Ex-Senator Rents Mailing List to Newsmax, Gets Email From Dubious Doctor In Return Topic: Newsmax
Former senator and Fox News contributor Scott Brown rented his mailing list to Newsmax to make a little money. What Scott and his email recipients got in return was not quite what he expected.
Media Matters reports Newsmax sent out on Scott's list a mailing from Dr. Russell Blaylock -- who, as we've documented, has made numerous questionable medical claims, like fearmongering over vaccinesand linking aspartame and MSG to diseases nobody else can seem to find a link to. Brown's subscribers also received a dubious financial pitch from a Newsmax-affiliated publication.
After being alerted to the questionable Newsmax emails, New Hampshire's WMUR reported that Scott said he is "terminating my relationship with this vendor effective immediately." Brown said with regard to the Blaylock email that he "did not approve or authorize the sending of this particular email."
In addition to renting others' email lists, Newsmax manages the mailing lists of other conservative figures and groups, including Dick Morris, Herman Cain, Rasmussen Reports and National Review.
Newsmax Gets Into the AP Headline-Rewriting Business Topic: Newsmax
CNSNews.com has normally been the one to rewrite Associated Press headlines to add right-wing slant. Now, Newsmax is getting in on the game.
A Jan. 28 AP story was sent out with the headline "New DHS chief endorses 'earned' citizenship idea." But after Newsmax got a hold of it, the headline read "Obama's New DHS Chief: Amnesty for Illegals 'Matter of National Security'."
The DHS chief said nothing about "amnesty for illegals." The only reference to "amnesty" in the article came during a reference to how Republicans have criticized immigration reform as "back-door amnesty." Indeed, as we've noted, because the proposed path to citizenship in immigration reform includes numerous conditions before citizenship would be made available, it is not, by definition, "amnesty."
Newsmax's Hirsen Joins the D'Souza Conspiracy; Is He Running Interference For A Friend? Topic: Newsmax
James Hirsen gets all conspiratorial in his Jan. 28 Newsmax column:
When reports surfaced regarding Dinesh D’Souza’s inictment on charges of violating federal campaign finance laws, some serious questions were raised about the criminal investigation of the author and filmmaker.
Although the FBI and Justice Department did not explicitly reveal to which election the charges had referred, Federal Election Commission records indicated that the only political candidate to which D’Souza had ever donated was Wendy Long, a former New York senatorial candidate.
[...]
An intriguing question is why an individual with the educational background and intelligence of D’Souza would risk criminal prosecution to make a relatively small donation in a contest that involved tens of millions of dollars. After all, much larger sums of money are routinely given to campaigns through other legal vehicles including political action committees and nonprofit entities.
It may be because the violation was too blatant to ignore. Gawker examined the campaign contribution records of Wendy Long, the candidate D'Souza apparently donated to, and found that large donations well over the legal amount were made to Long's campaign on the same day in the names of D'Souza's personal assistant and (we are not making this up) the husband of D'Souza's mistress. Long’s campaign later reattributed half of the mistress’ husband’s donation to the mistress, then for some reason ultimately returned it to her. That refund is what appears to have triggered the routine FBI review that led to the charges.
But Hirsen is apparently not familiar with Occam's Razor, for he continues his conspiracy-mongering:
The discovery of D’Souza’s alleged wrongdoings are claimed to be the product of routine FBI investigations of campaign filings by various candidates. Questions remain, however, as to how investigators made the decision to look into D’Souza’s activities in the first place.
D'Souza’s prosecutor is an Indian-American Democrat, Preet Bharara, who formerly worked for New York Sen. Charles Schumer. Schumer’s close ties with the Obama administration helped to place Bharara in the powerful U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York.
Becuase D’Souza is best known for having produced the documentary “2016: Obama’s America,” which portrays President Barack Obama in a rather unflattering light, Gerald Molen, who was a co-producer on the project, expressed the suspisions of numerous Obama critics regarding the idictment, saying that it amounts to a “selective prosecution,” implicitly raising the spectre that the criminal charges may be a political retaliation against D’Souza.
Because the charges against D’Souza surfaced following the highly visible media reports surrounding the Internal Revenue Service’s alleged targeting of Tea Party groups, the timing of the indictment is somewhat curious.
Additional questions still linger as to why the administration is launching a public prosecution of a high-profile critic over a relatively minor amount of money that was given to an insignificant candidate in a no-win political race?
The existence of so many questions indicate a lack of curiosity on Hirsen's part. Or, as with his defense of Mel Gibson, he may be running interference for a friend.
In an August 2012 Newsmax column, Hirsen slobbered all over D'Souza's anti-Obama film "2016: Obama's America," praising its box office performance and quoting its producer, Gerald Molen. Hirsen also touted the film, as well as Molen's credentials as a producer of "Schindler's List," in an April 2012 article as well as a July 2012 article.
