Media Maters, MSNBC and the Counter-Narrative

Media Matters carries out this most important role as counter narrative to the right wing Republican’s shaping of the world. On the tube, MSNBC is waging that battle.

For 30 years, right wing conservatives, white nationalists actually, have dominated on how America is to be defined. They lost the election, resoundingly. Being the dominant force for so long on what passes for ideas and policies, the “Reagan Revolution” is refusing to go peacefully. Conservatism is well institutionalized when it comes to knowledge production. The dominant “think tanks” are the Heritage Foundation, American Enterprise Institute, the Hudson Institute and CATO, the list goes on.

On top of that there is Fox News with its 24 hour disparaging of what it means to be liberal or honest for that matter. Being anti-Obama is central to their mission. Fox Noise, when it comes to race, never misses an opportunity to distort the facts.

In the face of such institutionalized white nationalism, Media Matters is to be commended for waging the struggle. Media Matters is exposing the liars on the right. Likewise, MSNBC with Ed Schultz, Keith Obermann and Rachael Maddow, present a world view that serves the common good. Even in comedy, John Stewart has really rattled the cages when it comes to incompetence, lying, and corruption. Hooray to all of for doing the battle that needs to be fought when it comes to raising the bar when it comes to public discourse. RGN


Media Matters: Press should take finger off button in "nuclear option" health care coverage

Media conservatives aren't content to merely misinform regarding the content of progressive health insurance reform legislation. They want to misinform about the legislative process used to pass that legislation, too. Just think of it: Death panels passed using a nuclear option. What American could support that?

In recent days, talk of Senate Democrats using the budget reconciliation process to pass health care reform legislation has grown. According to Senate rules, bills advanced through the process can't be filibustered, and so the 60-vote threshold that must be met to defeat a filibuster would not apply. Republicans used reconciliation in exactly this way during the Bush years to pass tax cuts in 2001, 2003, and 2005. Senate Republicans also used the reconciliation process to pass a bill permitting oil drilling the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (The final version of that bill signed by Bush did not contain the provision on drilling.) So long as the legislation in question impacts the budget, doing so is within regular Senate order.

For the full story: http://mediamatters.org/columns/200908210053