In a May 21 interview with anti-abortion activist Lila Rose, the Media Research Center's Katie Yoder lets Rose uncritically spout her anti-abortion rhetoric without asking her about her history of deceptive "stings" of abortion providers.

Rose's Live Action group has engaged in entrapment "stings" designed to slime abortion providers by manufacturing evidence that Planned Parenthood facilitates gender-based abortion -- despite the fact that it does not occur with any regularity in the United States, as the vast majority of abortions are performed before gender is detectable, and the gender birth ratio in America is close to even.

Rose's declared goal is to take down Planned Parenthood, and she's using lies and deception to do it -- really, just about everything short of violence, and even that may be in her future given how fanatical she is. Apparently, Yoder is OK with that.

Posted by Terry K. at 8:08 PM EDT

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It wouldn't be Les Kinsolving if he wasn't being a vile homophobe, and he delivers in spades ion his May 27 WorldNetDaily column:

Something to offend everybody.

That is what 60 percent of 1,400 Boy Scouts of America did at their national meeting in Grapevine, Texas, on May 13.

This 60 percent actually approved a measure that said no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts “on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.”

Can you believe this?

Believe it – and realize that this statement inevitably proclaims that the Boy Scouts will not reject any boy who has engaged in coprophilia, pedophilia, bestiality or any of the many other alternative sexual orientations.

Well, no, it doesn't, except in Kinsolving's twisted little brain. Not to mention the utter illogic of declaring an underage teen who has sex with another underage teen a "pedophile."

And how is that Kinsolving is so knowledgable on bestiality and coprophilia, anyway? He sure talks about it a lot.

Posted by Terry K. at 2:47 PM EDT

Updated: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 2:48 PM EDT

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Ronald Kessler may be gone from Newsmax, but his dream of having Donald Trump as president lives on there.

Newsmax devotes an entire May 27 article by Audrey Hudson to how Trump "has spent $1 million for research to determine his political standing in specific states" as part of "testing the waters for a possible 2016 presidential run ."

No mention, of course, of  Trump's rampant anti-Obama birtherism, or the fact that Trump burned Newsmax by bailing out on Republican presidential debate they planned to jointly host after most of the candidates refused to take part.

Posted by Terry K. at 11:59 AM EDT

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Joseph Farah has a hissy fit over the IRS in his May 27 WorldNetDaily column:

I’ve never been a tax protester, because I knew that because of my profile, the IRS would love to make an example of me. I’ve never tried to “cheat” the IRS out of a dime it claimed I owed. I decided long ago I would fight in the arena of public opinion rather than in a street fight with people better armed than I.

But I drew a line in the sand on the 2011 audit. I have refused to pay the money the IRS claims I owe. And I will continue to avoid paying it unless and until I am faced with jail or a firing squad. And here’s why …

Most of my deductions were for books I purchased as part of my professional work. Yes, I buy a lot of books. It’s just the nature of what I do as an author, as a speaker, as a commentator and as a journalist. I offered receipts for all of these purchases that included the dates each book was bought, the amount paid and the company (Amazon) I bought them from.

The one thing I omitted were the titles.

I didn’t think it was any of the IRS’ business what I read. I still don’t. But the IRS made it clear that without my providing this additional information, the deductions would be disallowed.

And that’s where the standoff remains today.

To me, it’s bad enough that the IRS has the power to see all my personal financial information. I just don’t think it legitimately has the power to force me to reveal what I read in the privacy of my own home. Does that make sense?

Unfortunately, it did not make sense to the politically motivated auditors at the IRS. Why should it? It was because of my opinions, my writings, my work as a publisher and author that I was targeted in the first place.

To me, it is a double outrage that I would be coerced by monetary penalty to reveal to the IRS the subject matter of what I read.

But, my personal plight just got even more complicated thanks to the Obama administration’s abuse of the IRS – and, I suspect, I am hardly alone given the growing list of victims.

