TV News

Poll: Americans Trust Fox News The Most And The Least

David Taintor | January 19, 2012, 2:31PM

Photo from Rena Schild / Shutterstock

For most Americans, Fox News is both the most -- and least -- trusted television news source.

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Rick Scott

Unpopular Gov. Rick Scott Wants To 'Make Sure Florida Is The Model For The Country' (VIDEO)

David Taintor | September 14, 2011, 12:08PM

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) on MSNBC's Morning 9/14/11

Highly unpopular Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) sat down with the folks of Morning Joe on Wednesday to discuss the Republican presidential candidates' chances in Florida as well as some of his state's own issues.

Asked how Mitt Romney and Rick Perry would do in Florida, Scott said he thinks either candidate could win in a general election. And Scott doesn't think Perry will be in much trouble for calling Social Security a "monstrous lie" and a "ponzi scheme."

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MSNBC

Carney 'Expressed' To NBC that Halperin Was 'Inappropriate'

Susan Crabtree | June 30, 2011, 2:05PM

White House spokesman Jay Carney may have played a direct role in MSNBC's decision to sack -- er, suspend indefinitely -- Time magazine's Mark Halperin for calling President Obama a "dick" on Morning Joe.

Carney said he personally told MSNBC that he didn't appreciate Time magazine's Mark Halperin's obscene name-calling.

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CNN

ALL Major Cable Nets Cut Away When Pelosi Talks Jobs Over Weiner (VIDEO)

Brian Beutler | June 16, 2011, 12:29PM

The DC media's jaw-dropping obsession with the Anthony Weiner sexting scandal will peter out when the New York congressman officially resigns this afternoon. But there's no better illustration of how this story came to consume the press than the video below.

Democrats had been prepared to up the pressure on Weiner to resign Thursday, but not before House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi held her weekly press availability in a large studio in the basement of the Capitol Visitors Center.

Her conference began minutes after the news of Weiner's impending resignation leaked, and so reporters and cameras scrambled to what otherwise would have been a fairly routine press event. Indeed, because Dems are in the minority, it's not uncommon for Pelosi events to be under-attended by members the media. Not this time.

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Ed Schultz

MSNBC Announces Ed Schultz's 'Triumphant Return' To Cable Tonight

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 6, 2011, 12:14PM

On May 25, MSNBC's Ed Schultz left cable after he called conservative radio host Laura Ingraham a "right wing slut." Tonight, MSNBC says, Schultz makes his "triumphant return to television."

Schultz offered viewers a long apology for his comments about Ingraham, which came not on his primetime show but his daily talk radio program.

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Ed Schultz

MSNBC Suspends Ed Schultz For A Week After 'Slut' Remark

Evan McMorris-Santoro | May 25, 2011, 7:03PM

MSNBC anchor Ed Schultz.

Ed Schultz will take a week off MSNBC's airwaves after he called conservative radio host Laura Ingraham a "right wing slut" on his radio show Tuesday.

"Remarks of this nature are unacceptable and will not be tolerated," MSNBC said in a statement.

Shultz will "address" the statement on his 10 p.m. MSNBC primetime show Wednesday, the network said.

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Ed Schultz

UPDATED: MSNBC's Ed Schultz Calls Radio Host Laura Ingraham A 'Right Wing Slut'

Benjy Sarlin | May 25, 2011, 2:37PM

MSNBC anchor Ed Schultz.

Late Update [7:08 pm ET]: MSNBC has suspended Schultz for one week.

MSNBC host Ed Schultz is known for his hyperbolic attacks on Republicans but it looks like he may have crossed the line on his show yesterday by labeling Laura Ingraham a "right wing slut."

"President Obama is going to be visiting Joplin, Mo., on Sunday but you know what they're talking about, like this right-wing slut, what's her name?, Laura Ingraham?" he said on his radio show. "Yeah, she's a talk slut. You see, she was, back in the day, praising President Reagan when he was drinking a beer overseas. But now that Obama's doing it, they're working him over."

