REPORT: GOP Lawmakers Outnumber Democratic Lawmakers 2 To 1 In Stimulus Debate On Cable News (Updated)
REPORT: GOP Lawmakers Outnumber Democratic Lawmakers 2 To 1 In Stimulus Debate On Cable News (Updated)
UPDATE: Two more appearances by Democratic lawmakers have been brought to ThinkProgress’s attention, one on CNN and one on MSNBC. They have been added to our tally.
As Media Matters has documented, during the Bush administration, the media consistently allowed conservatives to dominate their shows, booking them as guests far more often than progressives. The rationale was that Republicans were “in power.”
It appears that old habits die hard. Even though President Obama and his team are in control of the executive branch and Democrats are in the majority in Congress, the cable networks are still turning more often to Republicans and allowing them to set the agenda on major issues, most recently on the debate over the economic recovery package.
On Sunday, conservatives began an all-out assault on President Obama’s economic recovery plan, with House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) both announcing that they would vote against the plan as it stood. Despite Obama’s efforts at good faith outreach, congressional conservatives have continued to attack the stimulus plan with a series of false and disingenuous arguments.
The media have been aiding their efforts. In a new analysis, ThinkProgress has found that the five cable news networks — CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, Fox Business and CNBC — have hosted more Republican lawmakers to discuss the plan than Democrats by a 2 to 1 ratio this week:
In total, from 6 AM on Monday to 4 PM on Wednesday, the networks have hosted Republican lawmakers 51 times and Democratic lawmakers only 26 times. Surprisingly, Fox News came the closest to offering balance, hosting 8 Republicans and 6 Democrats. CNN had only two Democrats compared to 7 Republicans.
The drastically imbalanced coverage isn’t the first time that the news networks have effectively supported attacks on the recovery plans. As ThinkProgress reported on Monday, the cable networks, the Sunday shows and the network newscasts promoted a controversial CBO non-report 81 times before the actual CBO analysis of the stimulus plan was released.
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But, but the Liberal Media and all that….corporate news.
January 28th, 2009 at 6:52 pmThat has been a big complaint of mine in the past few weeks, which has not changed since the Inauguration.
January 28th, 2009 at 6:53 pmThanks, TP, for detailing this information. Now, get John Podesta to help regain balance.
Ha Ha, and we are still winning…..just think what it would be like if it was fair.
January 28th, 2009 at 6:54 pmThat must be because the media is so liberal.
And… and… and liberals are more concerned with balance… no that can’t be it…
Liberals in the media just want to hide their liberal bias… no, that doesn’t make sense either….
I GOT IT!
It’s because liberals are too STOOOPID to be on TV! The news channels only want smart people and only conservatives are SMART!
That’s gotta be it.
January 28th, 2009 at 6:55 pmWith the exception of Rachel and Keith every news show on cable has the addition of at least one more GOP shill per program: The “moderator”, or as I like to say, the “regurgitator”.
January 28th, 2009 at 6:57 pmMaybe we should push the so called “Fairness Doctrine”… If anything it would put the conservative’s panties in a bunch… And that I would love to see…
January 28th, 2009 at 7:02 pmWhile Dems have never been very sharp about promoting their point of view, another possible explanation is that since Republicans haven’t been proposing anything original (or productive), they’ve had plenty of time to sit on TV and fling poo.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:03 pmGreat work TP. I was worried it was just me.
Maybe Republicans are more fun to have on because they’re freaking insane. I mean, obstruction and complaining is easy and exciting, and makes for more interesting TV. Of course that doesn’t explain why they were on more when they were in power, but the fact is, they were more interesting then too, what with all their grandstanding about sex and howling about who to bomb next.
Seriously, if it’s your show, who’s going to bring a more rollicking good time – John Kerry droning on slowly about fiscal responsibility and zzzzz…. or some insane wingnut who cherry-picked the whole thing for one line item they could twist into the most bizarre fantasy from their wet dreams?
I mean, it’s not like cable news is “journalism” or anything.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:05 pmREPORT: GOP Lawmakers Outnumber Democratic Lawmakers 2 To 1 In Stimulus Debate On Cable News
…during the Bush administration, the media consistently allowed conservatives to dominate their shows, booking them as guests far more often than progressives.
Again, (and I’ll keep on correcting TP…) ‘democrat’ is most certainly not interchangeable with ‘progressive.’
January 28th, 2009 at 7:06 pm‘Progressives’ wouldn’t tolerate poof-tah majority leadershi(t) like Pelosi and Reid. Democrats do.
