http://mediamatters.org/tools/syndication/tag_rss/ethics This link is for use by RSS-enabled software to retrieve Media Matters items matching the term: Ethics en-US Copyright 2008, Media Matters for America http://mediamatters.org/items/200810280019 Discussing Sen. Ted Stevens' conviction for lying on his Senate financial disclosure forms, Chris Matthews asked Rep. Heather Wilson, "Does it bother you personally that one of your colleagues looks like a crook?" However, after Wilson responded, in part, that "in my office and in my service, you know, I tell everyone that works with me, we stay on the white side of gray," Matthews did not ask Wilson about a Justice Department report that called for further investigation of actions Wilson and others allegedly took surrounding the firing of a former New Mexico U.S. Attorney. The report stated that the alleged conduct of Wilson and others in the case "may have been criminal." http://mediamatters.org/items/200810280019 Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:03:16 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200810070031 On <em><em>Face the Nation,</em></em> Bob Schieffer did not ask Rep. Heather Wilson about a recent Justice Department report that called for further investigation of actions she and others allegedly took surrounding the firing of former New Mexico U.S. Attorney David Iglesias. The report stated that their actions may have constituted an "attempt[] to pressure Iglesias to accelerate his charging decision" in a case and that if attempts to pressure Iglesias occurred, they could constitute obstruction of justice or wire fraud. http://mediamatters.org/items/200810070031 Tue, 7 Oct 2008 22:44:00 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200809250015 A<em> Wall Street Journal</em> Washington Wire blog post reported that Rep. Tom Feeney, who, in a new ad, apologizes for a 2003 trip he took to Scotland financed by Jack Abramoff, "re-paid the $5,643 cost of the trip to the U.S. Treasury." But the blog post did not note that, according to a plea agreement by another trip attendee, the trip had "costs exceeding $160,000" for Abramoff and the seven other participants, or at least $20,000 per person. http://mediamatters.org/items/200809250015 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:36:11 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200809200003 On the <em>CBS Evening News</em>, Chip Reid uncritically aired video of Sen. John McCain claiming that the "crisis on Wall Street, my friends, started in the Washington culture of lobbying and influence-peddling, and [Sen. Barack Obama] was right square in the middle of it." However, Reid did not mention McCain's own ties to the "Washington culture of lobbying." According to a <em><em>Mother Jones</em></em> report, "at least 83" McCain aides, policy advisers, or fundraisers "have in recent years lobbied for the financial industry McCain now attacks." http://mediamatters.org/items/200809200003 Sat, 20 Sep 2008 18:15:14 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200809160016 Rush Limbaugh said of the investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin's dismissal of Alaska public safety commissioner Walter Monegan: "This is pure sexism in Alaska on the part of these old boys trying to get rid of Sarah Palin, and she didn't put up with it, and she didn't bend over and let them have their way." http://mediamatters.org/items/200809160016 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:20:03 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200809100036 On MSNBC, PolitiFact.com's Bill Adair said that Gov. Sarah Palin's claim to have put a jet airplane owned by the state of Alaska on the Internet auction site eBay was true and noted that "[t]he state was unsuccessful selling it on eBay, and they had to hire an aircraft broker to sell it, ended up selling it for considerably less than the state had paid for it." However, neither Adair nor Contessa Brewer noted that Sen. John McCain falsely claimed that Palin "took the luxury jet that was acquired by her predecessor and sold it on eBay. And made a profit." http://mediamatters.org/items/200809100036 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:55:53 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200809090024 <em>The Washington Post</em>'s Howard Kurtz wrote that Gov. Sarah Palin's "description of her role in the infamous bridge [to nowhere] funding is highly selective at best," but falsely suggested that there was insufficient evidence to establish that Palin's claims about her actions on the project are false. Kurtz ignored outright falsehoods in Palin's claims about her opposition to the bridge, including her claim that she "told the Congress, 'Thanks, but no thanks' on that 'bridge to nowhere.'" http://mediamatters.org/items/200809090024 Tue, 9 Sep 2008 20:11:31 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200808150002 CNN announced in a press release: "Brody, Castellanos, Milbank, Rosen, Wall Span Spectrum of U.S. Politics for CNN Analysis, Commentary ... CNN has added five more top political reporters and commentators to its deep bench