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Barack Obama

White House Pushes Back Against S&P Pessimism

Susan Crabtree | April 18, 2011, 2:50PM

President Barack Obama

President Obama's team of economic advisers is downplaying Standard & Poor's negative outlook release Monday on the U.S. AAA credit rating, arguing that it's more pessimistic about Washington's ability to reduce the nation's $14 trillion debt than it should be.

White House spokesman Jay Carney pointed out in a briefing with reporters that Moody's, one of S&P's competitors -- gives the U.S. a "credit positive" rating

"We think the prospects are better -- that the political process will outperform S&P's expectations," Carney told reporters Monday.

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Betty McCollum

Dem Rep Continues Fight To Strip Pentagon NASCAR Sponsoring (VIDEO)

Andrew Jones | March 3, 2011, 4:01PM

Rep. Betty McCollum

The checkered flag apparently has not waved yet on Rep. Betty McCollum's (D-MN) fight to strip away Pentagon funding from NASCAR.

On MSNBC this afternoon, the St. Paul, Minn., congresswoman showed no signs of backing down on her staunch criticism of the Defense Department spending $7 million sponsoring the #39 Sprint Cup U.S. Army Chevy Impala, driven by Ryan Newman.

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Ron Paul

Rep. Ron Paul: "Education is Not a Right" (Video)

Meena Rupani | March 3, 2011, 1:42PM

Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX)

For Rep Ron Paul (R-TX), education and medical care are not rights but rather "things that you have to earn."

In an exchange about U.S. credit policy with MSNBC's Cenk Uygur on Wednesday, Paul was asked whether people should be able to borrow money to buy a house, or car. "Oh, in a free market, you can do that," Paul said, but only so long as that credit is backed up by real money, and not something that "comes out of thin air."

Uygur asked the Congressman if students who can't afford tuition should be able to get government loans. "No one has a right to anyone's wealth, I don't have a right to come to you and say my poor kid needs 500 dollars for an education," Paul replied, "an education is not a right, medical care is not a right."

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Rick Santorum

Buchanan Defends Santorum: 'His Facts Are Correct' On Abortion And Black People

Jillian Rayfield | January 21, 2011, 12:52PM

Pat Buchanan

This morning, MSNBC's Pat Buchanan defended Rick Santorum's remark about President Obama's stance on abortion, saying his "facts are right" and "Santorum is saying that you've constricted it and taken that right of personhood and life away from a whole class of folks" by not considering unborn children people who are protected by the Constitution. And that "was exactly what was done to African-Americans for 250 years, and you go to Dred Scott, they are not persons under the Constitution."

Santorum said earlier this week that "I find it almost remarkable for a black man to say, 'we're going to decide who are people and who are not people.'"

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Fox News

Keith Olbermann: 'Fox News Is 100% Bullsh*t'

Jon Terbush | December 30, 2010, 1:14PM

Keith Olbermann

It's well known that MSNBC's Keith Olbermann really hates Fox News, the right-leaning cable news network he often attacks on his own nightly show. But last night, Olbermann encapsulated his loathing in perhaps his most concise criticism yet, taking to Twitter to declare that "Fox News is 100% bullshit."

Then he said it again. And again.

Olbermann's Internet assault began when another Twitter user questioned his support for the liberal blog DailyKos despite his frequent disparagement of Fox News for its overt bias. To that, Olbermman unleashed the first tweet in his salvo:

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MSNBC

Scarborough, Buchanan Also Made Political Contributions

Jillian Rayfield | November 5, 2010, 3:16PM

Pat Buchanan and Joe Scarborough

MSNBC suspended host Keith Olbermann today, following revelations that he made campaign contributions to three Democrats in the elections -- a violation of MSNBC policy.

But a search of OpenSecrets.org reveals that MSNBC host Joe Scarborough and MSNBC contributor Pat Buchanan have also made contributions to political campaigns. Here's what we found...