Cough, cough. That would be “die hard” not “die heard”. Just trying to help out.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:06 pmWTF?
Fox is the closest to being dare I say it…. balanced?
January 28th, 2009 at 7:07 pmIf this ratio changes in our favor the gop will be lost in the past….
January 28th, 2009 at 7:07 pmcoskibum Says:
I agree. The corporate owned media wouldn’t report anything bad on a republican if they were caught in bed with a live boy or a dead girl. The corporate ownership class is putting the screws to Obama to cater to their whims. Please President Obama, grow a pair. YOU are the president. Congress is overwhelmingly controlled by Democrats. If republicans don’t like it, tough! Force-feed it to them!
January 28th, 2009 at 7:07 pmThe goppers are the foundation of the corporate powers that be… corporate powers webbed into media, health care, big pharma, insurance, banking and especially defense…. and using the media to pull the wool over ones eye with influence of media while raking in the profits.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:09 pmso it was a shut out?
the dems were not ALLOWED on those shows?
why didn’t they scream and hollar and pitch a fit to GET OUT THE TRUTH ? !?! ?
WHERE ARE THE DEMS?!!?
January 28th, 2009 at 7:09 pmSeriously, if it’s your show, who’s going to bring a more rollicking good time – John Kerry droning on slowly about fiscal responsibility and zzzzz….
Dysfunction sells. Which character of Fast Times at Ridgemont High is most memorable, for example.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:10 pmmore like propagana, we all know the vested interest the media has in the gop or vice versa…….
January 28th, 2009 at 7:11 pmEvery time Michelle Bachmann is on TV or Ann Coulter, Billo (who recently got schooled by Jessica Alba) et. al.; it helps the progressive cause; so it’s not all bad to let them open their mouths & remove all doubt that they are indeed fools.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:13 pmthose producers who only invite repugs on the shows, if that is the case, are no better that the outspoken traitors rushannity…
January 28th, 2009 at 7:14 pmthey have no civic minded duty at all…
The MSM talking heads like dobbs in particlar are so disappointing, so discraceful, so transparent. That’s the way it is folks – it’s gonna get worse before they get better.
Get well dobbs, hannity, blitzer too.
They think they can continue to entertain us with the same stupid Republicans we all rejected.
If you want to get our attention MSM, talk about war crimes of the Republicans, not their whining about progress.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:14 pmElBruce Says:
I mean, it’s not like cable news is “journalism” or anything.
Just shorten it:
J-ism.
/Snerk!/
January 28th, 2009 at 7:16 pmYour fascist right-wing corporate media, ever goose-stepping along with the loser Republicans. Heck of a job, corporate media…
January 28th, 2009 at 7:20 pmbarack obomber
but we still won…..how do you explain that?
January 28th, 2009 at 7:20 pmWhat do you tell yourself bo bomber to be able to live with the fact that despite having the media in your pocket America elected a black man to be their president. How do you resolve that? Is everyone suddenly wrong?
January 28th, 2009 at 7:24 pmIn a Corporate State, corporate media ARE the State Media.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:27 pmBoy Fred, obomber looks tongue tied all of the sudden…
January 28th, 2009 at 7:27 pmThe 23%ers love to be wrong. It gives them more to lie about.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:28 pmI suppose barack obomber thinks the labor unions, the entertainment industry, education and all that other shit is leftist. Funny thing is I’d also bet they talk that shit about market forces and not see the hilarity…
January 28th, 2009 at 7:35 pmobomber — Afraid to answer the question??? I guess you have to consult those Talking Points Memos…
January 28th, 2009 at 7:36 pmSo when will Rush, Billo, Beck and Hannity start taking all the credit for leading the GOP and America into the valley of the shadow of death…but losing at it with Obama now in office?
But they have to make the stand in W’s name. Because that is what America didn’t vote for.
America didn’t vote for tax cuts for the rich, didn’t vote for obstructionists…but the GOP serves it up in spades now!
January 28th, 2009 at 7:37 pmWatching Dick Armey on Hardball…this GOP dismissive hyperbole turns my gut.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:41 pmKan I Has Preznit Libary, 2?
Details are just coming out about the features and attractions for George W. Bush presidential library. There’ll be a gift shop, a 5 star resaurant, an enhanced interrogation room and even a think tank.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:42 pmI’m not understanding how you think the media is right wing?
