MSNBC Frets About 'Unhinged' Conservatives Who Are 'Scaring' Seniors

MSNBC's graphics department on Monday provided some visually obnoxious examples of media bias, fretting about "unhinged" conservatives and "health care hysteria." Throughout the morning, the left-leaning cable network featured on-screen texts promoting the Democratic agenda. At 11:35am, MSNBC News Live host Carlos Watson anchored a piece urging liberals to get tough in supporting universal health care. The graphic screamed, "Are Liberals Being Too Weak?"

At the beginning of the 12pm show Dr. Nancy, Nancy Snyderman discussed whether or not conservatives such as Sarah Palin are frightening the elderly over health care. This time, the on-screen visual spun, "Health Care Fight: Scaring Seniors?"

At 11:15am, anchor Watson presided over a similar segment and was paired with a graphic that hyperbolically suggested, "Conservatives Coming Unhinged?" Watson asked Peter Roff of U.S. News and World Reports, "You and I have, kind of, talked on and off over the several days about whether there's a conservative revitalization going on or whether [sic] conservative movement, frankly, between the birthers and Sarah Palin's comments and some of the other things, whether they've become unhinged. Your thoughts?"

At 9:18, during the Morning Meeting program, host Dylan Ratigan looked into the health care town hall meetings and the conservatives who have been loudly speaking up. Providing no objectivity at all, the MSNBC visual attacked the "Health Care Hysteria" that the cable network clearly believes is disrupting the President's agenda.

At 9:56, Ratigan teased yet more coverage of the health care debate and condescendingly lectured, "Subsidized abortion, one of the rumors inside this health care debate. Advocating euthanasia. Another nice nightmare to try to get people worked up. We will separate fact from fiction on the health care debate."

He dismissively announced that MSNBC would see "if we can actually create a conversation as opposed to a bunch of hooting and hollering." Perhaps Mr. Ratigan should read the AP, because that news outlet explained on August 5 that abortion coverage is in the health care bill:

Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions, a decision that would affect millions of women and recast federal policy on the divisive issue.

Federal funds for abortions are now restricted to cases involving rape, incest or danger to the life of the mother. Abortion opponents say those restrictions should carry over to any health insurance sold through a new marketplace envisioned under the legislation, an exchange where people would choose private coverage or the public plan.

-Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center.