Hirsen was obviously clued in about the film early enough to do some pre-release publicity for it. That suggests an undisclosed relationship between him and Molen and/or D'Souza.
Hirsen waited years -- and admist continued bad behavior by the star -- to disclose his relationship to Newsmax readers. If he has such a relationship with Molen or D'Souza, the time to disclose it is now.
Newsmax Comes to Huckabee's Defense Topic: Newsmax
Newsmax is standing on the side of Mike Huckabee when it comes to his comments accusing Democrats of believing that "Uncle Sugar" must provide for women who "cannot control their libido."
A Jan. 24 article by Melanie Batley repeating Huckabee's claim that NBC’s Kasie Hunt and CNN’s Dana Bash distorted his meaning when they “erroneously tweeted” his remarks. But has Slate's Dave Weigel points out, both outlets corrected their original tweets, and all reporting since has been based on accurate quotes of what Huckabee said.
Batley also repeated a Fox News claim that Democrats were "trying to fundraise off of Mr. Huckabee's taken-out-of-context quotes." But she didn't report that Huckabee is fund-raising off his remarks too.
John Gizzi joined in with a Jan. 24 article touting how Republicans "rallied behind" Huckabee, complaining that "breathless reports in the media focused almost exclusively upon 54 words that dealt with the Democrats' claim that Republicans have been waging a 'war on women.'"
Then, in a Jan. 25 article, Todd Beamon claimed that Huckabee "again attacked the mainstream liberal media bias that led to inaccurate reporting of his remarks about government-funded contraception this week, saying he was 'offended by their misinterpretation.'" Again, the media has been accurately reporting his remarks. Weigel notes: "For Huckabee to be a victim here, the rest of the media would have had to rely on the botched quotes. Didn't happen."
Beamon also touted how Huckabee claimed White House press secretary Jay Carney "was reacting to a completely phony story" when Huckabee's remarks were read to him at a White House press briefing. In fact, as Weigel notes, the reporter who read Huckabee's quote to Carney got it right:
The next day, as this Twitter thread started by Matt Lewis demonstrates, conservatives were piling on reporters for refusing to admit that "the narrative" was false. It's a fascinating exercise in ref-working, an attempt to define Huckabee's gaffe as a media gaffe.
Newsmax's Hirsen Upset With Meryl Streep's Criticism of Walt Disney Topic: Newsmax
James Hirsen devotes his Jan. 21 Newsmax column to defending the honor of Walt Disney against Meryl Streep calling him a "gender bigot" who allegedly supported an anti-Semitic lobbying group:
Streep is no doubt aware that the charge of bigotry is a toxic accusation that can travel at warp speed across the entertainment industry. Interestingly, her timing happened to coincide with the period in which Academy members were in the process of deliberating over Oscar nominees.
Streep’s insinuations about the Disney founder are actually at odds with the facts. In Disney biographer Neal Gabler’s words, there is “no evidence whatsoever in the extensive Disney Archives of any anti-Semitic remarks or actions by Walt.”
Hirsen adds:
Like most of Hollywood at the time, Disney did not reflect modern enlightenment regarding racial equality. Gabler nevertheless points out in his biography on the mogul that Disney had sought consultation at the time from NAACP official Walter White and other African-American leaders, in conjunction with the partly animated movie “Song of the South,” in order to remove racially offensive material.
In fact, according to Gabler, the NAACP's White never actually participated in script revisions. And the film remains plenty racially offensive, what with its depiction of "Uncle Remus and his fellow smilin’, Massah-servin’ black folk": Disney hasn't released it in more than 25 years and won't be doing so anytime soon.
Hirsen then huffs that Streep may have cost Tom Hanks an Oscar nomination:
Streep’s comments may have had an effect on the voting patterns of Academy members. “Saving Mr. Banks,” a film on many of the short lists of Oscar analysts, was snubbed for a best picture nomination, as was Thompson for best actress, and the snub of the century, Tom Hanks, who played the role of Disney.
Hanks, who according to Streep portrayed a bigoted misogynist, was also passed over for his starring role in “Captain Phillips.”
Newsmax Baselessly Declares D'Souza Indictment To Be 'Payback' Topic: Newsmax
Newsmax once promoted a film that Dinesh D'Souza hadn't even made yet, so it's logical that it would run to D'Souza's defense after his indictment on charges of violating election funding laws. Earlier this morning, Newsmax proclaimed the charges to be "payback":
Funny thing, though: The Reuters article to which that headline linked made no mention of "payback" or political retribution. Further, neither Newsmax nor anyone else has provided any evidence that D'Souza's indictment had anything to do with his detatched-from-reality attacks on Obama, which he made into a film (that Newsmax also promoted).