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Michele Bachmann

Chris Matthews To Bachmann: Did Someone Hypnotize You? (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | November 3, 2010, 12:17AM

Well this was a bizarre interview:

Chris Matthews talked to Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) on MSNBC tonight, and got a bit frustrated when she wouldn't answer his questions: "Congresswoman Bachmann -- are you hypnotized tonight? Has someone hypnotized you? Because no matter what I ask you, you give the same answer. Are you hypnotized, has someone put you under a trance tonight?

Bachmann replied: "I think the American people are the ones that finally are speaking tonight. We're coming out of our trance, really we're coming out of our nightmare. I think that people are thrilled tonight. I imagine that thrill is probably not quite so tingly on your leg anymore."

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Joe Miller

Miller To Maddow On Gay Marriage: 'I Want To Be Straight With You' (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | October 26, 2010, 10:44PM

Republican candidate for US Senate in Alaska Joe Miller

Joe Miller has been known for giving the press the runaround and, in his interview today with Rachel Maddow, he took that rather literally. The approximately five-minute interview took place as Miller was walking from a roof, down to his car, with Maddow peppering him with questions about same sex marriage as they walked.

Maddow asked him if he'd support a constitutional ban on same sex marriage. "That's up to the people," Miller said. "If you get a three quarters vote ratifying -- I'd vote for it."

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SC-SEN

Alvin Greene Makes Another Awkward Appearance On MSNBC (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | October 12, 2010, 1:10PM

South Carolina Senate candidate Alvin Greene was on Lawrence O'Donnell's show last night, and the results were as awkward as we've come to expect from the surprise Democratic nominee facing Jim DeMint.

Sample dialogue:

O'Donnell: "There's a first question that all Senate candidates have to answer this year, and that is, of course, are you a witch?"

Greene: "No, first I want to remind everyone that DeMint started the recession."

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Minimum Wage

Michael Steele Has No Clue What The Minimum Wage Is (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 6, 2010, 9:12AM

RNC Chair Michael Steele

RNC chairman Michael Steele has a penchant for putting his foot in his mouth. But confessing ignorance about the federal minimum wage in the midst of a campaign where Republicans are shouting "Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!" from every rooftop may rank among his recent highlights.

In an interview on Lawrence O'Donnell's new MSNBC show last night, Steele first tried to change the subject before admitting he has no idea what minimum wage workers (Republican campaign ads refer to these folks as among the "average Americans") are paid in the country Steele and the rest of his party is so desperate to "take back."

"The reality of it is, that is not the most paramount issue that voters out there are facing," Steele explained to O'Donnell after he was asked what the federal minimum wage is. "When you've lost your job, whether you know what the minimum wage is is not relevant."

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Best Boss Ever? Michael Steele & The RNC Interns]

Eventually, Steele -- who many say will likely lose his job as RNC chair when his term ends -- conceded that he is among those who thinks the minimum wage is irrelevant in the current political debate.

"That'll be your headline," Steele tells O'Donnell. "'Steele doesn't know the minimum wage.'"

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DE-SEN

Maddow: 'I Have All These Questions' For Christine O'Donnell, But Her Camp Booted Us (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | October 6, 2010, 8:41AM

Rachel Maddow and her MSNBC show's producers last night reenacted the Christine O'Donnell campaign's oddball ejecting of the Maddow team from the Republican Senate nominee's Wilmington, Delaware headquarters.

Maddow told viewers that because O'Donnell doesn't have any public events, it's "hard to cover" her campaign against Democrat Chris Coons, who Maddow also spoke with for the show.

"I have all these questions," Maddow said as she and her production team did a play-by-play outside the O'Donnell building showing how they were booted.

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DE-SEN

Rachel Maddow Booted From Christine O'Donnell's Delaware HQ

Christina Bellantoni | October 5, 2010, 4:26PM

Rachel Maddow

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and her show's producers were ejected from Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell's headquarters today with an "angry guy" insisting they were not welcome back.

