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Monday, June 18, 2018
WND Embraces Conspiracy Theory Over Justin Trudeau's Eyebrows
Topic: WorldNetDaily

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's eyebrows are weird, and WorldNetDaily wasted no time in embracing a conspiracy theory about them. An anonymous WND writer states in a June 10 article:

Social media are abuzzzzz with the question.

Does Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wear fake eyebrows?

If not, can someone explain what the public is seeing in this video?

You’ve heard of politicians raising eyebrows, but this is the first time the public has seen one lowering them – perhaps involuntarily.

Some are calling it part of the “the Trump curse,” how bad and embarrassing things seem to befall those critical of President Trump.

The article concluded with "some comments from Reddit" about Trudeau's eyebrows. WND couldn't be bothered, however, to look further into the story.

As other, more responsible websites have reported, Trudeau's eyebrows are uneven, and the look of it "falling off" can be blamed on lighting in the room.

You'd think that WND's recent near-death experience would have prompted it to evaluate the conspiracy-heavy, fake news-centric editorial policies that played a major role in leading it to that sorry state and become a more responsible and truthful "news" outlet. Apparently not.


Posted by Terry K. at 12:31 AM EDT
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Your Monthly CNS Stenography Tally
Topic: CNSNews.com

Another month, another tally of the stenography work CNSNews.com did for its favorite sources. Here's the tally for May.

Judicial Watch: 5

Mark Levin: 10

There was also an article touting how how the son of former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice "says listening to The Mark Levin show shaped his conservative political views."

Franklin Graham: 3

White House press secretary by Melanie Arter:

Our year-to-date tally so far:

  • Judicial Watch: 30
  • Levin: 43
  • Graham: 14
  • WH press secretary: 60

Yep, stenography is still easier than reporting.


Posted by Terry K. at 9:12 PM EDT
Pat Boone Pretends He Wasn't A Rabid Obama-Hater As He Pronounces Divine Judgment Against Trump-Haters
Topic: WorldNetDaily

In a column published June 11 at WorldNetDaily and Newsmax, Pat Boone cites a Bible verse saying that people should "be subject to the governing authorites" to suggest that those who criticize President Trump will bring divine judgment on themselves. He went on to write:

Friend, I’m a life-long conservative. I didn’t vote for Barack Obama, and deplored his two elections. I personally disagreed with many of his actions and decisions, and had doubts about his legitimacy to even be president. But he was our president — and I had to accept that — and was commanded to pray for him, every day!

And I did.

Want to know what I prayed? “Dear Lord, I pray for President Obama, his wife and daughters. I ask you to bless him and bring him into the center of Your will, for him and for our country. Amen.”

You see? I honestly couldn’t know whether the Obama presidency was what we needed — or what we deserved. Only God could know, and determine that. My duty was to pray for God’s will to be done, and to pray for the authority over us.

Boone is suggesting his disagreements with Obama were somewhat benign. They weren't. Boone embraced every malicioius lie and smear against Obama that he could find, and he was a rabid birther to boot. Boone even issued a veiled threat against the president's life, in which he discusses "tenting" a house to "send a very powerful fumigant, lethal to the varmints and unwelcome creatures, into every nook and cranny" and adding, "I believe – figuratively, but in a very real way – we need to tent the White House!" Even as Obama was nearing the end of his presidential term, Boone continued to spew hate.

These are not the acts of a man who prayed earnestly and sincerely for Obama's safety. If Boone were the practicing Christian he claims to be, he would publicly apologize to Obama for spreading such hate and lies. But we know that won't happen because Boone's right-wing politics trump any personal integrity he might have.

Boone then hypocritically attacks those who he thinks are doing to Trump what he did to Obama, while likening Trump to the right-wing Bible hero du jour:

Remember, God chose a shepherd boy to be King of Israel. He chose pagan King Cyrus to commission the rebuilding of Jerusalem. He chose Saul of Tarsus, the chief persecutor of Jesus to become the pre-eminent Apostle, and Jesus chose Judas as one of His 12 closest disciples. God’s ways are not always for us to understand. But He governs in the affairs of men.

