Three-time Murrow-Award Winner Keith Olbermann announces his return to cable news. His new show will be entitled ... Countdown with Keith Olbermann! Hmm, that sounds familiar. Unfortunately it's not available from my cable company at this time. Hopefully Keith's presence will allow Current TV to expand. It will be nice to have his voice back.
Showing posts with label keith olbermann. Show all posts
Showing posts with label keith olbermann. Show all posts
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Remember When...
...these two fabulous lefty's were back-to-back on MSNBC? I truly miss those days. Lawrence O'Donnell can be interesting to watch and as a former insider, he understands the reality of what can actually be done as opposed to what we want done yesterday. Yeah, yeah, the same can be said about Chris Matthews except that O'Donnell isn't annoying about it. Still, Lawrence lacks Keith Olbermann's pizazz and the fiery in your face force that we need on the left to combat the loud mouth crackpots on the right. Lawrence can get passionate about certain subjects, but Keith rarely brought a story to the viewer that he didn't feel was egregious in some way. Rachel's our happy warrior, our thoughtful intellect. Always ready with the facts, a smile and a twinkle in her eye, carrying a scalpel as opposed to a machete' to get her point across. Keith and Rachel were our one-two punch, our Yin-Yang, our superheroes. Tonight, a glimpse of what we had from October 2008-January 2011. Keith's video covers something I've been talking about for months, that Republican voters vote against their own best interest because they think that winning Powerball ticket is a drawing away. And Rachel finally covered a topic I did on April 11 --- the budget proposal from the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Maybe she finally got around to reading my blog!
Who needs Al Jazeera or BBC?!
Who needs Al Jazeera or BBC?!
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Thursday, March 24, 2011
He's Back! Olbermann Returns With Special Comment
Even though Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced earlier today that the United States is taking the next step in military operations against Libya by transferring command and control of the no-fly zone to NATO, I wanted to share this video from the
FOK News Channel from yesterday. Granted, it's not the same as Countdown, but it's great to have his voice back. His new show on Current TV is scheduled to start late spring.
Keith Olbermann's Special Comment: 03/23/11
FOK News Channel from yesterday. Granted, it's not the same as Countdown, but it's great to have his voice back. His new show on Current TV is scheduled to start late spring.
Keith Olbermann's Special Comment: 03/23/11
Saturday, March 19, 2011
GOP Pushing For IRS Abortion Audits - Seriously
The GOP war on women is getting worse everyday. We now have a bill, that could subject survivors of rape and incest to audits by the Internal Revenue Service, if they choose abortion. Here's how this attack on women would work. The bill, H.R.3, could forbid using tax benefits -- like credits or deductions -- to pay for abortion or health insurance that includes abortion coverage. If a woman who claimed a tax benefit for an abortion service were to be audited, she would have to provide proof that her abortion fell under the rape or incest exception. According to a tax expert, if this bill becomes law, the IRS would have to enforce it. NARAL Pro-Choice America says, "Not only would a woman have to describe her sexual assault to the police, but she could then be forced to relive that horrifying experience with an agent from the IRS." Even more outrageously, the burden of proof would be on the woman to show that her assault was valid. Keep your receipts ladies.
This nonsense gets more outrageous and insulting by the day. Why has a legal medical procedure become fodder in a country that is supposed to separate church and state? Why is there not an outcry across this nation by self-respecting women and progressive men? Are we really that Foxed up? Here's another idea to go hand-in-hand. Every man who uses Viagra or any other ED medication must submit a sample to be stored in a bank for identification. If it is determined that the sample was likely involved in an unintended pregnancy, he would have to prove that he used all precautions necessary to prevent that pregnancy. If he can not prove he used all necessary precautions, any and all tax refunds for the next 18 years go to Planned Parenthood. How does that sound guys?
I have to say, I'm extremely distressed that women like Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann who believe in subservience have become icons to many women in this country. They are taking us back to the Phyllis Schlafly time machine where women did what the male controlled society expected them to do. It's a very scary time for young women in this country. I just can't get my head around the notion of looking up to these women who think that looking good for the "men-folk" is good enough to get them by. Why are women like Hillary Clinton, Rachel Maddow, Nancy Pelosi and Debbie Wasserman Schultz mocked as less than ideal women? They are actual success stories! I remember when Palin first burst on the scene and watching how some guys were looking at her, talking about her; while they were picturing her as the "dirty librarian who's going to give him a spanking." Meanwhile, conservative women bought the great mom/successful career woman spiel, never mind that her teenage daughter got knocked up under her own roof. These people vote! They couldn't care less that their so-called attractive (very subjective) female and just-like-me (maybe as stupid, not wealth) candidates can't tell the difference between North and South Korea or New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The men care about watching them on the TV machine and fantasizing about what they would do to them if they got them alone and the women think about having coffee and discussing the kids.