Newsmax Tries To Attack Roger Ailes Bio Topic: Newsmax
Just because Newsmax has been broadly covering the Chris Christie bridge scandal doesn't mean it has abandoned its conservative agenda. As with the Media Research Center, that agenda is all that's needed to attack Gabriel Sherman's new biography of Fox News' Roger Ailes.
A Jan. 15 Newsmax article by David Patten highlights how "liberal media critic" Michael Wolff has criticized Sherman's book. Patten notes that "Wolff is no friend of Ailes, Fox News or its parent company, News Corp. Wolff wrote his own controversial book attacking Fox's founder Rupert Murdoch." But he fails tomake the more likely connection that it's a competing book, not media analysis, that's making Wolff criticize Sherman's book.
Patten also makes this odd complaint about Sherman:
Sherman insisted fact-checkers carefully reviewed his work prior to publication and said that repeated requests to interview Ailes were declined.
But Sherman never bothered to contact Fox's press department to share his myriad number of allegations against Ailes for "fact checking" and Ailes rebuttal, a standard journalistic practice.
If Fox wouldn't make Ailes available to Sherman, why would they acknowledge his book by permitting him to fact-check it? Yet Patten identifies no fact in the book that anyone at Fox News has substantively contradicted.
Newsmax Trots Out Dick Morris to Opine on Christie Scandal Topic: Newsmax
Give Newsmax a little credit: Virtually alone in the ConWeb, it has covered the Chris Christie bridge scandal from all angles over the past few days. That's even more amazing considering that it started out complaining that the scandal was "threatening to go national as Democrats see a possible chink in the armor of the GOP's potential 2016 presidential nominee."
So thorugh is Newsmax's coverage, in fact, that it has trotted out Dick Morris to opine on the scandal:
By declaring that he had no knowledge and nothing to do with the traffic gridlock, he has hunkered down into a position that might be increasingly difficult to defend. The Democrats in the New Jersey Legislature — they're in control of both chambers — are likely to probe deeply into his denials and there may even be a federal investigation by a Senate committee.
It is just too facile to take at face value his claim to absolute innocence.
Given Morris' track record on such predictions, can we assume that Christie is free and clear on this?
NEW ARTICLE: Immigrant-Bashing Is James Walsh's Business, And Business Is Good Topic: Newsmax
The Newsmax columnist doesn't seem to like Hispanics, yet he claims to speak for them. Read more >>
Newsmax Concedes Christie Bridge Scandal Is a Real Story Topic: Newsmax
Last month, Newsmax published an article by Melanie Batley complaining that "The bridge closure controversy that has dogged New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for weeks is threatening to go national as Democrats see a possible chink in the armor of the GOP's potential 2016 presidential nominee." Batley further complained that "Democrats have also created a politically-charged YouTube video with a narrative designed to raise the profile of the issue and link it to questions about Christie's character and integrity."
Now, with the release of emails showing that Christie aides directly ordered the bridge lane closure, Newsmax is essentially flip-flopping by devoting the top of its front page to the scandal:
That's better than WorldNetDaily and CNSNews.com, each of which are mostly downplaying the Christie scandal.
Newsmax Won't Admit Limbaugh Is Wrong about Polar Vortex Being a 'Hoax' Topic: Newsmax
A Jan. 7 Newsmax article by Amy Woods touts how Rush Limbaugh claimed that "the polar vortex is 'a hoax' perpetuated by the liberal media to further its agenda of climate change and global warming." What Woods didn't mention: Limbaugh is wrong.
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Bernie Rayno points out that the polar vortex is, in fact, a real thing: "We've been using the name in this field for — I've been in this field for 25 years, this isn't anything new. ... Usually meteorologists would never even use that term because people wouldn't understand it."
It seems that Newsmax is just as scared as CNSNews.com to tell its readers that Limbaugh was spreading a lie.
Fred Fleitz Doesn't Understand Journalism Topic: Newsmax
Fred Fleitz devotes a Jan. 2 Newsmax column to freaking out about the New York Times' series disproving right-wing claims about the Benghazi attacking, in particular its noting that the Times had a reporter on the ground who was “talking to the attackers during the attack”:
This raises several serious ethical questions.
Why was this information withheld for 15 months and not published in September 2012?
Are there ethical guidelines for Times reporters that would bar them from being embedded with terrorists in the act of conducting a terrorist attack? How could a reporter stand by and watch a U.S. Embassy be attacked and burned?
Didn’t this reporter and the Times have a moral obligation to immediately contact U.S. officials about the attack? Did the reporter have a cell or satellite phone that he could have used to alert U.S authorities or his New York Times editor in New York?
What does this reporter know about the death of Ambassador Stephens? Has he told Congress what he knows?