of political contributors and analysts." CNN's new "top political reporters and commentators" that "[s]pan" the "[s]pectrum" include reported McCain adviser Alex Castellanos, former RNC official Tara Walls, Christian Broadcasting Network's David Brody -- who once described a male blogger as Fred Thompson's "angry girlfriend" -- and <em>Washington Post</em> columnist Dana Milbank. http://mediamatters.org/items/200808150002 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:57:56 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200808140008 <em>The Atlanta Journal-Constitution</em> reported as fact the false allegation that Sen. Harry Reid received political contributions from Jack Abramoff. While Reid received contributions from Abramoff's firm's PAC (to which Abramoff did not contribute) and from some of Abramoff's partners and clients, a Center for Responsive Politics breakdown of Abramoff's donations confirms that Abramoff himself made contributions only to Republicans, not Democrats. http://mediamatters.org/items/200808140008 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:30:38 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200808120004 <em>The Atlanta Journal-Constitution</em> uncritically quoted a Republican National Committee spokeswoman's false assertion that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "took nearly $68,000 from [former Washington lobbyist Jack] Abramoff." In fact, Abramoff made contributions only to Republicans, not Democrats. http://mediamatters.org/items/200808120004 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:12:16 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200807300001 Evening news broadcasts on CBS and NBC failed to cover a new report finding that the actions of top aides in the Justice Department who used political considerations in hiring "violated federal law and Department policy, and also constituted misconduct." ABC's <em>World News</em>, meanwhile, devoted less than 30 seconds to the report. Despite the potential implications for U.S. counterterrorism efforts, all three networks ignored the finding that "an experienced career terrorism prosecutor" was denied a counterterrorism assignment while "a much more junior attorney who lacked any experience in counterterrorism issues and who officials believed was not qualified for the position" was hired instead. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807300001 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:08:02 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200806090007 The <em>Chicago Sun-Times</em> reported that Sen. John McCain spoke out against "land swaps, worthless land for valuable land" in connection with the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and that "McCain is still a watchdog when it comes to federal spending, but he is a supporter of Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics, said his spokesman, Tucker Bounds." But the article did not note that McCain has himself reportedly facilitated land-swap deals that benefited wealthy developers who were major McCain donors. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806090007 Mon, 9 Jun 2008 16:40:19 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805230005 On February 24, Tim Russert stated on NBC's <em>Today</em> that "the story about Senator [John] McCain and lobbyists and ethics and money -- that continues. It's been on the front page of several papers for the last three days. ... We have not heard the end of that discussion about Senator McCain." However, since that date, "the story" has not "continue[d]" on <em>Meet the Press</em>. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805230005 Fri, 23 May 2008 15:17:16 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200803110003 On <em>Hardball</em>, Chris Matthews repeatedly referenced allegations that New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer was linked to a prostitution ring to call into question the role of superdelegates in the Democratic nominating process. Matthews stated: "I have to bring into question the prudence, the justice, the judiciousness of these superdelegates." http://mediamatters.org/items/200803110003 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:32:42 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200802240003 On <em>Meet the Press</em>, discussing the <em>New York Times</em> article about Sen. John McCain's relationship with a lobbyist, David Brooks said he "do[esn't] really understand the case" involving McCain and the letters he wrote to the Federal Communications Commission about an issue involving Paxson Communications, then suggested that McCain "only wrote two letters" as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. But the <em>Times </em>reported that McCain sent a series of letters to the FCC in a separate case, including "an unusually blunt letter to the head of the Federal Communications Commission, warning that he would try to overhaul the agency if it closed a broadcast ownership loophole." http://mediamatters.org/items/200802240003 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:31:33 EST