Please read more at: Mother Jones: GOP Would Force IRS to Conduct Abortion Audits
KEITH OLBERMANN (10-03-08) DID A HILARIOUS VERBATIM READ OF RICH LOWRY'S COLUMN ABOUT SNOWZILLA'S VP DEBATE PERFORMANCE. FORWARD TO THE 1:33 MARK ON THE VIDEO.
This nonsense gets more outrageous and insulting by the day. Why has a legal medical procedure become fodder in a country that is supposed to separate church and state? Why is there not an outcry across this nation by self-respecting women and progressive men? Are we really that Foxed up? Here's another idea to go hand-in-hand. Every man who uses Viagra or any other ED medication must submit a sample to be stored in a bank for identification. If it is determined that the sample was likely involved in an unintended pregnancy, he would have to prove that he used all precautions necessary to prevent that pregnancy. If he can not prove he used all necessary precautions, any and all tax refunds for the next 18 years go to Planned Parenthood. How does that sound guys?
I have to say, I'm extremely distressed that women like Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann who believe in subservience have become icons to many women in this country. They are taking us back to the Phyllis Schlafly time machine where women did what the male controlled society expected them to do. It's a very scary time for young women in this country. I just can't get my head around the notion of looking up to these women who think that looking good for the "men-folk" is good enough to get them by. Why are women like Hillary Clinton, Rachel Maddow, Nancy Pelosi and Debbie Wasserman Schultz mocked as less than ideal women? They are actual success stories! I remember when Palin first burst on the scene and watching how some guys were looking at her, talking about her; while they were picturing her as the "dirty librarian who's going to give him a spanking." Meanwhile, conservative women bought the great mom/successful career woman spiel, never mind that her teenage daughter got knocked up under her own roof. These people vote! They couldn't care less that their so-called attractive (very subjective) female and just-like-me (maybe as stupid, not wealth) candidates can't tell the difference between North and South Korea or New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The men care about watching them on the TV machine and fantasizing about what they would do to them if they got them alone and the women think about having coffee and discussing the kids.
Please read more at: Mother Jones: GOP Would Force IRS to Conduct Abortion Audits
KEITH OLBERMANN (10-03-08) DID A HILARIOUS VERBATIM READ OF RICH LOWRY'S COLUMN ABOUT SNOWZILLA'S VP DEBATE PERFORMANCE. FORWARD TO THE 1:33 MARK ON THE VIDEO.
COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN: OCTOBER 3, 2008.
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Tragedy To Risky To Cover...Evidently
Shawna Forde: Guilty of all eight counts in the Flores family murders, including two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder for the shooting of the nine-year-old's mother, and an assortment of burglary, robbery and aggravated assault charges.
The bigger question is, how many people even know what I'm talking about? I haven't yet seen a single cable-network report on the story -- not MSNBC, not CNN and certainly not FNC.
Here's the short version. According to what the Arizona Daily Star reported, prosecutor Rick Unklesbay told jurors last week, Shawna Forde thought so highly of herself she believed she could create a new world, decide who was a drug dealer and who wasn't and who should live and die. Unklesbay spent approximately 90 minutes Thursday going over the evidence he says proves Forde, 43, was the mastermind behind a May 30, 2009, Arivaca home invasion that left Raul Junior Flores, 29, and his 9-year-old-daughter, Brisenia, dead of multiple gunshot wounds. The prosecutor reminded jurors that at least four witnesses testified Forde bragged about her plan to fund her Minutemen American Defense organization by robbing drug-cartel associates during home invasions. Among those witnesses were her sister, two FBI informants and Oin Oakstar, an Arivaca drug smuggler.