It’s not that they’re right-wing… it’s just that, well how to put this so you can understand??? I know, I’ll use Rush’s words… After years of the right-wings ‘gaming’ the ref. the MSM is now terrified to actually report the news and instead “bends over and grabs their ankles” for the right-wing…
So the media itself isn’t any more right-wing than the rest of the country, but they are getting f’ed up by the right-wing… just like the rest of the country…
(BTW that George Soros thing is so cute… you know, Rush gets a Chicken Wing every time a ditto-head mentions his name…)
January 28th, 2009 at 7:42 pmjurassicpork Says:
There’ll be a gift shop, a 5 star resaurant, an enhanced interrogation room and even a think tank.
I think you’re mixed up — There will be a Think Tank in the Enhanced Interrogation Room…
January 28th, 2009 at 7:46 pmEleven democrats are tired of their seats, apparently and joined the ‘wilted bush’ party against the stimulus:
Boyd
Bright
Cooper
Ellsworth
Griffith
Kanjorski
Kratovil
Minnick
Peterson
Shuler
Taylor
Who’s vulnerable?
January 28th, 2009 at 7:46 pmThen it should be easy for you to prove that it is wrong. Otherwise you just look like a fool. Your opinion of TP is irrelivant unless you can show reliable data to back up your bullshit. TP has done that.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:52 pmIt’s pretty sad when Fox News has the most even numbers as the chart shows.
They might as well just have interviewed one Republican and played the feedback loop over and over again. As someone who has been tuning periodically, I’ve got my remote handy ready to mute it everytime they march up another one.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:58 pmf#ck them. ,make them fillibuster, actually fillibuster, everything…thats all they can do now, other than hope and pray that dumbya screwed things up so badly that even obama cant fix it…which is probably not a bad bet on thier part..
January 28th, 2009 at 8:04 pmFox is only trying to play nice now, since they have lost their unique whitehouse access.
January 28th, 2009 at 8:15 pmHas Obama picked a new head of the FCC yet?
January 28th, 2009 at 8:17 pmI wouldnt give Fox News credit, they usually bring on patsies who couldnt argue their way out of a paper bag and they usually end up getting destroyed by the 4 GOP pundits they have to go up against
January 28th, 2009 at 8:19 pmANSWERING MY OWN QUESTION:
42 SKdeA Says:
Has Obama picked a new head of the FCC yet?
MICHAEL J. COPPS, Looks like he is a supporter of net neutrality and other nice things.
January 28th, 2009 at 8:24 pmProbably has his eye on this crap too…
I mentioned on a post earlier this morning and I and going to say it again…
Note to our new President’s Chief of Staff:
Rahm, get it together. If you can’t get your communications department working, can’t get Dem TV & Radio talking heads who are actually prepared to deal with Republican junk yard dog obstructionists and can’t get this Presidents message equal time – then get someone who can. There is too much riding on this.
January 28th, 2009 at 8:26 pmNot only is there disparity in the number of conservative guests vs. progressive, all too often [yes, Wolfie, I'm talkin' about you] the host feels it’s necessary to chime in to further the conservative spin.
January 28th, 2009 at 8:46 pmEvidently, Republican talking heads find it easy to speak in the media, because they don’t have to be troubled with facts. Boehner claims the GOP stimulus plan will create 6 million jobs and it is ALL tax cuts. And many of them use the Office of Budget and Management report on Obama’s stimulus’s effect, when the report has not been issued. It does not exist. We have grown to hold Dems to the the truth, and are critical when they mess up. For the Republicans, not so much. That is just their way.
January 28th, 2009 at 8:49 pmI’m sorry but until I see evidence that congressional Democrats are actually interested in taking to the airwaves in support of their views as much as their opponents, I can’t blame this all on the media. Republicans have never been afraid of the media while I certainly can’t say the same thing about Democrats, furthermore, when they are on the teevee, they can’t even forcefully push their views.
Democrats need to not only get out there but they need to learn to say the right things!
January 28th, 2009 at 8:51 pmSo, if Faux :kills in the ratings” and yet the broadcast networks kick Faux’s ass every weeknight with their news shows (2 million for Faux compared to over 5 million for CBS,the least-watched network newscast) and the rest of the media besides Faux is “liberal” then I guess by your own standards, most of the people want their news with a “liberal” bias.
The market has spoken,
Interesting calculus here. Twice as many conservative legislators as liberal ones means that it’s “starting to be the other way around”. I wonder what our friend the Bomber thinks the landscape should look like when that “turnaround” is complete.
Four to one?
I guess when you’re message is as weak and unpalatable for most of America as the Republicans’ message is, it’s only fair that you get the chance to shout more loudly and more often
Is that what you meant to say, Mr. Bomber?
