Media Matters - Alex Witt

Media Matters - Alex Witt http://mediamatters.org/tools/syndication/tag_rss/alex_witt This link is for use by RSS-enabled software to retrieve Media Matters items matching the term: Alex Witt en-US Copyright 2009, Media Matters for America MSNBC's Witt failed to challenge GOP strategist Baird's smears of Obama camp, Frank http://mediamatters.org/items/200812210003 MSNBC's Alex Witt failed to challenge Republican strategist Tripp Baird's claim that President-elect Barack Obama's team had "something to do with" a "corruption" scandal involving Gov. Rod Blagojevich, even though there are no allegations of wrongdoing against Obama or his staff contained in the criminal complaint against Blagojevich. Further, Witt did not challenge Baird's false claim that Rep. Barney Frank "ran a male prostitute ring out of his basement." http://mediamatters.org/items/200812210003 Sun, 21 Dec 2008 16:44:13 EST MSNBC, CNN anchors baselessly suggested Obama is prematurely "measuring the drapes" for the White House http://mediamatters.org/items/200810180005 MSNBC's Alex Witt and CNN's T.J. Holmes each suggested that Sen. Barack Obama is prematurely "measuring the drapes" for the White House. In fact, Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, and Jimmy Carter all planned for a White House transition months before the election, and Sen. John McCain has also reportedly made transition plans. http://mediamatters.org/items/200810180005 Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:17:14 EST MSNBC's Witt falsely suggested Obama concealed Ayers event when referring to Ayers as "a guy who lives in my neighborhood" http://mediamatters.org/items/200810090020 MSNBC's Alex Witt falsely suggested that Sen. Barack Obama concealed the fact that William Ayers hosted an event for him when he referred to Ayers as "a guy who lives in my neighborhood" during an April Democratic primary debate. In fact, in those remarks, Obama was responding to a question about the "organizing meeting" that Ayers hosted for him, and did not deny that the event took place. http://mediamatters.org/items/200810090020 Thu, 9 Oct 2008 19:31:55 EST MSNBC's Witt did not challenge RNC official's mischaracterization of NY Times article on Obama and Ayers http://mediamatters.org/items/200810040006 On MSNBC Live, RNC press secretary Alex Conant claimed that "The New York Times today has a 2,000-word story about Barack Obama's friendship with an unrepentant terrorist." However, Alex Witt did not challenge Conant's claim that the article was about their "friendship" by pointing out that the Times in fact reported that Obama and Ayers "do not appear to have been close." http://mediamatters.org/items/200810040006 Sat, 4 Oct 2008 18:07:48 EST Scarborough did not challenge McCain's false claim that Eisenhower wrote a "letter of resignation" before D-Day http://mediamatters.org/items/200810030018 On Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough did not challenge Sen. John McCain's false assertion that Gen. Dwight Eisenhower wrote "a letter of resignation from the Army" in case the D-Day invasion failed, a claim that McCain also made during the September 26 presidential debate. http://mediamatters.org/items/200810030018 Fri, 3 Oct 2008 15:46:31 EST Media have repeatedly asserted Palin faces "low" or "lowered" expectations in debate, despite praise of her debate skills http://mediamatters.org/items/200810010015 Several media figures have asserted that Gov. Sarah Palin faces "low" or "lowered" expectations in the upcoming vice-presidential debate and that she therefore faces a lower bar for victory than Sen. Joe Biden. They have made these assertions despite criticism by at least one member of the media over the media's setting of a lower bar for Palin and despite praise of her performance in the Alaska gubernatorial debate by others in the media and by McCain campaign surrogate Mitt Romney. http://mediamatters.org/items/200810010015 Wed, 1 Oct 2008 16:49:52 EST After NBC political director discredited it, MSNBC uncritically ran McCain campaign ad attacking Obama http://mediamatters.org/items/200809120014 After Alex Witt aired a new McCain campaign ad on MSNBC Live that suggests the Obama campaign is being "disrespectful" to Gov. Sarah Palin, neither Witt nor NBC News deputy political director Mark Murray gave any indication that the ad contains several distortions or that, an hour earlier, Chuck Todd had said that the ad "takes some words out of context." http://mediamatters.org/items/200809120014 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:18:36 EST Ignoring key facts, MSNBC's Witt agreed with Freddoso that Obama's opponents in 1996 race were disqualified on a "technicality" http://mediamatters.org/items/200808060012 During an interview with David Freddoso, MSNBC's Alex Witt baselessly adopted a word Freddoso used to describe how Sen. Barack Obama challenged his opponents' qualifications for appearing on the ballot of the 1996 Illinois state Senate Democratic primary for the 13th district, saying that Obama's opponents were disqualified on a "technicality." In fact, one of Obama's opponents in that 1996 race reportedly admitted that he "now suspects" some of the signatures his campaign collected were forged, while another reportedly had some