Inside the Beltway: Lawsuit, what lawsuit?

Inside the Beltway: Lawsuit, what lawsuit?

washingtontimes.com

• ** FILE ** Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group. (Media Research Center)

Media Research Center founder Brent Bozell has seen a lot of media abuse in his time as the master monitor of the liberal press. Now, he’s seen the very worst: The broadcast networks “all but spiked the largest legal action in history to defend our constitutionally protected religious freedom,” the analyst says, citing CBS, ABC and NBC for skimming over news that 43 Catholic dioceses and organizations filed a lawsuit Monday against the Obama administration.
CBS managed to air 19 seconds on the subject. But that was it, between all three networks.
“This is the worst bias by omission I have seen in the quarter-century history of the Media Research Center,” he says, insisting that the networks fear the lawsuit could compromise President Obama’s popularity with voters.
“This is not a mistake, nor is it an editorial oversight by the broadcast networks. This is a deliberate and insidious withholding of national news to protect the ‘chosen one’ who ABC, CBSand NBC have worked so hard to elect.”
Lead stories and in-depth reports are in order, he suggests, following revelations that the Catholic Church unleashed “legal Armageddon” on the White House, promising not to comply with health care reforms that would require religiously affiliated institutions to offer birth control to employees.
“Instead, these networks are sending a clear message to all Americans that the networks will go to any lengths — even censoring from the public an event of this historic magnitude — to prevent the release of any information that will hurt Obama’s chances of re-election,” Mr. Bozell concludes.
Let the show begin: President Obama isn’t the only Democrat to draw glittering Hollywood firepower. Silver-screen hunks Ben Affleck and Matt Damon — who both grew up near Boston — staged a “Massachusetts Evening” at a Santa Monica, Calif., production studio Monday night to raise money for consumer advocate and Harvard professor Elizabeth Warren, who would like very much to take Edward M. Kennedy’s old U.S. Senate seat from Sen. Scott P. Brown, a hunk in his own right.
“It was the first time Affleck has thrown himself personally into a major political fundraiser, but when word hits the street about that haul, it probably wont be the last,” predicts Hollywood Reporter correspondent Tina Daunt.
THE VIAL MATTER
Multiple news organizations were titillated and even gleeful over news that a British auction house is peddling a 31-year-old vial that once contained Ronald Reagan’s blood — a phenomenon first reported Sunday night in this very column, based on a lead from Washington Times editor Ed Kelley. The greater implications of the bizarre story — the top bid is now approaching $15,000 — are being explored by those with genuine respect for Mr. Reagan, and concern for his survivors.
They ask: What’s the responsibility of George Washington University Hospital, where the blood was drawn following John Hinckley Jr.’s 1982 assassination attempt on the president? There are also concerns about privacy rights and the untoward spectacle of the tale, plus inevitable “What if?” whispers about cloning.
“This is a depraved situation,” says a source close to the situation. “Now, here’s what should happen, ideally. The auction house should simply take the vial off the market and turn it over to the British government, which in turn should return it to the Reagan family. Case closed.”
FAT CHANCE
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• ** FILE ** Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group. (Media Research Center)

• 72 percent overall say it is “morally wrong” to require health care professionals to perform a legal abortion against their religious beliefs.
• 86 percent of Republicans, 87 percent of conservatives, 57 percent of Democrats and 54 percent of liberals agree.
• 58 percent overall say health organizations should be able to opt out of performing abortions for religious reasons.
• 73 percent of Republicans, 72 percent of conservatives, 48 percent of Democrats and 43 percent of liberals agree.
• 52 percent overall say U.S. laws have made it harder for people to live according to their religious beliefs.
• 69 percent of Republicans, 67 percent of conservatives, 39 percent of Democrats and 37 percent of liberals agree.
Source: A Knights of Columbus/Marist poll of 1,606 U.S. adults conducted May 10 to 14 and released Tuesday.
• Nervous commentary, churlish observations to jharper@washingtontimes.com.