Meanwhile, I shudder as I hear Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Adam Schiff, all the late night “comedians” like Steven Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, Alec Baldwin, an unhinged Bobby DeNiro, and a porn “star” and her conniving lawyer participating in pure blackmail and extortion, rail and curse and accuse and call outright for impeachment, of the man appointed by God as our authority.

And I remind Pelosi, Baldwin, DeNiro, Colbert and Kimmel, all Catholics who should know better, what the Scripture warns: “whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God...and those who resist will bring judgement on themselves.”

They’re not just mocking their president and ours. They’re mocking God Himself and His Word.

We don't recall Boone ever denouncing himself for "mocking God Himself and His Word" by spreading lies and hate about Obama. (Oh, and Boone effectively called for Obama's impeachment by declaring Obama's purportedly fake birth certificate to be a "high crime.")


Posted by Terry K. at 11:33 AM EDT
Updated: Sunday, June 17, 2018 11:51 AM EDT
Saturday, June 16, 2018
What LGBT Stuff Is The MRC Freaking Out About Now?
Topic: Media Research Center

Apparently, the LGBT freakouts will continue at the Media Research Center until morale improves. Or not.

Gabriel Hays whined that gay representation in movies, while not enough for some, is way too much for him:

Did you notice an awful lot of gay characters in movies during 2017? If so, you’re an ignorant bigot. According to the analysts at GLAAD, all major Hollywood studios performed poorly in terms of forwarding the gay agenda on the big screen. Oh sure, there were two movies entirely dedicated to gay themes, but “Love, Simon” and “Call Me By Your Name” are not enough.

[...]

For most Americans, it seemed like last year was filled with all sorts of in-your-face gayness, but for a group that’s hell-bent on mainstreaming LGBT behavior, getting a representative of 3% of the populations into 13% of movies is underperformance. GLAAD gave all the major Hollywood studios’ LGBT efforts a low grade, with both Lionsgate and Warner Bros. rated as “failing.” Granted, in the six years that the media’s gay lobby has done these reviews, no one has received apositive review.

Variety< stated that “The annual report is intended to pressure top movie studios to feature more LGBTQ characters and in more meaningful ways. This year, GLAAD issued a call to studios to ensure that at least 20% of major studio releases include LGBTQ characters by 2021 and 50% by 2024.”

Half of movies with gay characters? That’ll play in Peoria.

Ashley Rae Goldenberg was put out that "Facebook unveiled new features on Friday in order to commemorate Pride Month, which is dedicated to celebrating gay pride," complaining that "Facebook abstains from mentioning religious holidays or very many holidays at all in its news releases."

Gabriel Hays went into freakout mode over a Huffington Post article arguing that Christians shouldn't hate gays so much:

Don’t you love it when lefties lecture you about your own Christian faith, twisting the words of Christ in an attempt to guilt you out of your own morals and standards? Granted, everyone, especially Christians, should be aware of proper charity to marginalized individuals, but when liberals preach that it’s not so much about loving the sinner as it is blindly accepting the tenets of an anti-Christian gay agenda, it becomes clear that it’s not about leveling the playing field.

For Pride Month 2018, Huffington Post published an article titled, “Why (And How) Christians Should Celebrate Pride.” Well to wary conservative Christians, it should read, “Repent and believe in the liberal gospel of LGBTQ politics.”

[...]

So the gays are gonna lead us to Christ? No matter how charitable people, especially Christians, are to factions of marginalized communities, the liberal narrative won’t settle for anything less than complete capitulation to their brand of victimhood politics. At what point will the LGBTQ community stop seeing themselves as the punished caste?

But until conservative Christians let the progressives and pro-gay advocates take complete control of American culture and politics, they will be characterized as promoting a “culture of death,” and then some. It’s interesting that they would say this about Christianity, and not condemn other cultures that are murderously anti-gay, like Islam? But then again, why would you condemn your biggest ally in the war on Christianity? Because it’s obvious that’s all this is anyways.

Perhaps Fondacaro should look down the hall at MRC headquarters at CNSNews.com's homophobic managing editor, Michael W. Chapman, to see why the LGBTQ community might have an issue with some Christians and why they feel like a "punished caste."