Because of the revision of my 2009 return and the IRS claim that I owe an additional $8,000, the Virginia Department of Taxation just notified me that I owe my home state more, too.

Let's look at Farah's claim a little closer.

Because he could not deduct the cost of the books and other items he bought as a business expense, he says he was ordered to pay an additional $8,000 in federal taxes. Farah doesn't say how much, if any, of that is penalties, but just for the sake of argument let's say that half of it is. And since he said that "most" of those expenses were for books, let's say that three-fourths of it was for books.

That would mean $3,000 in taxes due. With an additional reasonable assumption that Farah is at least in the 25 percent tax bracket, that would mean Farah is claiming a whopping $12,000 in deductible book expenses in 2009. Did Farah really think that would not raise red flags at the IRS?

Given that, the IRS has a sound rationale for asking for the titles of the books Farah bought. After all, Farah might be trying to sneak some recreational reading in there to pad his deductions (fiction, crossword puzzles, etc.), or he may be buying multiple copies of a book he published or wrote for the sole purpose of goosing its sales numbers at Amazon. After all, he wouldn't have to purchase WND Books titles through Amazon since he owns the company and can presumably get them through other means.

It certainly looks like the IRS is acting reasonably by requesting the titles of the books Farah is claiming as business deductions. Given Farah's propensity for lying, there's no reason to take his word for anything.

(h/t reader L.C. for the theoretical numbers.)

Posted by Terry K. at 8:55 AM EDT

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CNSNews.com's unnatural obsession with the federal government spending money on LGBT issues continues with a May 23 article by Fred Lucas lamenting that "The National Institutes of Health issued a $536,526 grant to the University of Illinois, Chicago, for a two-year program ending in July to study the smoking cessation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population."

This reflects CNS' apparent view that any federal money spent on LGBT issues is a "waste."

Posted by Terry K. at 10:49 PM EDT

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A May 25 WorldNetDaily "news" article by Jerome Corsi is little more than a promotion for the documentary "Hating Breitbart." Corsi gives film producer Andrew Marcus ample opportunity to lionize Andrew Breitbart, even revealing Breitbart's promotional strategy for the film had he lived.

After highlighting "one of the best sequences in the documentary," then rehashed claims that Breitbart may have been the victim of "foul play," as promoted by such sketchy folks as " private investigator Paul Huebl" (pictured right). Corsi does add, "WND was never able to locate other witnesses who reportedly claimed that in the days leading up to his death, Breitbart was particularly paranoid that he was being followed."

Corsi concludes by doing his promotional duty of informing readers where to find the film.

How much did Marcus and the Breitbart folks pay Corsi and WND for this prestigious placement?

Posted by Terry K. at 7:43 PM EDT

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The Media Research Center has long been a proponent of what we call Heathering -- the bullying of Republicans who they deem insufficiently loyal to the right-wing party line.

The Media Research Center's Tim Graham takes Heathering to the next level in a May 24 NewsBusters post, actually calling former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele a "backstabber" for daring to criticize far-right Virginia lieutenant governor candidate Rev. E.W. Jackson:

How does Steele sound any different than Rev. Al Sharpton in this quote package? How does Steele reconcile the idea of electing more black Republicans and diversifying the party by dumping on this nominee? At least Jackson was elected.

How does the former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland forget that he was merely selected, and was considered too socially conservative to win black voters in 2002? The Washington Post then found Steele saying he was pro-life and pro-death penalty, unlike his running mate Bob Ehrlich: "It's part of my religious upbringing," Steele said. "I will follow the next governor. I will argue my beliefs when asked."

Apparently, Steele threw out his religious upbringing when he started attending the same cable-news Church of Obama as Rev. Sharpton. The Post is enjoying these quotes too much to point out that Steele’s personal election record has two statewide losses and one win.

Needless to say, Graham is careful not to mention the details of Jackson's extreme views, nor does he provide any evidence that Steele ever held those very same views. And lost in Graham's attack on Steele's "personal election record" is the fact that it was under Steele that the GOP did so well in the 2010 midterm elections, while the Republicans under current chairman Reince Priebus did horrible in the 2012 elections -- and, unlike Steele, kept his job.

