Obama, Dems Catch Flak From MSNBC

Left-leaning networks not afraid to hammer prez for moving right

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 16, 2009 8:48 AM CST

(Newser) – Forget Fox News, Barack Obama is catching just as much grief from MSNBC, as the network’s liberal hosts hammer Democrats for drifting right. Rachel Maddow, for example, spent most of last week lambasting House Democrats over the anti-abortion Stupak amendment, calling it an “electoral defeat,” and contemplating the consequences for Democrats “if they don’t get women, or anybody else who’s pro-choice to ever vote for them again.”

“I don’t think our audience is looking for unequivocal ‘rah-rah,’” Maddow tells the New York Times. She’s also lambasted Obama for not following through on his promise to end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, while Keith Olbermann has angrily demanded that he prosecute Bush officials responsible for torture. But the White House if anything seems to approve of the criticism, saying that Maddow and Olbermann are “progressive but not partisan,” contrasting them with Fox News’ hosts.

[Images (1)]

[Videos (1)]

Rachel Maddow attends the NBC Universal portion of the 2009 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour in this file photo. (Getty Images)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Maddow blasts conservative Democrats over the Stupak amendment. (msnbc)

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Getty Images

White Grandfather Cuffed for Walking With Black Granddaughter (NewsOne)

Man in Mugshot Explains Why He Has Half a Head (HuffPost)

These Exes Were Spotted Making Out … and That's a Bad Thing (Bleacher Report)

Help! I'm Having an Incestuous Relationship With My Twin (Slate)

Proof that Twitter Users are Sexier Than Facebook Users? (GeekSugar)

Partner Links

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

Showing 3 of 37 comments

Derni

Nov 17, 2009 12:49 PM CST

It must be difficult being President..you have so many people screaming"w=I'm right! Do it my way!" "No we're right do it our way!" Compromise sucks sometimes but itys the only way thinks happen..its a beginning..especially for those that have very little in life

Yourself

Nov 17, 2009 4:23 AM CST

@snowleopard , PBS is closest in america. BBC isn't american, and yes, they're pretty well neutral. CNN tries too hard to be neutral, to the point that it's painfully dull to watch cause they're afraid to bring any sort of facts against either side or against anyone.

cunomor

Nov 17, 2009 3:05 AM CST

"I am not exactly sure who this Maddow guy is but, my lord, is he ugly??" You can get voted down all day long, man, but that's still funny.

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds Major Cash Inside

Study Finds Arsenic in Baby Formula, Cereal Bars

New York Times (Source Grid »)

Politics • Health • Media

Barack Obama • abortion • MSNBC • Keith Olbermann • health care reform • Rachel Maddow • left wing • Stupak-Pitts

More Newser Stories

Meet the Radio Preacher Who Backs Bachmann

But she keeps him at arm's length

(NEWSER) - Drug-addled-rocker-cum-evangelical-radio-host Bradlee Dean has won many conservative fans, the New York Times reports. One is apparently Michele Bachmann. She has spoken on Dean's show, but keeps the connection low-profile—perhaps because Dean has commented on executing gays, and says President Obama has done more harm to America than Osama bin Laden. Still, Dean has proven his political allegiance by suing NBC, MSNBC, Rachel Maddow, and others for "willfully and maliciously" harming Bachmann's campaign. More»

GOPs' Next Big Push: Abortion

The 'No Tax-Payer Funding for Abortion Act' gets HR3 stamp

(NEWSER) - House Republicans unveiled their next major legislative push yesterday: the No Tax-Payer Funding for Abortion Act, which, as its name implies, would ban federal funding of abortion. It would essentially make permanent the Hyde Amendment, which does the same thing but must be renewed each year. They introduced that legislation alongside the Protect Act, which would specifically ban abortion funding under the health care reform law. More»

Glenn Beck Audience Plunges 30%

Bloom is off the mouth, but Fox still sitting pretty

(NEWSER) - Glenn Beck's TV audience has plunged nearly 30% since the beginning of the year—but his Fox News home is still sitting comfortably on top of the ratings heap. Beck's continued viewership slippage was revealed in the latest audience figures on cable news operations. Fox News averaged some 1.9 million viewers in April, which beat the combined audiences of MSNBC, CNN and HLN. Fox has now led its rivals for 100 months running. And while Beck has lost some 800,000 viewers since the start of the year, he still boasts 2.1 million watchers and leads cable programs in his 5 pm slot. More»

Stupak Abortion 'Compromise' a Lie

Democrats resorted to political flim-flam to pass health care bill

(NEWSER) - Bart Stupak tried to be a hero for social conservatives everywhere in the health care debate, but when “all the power of the moment was in his frail human hands, he dropped the baby,” writes Kathleen Parker of the Washington Post . The deal Stupak struck with Barack Obama was a pure deception—Obama can revoke his executive order at any time, and even if he doesn’t it’s totally unenforceable. More»

Stupak Ready to Vote Against Health Care Bill

Unless Senate's abortion language is changed, he's out

(NEWSER) - Bart Stupak, of “Stupak Amendment” fame, is ready to make a stink about abortion in the health care bill again. As the House moves to vote on the Senate’s version of the health care bill, Stupak says he can’t accept the abortion language in the bill. “If you go to page 2069 through page 2078, you would find in there the federal government would directly subsidize abortions,” he told ABC today. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Obama, Dems Catch Flak From MSNBC