of her signatures disqualified because they were from voters who lived outside the 13th district -- facts Witt did not raise during the interview. http://mediamatters.org/items/200808060012 Wed, 6 Aug 2008 19:18:35 EST MSNBC's Witt aired McCain ad without noting misleading claims about visiting wounded troops, Afghanistan hearings, military funding http://mediamatters.org/items/200807270003 On MSNBC Live, Alex Witt aired an ad from Sen. John McCain asserting that Sen. Barack Obama "made time to go to the gym, but canceled a visit with wounded troops. Seems the Pentagon wouldn't allow him to bring cameras." But in neither segment did Witt or her guests note that Obama reportedly previously visited wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center without the media, or that although Obama decided not to visit Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, he reportedly made phone calls to wounded soldiers there. Nor did they challenge any of the other misleading claims in the ad. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807270003 Sun, 27 Jul 2008 17:40:14 EST MSNBC uncritically aired McCain campaign's criticism of Obama for reportedly setting up transition team months before the election -- but Bush did so http://mediamatters.org/items/200807240009 On MSNBC Live, Alex Witt reported on a statement by Sen. John McCain's campaign criticizing Sen. Barack Obama for reportedly having "already set up a White House transition team." Witt did not challenge the suggestion that it is unusual or inappropriate for a presumptive nominee to plan for a presidential transition; indeed then-Gov. George W. Bush did in the summer of 2000. Nor did Witt note that Bush-Cheney transition director Clay Johnson said at the time that it would be "irresponsible not to be doing this." http://mediamatters.org/items/200807240009 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:20:05 EST MSNBC's Witt did not note McCain falsehoods in Anbar statement or in later campaign statement purporting to defend it http://mediamatters.org/items/200807230008 On MSNBC Live, Alex Witt uncritically repeated a statement by McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds defending a false statement by Sen. John McCain made the previous day during an interview with CBS, the video clip of which CBS edited to expunge the falsehood. But Witt did not note that Bounds inaccurately represented McCain's original statement or that McCain's statement was itself false. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807230008 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:35:43 EST "It has come to this": In two separate segments, MSNBC highlights Hillary Clinton's new hairdo http://mediamatters.org/items/200807160005 Two segments on MSNBC Live referenced Sen. Hillary Clinton's new hairdo, with one of the segments featuring a discussion "[l]ive from Capitol Hill" with MSNBC congressional correspondent Mike Viqueira, who said, "I'm not really crazy about standing here talking about a senator's hair, especially Senator Clinton's hair, but I'll just say this: When it comes to senatorial hair, she's way ahead of the game." http://mediamatters.org/items/200807160005 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:38:18 EST MSNBC on-screen text falsely suggested Republicans wanted to pass Fair Pay Act http://mediamatters.org/items/200804230010 On MSNBC Live, as host Alex Witt reported on a press conference held by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, on-screen text read: "GOP leaders criticize Dems for delaying vote on Fair Pay Act," falsely suggesting that Republicans wanted to pass the measure. At no point in the coverage of McConnell's press conference did Witt or MSNBC in its on-screen text explain that the Republicans planned to filibuster the bill. http://mediamatters.org/items/200804230010 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:05:21 EST MSNBC's Witt asked Huckabee about Hagee's endorsement of McCain, but did not report Hagee's controversial comments http://mediamatters.org/items/200802290008 In an interview with Mike Huckabee, MSNBC's Alex Witt identified televangelist John Hagee, who has endorsed Sen. John McCain for president, only as an "evangelist" who is "based in San Antonio," and did not note Hagee's numerous controversial statements on such topics as homosexuality, Islam, Catholicism, and women. http://mediamatters.org/items/200802290008 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:24:45 EST MSNBC's Robach, Witt aired McCain ad attacking "Woodstock Concert Museum" earmark, but didn't note his missed vote http://mediamatters.org/items/200801170008 On MSNBC Live, Amy Robach and Alex Witt separately aired a campaign ad from Republican presidential candidate John McCain attacking Sen. Hillary Clinton's support for a $1 million earmark for a museum at the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival in New York. But Robach, Witt, NBC News White House correspondent Kelly O'Donnell and Congressional Quarterly's Jonathan Allen all failed to note that McCain had skipped the vote on removing the earmark. Robach and Witt also falsely referred to the advertisement as "new." http://mediamatters.org/items/200801170008 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:33:21 EST