January 28th, 2009 at 8:58 pmbarack obomber Says:
what a piece of comic relief. Every news channel with the exception has been in the democrat toilet for decades…
_________
This is just flat out silly hyperbole.
_________
Thats why fox kills all in ratings, because people can’t stand the regurgitation of doom and gloom.
_________
As someone else just pointed out, Fox’s numbers don’t even come close to the big free channels’. Simply a fact.
__________
I guess it starting to be the other way around however, I hope we don’t whine too much about every move.
Rush’s ENTIRE career is built on being a victim. Have you ever actually LISTENED to what he says?
January 28th, 2009 at 9:25 pmAnswer to Katy’s question, “Where are the Dems?”
They’re governing.
It’s a blue state nation now, & the only person polite enough to listen to those blowhards is the President.
The Constant Weader at http://www.RealityChex.com
January 28th, 2009 at 9:32 pmthe most important thing to Americans getting the truthful, educated information they need to be effective citizens of democracy is to breakup Big Media. It is critical that this occur and that it occur soon. The serious troubles we have can not be solved with Big Media continuing to stack the deck against the solutions we need.
January 28th, 2009 at 9:32 pmThe all-out GOP campaign to embarrass Obama is only just beginning
January 28th, 2009 at 9:35 pmwell, they do like to hear themselves talk… and it beats having to do any actual work.
January 28th, 2009 at 10:05 pmDaytime cable news is just about working the refs. The Dems have stuff to do. The House GOP, not so much. Yes, it would be nice to have some strong rebuttal, but MSNBC and CNN are not Congress, and it’s easy to over-estimate the importance of the daytime political soap histrionics, given that the only people watching are political junkies.
The problem is that some of them are the people who write up the stories for the evening news or the next day’s paper, who will write about what they see on cable instead of reporting the actual news.
January 28th, 2009 at 10:26 pmGee, you’d think that news programs were owned by large multi-national corporations that had a vested interest in the republican viewpoint….oh, wait….
January 28th, 2009 at 10:32 pm60th Street Says:
… Democrats, furthermore, when they are on the teevee, they can’t even forcefully push their views.
today randi rhodes talked with Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-MD,
who is making the rounds promoting his petition denouncing limpball… heard him on ed also (dccc.gov/rush)
it was rather pathetic, and she had a hard time being nice to him… actually had to prompt him for information and discussion… all he had was lame talking points…
after the break she explained how pissed off and insulted she was to be talked to in talking points…
he got schooled… but politely…
as did rachel’s goper guest tonight… now, THAT was fun to watch…
January 28th, 2009 at 10:41 pmAlso reminds me of a Will Rogers quote that I’ll just paraphase:
When asked to take part in a debate,
Will Rogers said “Sure! As long as I get the Negative side.”
Debate coordinator said: “But you don’t even know the topic.”
Will Rogers: ” Don’t matter. The negative side doesn’t need any preparation.”
Doesn’t this just sum up the republicans?
January 28th, 2009 at 10:42 pm.
There goes that Librul media again.
.
January 29th, 2009 at 12:32 amDespite–or perhaps because of–the obvious “liberal media” bias toward Repugs, Democrats WON. Repugs are some of our strongest weapons, albeit completely unintentionally.
January 29th, 2009 at 1:30 amRalph the Wonder Llama says: I GOT IT!
It’s because liberals are too STOOOPID to be on TV! The news channels only want smart people and only conservatives are SMART!
That’s gotta be it.
Just passed half a bowl of frijoles through my nose when I read this.
January 29th, 2009 at 1:33 amAfter watching these numbnuts on TV tonight, I think this might be why we are winning.
January 29th, 2009 at 4:25 ambarack obomber Says:
Look at this blog tp funded by george soros deep pockets and all of his other liberal machines.
you are a hypocrite if you do not have the same problem you have with Soros concerning Richard Mellon-Scaife funding right-wing think tanks and legal groups with his money…
January 29th, 2009 at 6:21 amThe reason for the disparity is that the Democrats were busy working, earning their tax payers money so they didn’t have time to appear on cable news while the Republicans were goofing off as usual. Remember how they whined when they were first told that the work week begins Monday morning and ends on Friday afternoon?
January 29th, 2009 at 8:50 amYou are wasting your breath. All wingnuts understand that they are to disavow any knowledge of the existance of Richard Mellon Scaife. Like Beelzebub, his name is not to be uttered by the right-wing extremist rabble. The blackout on his name is honored by the entire news media including his own newspaper, the Pittsburg News-Gazette, and his magazine, American Prospect, which was the main propaganda organ in the persecution of Bill Clinton.
