Media Matters for America (MMfA) sent an email yesterday, likely in error, to the office of Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK)–hardly a regular recipient of MMfA spam–attempting to coordinate Democratic opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline that was recently blocked by the Obama administration.

Photo: National Post (Canada) / Andrew Harrer / Bloomberg

The email apparently targeted staff from the Senate’s Committee on Environment and Public Works, and recipients included staff working for Sen. Inhofe as Ranking Member, apparently in error. (Sen. Inhofe is an ardent supporter of the Keystone pipeline and has objected vehemently to President Barack Obama’s decision to prevent it from moving forward.)

The fact that MMfA’s email was, atypically, sent to Republican staffers might suggest a gesture at bipartisan outreach–except that the email was explicitly addressed to congressional “allies” on an issue where Republicans have shown unusually strong unity, and the opposition, such as it is, has come from Democrats and the White House. (Last year, the House of Representatives passed a bill supporting the Keystone pipeline with Republicans favoring the project 232-3, and Democrats opposing it 144-47.)

The email announces that Media Matters aims to assist fellow opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline (i.e. congressional Democrats) based on the premise that the media has focused on the jobs the project could create, and not on the potential downsides of the pipeline:

From: [redacted]
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 09:11 PM
To: [redacted]
Subject: Heads up – MMFA study on media coverage of KXL out tomorrow

[Redacted],

I wanted to flag that MMFA will be putting out a major, quantitative report on media coverage of KXL tomorrow morning.

The study will be similar to our EPA counting study (http://mediamatters.org/research/201106070010) — and will drill home the point the media bought right into Big Oil’s desired frame on KXL, focusing largely on the (inflated) number of jobs that could be created, without paying due attention to the many other important issues at stake. (Ranchers’ land, spills, climate change, etc.)

We are hoping for a big media splash,  but – more importantly – we’re hoping that allies will be able to leverage it to gain favorable coverage.

I’ve pasted a very brief summary below – and will be sure to send along the final study as soon as it’s up.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

All the best,

[Redacted] (more…)

Sydney Volanski, a 15-year-old who left the Girl Scouts of the USA and spoke out over the group directing the young members to liberal media group Media Matters for America, appeared on Fox and Friends to talk about the ordeal.

Sydney says the organization also promoted Planned Parenthood and abortion advocacy. In response she started a website, Speak Now: Girl Scouts, with the goal of exposing liberal bias within the Girl Scouts.

“Media”, the book given to the young girls which encouraged them to visit MMFA, is a publication made for those in grades six through eight that shows how they should process and understand the media messages around them. (more…)

From FoxNews:

David Brock, chairman and chief executive of Media Matters for America, told a news website earlier this year that his nonprofit is now moving to “sabotage” FOX News because it says the network is now the “de facto head of the GOP,” among other things.

Anchors and guests appearing on FOX News have said because of such statements, the nonprofit is violating U.S. tax law.

There is no indication the IRS is auditing or probing Media Matters for these alleged violations.

However, interviews with current and former IRS officials, tax lawyers and tax experts, as well as a review of Media Matters’ IRS documents and its activities indicate the nonprofit has put its tax-exempt status in jeopardy for reasons beyond those allegations.

(more…)

Dear Media Matters:

I just wanted to point out to you that the individual you allege is a “discredited activist,” James O’Keefe,  has launched efforts that have led to ACORN losing financial support from taxpayers via Congress and ACORN was then forced into a re-organization, likely rendering them less effective. Additionally, NJ Governor Christie used a video from O’Keefe’s Project Veritas in his battle with the teachers union in New Jersey.

And now at least two senior NPR executives have lost their jobs, one actually lost two, given that Ronald Schiller is no longer going to work for the Aspen Institute – as a direct result of O’Keefe’s work. Oh, and by the way, NPR is now on the verge of losing its public funding.

Meanwhile, for all of uncle Georgie Soros’ money and Podesta’s political genuis, you have accomplished what, exactly, since you came to be? Oh, that’s right, … nothing really. Last time I looked, Fox, Rush, Levin, Hannity, Beck et al are all still on the air and going stronger than ever. So is the Tea Party movement, in point of fact. Also, a generally Conservative tide seems to be continuing to rise in America, as well as in Congress.

Now, go back to tickling your Elmos and crying in your wine coolers due to the damage currently being done to NPR. We’re not laughing with you, we’re laughing at you, clowns.

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Certain conspiracies have been winding their way through the more desperate and hungry parts of the blogosphere; various liberals have alleged that I, Andrew Breitbart, and others “lied” about Patricia Redington’s handling of Kenneth Gladney (who still hasn’t received justice) and Kelly Owens’ cases.

This is the problem when one is driven not by intellectual curiosity, but by a pronounced obsessive bitterness, when bloggers’ content is based upon fruits from scavenge and bias, as opposed to actual investigation which requires more skill, demonstrated by 24thState, in a post which requires full reading. This lack of attention to facts was exhibited last week in a hastily-written piece – too hasty to bother confirming the identity of the intended target – on Crooks and Liars. The cogs in the machine each provided cover , a crack in any flank, according to their rulebook, is invalidation of their own. But as for the matter of Gladney and Redington:

They’re wrong, as usual, but then the Soros and SEIU funded Media Matters has never been interested in the truth.  I speak to this because starting that night, August 6th, I’ve been collecting the information on the Gladney case, from public statements to health records to statements from public officials, and just last week, I delivered much of that information to the prosecutor overseeing the case.

Aside from all of this, I’m glad to see, for the first time, real interest in one of the most under-reported hate crimes in America in the past several years. I’m glad that liberals have mustered up enough interest to ask the questions they couldn’t be bothered to ask last fall when they were too busy trying to cover up the crime against a black man. Perhaps they will also ask why it took Redington so long to talk to witnesses, or about this:

The hospital records were not the complete medical records.  Gladney went to his personal doctor, the one paid by coverage through his wife’s insurance (despite a report and non-correction you might have read in the St Louis Post Dispatch).  Pat Redington’s office had no way of knowing this because prior to them bringing charges, they wouldn’t meet with or speak to Kenneth Gladney, or any of the witnesses in the police report.  Thus prior to the charges being brought, Redington’s office couldn’t check the full medical records.  They didn’t know of the existence of the full medical record.

[...]

These medical records were important, because Redington’s failure to press timely charges was excused by the complexity of the case.  And yet, the information the counselor’s office had was no different the day they pressed charges, then it was on August 12th.  In other words, Redington’s claim of dozens of witnesses and multiple arrests was intended to be an excuse.  The truth is there was no, and I repeat this strongly, NO, investigation from the counselor’s office.

Those on the left stated an aversion to name-calling when they decried when conservatives declared certain of the administration’s politics to be socialist, tossing around words like “liar” and “racist” seem to be excepted from their double-standard, even when those against whom they rail have the advantage of possessing information on the story and not just SEIU rhetoric.

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