Maddow tweeted earlier about the kerfuffle, sure to be a part of her show tonight:

Ejected from O'Donnell HQ. Staffer insulted producers Bill & Laura then angry man came outside and told us to leave and not come back.

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Christine O'Donnell: Anti-Masturbation Crusader. Witchcraft Dabbler. Republican Senate Nominee.]

This afternoon Maddow told TPM in a statement that she spoke with O'Donnell's staffers "multiple times about us being here today and wanting to speak with someone -- anyone, even a volunteer -- from the campaign."

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2010 elections

VP Joe Biden To Democrats: 'Buck Up!' (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | September 28, 2010, 12:02PM

Vice President Joe Biden told Democrats that it's "time to focus" on winning in November, scolding dispirited members of his party for saying they might not vote in the midterm elections.

"Those who didn't get anything they wanted, it's time to just buck up here, understand that we can make things better, continue to move forward, but not yield the playing field to those folks who are against everything that we stand for in terms of the initiatives we put forward," Biden said last night when appearing on the debut of Lawrence O'Donnell's new show on MSNBC.

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Bush Tax Cuts

Wiggle Room: Cornyn Suggests He'd Back Temporary Tax Cut Extension (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | September 17, 2010, 11:46AM

Are Republicans starting to see some wiggle room on a vote over the Bush-era tax cuts? Sen. John Cornyn suggested as much in an interview this morning on MSNBC's "Daily Rundown" by noting he'd back something that "temporarily" extended the tax cuts.

Cornyn (R-TX) said he wouldn't go with the Democrats' plan to extend the tax cuts for only the middle class - a cut on the first $250,000 of every taxpayer's income - because he views letting the ones for the wealthy to expire as a tax increase.

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Howard Dean

Olbermann Pushes Dean On Cordoba House Stance (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | August 20, 2010, 10:54AM

Former DNC Chairman Howard Dean

Former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean appeared last night on Countdown, to defend his remarks that the Muslim community center project near Ground Zero in New York should be moved to a different location. During the interview, Dean called for a dialogue between 9/11 families and the center's organizers -- and insisted that he was not associating himself in any way with the outspoken opponents on the right such as Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin.

Keith Olbermann mentioned during his introduction of Dean that Arshad Hasan, the head of the Dean-founded liberal political group Democracy For America, has criticized Democrats -- without directly mentioning Dean -- who have sought to compromise with an "implacable opposition." And Olbermann put tough questions to Dean, such as asking what compromise he can imagine people like Gingrich and Palin would accept.

"Yes, I don't think the Sarah Palins and Newt Gingriches have any interest. They're clearly exploiting this for whatever political gain they think they can get out of it," said Dean. "But I think there are some people of good will, perhaps, including some of the families of the victims that we might actually sit down around a table with. This is a tough issue I think some of my own folks on my end of the spectrum of the party are demonizing some fairly decent people who are opposed to this. And, again, in no way am I defending, you know, the right wing of the Republican Party.

"But there are 65 percent of the people in this country are not right-wing bigots. Some of them really have deep emotional feelings about this. And I think we at least ought to respectfully hear them and sit down with Muslim-Americans and with some of the people that object to this, and have a thoughtful, reasonable dialogue and see what comes out of it. And in order for it to be a fair, thoughtful and reasonable dialogue, you have to be willing to move."

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MN-GOV

MSNBC Rejects MoveOn's Ad Calling For Target Boycott

Eric Kleefeld | August 19, 2010, 1:53PM

A new ad from MoveOn.org attacking Target.

MoveOn has hit a bump in the road for its anti-Target ad, which calls for a boycott of the company as a result of its $150,000 donation to a business group running ads for Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. MSNBC, the liberal-branded national cable channel where MoveOn hoped to air the ad, has instead rejected it.

An MSNBC spokeswoman told the Associated Press that the spot violates the channel's policy against ads that directly attack an individual business.

It's not all bad news for MoveOn, though. The group says that local TV stations in the Twin Cities market are running the ad.

