Tweets Of The Day: Media Imbalance

As we noted yesterday in the wake of the FBI's findings on Secretary Clinton's State Department e-mails, the "mainstream media" will be on a mission to plumb those findings and drag out and exaggerate every jot and tittle that can do damage to Ms. Clinton.  Meanwhile, an existential threat to American democracy looms.  But balance!

Balanced MSM take: On the one hand, Trump is a wildly unqualified racist demagogue. On the other, Clinton was sloppy with emails.

— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) July 5, 2016

Meanwhile, at "the most trusted name in news," they need more cowbell!

CNN is hiring yet another Trump toady because 3 weren't enough. Who watches this shit? Not me. https://t.co/J81DR4Zd8q

— Bruce Bartlett (@BruceBartlett) July 5, 2016

Climate Agreement Reached; CNN Riveted... By Shiny Fascist Object

This happened today in Paris:

After two weeks of tense talks, word-wrangling and marathon overnight meetings, diplomats in Paris agreed to a global climate change accord on Saturday evening -- a day after the summit's scheduled conclusion.

Leaders and experts cheered the historic agreement that emerged from the 21st Conference of the Parties, or COP21, calling it ambitious and realistic, and a crucial step in protecting the Earth for future generations.  [snip]

The final agreement, which spans 31 pages, sets a cap on global warming at "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. Any greater rise, scientists have warned, could trigger catastrophic climate change. The text also adds an aspirational commitment to aim for even greater reductions, enough to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) and thereby help protect low-lying nations most threatened by sea level rise. 

Meanwhile, what's going on over at the "Most Trusted Name In News?"

The most critical international diplomatic agreement since the Cold War is being negotiated in Paris now. CNN is covering Trump.

— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) December 12, 2015

As basketball Hall of Fame player, now broadcaster (Sir) Charles Barkley aptly put it (h/t Silver Spring Bureau Chief Brian - TCIITM):

“CNN has done an awful job this election, an awful job,” he said. “They have followed ratings and sound bites this entire cycle. I mean, think about it, and I love CNN because they’re part of our company, but they’ve been kissing butt, chasing ratings, they have become like Fox News … It’s been sad and frustrating that our company has sold their soul for ratings.”

While we're at it, Barkley also had some choice words for Donald "Rump" Trump and his supporters:

“This Donald Trump thing has been fascinating, sad, funny, it’s all over the place,” Barkley said. “To lump all Hispanics together was insulting, now to lump all Muslims together is even more insulting. This is the United States of America. This is the greatest place in the world. Do we have issues? Of course we have issues. But to try to divide and conquer, which is what the Republicans always do -- it's just sad.”  [snip]

“Then you have these losers who love that, because they are afraid to look in the mirror and say why their li[ves] suck,” he continued. “So they have to blame other people. Your life sucks for a reason, because of you, not because of Hispanics … It’s been sad to watch every time he insults people, his poll numbers go up.”

That's what's known as a "slam dunk."

Praise Th' Lawd, and Pass Th' Smarm

CNN's Wolf "Cry Wolf" Blitzer dropped in to visit with those good ol' folks of Moore, OK following Monday's devastating tornado, and wanted to make sure his red state viewers appreciated his Jewish Evangelical sensibilities.  Sadly, for the "most busted name in news," Cry Wolf's smarmy attempt to appeal to the State's Bible thumpers fell flat when he interviewed survivor Rebecca Vitsmun:

BLITZER:We're happy you're here. You guys did a great job. You've gotta thank the Lord, right? Do you thank the Lord for that split-second decision? 

VITSMUN: I -- I'm actually an atheist.  

BLITZER: You are. All right. But you made the right call.

As some wags have pointed out, if "the Lord" saved Rebecca and others from the F5 tornado, what was "He" thinking when "He" unleashed the tornado in the first place.  We know..."mysterious ways."

(image: Possessed!)

BREAKING!! Wolf Held Hostage! This Is CNN.

Wolf "Cry Wolf" Blitzer, of CNN (the most busted name in news), was the target of a prank over the weekend when a Montgomery County, MD SWAT team descended on his house.  It turned out that Cry Wolf was out of town, but the local police took the call to the 911 emergency line seriously.  Apparently the prank of "SWAT-ting" is a growing problem for local jurisdictions, who are having to respond to prank hostage calls, etc., with costly SWAT team resources.  Rethug Rep. Mike Rogers was also the target of a similar prank 911 call this weekend.

This was a story that CNN's crack reporting team must have loved:  sensational, self-referencing, and ultimately bogus.

(photo:  CNN has obtained this exclusive hostage photo of...wait, what?  He's not?)