For two weeks, we watched non-stop coverage of the other Arizona tragedy, the one leaving Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords with a bullet shot through her brain and six dead, including nine-year-old Christina Greene. Certainly a tragedy that deserved the coverage it received, but what's up with not covering a right wing militia madam who masterminded the execution an innocent man and his 9-year-old daughter? Is it because the media does not want to report anything that reflects poorly on the right wing or is it because Brisenia Flores was Hispanic. I suspect a little bit of both, but I lean more towards the former as several under-reported attacks incited by right wing media, particularly Glenn Beck have been mostly buried. Off the top of my head: A cop killer in PA, church killings in TN, murder at the Holocaust Museum in DC, doctors who perform abortions, Carlsbad, CA where a shooter yelled "Death to Obama" while firing his gun on a playground, etc... Luckily the police pulled over a crazed heavily-armed Beck fan on his way to the Tides Foundation in an attempt to assassinate the progressive organization's employees based on his Becktrination. On the other side of the coin, a young right wing punk set up ACORN with heavily edited videos to make them look like they were trafficking prostitutes, Fox ran the story on a 24/7 loop, CNN and other MSM picked it up and ACORN was defunded by our Democratic led House. By the way, they were later cleared of wrong doing once the video was proven to be edited. Too late for them though. Right Wing mission accomplished.
Getting back to the story at hand. Now that the verdict is in with the Forde case, I wonder of any of the so-called liberal media (so says the right wing) will touch this now? I'm afraid this is just another example of what our corporate owned media does. We're only allowed to see what they want us to see. If a left wing group had been accused in any organized illegality of any kind, this would be getting 24/7 coverage, led by Fox, but with the others joining in. I'm really frustrated at the direction this country is going. The pendulum should've swung back after the Bush Debacle, but instead, the right is doubling down and getting a foothold. Another tragic reminder of how Ronald Reagan began dismantling this country with deregulation. Best of luck to Keith Olbermann on Current TV with no corporate backing.
The bigger question is, how many people even know what I'm talking about? I haven't yet seen a single cable-network report on the story -- not MSNBC, not CNN and certainly not FNC.
Here's the short version. According to what the Arizona Daily Star reported, prosecutor Rick Unklesbay told jurors last week, Shawna Forde thought so highly of herself she believed she could create a new world, decide who was a drug dealer and who wasn't and who should live and die. Unklesbay spent approximately 90 minutes Thursday going over the evidence he says proves Forde, 43, was the mastermind behind a May 30, 2009, Arivaca home invasion that left Raul Junior Flores, 29, and his 9-year-old-daughter, Brisenia, dead of multiple gunshot wounds. The prosecutor reminded jurors that at least four witnesses testified Forde bragged about her plan to fund her Minutemen American Defense organization by robbing drug-cartel associates during home invasions. Among those witnesses were her sister, two FBI informants and Oin Oakstar, an Arivaca drug smuggler.
For two weeks, we watched non-stop coverage of the other Arizona tragedy, the one leaving Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords with a bullet shot through her brain and six dead, including nine-year-old Christina Greene. Certainly a tragedy that deserved the coverage it received, but what's up with not covering a right wing militia madam who masterminded the execution an innocent man and his 9-year-old daughter? Is it because the media does not want to report anything that reflects poorly on the right wing or is it because Brisenia Flores was Hispanic. I suspect a little bit of both, but I lean more towards the former as several under-reported attacks incited by right wing media, particularly Glenn Beck have been mostly buried. Off the top of my head: A cop killer in PA, church killings in TN, murder at the Holocaust Museum in DC, doctors who perform abortions, Carlsbad, CA where a shooter yelled "Death to Obama" while firing his gun on a playground, etc... Luckily the police pulled over a crazed heavily-armed Beck fan on his way to the Tides Foundation in an attempt to assassinate the progressive organization's employees based on his Becktrination. On the other side of the coin, a young right wing punk set up ACORN with heavily edited videos to make them look like they were trafficking prostitutes, Fox ran the story on a 24/7 loop, CNN and other MSM picked it up and ACORN was defunded by our Democratic led House. By the way, they were later cleared of wrong doing once the video was proven to be edited. Too late for them though. Right Wing mission accomplished.
Getting back to the story at hand. Now that the verdict is in with the Forde case, I wonder of any of the so-called liberal media (so says the right wing) will touch this now? I'm afraid this is just another example of what our corporate owned media does. We're only allowed to see what they want us to see. If a left wing group had been accused in any organized illegality of any kind, this would be getting 24/7 coverage, led by Fox, but with the others joining in. I'm really frustrated at the direction this country is going. The pendulum should've swung back after the Bush Debacle, but instead, the right is doubling down and getting a foothold. Another tragic reminder of how Ronald Reagan began dismantling this country with deregulation. Best of luck to Keith Olbermann on Current TV with no corporate backing.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Keith Olbermann Signs Off From MSNBC
In a move that can only be described as shocking. Liberal lightening-rod Keith Olbermann announced that this was the last episode of Countdown. I suspect Comcast's approved purchase of NBC/Universal was a major factor. I'm really saddened by this announcement and look forward to his return somewhere. There's really nothing else I can say.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Olbermann Will Be Back Tuesday!
