Media Matters setting mainstream media's agenda?
Investigative report takes aim at David Brock's group
This is a rush transcript from "The Five," February 13, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
GREG GUTFELD, CO-HOST: Today, The Daily Caller released a devastating report on Media Matters, the left wing site devoted to smearing anyone who isn't nuttier than elephant poop.
Apparently, Media Matters has a direct line to the White House. And as their fingers all over liberal toadies throughout the media who rely on their bitter, lonely screech.
Now, I get why Media Matter's press releases are perfect script for the MSNBC hacks. Those are cliff notes for lazy leftists who find thinking really, really hard. Without them, Ed Schultz would be roaming the halls in a bath robe.
KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, CO-HOST: Yes.
GUTFELD: Even more, The Caller reports that unstable behavior permeates Media Matters, including drug use, illegal guns and office sex.
Wow, I may start liking them.
(LAUGHTER)
GUTFELD: Anyway, I kid. But it's great news that the America's media agenda has been set by a far left freak show. Luckily, that could never happen in Hollywood.
But it gets me to a recent Pew survey showing that 67 percent of Americans see political bias in the news, which is a new high. Funny, only
32 percent of Democrats feel the same, which makes sense. Why admit a slant when you benefit from it?
But, look, the mainstream media is not arm of the current administration. It's both arms, two shoulders, a torso and a pair of pinkies.
The most amazing thing, that when Rachel Maddow speaks, you don't even see Obama's lips move.
BOB BECKEL, CO-HOST: Very good.
DANA PERINO, CO-HOST: An old one but a good one.
GUTFELD: Yes, you never know.
Yes, Bob?
BECKEL: I was going to say, as if there aren't conservative writers who take all their stuff from these right wing blogs. I mean, come on.
GUTFELD: No, you always go with the relativistic argument. It just so happen that Media Matters --
BECKEL: What do you mean relativistic argument? You're the one who just said that hey control -- Media Matters controls the entire liberal --
GUTFELD: No, according to the article --
BECKEL: Who did the article?
GUTFELD: Daily Caller.
BECKEL: Tucker Carlson.
PERINO: They based it off of a memo that was given to them that was basically the game plan of Media Matters.
BECKEL: Listen, I have been the target of Media Matters myself, as a liberal being accused of selling out to being here. And I've said to them directly that I'm happy to put my liberal credentials up against any of them. I've had taken my hits, too. But the idea that --
GUILFOYLE: Jeez, they're not even happy with you?
BECKEL: No, that's not the point. It's because of FOX.
GUTFELD: Because he doesn't even do drugs anymore.
BECKEL: No. Listen, I'd be a little careful about that drug allegation because of all the stuff that I read in the story, yes, there are a lot of sources mostly anonymous. Ones on drugs were very, very limited.
I just don't like to call people druggies if they can't prove it. And that story could not prove it.
ERIC BOLLING, CO-HOST: Can I make three points?
GUTFELD: Yes.
BOLLING: Number, we're for $17 trillion in the hole after the next budget, which we're going to do. This is a tax exempt organization. Are you sure you want liberal attack dog as being exempt? Number one.
GUTFELD: Good point.
BOLLING: Number two, whether these allegations are true or not, I wonder what the donors are going to think? The donors of Media Matters.
And number three, the gun-toting assistants I thought they were against gun rights? You got to love them for that.
PERINO: Not if you're worried.
(CROSSTALK)
BECKEL: So, the Heritage Foundation be tax-exempt?
BOLLING: Can I point something out, Bob?
BECKEL: Yes?
BOLLING: You put your cufflinks.
BECKEL: I know.
(LAUGHTER)
BECKEL: You know how they do that? (INAUDIBLE) put upside down --
GUTFELD: I've done that many times.
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: But they had a thing in this memo called finger print coverage. So, they would try and I would imagine that a lot of P.R. firms do this, right? But it would be weird I think -- it's weird like to me that a news organization Media Matters says -- admits in this memo that basically they do fingerprint coverage so that if I send you like a leftie blogger at "The Washington Post" or MSNBC, if I send you something, and then you use it, then it's like you get a point on the board.
GUTFELD: Yes.
PERINO: That's how they are tracking it to see if they could be successful. Not only are they tax exempt. But the head guy, David Brock, also runs a PAC. That's absolutely his right. But the hypocrisy is just rich.
BECKEL: Were you upset during the Bush administration they had the entire front of the White House lawn filled up with the right wing nut talk radio show hosts?
BECKEL: Were you upset when Clinton administration invited all the weather forecasters all around the country to come and talk about climate change being real?
BECKEL: No.
PERINO: Same thing.
BECKEL: But I mean, everybody does what they need to do with their base. And when you guys put conservative, you didn't liberal --
GUTFELD: Do you think this is their base really?
BECKEL: I think you're giving them far more credit than they deserve.
BOLLING: But don't give them tax exempt status.
BECKEL: Why give the Heritage Foundation tax exempt status?
BOLLING: No one has a problem with what they're doing. If you want to single box out, or single one of us out, go ahead. Knock yourself out.
But don't have Obama's budget showed $1.4 trillion in taxes and say, we have a revenue problem. And have groups like this.
BECKEL: What about the Heritage Foundation? What about the Heritage Foundation?
BOLLING: Heritage Foundation does a lot more and way more widespread than Media Matters.
PERINO: I probably say that -- it doesn't like try to find people's addresses and publish them and like write nasty stuff about individuals.
They actually have thinking fellows there --
GUTFELD: I love that Media Matters, they have fellows. How do you become a fellow? What do you do?
I think you have to watch one or two hours straight of FOX News. Then you got a little badge like the Girl Scouts.
But this story is inevitability when you have people working in their job is to sit there and do this work. It's got to be depressing, Kimberly.
Sooner or later, they're going to turn on Media Matters because they can't stand it any longer.
GUILFOYLE: Well, the question, is this a liability to the Obama administration? Do they feel that this is helping them?
BECKEL: Well, I think they do think it's helping them.
And, by the way, I have a great admiration to this friend of mine, Brent Bozell has been doing this on the right for decades.
PERINO: In a very different way. I mean, there is no comparing what Brent Bozell does to a David Brock does.
BECKEL: What --
PERINO: I mean, if you look at Media Matters in terms of the personal nature of the outrageous attacks, Brent Bozell argues on the merit and says, here's the facts.
Not you're ugly.
GUILFOYLE: Not personal attacks, yes.
BECKEL: But there are parts, we keep coming back here who I think, frankly, I don't trust anybody goes from being a conservative, being a liberal like that. And some others.
GUTFELD: I got to go.
BECKEL: Anyway, you got to go, Greg.
GUTFELD: I got to go, I'm being yelled at.
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