Jay Maxson complained that "CNN's feature on a jockey engaged in so-called "transitioning from male to female" is part of a larger and ongoing agenda by the network to push the LGBT transgender agenda," huffing further about "CNN promoting the big T in LGBT, many concerning President Trump's ban on transgenders in the military." If Maxson knows that the T in LGBT stands for transgender, why did he redundanly write about the "LGBT transgender agenda" earlier?

Maxson concluded by sneering: "Because when it comes to gender bias, CNN is the Confused News Network."


Posted by Terry K. at 10:04 AM EDT
WND In Logrolling Mode To Drum Up Support for Farah's Book
Topic: WorldNetDaily

WorldNetDaily is apparently in the logrolling phase of trying to raise money to publish Joseph Farah's book with an unusually huge first printing that Farah and WND have yet to justify.

Farah's June 10 column is focused on WND's partner of sorts, Gospel for All Nations.

I treasure a group that offered itself as a “partner” on the immense publishing challenge such a big book presents – my new friends at the missions organization Gospel for All Nations.

In the case of GFAN, I didn’t ask for their help in taking in tax-deductible contributions in support of the project, they offered it. Naturally, I wanted to learn more about their work.

I want to share what I learned with you, because even if GFAN was not helping me and WND with this immense and overwhelming project, it’s a group worthy of your support. In fact, I would say if you’re like me and you can’t wait for Jesus to come back, you need to get to know the missions organization Gospel for All Nations.

Farah went on to tout the group's humble origins" as "a study group and Facebook ministry." He didn't explain exactly what the deal between GFAN and WND entails regarding those tax-deductible contributions.

The same day, an anonymous WND staffer wrote a fawning article about evangelist Jack Van Impe:

Almost everyone with a television channel changer has seen his TV show that aired across America from the 1970s through 2017. It would be nearly impossible to have missed him and his wife, Rexella, on “Jack Van Impe Presents” for any channel surfer. The man known as “The Walking Bible,” for his complete memorization of the entire New Testament and most of the Old, was seemingly everywhere on TV for more than 40 years, especially late at night on independent channels and Christian networks. It was a fixture, a mix of Bible prophecy, news analysis and the good old-fashioned Gospel.

But beginning in 2005, he was hit with what would become a series of life-threatening health problems – cancer, sepsis, heart disease that led to open-heart surgery, a fall leading to a broken hip. He experienced nearly complete memory loss and his ability to speak for months. On May 27, 2017, the Van Impes decided to air their final show after several seemingly miraculous recoveries.

However, they’re back once again – this time with a burgeoning new international radio ministry – a kind of “resurrection” for the 87-year-old who insists God is not finished with him yet. And he’s not even completely finished with TV, still doing special segments on YouTube, an outreach they began in 2014.

“Until the Lord takes me,” he told WND, “I’m going to keep doing what He commanded us to do – take the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the Earth so that we can fulfill the Great Commission and see His return.”

Unmentioned in the article: Van Impe supplied a blurb promoting Farah's book:

Van Impe, the legendary television and radio Bible teacher who is known for memorizing the entire New Testament, wrote: “Never before has anyone offered a more complete and comprehensive, book-by-book exploration of the Gospel in the Hebrew Scriptures. Joseph Farah’s ‘The Gospel in Every Book of the Old Testament’ is a triumph and an amazing resource for every pastor and every Bible study leader who understands the importance of the Gospel of the Kingdom Jesus preached. It’s even more important for those pastors and Bible study teachers who don’t understand it. Revolutionary!”

Sucking up to someone as an apparent reward for penning a blurb  is not terribly becoming of WND.


Posted by Terry K. at 12:46 AM EDT
Friday, June 15, 2018
No, CNS, Ireland Is Not 'Running Out Of People'
Topic: CNSNews.com
A June 6 CNSNews.com "news" article by Jonathan Mizrahi -- apparently an intern, since he only started writing for CNS a couple weeks ago -- carries the ominous headline "Ireland Is Running Out of People." Mizrahi then immediately discredits the headline with the numbers:

Only one week after Ireland voted to legalize abortion, a report from the Central Statistics Office stated that not enough babies were being born to replace the population.