As Media Matters detailed when Fox News anchors made the same claim, Fleitz's attitude demonstrates a lack of understanding of how journalism works or the facts on the ground at the time of the attack:
War reporters and groups that represent them say that the Fox critique shows a fundamental lack of understanding of the role of journalism, particularly during dangerous conflicts.
"When you're in the middle of a riot or an attack like that, first of all, it is not a reporter's job to call the authorities and he would have to assume the authorities know about it. It seems so bizarre," said Josh Meyer, director of education and outreach for the Medill National Security Journalism Initiative and a former Los Angeles Times national security reporter who has reported from Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Sonya Fry, executive director of the Overseas Press Club, an association for foreign correspondents, agreed. "The job is to be an eyewitness and report on what they see, sometimes the consequences of that are that help arrives. It is not their job to call in the ambulances," said Fry. "Their job is to report. It is a sad state of affairs that people don't understand what journalists do these days."
Other war correspondents pointed out that it's unclear who the Times reporter could have called for help. As the series makes clear, Libyan militia leaders who were alerted as the attack unfolded refused to aid the Americans, Libyans who did seek to help were turned back by the attackers, while U.S. forces in Tripoli were quickly alerted. No help arrived until long after the first stage of the attack had concluded.
Nevertheless, Fleitz asserts that "there clearly is a New York Times editorial/newsroom conspiracy here."
The latest effort is a Dec. 31 article by Sandy Fitzgerald that largely rehashes a New York Daily News item about how Kerik plans to sue his defense attorney for allegedly working with prosecutors to send him to prison. There are a couple token paragraphs noting the attorney's side of the story, but much of Fitzgerald's article is dedicated to supporting Kerik's claims.
In case Newsmax's intent wasn't clear, the b ottom of thet article links to a 2009 puff piece headlined "Bernie Kerik, The Trial of an American Hero." As we documented at the time, the article hides facts in order to portray Kerik as the victim of "overzealous federal prosecutors."
The Newsmax-Trump Love Affair Continues Topic: Newsmax
You'd think that Newsmax -- after trying to pave the way for a Donald Trump presidential run in 2012, only to get jilted after a proposed Republican presidential debate to be hosted by Trump and Newsmax ended with Trump backing out after most of the other candidates refused to take part -- would have given up on Trump by now.
You'd be wrong. Cathy Burke promotes Trump's latest political whim in a Dec. 26 Newsmax article:
Donald Trump is reportedly getting encouragement to run against incumbent Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo from Republican state lawmakers and Conservative Party leaders.
"We believe we moved him from a soft no to a firm maybe," strategist Michael Caputo told New York Post columnist Andrea Peyser.
In her column Tuesday, Peyser wrote state GOP chairman Ed Cox praised "The Apprentice" creator and billionaire real estate developer for his "smart political mind" after a Dec. 13 meeting.
And three days later, Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long told the Post, "Mr. Trump would give [current Gov.] Andrew Cuomo heartburn," she noted.
Peyser wrote Trump is due to meet with other local lawmakers in January — and he has already said he'll make a decision in January about whether to run.
But he's already ounding more than ready for the political fray.
"If I ran and won, this state would become so rich, our taxes would come down, people would come back, our health care would be taken care of at the highest level," he told Peyser. "Our infrastructure would be rebuilt."
Burke does note that Trump "flirted with, and then quickly ditched, a presidential run in 2012 — and has popped up on lists of 2016 GOP contenders ," but she made no mention of Newsmax's role in promoting that 2012 run.
Newsmax-Peter King Presidential Boomlet Watch Topic: Newsmax
It's been a little quiet on the Peter King front lately at Newsmax -- you know, the guy to whom Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy gave the idea to run for president -- but that has changed.
King got a big front-page push in the form of a Dec. 19 Newsmax article by Todd Beamon featuring King's assertion that fellow Republican Sen. Rand Paul should apologize for likening Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to document-leaker Edward Snowden, complete with picture of a scowling King:
Beamon makes sure to add that King "confirmed to Newsmax in July that he was considering a bid for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016," though not that it was his boss who planted the idea in King's head.
Former senator and Fox News contributor Scott Brown rented his mailing list to Newsmax to make a little money. What Scott and his email recipients got in return was not quite what he expected.
James Hirsen gets all conspiratorial in his Jan. 28 Newsmax 
Newsmax is standing on the side of Mike Huckabee when it comes to his comments accusing Democrats of believing that "Uncle Sugar" must provide for women who "cannot control their libido."
James Hirsen devotes his Jan. 21 Newsmax 
Just because Newsmax has been 
Give Newsmax a little credit: Virtually alone in the ConWeb, it has covered the Chris Christie bridge scandal from all angles over the past few days. That's even more amazing considering that it started out 
A Jan. 7 Newsmax 
Fred Fleitz devotes a Jan. 2 Newsmax 
Bernard Kerik was one of Newsmax's first 
You'd think that Newsmax -- after trying to 
