The biggest controversies of 2010
A month-by-month review of the battles, scandals, debates, and disputes that drove opinion in 2010
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange rose to prominence in 2010 after engineering the disclosure of thousands of secret U.S. government cables. Photo: Corbis SEE ALL 3 PHOTOS
Best Opinion: NY Times, National Review, Wall St. Journal...
From a controversial Super Bowl ad to the threatening rise of WikiLeaks, 2010 has been a volatile year. Here's a look back at the political clashes, provocative stances, celebrity scandals, and public outrages that most defined the past 12 months.
January
TIM TEBOW'S ANTI-ABORTION AD
Despite a long-standing refusal to air "political ads" during the Super Bowl, CBS okays an anti-abortion spot starring Heisman Trophy–winning college quarterback Tim Tebow and his mother. In the ad, produced by Focus on the Family, Tebow, an outspoken conservative Christian, says his mother had defied her doctor's advice to abort him amid concerns about her health and his viability. Things get more heated when celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred accuses Tebow's mom of lying about the story. The outrage over a harmless "Christian, pro-life" ad, says Cassy Fiano in Hot Air, shows just how "completely out of touch" liberals are. I don't care if Tebow's "commercial has a beautiful, undeniable message," says Gregg Doyel in CBS Sports. Just don't show it "during the damn Super Bowl."
Top tabloid scandal: A determinedly ubiquitous reality TV star says she's "addicted" to plastic surgery and claims to have had 10 operation in a single day. Doubters wonder if she's just trying to hype her new album and prolong her dwindling 15 minutes of fame. (Watch Heidi Montag discuss her many surgeries)
February
TOYOTA FALLS FROM GRACE
Top global automaker Toyota recalls more than 8 million cars after the media seizes on issues surrounding sticky accelerators and faulty brakes. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood turns a damaging recall into an alleged conspiracy when he advises "anyone who owns one of these vehicles" to "stop driving it" — prompting commentators to note Uncle Sam's stake in GM and Chrysler. It's no coincidence, says Terence Corcoran in the National Post , that a "top-line political gamesman" like LaHood launched this "great American nationalist assault on a foreign corporation ." Toyota knew about these problems for years, counters the Las Vegas Sun in an editorial, but did nothing until Washington started "once again looking out for the public's safety."
Top tabloid scandal: The tiny star of a reality show focusing on the mating habits of young Italian Americans causes a big uproar when it's revealed that she isn't actually Italian but rather South American. "Italians everywhere are rejoicing at this," says a gossip blog. (Watch an MSNBC discussion about Snooki's heritage)