In 2017, there were 62,053 births and 30,484 deaths in Ireland. The birth rate decreased 0.6 from 2016 while the death rate increased 0.3 percent from 2016.

If twice as many people are being born than dying, doesn't that show that Ireland is, in fact, not running out of people and that the population is, in fact, being replaced?

Mizrahi does eventually get around to explaining that the birth rate in Ireland is somewhat below the replacement rate. But given that, again, more people are being born than dying, Ireland won't be "running out" of people anytime soon.

Mizrahi also admits that the birth rate in Ireland has been declining since 2007, thus proving it has nothing whatsoever to do with the recent vote to legalize abortion.

Finally, Mizrahi ignores that one way to keep Ireland from "running out" of people is to permit increased immigration into the country. Even though Ireland could easily accomodate twice its current population, it has a generally negative attitude toward immigrants.


Posted by Terry K. at 8:49 AM EDT
Thursday, June 14, 2018
The MRC's Clinton Derangement Syndrome, Book Review Division
Topic: Media Research Center

There really is no end to the depths fo the Clinton derangement at the Media Research Center. Even a review of a book written by a Clinton sets them off.

The MRC is determined to hate -- regardless of its actual merits -- the novel Bill Clinton wrote with James Patterson, "The President Is Missing." So Corinne Weaver took offense when conservative-leaning MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace wrote a positive review of it for the New York Times -- taking particular offense to Wallace calling the book "wildly readable" -- and used the review to launch a personal attack on Clinton:

For the record, deeming something “wildly readable” makes about as much sense as categorizing water as “wildly drinkable.” There are many books out there that could be termed “wildly readable,” including Twilight and The Princess Diaries. Was the book really that bland that the best thing about it was its sheer readability?

No, apparently it also resembles a well-constructed ball of yarn. “I can report that the novel unspools smoothly,” writes Wallace. She also called it "satisfying," (good grief, is this a whiskey ad?) and hyped certain sections of the book that blatantly addressed politics (or even could have been tongue in cheek references to Clinton’s own past.) She quoted a passage from the end, “We’d learn to listen to one another more and defame one another less.” This from the guy that had a “bimbo eruption” squad ready to smear any woman that accused him of sexual harassment.

Weaver concluded by sneering of Wallace: "I bet she thinks Twilight was a good book too." Weaver did not indicated that she read the book so she could offer an informed opinion that went beyond juvenile mocking.

Speaking of juvenile, P.J. Gladnick was positively giddy that the New Yorker wrote a bad review of the book:

Fortunately a devastatingly funny review of the book was written by Anthony Lane of The New Yorker, “Bill Clinton and James Patterson’s Concussive Collaboration.” No matter what you think of the novel itself, you are sure to be entertained by the review whose subtitle reveals what else is also missing:The President Is Missing contains most of what you’d expect from this duo: politico-historical ramblings, mixed metaphors, saving the world. But why is there no sex:

[...]

Even if your opinion of the Clinton-Patterson novel is not very high, the fringe benefit is that at least it has inspired one of the funniest book reviews in a long time.

This is what's being presented as "media research" at the MRC.


Posted by Terry K. at 2:37 PM EDT
Fake News: WND Still Falsely Claiming Calif Bill Would Ban The Bible
Topic: WorldNetDaily

For the past month or so, WorldNetDaily has been spreading fake news about a proposed California law to ban anti-gay conversaion therapy, claiming that it bans the Bible. WND's Bob Unruh rehashes the fake news once again in a June 5 article:

Californians who don’t want their lawmakers to ban the Bible, to criminalize counselors who help people with same-sex attractions and to dictate their moral values apparently will have one chance to tell them.

That’s at a hearing before the legislature’s Judiciary Committee on June 12, where AB 2943 will be discussed.

[...]

It would make counseling against same-sex lifestyles a crime by calling it “consumer fraud.”

The bill also would ban printed materials that advocate for ways to become free of unwanted same-sex attractions. And several experts contend the broadly written proposal could ban sale of the Bible.

Unruh is simply repeating politically motivated lies. He hides the fact that the bill's sponsors specifically state that its bill does not ban the Bible -- it simply bans conversion therapy as a commercial service.