Reported via Huffington Post:
First Posted: 11- 7-10 09:21 PM
Keith Olbermann will return to the air on Tuesday after being suspended for two shows (this past Friday and the upcoming episode on Monday). The host of MSNBC's "Countdown" was given an indefinite suspension last week after his boss, network president Phil Griffin, discovered that Olbermann had made political contributions without seeking prior approval, as per company policy.
A network spokesman released the following statement via email:
STATEMENT REGARDING KEITH OLBERMANN - SUNDAY, NOV. 7
From Phil Griffin, President of MSNBC:
After several days of deliberation and discussion, I have determined that suspending Keith through and including Monday night's program is an appropriate punishment for his violation of our policy. We look forward to having him back on the air Tuesday night.
Earlier on Sunday, Olbermann broke his silence via Twitter, telling his followers "Greetings From Exile!" and thanking people for their support.
Over the past few days, Olbermann had received an outpouring of supportive words -- even from reporters and conservative pundits. CNN's Eliot Spitzer called the punishment "ridiculous." Another MSNBC host, Rachel Maddow, immediately called for his reinstatement and used the opportunity to illustrate that her network is bound by different ethics and "not a political operation" like Fox News.
While I wish Rachel hadn't bothered with that analogy since it wasn't all that important to the issue, her point was that MSNBC doesn't have candidates on the payroll and does attempt some transparency. To be honest, I saw this very smart woman showing a bit of media inexperience wanting to support her friend and not get fired by her employer. This was clearly new territory for her. She'll handle the next crisis with more ease. It's MSNBC, there will be a next time. Keith's fans are mad at her for not taking a firm stance and Fox fans claim that it shows she has no credibility. I saw someone in a tight spot. I have to believe she spoke with Keith who as an experienced guy knew what he was doing. I doubt he wanted her to ruin her career since he was so influential in elevating it.
Over a quarter million people signed a petition to put him back on the air while Phil Griffin and his boss Jeremy Gaines probably got more emails than they've ever seen. Many on the right are now calling it a publicity stunt, yesterday they were saying na na na na nana. I don't care if it was a stunt or not, we don't have enough voices on the left and I don't want to lose the one's we have. We'll see what Comcast does when the keys to NBC change hands.
First Posted: 11- 7-10 09:21 PM
Keith Olbermann will return to the air on Tuesday after being suspended for two shows (this past Friday and the upcoming episode on Monday). The host of MSNBC's "Countdown" was given an indefinite suspension last week after his boss, network president Phil Griffin, discovered that Olbermann had made political contributions without seeking prior approval, as per company policy.
A network spokesman released the following statement via email:
STATEMENT REGARDING KEITH OLBERMANN - SUNDAY, NOV. 7
From Phil Griffin, President of MSNBC:
After several days of deliberation and discussion, I have determined that suspending Keith through and including Monday night's program is an appropriate punishment for his violation of our policy. We look forward to having him back on the air Tuesday night.
Earlier on Sunday, Olbermann broke his silence via Twitter, telling his followers "Greetings From Exile!" and thanking people for their support.
Over the past few days, Olbermann had received an outpouring of supportive words -- even from reporters and conservative pundits. CNN's Eliot Spitzer called the punishment "ridiculous." Another MSNBC host, Rachel Maddow, immediately called for his reinstatement and used the opportunity to illustrate that her network is bound by different ethics and "not a political operation" like Fox News.
While I wish Rachel hadn't bothered with that analogy since it wasn't all that important to the issue, her point was that MSNBC doesn't have candidates on the payroll and does attempt some transparency. To be honest, I saw this very smart woman showing a bit of media inexperience wanting to support her friend and not get fired by her employer. This was clearly new territory for her. She'll handle the next crisis with more ease. It's MSNBC, there will be a next time. Keith's fans are mad at her for not taking a firm stance and Fox fans claim that it shows she has no credibility. I saw someone in a tight spot. I have to believe she spoke with Keith who as an experienced guy knew what he was doing. I doubt he wanted her to ruin her career since he was so influential in elevating it.
Over a quarter million people signed a petition to put him back on the air while Phil Griffin and his boss Jeremy Gaines probably got more emails than they've ever seen. Many on the right are now calling it a publicity stunt, yesterday they were saying na na na na nana. I don't care if it was a stunt or not, we don't have enough voices on the left and I don't want to lose the one's we have. We'll see what Comcast does when the keys to NBC change hands.
