That So-Called Liberal Media

What would you call this media?

With the SOTU coming up the GOP and FOX and the typical gaggle of consies was crowing about the around 80% Iraqi vote. The SCLM was going about 70%. The next day that begin to drop to 60% - actually they were rounding up from the official Iraqi source estimated 57%. Now the Iraqis are admiting it will not be 57%, maybe 50%. And it has been tracked down that is versus registered voters not the adult population as is normally done.

An example of the results is the fact that the quasi-government in power that the US supported and had all the Iraqi TV ads got perhaps 18%. The big winner with now over 60% is a Shiite religious coalition with ties to Iran. The Kurds turned out and may have 20%.

The big loser is Sunnis who sat out the election contrary to all those reports on the amazing brave turnout and our forces providing security. Where my nephew is in Mosul turnout is estimated at 10%. Other big Sunni areas seem to have similar turnout.

UPDATE: Officials Back Away from Early Estimates of Iraqi Voter Turnout

Analysis of early returns by Dr. Cole. BTW - Jonah-Juan cat fight.

State of the Union television coverage continued trend of conservative guests outnumbering progressives

Media Matters has frequently catalogued the disparity between the numbers of conservative and progressive guests on cable news. Last month's Inauguration Day coverage, for example, featured 83 Republican and conservative guests on CNN, FOX, and MSNBC, while only 20 progressive guests appeared on those programs.

The trend continued during coverage of Bush's State of the Union address this week, particularly on MSNBC. Between 7 p.m. and 12 a.m., MSNBC featured eleven conservative guests and only two progressives. MSNBC had four elected Republicans as guests: Senators Lott (R-MS), McCain (R-AZ), Santorum (R-PA), and Hatch (R-UT), and no elected Democrats. Bush's communications director and former speechwriter were also guests; the only progressive guests were Ron Reagan Jr. and Hilary Rosen.

Hardball stays firmly right - Pre-State of the Union Hardball featured 6 Republicans, 1 Democrat.