Posted by Terry K. at 11:22 AM EDT

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We've detailed WorldNetDaily's stealth links to alleged cult figure Roy Masters. But that's not the only religious organization WND has ties with.

The Koinonia Institute portrays itself as something of a Christian think tank, claiming to be "dedicated to training and equipping the serious Christian to sojourn in today’s world." It's headed by Chuck Missler, an evangelist who uses a jar of peanut butter to attempt to disprove evolution. Missler also got busted for plagiarism in a book a co-wrote with Hal Lindsey.

So Koinonia appears to push a heavily fundamentalist, if not ultra-orthodox, version of Christianity -- perhaps unsurprising given its position that the Bible is "the inerrant Word of God." But another sign of Koinonia's extremism is its board of regents.

Two names jump out immediately: Joseph Farah and Jerome Corsi. That's right  -- two of the most dishonest writers on the planet are on the Koinonia board. Koinonia also sells lectures by Farah and Corsi, among others, on its website; Corsi's is called "Obama and the Deception," which doesn't strike us as advancing Christian theology.

But Farah and Corsi are only a couple of the extremist or questionable members of Koinonia's board of regents:

• Walid Shoebat, who has been credibly accused of lying about his self-proclaimed past as a Palestinian terrorist.
• Ergun Caner, who was forced out as dean of Liberty University's Baptist Theological Seminary after it was revealed he had made false statements about his past.
• Pat Matrisciana, best known for making "The Clinton Chronicles," the Jerry Falwell-promoted film accusing (without evidence) President Clinton of various and sundry crimes and perpetuating the discredited "Clinton body count."
• Alan Keyes, all-around crazy guy (and WND columnist).
• Tom Horn, promoter of a dubious theory (also promoted by WND, of course) that Pope Francis will be the "final pope."

Are these really the folks you want "training and equipping the serious Christian to sojourn in today’s world"? It seems more like a rogue's gallery of charlatans and liars promoting questionable brands of Christianity. If Farah and Corsi can't be trusted in their day jobs, doesn't that dishonesty taint whatever Koinonia is trying to do?

Posted by Terry K. at 9:13 AM EDT

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John Williams devoted an entire May 25 NewsBusters post to complaining that NPR's media show "On the Media" dared to mock Glenn Beck and his "news" website, The Blaze. Williams whined that the host "found himself unable to maintain a professional tone, devolving into contemptuous name-calling (“crazy,” “vast conspiracies”), laughing and sneering.

Which raises the questions: Has Williams never listened to Beck or read The Blaze, which is dedicated in part to repeating what Beck says?

Did Williams miss Beck's ranting that an airport shooting in Houston was probably a "setup" like the Reichstag fire?

Did Williams miss Beck and The Blaze promoting the discredited story that a Saudi national who was briefly a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings but ultimately cleared really was involved somehow?

Did Williams somehow miss out on the fact that Beck has undeniably earned the mockery he receives?

That's the kind of "media research" that has apparently earned Williams -- who runs a Twitter account dedicated to bashing NPR -- a coveted slot at NewsBusters.

Posted by Terry K. at 11:30 PM EDT

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Last week, a federal judge ruled that the office of Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio engaged in racial profiling by systematically singled out Latinos in its immigration patrols, and that some immigration patrols were not based on reports of crime but rather on letters and emails from Arizonans who complained about people with dark skin congregating in an area or speaking Spanish. It's the first time a court has made such a determination.

How did WorldNetDaily cover this story?

Remember that WND and Arpaio have been partners in crime, as it were -- Arpaio gave WND's birther obsession the sheen of officialdom by letting his cold case posse do a (biased and shoddy) investigation of President Obama's "eligibility" (not to mention letting WND's Jerome Corsi be a de facto member of the posse).