It's Time To Stop Pretending There's A Liberal Media
Where to begin, where to begin... On October 30 Comedy Central comedians Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert hosted a rally: Restore Sanity/Keep Fear Alive. It was a three hour event with over 250,000 in attendance far eclipsing the 87,000 who attended Mormon Glenn Beck's Beckevangelist Event on August 28. The 30th was a beautiful day, an awesome line-up of musicians were assembled to entertain the excited crowd. Lots of smiling faces, a lot of good humor and like I said a lot of good music. All in all, a wonderful day. As the event was concluding, Stewart spoke for about 15 minutes on how we can restore sanity and here is where my issue begins. In my heart of hearts I believe Mr. Stewart who I have very high regard for went overboard in trying to prove he's a middle-of-the-road guy. Yes, he said some incredibly powerful things that are applicable to all, "But we live now in hard times, not end times. And we can have animus and not be enemies." Yet he also wanted to equate equal blame to both sides and this is where I take issue. FNC has spent nearly 15 years dividing this country with loud personalities telling us that liberals are Marxists, communists, anti-American, etc... A montage played in the background of Fox's most egregious personalities alternating with snippets of MSNBC hosts. What Stewart failed to mention was that the Fox hosts are "keeping fear alive" and the MSNBC hosts are trying to "restore sanity," by debunking the myths perpetrated by the likes of Fox. While Stewart himself has portrayed the Tea Party as racists, and I believe a large portion of them are as we've all seen their signs; he took aim at Ed Schultz for doing the same thing and then claimed that it's an insult for people to not see the difference in the tea party and actual racism. Sorry Mr. Stewart, that was a total BS comment and something that you're also guilty of. As a matter of fact, Jon has actually told Fox to "f#%k off" on a few occasions. Does the MSNBC gang ever go over the top? Sure they do, but they remain grounded in the world of reality. I know, I know some will claim it's because I view the world from their viewpoint and while that may be true, they're not constantly being dinged for making stuff up and when they do get something wrong, they own up to it and apologize. At the end of the day I found myself wondering what the reactions from those on the montage would be and it was pretty much as I expected. Here goes:
So along came Tuesday's mid-terms, the Democrats were crushed in the House. We're now looking at having an angry, orange, alcoholic named John Boehner third in line for the presidency. I hope President Obama on VP Biden have the good sense to not be going out for hamburgers anymore. The crazy teabaggers won 34 seats I believe. I am so discouraged by our electorate who continue to vote against their own best interests. The Republican Party has a lower favorability than the Dems by 8 points, but they put Republicans back in power because they're mad the Dems who couldn't fix an 8 year disaster in 21 months. If they'd been paying attention they'd know the gridlock was the Republican senate filibustering everything congress passed. I guess the guy we lost in the senate who will be missed by liberals is Russ Feingold of Wisconsin. The man is a straight shooter who was outspent 4 to 1 by billionaire Ron Johnson as Feingold does not take special interest money. He was painted as a rubber stamp for Obama and Pelosi and nothing could be further from the truth. He said no to many bills because they did not go far enough and he'll always have my personal thanks for having the good sense to vote against The Patriot Act all those years ago. Then there's reduce the deficit idea Reps ran on, but they're ready to immediately add $700B to it by extending the Bush tax cuts for not just the middle class, but those struggling Top 2%ers. I know it's been suggested that this country goes through cycles, but we've never had a black president and his election has sent many people totally over the edge. I have true fear in what Republicans can and are willing to do with an unjustly terrified electorate. Sidenote, at the end of Tuesday evening all MSNBC commentators were accounted for and doing well.