Interestingly, at no point in his quoting of opposition to the bill does Unruh quote anyone offering proof of the efficacy of conversion therapy.

Given that publishing fake news was a key reason WND almost died earlier this year (even if Joseph Farah won't acknowledge it), shouldn't it be more careful about what it publishes?


Posted by Terry K. at 12:05 AM EDT
Updated: Thursday, June 14, 2018 8:55 AM EDT
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
NEW ARTICLE: CNS' Managing Editor of Gay-Bashing, Part 2
Topic: CNSNews.com
Michael W. Chapman is still using his Media Research Center-provided platform to rage against the LGBT community. Read more >>

Posted by Terry K. at 3:14 PM EDT
WND Columnist: Whites Are The New Jews
Topic: WorldNetDaily

WorldNetDaily columnist Ilana Mercer still laments the end of apartheid in her native South Africa. Now she's working up white victimhood in her June 7 column, basically portraying whites as vilified as Jews:

Clever catchphrases such as “white privilege” create political reality, they don’t reflect it.

By banging on about systemic racism and the evils of whiteness, the lunatics running the country’s academic and corporate asylums indoctrinate the dumb and terrorize deviationists.

Here in the U.S., these sub-intelligent assaults on the identity of Europeans, Caucasians, melanin-deficient men – whatever you wish to call the majority that founded America – is being institutionalized.

In South Africa, the writer’s birthplace, this impoverished, linguistic onanism is already institutionalized. We know where that has led.

Ominously, American universities, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is an example, are offering courses framing “whiteness” as a “problem.” “The Problem of Whiteness” in UW–Madison’s vernacular.

Notice how that’s phrased. A problem is something good people get rid of, solve.

“The Problem of Whiteness.” “The Jewish Problem.” See where this might lead?

Note the linguistic similarities between the language of white haters and Jew killers.

The program known as “The Final Solution” was the Nazi’s solution to what they termed “The Jewish Problem.”

Likewise, whites as whites are said to be a problem. Whites qua whites are described as intrinsically bad.

Mercer might have a point if whites were a historically oppressed minority in America. They're not.


Posted by Terry K. at 12:11 AM EDT
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Homophobic CNS Managing Editor Cheers Anti-Gay Sentiment In Belarus
Topic: CNSNews.com

Michael W. Chapman, the homophobic CNSNews.com managing editor, was more than happy to recount an anti-gay freakout in Belarus over a rainbow flag at the British embassy there:

After the British Embassy in Belarus flew a rainbow-gay flag above its front door on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, the Interior Ministry issued a statement denouncing the U.K.'s actions as contrary to the "traditional family" and the "Christian" values of Belarusians.

The Interior Ministry also stressed that "same-sex relationships" are "fake" because only a man and a woman together can produce children, and added that the Belarus government will protect traditional marriage and give it exclusive rights in the law. 

In a May 17 Instagram post showing the rainbow flag, the U.K. Embassy said that it had posted "a rainbow flag today to support the LGBT community and draw public attention to the discrimination that LGBT people are constantly facing."

In reaction, the statement by the Belarus Interior Ministry said that Britain was challenging the country's "traditional values," reported the BBC. 

"The overwhelming majority of Belarusians stick to traditional family values, including Christian ones," said the Interior Ministry.  "And such statements [by the British] are a challenge to these values."

Relationships between men and women are the "only way of reproduction," said the Ministry. "No matter which way you look at it, a same-sex relationship is a fake. And the essence of the fake is always the same -- the erosion of the truth."

"The LGBT community and the whole struggle for its rights and this community’s [homophobia] day itself are all just fake!” said the Interior Ministry.

Chapman curiously didn't mention something that was in the BBC article: "In a report last year, human rights group Amnesty International said the LGBT community faced growing discrimination in Belarus as a result of repressive government policies." Then again, he's probably down that that type of repression.


Posted by Terry K. at 1:41 PM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, June 12, 2018 1:42 PM EDT
Double Standards Galore in MRC's Outrage Over Samantha Bee
Topic: Media Research Center

There were a lot of double standards flying about when the Media Research Center wenty after Samantha Bee for tagging a vulgar expression on Ivanka Trump.