Thus, it will not surprise you to learn that WND has posted only a short wire article on the Arpaio ruling, linking to a Reuters article lifted from the supposedly liberal Huffington Post.

Once WND figures out a way to spin this to Arpaio's advantage, it will devote more attention to the case.

Posted by Terry K. at 9:02 PM EDT

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The Media Research Center's modus operandi of late has been the Orwellian tactic of attacking the media for reporting the truth about conservatives under the name of a "Tell the Truth!" campaign.

Brad Wilmouth does the same thing in a May 24 NewsBusters post:

Appearing as a guest on Thursday's PoliticsNation on MSNBC, Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank mocked South Carolina Republican Governor Nikki Haley as someone who has "reached out to a minority" in the form of white supremacists since they are a "minority," as he reacted to accusations that a member of her reelection committee is a white supremacist.

At no point does Wilmouth contradict any of Milbank's claims -- indeed, it's quite true --  and all he does is bash Milbank and others on MSNBC for highlighting it.

Posted by Terry K. at 11:36 PM EDT

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Ask most people what the worst thing a nation can do, and you would get answers like warmongering or genocide. But WorldNetDaily is not most people.

WND sent out an email tease for a new article with the subject "Look who's following U.S. in race to the bottom." This is followed with some melodramatic fearmongering: 

Many Americans who hold to traditional values have wondered where they might emigrate with their families to escape the growing decadence in their own nation.

They probably should scratch THESE two countries from their lists, unless they don't mind jumping from the frying pan into the fire ... 

Follow the link to the article in question, and it's about the United Kingdom and Australia considering legalizing gay marriage.

The article, by Nick Adams, sets up a false choice, pitting "homosexual activist" against those who are "vowing to stay true to the Judeo-Christian values that have guided civilizations for millennia."

That's right -- at WND, apparently gay marriage is worse than genocide.

Posted by Terry K. at 9:48 PM EDT

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Here's how the top of the CNSNews.com front page looked for a while on May 23:

Posted by Terry K. at 11:48 PM EDT

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Sin is never satisfied. The homofascist thirst for absolute affirmation is unquenchable.

What’s the next step? Activists now demand that adult men who desire sex with other males (“gay” scout masters) be allowed to take your sons camping overnight. Soon they’ll be insisting that “transgender boys” (girls who wish they were boys) be allowed to join as well.

What a camping trip! Imagine the pup tent. Your son and Jimmy – who’s got a crush on him – along with Billy and Billy’s boyfriend Bobby, all snuggly warm in the middle of nowhere. But make room for Sammy (formerly Suzie) and Sammy’s boyfriend Gary (formerly Gertrude).

Don’t forget to hang the disco ball.

And “always be prepared!”

-- Matt Barber, May 24 WND column

May 23, 2013, was a sad day for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and another tragic day for an America in decline. The Scouts’ corporate-driven leaders in their folly put sexual morality up for a vote, and when it was all over, the Scouts as we once knew them – a God-fearing, wholesome organization – were finished. Now, truly “morally straight” organizations (to quote the Scout Oath) will rise up to compete with the corrupted BSA, and parents by the hundreds of thousands will migrate with their sons to these trustworthy alternatives.

This was a completely unnecessary capitulation. The equivocating Scouts somehow managed to snatch defeat from their hard-won victory in the Supreme Court in 2000 – which preserved the Scouts’ right to live by their own moral creed. Now they have eviscerated that creed, thus rewarding the very homosexual lobby that tormented the BSA since its high-court triumph.

Pursuing godliness and virtue is not a democratic exercise but a walk of obedience. Truth is transcendent; it is not decided by polls or votes. (Two men or two women will never truly be “married.”) We all fall short and hence need a Savior, but absolute Truth never changes. God – not man – sets the standard for proper living. Allowing boys who identify with and, presumably, engage in homosexual behavior is the opposite of virtue – and certainly wasn’t a Scouting value in my father’s and grandfather’s America.

-- Peter LaBarbera, May 24 WND column

Posted by Terry K. at 5:45 PM EDT

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