummeting. Advertisers should have been already skittish aligning their products with a show that worries that every single Muslim-American is working with the terrorists, but add poor ratings to hate and you've got a recipe for an advertiser exodus. Not to mention, it's hard for the senior brass to defend Beck against the very real inside-CNN insurgency taking place against the hate jock when Beck isn't even bringing in viewers, but rather is simply tarnishing CNN's good name.
The Nielsen rating numbers from April were particularly telling and highlighted how Beck's show appears to have completely maxed out less than 12 months after its debut. April was a news-heavy month, which produced a huge spike in cable news viewership following the campus massacre at Virginia Tech. Except, that is, for Glenn Beck. (On the night of the VT shooting, Glenn Beck finished last among prime-time cable news programs, excluding those on CNBC.)
Overall, for the month of April, ratings for CNN Headline News' prime-time lineup, which is anchored by Beck, were up a microscopic 4 percent, compared to healthy, double-digit gains posted by CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC.
A hot show? Please, Glenn Beck has become as cool as the other side of the pillow. For the month of April, Glenn Beck's original airing in the 7 p.m. time slot averaged 304,000 viewers, down from last September, when the program drew 321,000 viewers each night. In viewers aged 25-54, the key demographic group sought by advertisers, Glenn Beck averaged 122,000 last month. Again, that's down from September, when the program drew 149,000. So much for the being "the fastest-growing show on cable news," which was how Beck himself described the program earlier this year.
Last September was also when Glenn Beck surpassed MSNBC's Hardball in viewers 25-54, outpacing Chris Matthews' show by 17,000 viewers. No more. In April, Hardball beat Glenn Beck by 40,000 viewers in the 25-54 demographic each night. And often the tally these days is far larger. For instance, on Tuesday, May 1, Hardball bested Glenn Beck by nearly 200,000 total viewers. And with the presidential election season heating up, it's unlikely that trend toward the Beltway-centric Hardball and away from Glenn Beck is going to change in the coming weeks and months.
Why? Because some moron at CNN hired this jerk and apparently is afraid to admit that he really screwed up. Sounds like some presidents we know (and some Americans who hired him). More via DKos.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux's first question to Howard Dean a little earlier this afternoon:
I want to first start off about Senator Reid's proposal here to cut off most of the funding for the troops by early next year if the President vetoes the current legislation.
How is that going to help the Democratic candidates? Who can possibly vote for that and win in 2008?
Huh???? Seriously, who is writing Suzanne Malveaux's questions? Karl Rove and the RNC. Does she read the polls? The American people have had it with Bush and his war in Iraq. Everyone seems to get that except Bush, the Republicans, Suzanne Malveaux and some of her fellow reporters.
Bush is governing like it's 2002 -- and some of the media are still acting the same way.
Soon, very soon, I'll be hooking up my EyeTV 250 and will have video of stuff like this. The transcript doesn't adequately capture the attitude. Really amazing.
Seriously, at some point the far-right of the GOP needs to stop representing 30% of their party. The GOP is - or at least was - much bigger than the religious right/Pat Buchanan coalition. It would be nice to see some Republican leaders in the blogosphere and the White House and the media (FOX, Washington Times, WSJ) actually represent the 70% of GOPers who aren't Terri Schiavo republicans. More from Raw Story.