Kyle Drennen complained that one reporter pointed out that Bee is a comedian: "When Roseanne crossed the line, the press rightfully criticized her. But when Bee hurled her invective at the First Family, Soboroff’s first instinct was to claim she’s just 'a comedian.' The hypocrisy is stunning."

As is the MRC's. We remember when Hank Williams Jr. likened President Obama to Hitler, the MRC's first instinct was to dismiss it as a "bad joke."

Peter Sifre declared: "It is absolutely wrong to call a woman the 'C' word. However, the moral relativism of the left naturally leads to the conclusion that it is allowed if the correct intersectional categories are checked off by the offender and if they agree with the offender’s politics. It would be wrong if it was a random woman on the street but it is okay if it is the president’s daughter. It would be wrong if a man said it but it is okay because Samantha Bee said it. This is the antithesis of individual responsibility."

Meanwhile, we don't remember the MRC getting offended by anything Ted Nugent -- a current board member of the National Rifle Association and a visitor to the White House under Donald Trump -- has done, which include calling Hillary Clinton a "toxic cunt."

Drennen came back to grouse that one commentator was "blaming President Trump for creating an environment of incivility" that led to Bee's remark. He forgot that his employer also engages in this kind of blame-shifting, as the headline for this May 20 item by Nicholas Fondacaro illustrates: "ABC Host Pushes Gun Control, Ignores Devaluation of Life by Our Culture."


Posted by Terry K. at 12:15 AM EDT
Monday, June 11, 2018
WND Somehow Manages To Once Again Escape Being Sued Over Its Seth Rich Conspiracy-Mongering
Topic: WorldNetDaily

There's another Seth Rich lawsuit: This time, family spokesman Brad Bauman is suing several people, including Texas businessman Ed Butowsky, for promoting the false idea that the Democratic National Committee "assigned" Bauman to be a spokesman for the Rich family or is otherwise involved in the situation.

Surprisingly, the Seth Rich conspiracy-mongers at WorldNetDaily are not named in the lawsuit, despite certainly hinting at that false narrative.

A May 2017 WND article by Alicia Powe used Butowsky's accusation as a hook to interview Bauman about it. His unequivocal denial is the lead, but Powe did what she could to undermine it by suggesting Bauman's political history may indicate a DNC link:

The spokesman for the family of murdered Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich emphatically denies that the DNC is funding his salary.

Brad Bauman, a professional Democratic crisis public-relations consultant who has frequently criticized President Trump, abruptly ended a call with WND when asked about his connection to the DNC.

“That is patently 100 percent false!” he shouted, when asked if he was hired by the DNC, just before disconnecting the call.

Bauman refused to indicate who is paying his salary.

He is a consultant with Pastorum Group in Washington, D.C., a firm with progressive ties. In his role as a communications consultant, Bauman offers “strategic communications advice to Democratic candidates and labor unions,” his LinkedIn page states. The Pastorum Group Facebook page features many comments blasting Republicans and Trump, and members of the firm even protested President Trump’s 100th day in office.

From 2011 to 2014, Bauman was executive director of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, according to his LinkedIn page. He “worked with major progressive allies to craft and push progressive agenda items in Congress” and “founded Progressive Action PAC.”

Heavy.com reported Bauman has called for civil disobedience to push for an “independent investigation of Russia.”

[...]

Despite Bauman’s statement to the contrary, a Texas businessman who hired a private eye to look into Rich’s murder told WND that the DNC “assigned” Bauman to represent the Rich family.

Ed Butowsky, a wealth management and financial adviser, said the Rich family asked him for assistance in stopping top D.C. lobbyist Jack Burkman from representing himself to media as their spokesman.

[...]

“Joel Rich’s exact words were ‘the DNC assigned [Bauman] to us,'” Butowsky said.

Butowsky said has never spoken to Burkman, “but all I know is that Mr. Rich didn’t like him, that he wouldn’t listen and kept making up stuff.”

In an interview with WND on May 16, Bauman explained that he was put in touch with Rich’s family by two of Rich’s friends – both of whom worked for the DNC – and that the family requested help because they had more media requests than they could handle.