January 29th, 2009 at 10:11 amApe-Man Says:
If you want to get our attention MSM, talk about war crimes of the Republicans, not their whining about progress.
That would be a sexy lead in. Seriously, war crimes would be a ratings grabber. They should really be looking in to that.
.
barack obomber Says:
what a piece of comic relief. Every news channel with the exception has been in the democrat toilet for decades…
No, they haven’t. See that thingy above with the blue and red bars? No, it’s not a picture of a city, that’s a representation of data. Data is made by counting facts. See the poop dribbling out of your crusty cake-hole? That’s opinion.
Now pay close attention: data beats opinion. It doesn’t matter how much opinion you have, how loudly you say it, whether you use caps, how many of your friends agree with you or if you cap it off with a hearty “LMAO” or “ROTFL.” Data still turns you over its knee and spanks you. The “liberal media” claim was nothing more than oft-repeated opinion, and was never supported by hard data.
.
jurassicpork Says:
Details are just coming out about the features and attractions for George W. Bush presidential library. There’ll be a gift shop, a 5 star resaurant, an enhanced interrogation room and even a think tank.
Make it a dunk tank and I’m there!
January 29th, 2009 at 11:44 ambarack obomber Says:
You are a liar and a fool and an ignorant loaf. Why do trolls like you even exist? Why are you so pathetic. Didnt you get any love from your mommy? Now you have to look for attention by trolling decent websites seeing just how stupid you can be? Have some self respect. I miss the days when even morons like you were ASHAMED to be so stupid instead of parading thier ignorance so proudly and hoping for a cookie.
January 29th, 2009 at 12:02 pmSorry. the excuse that
was bullshit misdirection to cover corporate media’s collusion in the destruction of America.
January 29th, 2009 at 4:51 pmIf you think that the MSM cares about the people of the US, your are crazy!!!
Prime example; John Conyers submitted a bill this past week ( HR676) into the house….not one MSM covered it.
What is HR676 ? It’s the bill that would give every American UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE!!! Not one news orginization reported the story. WHY ????? With 48 million without health care, wouldn’t you think that introducting a bill for UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE WOULD BE NEWS.
Please tell me how the MSM is helping the American people?????
January 30th, 2009 at 1:51 pmBRING BACK THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE….NOW!!!
January 30th, 2009 at 1:52 pmWho watches that boring programming anyway? Old people? Invalids? Shut ins?
People who have a life watch one, maybe two shows, Olbermann and Maddow of course.
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January 30th, 2009 at 5:06 pmOf course they do because most of the cable outlets are owned by Conservatives. If Obama doesn’t do something to break up the media consolidation that has occurred in the last 8 years, things are only going to get worse.
January 30th, 2009 at 8:30 pmSurprisingly, Fox News came the closest to offering balance
This is not surprising to someone that actually watches the news portion of Fox News as opposed to just Hanitty and O’Reilly.
January 30th, 2009 at 11:49 pmI knew an ignorant 1st amendment hater would cry for the fairness doctrine. Let’s really think about this, these networks probably tried to interview the progressives. Maybe the left has a hard time defending their 819 billion dollar “stimulus” packages. It is full of ideological, bloated spending that doesn’t even stimulate the economy! Just take a look at where all of this money actually goes. Though it may line up with your beliefs, ask yourself it really stimulates the economy.
January 30th, 2009 at 11:49 pmWho cares if it’s Democrat or Republican, the “bailout” is trash we can’t afford!
You can’t spend your way out of debt!
My thoughts are the Democrats don’t WANT to talk about it becuase they know it’s garbage, and this way they can sit back and whine.
I had a discussion with 16 of my co-workers…only 1 of them actually knew what the bailout contained. Once they did know, they were upset!
And yes, we are all African American, it’s about politics and lies, not race.
January 31st, 2009 at 7:32 amWell good! it wasn’t just me. I thought the the coverage has been kind of tilted. Turns out the media is in the pocket of the ruin America crowd. Can Obama fix it all? It is a steep slope. Mainstream media in the US is a disgrace but we’ve known that since the 2000 election and the run up to Iraq.
Both of these bailouts are a swindle the size of crime of the century proportions. This is what you get with a thoroughly corrupt congress. Every one of those sh_theads should be given the Blago treatment.
January 31st, 2009 at 10:21 amWell good..
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