As we've documented, Target's involvement with the business group MN Forward, to which they donated $150,000, triggered a political backlash in this liberal state due to Emmer's right-wing social positions. The company said it was supporting the group because of economic issues, but the CEO has since apologized.

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Progressive Community

Ed Schultz Slams White House As Afraid Of Fox News (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | July 23, 2010, 2:12AM

MSNBC anchor Ed Schultz.

Las Vegas -- MSNBC's Ed Schultz tonight slammed President Obama's White House for its handling of the Shirley Sherrod debacle, suggesting that Obama and his team are afraid of Fox News and don't use progressive media enough.

Speaking to a roaring opening night crowd at Netroots Nation at the Rio casino here, Schultz cursed through a spirited critique of Obama. Schultz pointed to the camera and said he was glad the speech was being recorded and wanted the White House to hear his message. Schultz also leveled insults at conservative Democratic Sens. Blanche Lincoln (AR), Ben Nelson (NE) and Mary Landrieu (LA), along with Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who the netroots helped boot from the party in 2006. Schultz said he didn't care if Democratic Senators boycott his show because he doesn't need them for ratings. He also said that MSNBC "did a hell of a job fighting for health care."

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KY-SEN

Dick Armey: Rand Paul Made 'Rookie Mistake' Going On Maddow

Christina Bellantoni | June 16, 2010, 1:03PM

Former Rep. Dick Armey (R-TX)

Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey told reporters today that Senate candidate Rand Paul is an "amateur" who made two big mistakes -- appearing on Rachel Maddow's show and declaring himself as a leader of the tea party movement.

"Rand Paul made an amateur, freshman, rookie mistake -- he thought MSNBC was a legitimate news organization," Armey said at a lunch today hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. "These are not professional people. ... Bless his heart, he walked right into a buzzsaw."

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Arlen Specter

Specter: I Voted For McCain In '08 -- But I'm A Great Dem Now! (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | May 12, 2010, 6:28PM

Chris Matthews and Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA)

Locked in a tight Democratic Senate primary battle, Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) has been taking some heat in recent days over his party switch last year.

Things got even more awkward when he faced off with MSNBC's Chris Matthews today, and Matthews got him to admit that's he's voted for Republican presidential candidates for approximately the last 40 years -- including in 2008.

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Health Care

Change Of Tune: Leadership, Progressives, Advocacy Groups Jump On The Opt-Out Train

Christina Bellantoni | October 27, 2009, 8:48AM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

After Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's big public option opt-out reveal yesterday, the major players are looking pretty unified.

Check out all the reactions we posted at TPMLiveWire yesterday and see what they have in common, as Senate leadership, progressives and advocacy groups appear to be rallying behind the new strategy.

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) was singing a different tune, reminding everyone in a statement that "I included a public option in the health reform blueprint I released nearly one year ago."

MoveOn, which was asking members to pressure Obama last week, is now shifting gears to make sure the Democratic Party gets in line and votes to block a filibuster.

Health Care for America Now was championing Reid for "standing up" and doing the right thing, collecting more than 20,000 signatures on a thank-you petition to the leader.

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Fox News

Poll Finds Strong Association Between Watching Fox News And Not Liking Obama

Eric Kleefeld | October 7, 2009, 2:15PM

A new survey of North Carolina by Public Policy Polling (D) illustrates just how polarized people have become in terms of their politics -- and where they get their news.

President Obama's overall approval rating in North Carolina, state that he won narrowly, currently stands at 45% approval to 49% disapproval, according to this survey. The poll also asked: "When you watch cable news do you prefer CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC?" The answer was Fox 49%, CNN 31%, and MSNBC 13%, plus 7% who don't watch cable news.

Note that Obama's disapproval matches the percentage or respondents who watch Fox. Another way to look at it, from PPP: "Obama's NC approval with Fox News watchers: 18%. Approval with everyone else: 72%."

Now which came first: The chicken, or the egg?