Another May 2017 article by Powe features a WikiLeaks tweet calling Bauman "a professional Democrat crisis PR consultant. A separate May 2017 article by Powe and fringe conspiracy-monger Liz Crokin, echoed WikiLeaks in calling Bauman a "Democratic political crisis consultant." A June 2017 article by Powe once again called Bauman "a Democratic political crisis consultant."

WND has miraculously avoided becoming a defendant in other lawsuits -- by Rich's parents and his brother -- aimed at shutting down those who push bogus conspiracy theories despite also trading in some of those very same conspiracy theories.


Posted by Terry K. at 6:44 PM EDT
Mark Levin Dictates CNS' Editorial Agenda, Apparently
Topic: CNSNews.com

The Media Research Center is close buddies with right-wing radio host Mark Levin -- so much so that in the first four months of this year, the MRC's "news" division, CNSNews.com, publishced 33 articles that simply transcribe what Levin said on his radio show. Now, it appears that the MRC has decided to hand over partial control over CNS' editorial agenda to Levin.

Craig Bannister dedicated a May 26 CNS blog post to Levin's latest crusade, insisting that "the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller is unconstitutional – and he’s not the only constitutional scholar to make the case." Bannister enthusiastically touted how "Levin credits Northwestern Law School Professor Steven Calabresi for raising many of these points with him over the weekend. 'I agree completely with his analysis,' Levin says."

Two days later, CNS editor in chief Terry Jeffrey devoted his column to parroting Levin's claims:

Calabresi concluded that those targeted by Mueller "should challenge the constitutionality of his actions on Appointments Clause grounds."

Mark Levin, who served with Calabresi in the Reagan Justice Department, agrees.

"Every defendant, suspect and witness, etc., in this matter," Levin said on his website, "should challenge the Mueller appointment as a violation of the Appointments Clause."

But that wasn't enough. With the coming of summer comes a new crop of interns to the MRC, some of which got assigned to CNS. So the interns harassed no fewer than six senators with the exact same question: "Professor Steven Calabresi of Northwestern Law School and Mark Levin have argued that Robert Mueller’s appointment violates the Appointments Clause because he is a principal officer exercising at least the authority of a U.S. attorney but was not appointed by the president or confirmed by the Senate. Do you agree that Mueller’s appointment is unconstitutional?"

That's not reporting -- that's doing the bidding of a right-wing radio host.


Posted by Terry K. at 1:16 PM EDT
WND Absurdly Blames Pedophile Congressional Candidate On A Democrat
Topic: WorldNetDaily
WorldNetDaily's Art Moore raises his Democrat-blaming game to a whole new level in a June 1 article:

A confessed pedophile who served prison time for threatening to assassinate the president of the United States is running for Congress in Virginia.

The candidacy of Nathan Larson, an independent, was made possible by former Democratic Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who restored the rights of felons in 2016 to vote and run for office.

[...]

Larson would not have been eligible to run for office or vote before August 2016, when McAuliffe, a longtime Clinton operative, restored the rights of some 13,000 felons.

McAuliffe, who is thought to be a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, initially issued a blanket clemency that restored the rights of  200,000 felons in April 2016.

But the state Supreme Court struck down the order, ruling McAuliffe exceeded his legal authority. The governor then trimmed the number.

McAuliffe was chairman of the Democratic National Committee, co-chairman of President Bill Clinton’s 1996 re-election campaign and chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Blaming McAuliffe for Larson's candidacy is absurd -- Moore provides no evidence that McAuliffe specifically pardoned Larson so he could run for office, let alone offers any proof that McAuliffe encouraged Larson in any way to run. McAuliffe's goal was to circumvent lifetime disenfranchisement laws in Virginia restore voting rights to felons who had completed their sentences, which Larson apparently had.

Moore apparently has no faith in the Virginia electorate to reject an admitted pedophile at the ballot box.

It's this sort of kneejerk hatred of their perceived enemies that helped lead WND to its recent near-death experience. It appears WND has no intention of altering those disastrous, highly biased editorial policies.


Posted by Terry K. at 12:19 AM EDT

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