Then Friday came along and brought forth another stake through the heart news for liberals. MSNBC suspended Keith Olbermann for making contributions of $2400 each to three to Democratic candidates without obtaining prior approval from his superiors. Keith told his bosses he didn't know he was barred from making campaign contributions. Now he and Phil Griffin are playing the who's is bigger game. Griffin wants him to apologize on-air for his mea culpa and he's resisting. My guess is part of Keith's hesitance is that Joe Scarborough donated $5000 to a Republican congressional candidate in April as well as taking place in a fund raiser for that candidate. Can't really blame the guy, seems like a double standard. Even Bill Kristol thinks this suspension is absurd. Rachel Maddow seemed to be in an uncomfortable position Friday as he is her mentor and friend. She stated that it is NBC/MSNBC policy to get permission for donations first, but the point has been made, put Keith back on the air. She's getting slammed this weekend from Keith supporters for a milquetoast response, but she's really in a tight spot. I'm sure she would've liked to stand in solidarity and not do her show. I would've been proud of her for that as well, but folks need to understand she's still a "kid" in this arena. She doesn't have millions socked away where walking away is an actual option. This is her dream job. I get it when conservatives lack the empathy to put themselves in someone else's shoes, but it's one of the things I believed set us apart. When the dust settles, maybe Keith and Phil can go on the air together, issue a joint statement and donate a "fine" to a charity like the Free Health Clinics. I can't believe MSNBC really wants to lose it's biggest star unless this is a nod to Comcast in what the future holds after their acquisition, which I'm not at all happy about. Hopefully we'll see him reappear sooner than later. At around 3:30 today he tweeted, Greetings From Exile! A quick, overwhelmed, stunned THANK YOU for support that feels like a global hug & obviously left me tweetless XO
Also worth reading: MSNBC's Disgrace by Senator Bernie Sanders
And to wrap up my week of political downs, Friday night Bill Maher at least stood in agreement with my Restore Sanity Rally opinion. Here is the New Rule:
- Keith Olbermann tweeted respectfully, what he does is not the same, but in a gesture toward “lowering the volume" in news coverage, suspended his "Worst Person in the World" segment.
- On Monday Bill O'Reilly claimed that after Tuesday nights election, all the MSNBC hosts were going to commit suicide.
- Rachel Maddow said well done to Jon Stewart (she was noticeably absent from the montage).
- Glenn Beck said it was the equivalent of a high-school play; it was not good and referring to much of the rally as nonsense.
So along came Tuesday's mid-terms, the Democrats were crushed in the House. We're now looking at having an angry, orange, alcoholic named John Boehner third in line for the presidency. I hope President Obama on VP Biden have the good sense to not be going out for hamburgers anymore. The crazy teabaggers won 34 seats I believe. I am so discouraged by our electorate who continue to vote against their own best interests. The Republican Party has a lower favorability than the Dems by 8 points, but they put Republicans back in power because they're mad the Dems who couldn't fix an 8 year disaster in 21 months. If they'd been paying attention they'd know the gridlock was the Republican senate filibustering everything congress passed. I guess the guy we lost in the senate who will be missed by liberals is Russ Feingold of Wisconsin. The man is a straight shooter who was outspent 4 to 1 by billionaire Ron Johnson as Feingold does not take special interest money. He was painted as a rubber stamp for Obama and Pelosi and nothing could be further from the truth. He said no to many bills because they did not go far enough and he'll always have my personal thanks for having the good sense to vote against The Patriot Act all those years ago. Then there's reduce the deficit idea Reps ran on, but they're ready to immediately add $700B to it by extending the Bush tax cuts for not just the middle class, but those struggling Top 2%ers. I know it's been suggested that this country goes through cycles, but we've never had a black president and his election has sent many people totally over the edge. I have true fear in what Republicans can and are willing to do with an unjustly terrified electorate. Sidenote, at the end of Tuesday evening all MSNBC commentators were accounted for and doing well.
Then Friday came along and brought forth another stake through the heart news for liberals. MSNBC suspended Keith Olbermann for making contributions of $2400 each to three to Democratic candidates without obtaining prior approval from his superiors. Keith told his bosses he didn't know he was barred from making campaign contributions. Now he and Phil Griffin are playing the who's is bigger game. Griffin wants him to apologize on-air for his mea culpa and he's resisting. My guess is part of Keith's hesitance is that Joe Scarborough donated $5000 to a Republican congressional candidate in April as well as taking place in a fund raiser for that candidate. Can't really blame the guy, seems like a double standard. Even Bill Kristol thinks this suspension is absurd. Rachel Maddow seemed to be in an uncomfortable position Friday as he is her mentor and friend. She stated that it is NBC/MSNBC policy to get permission for donations first, but the point has been made, put Keith back on the air. She's getting slammed this weekend from Keith supporters for a milquetoast response, but she's really in a tight spot. I'm sure she would've liked to stand in solidarity and not do her show. I would've been proud of her for that as well, but folks need to understand she's still a "kid" in this arena. She doesn't have millions socked away where walking away is an actual option. This is her dream job. I get it when conservatives lack the empathy to put themselves in someone else's shoes, but it's one of the things I believed set us apart. When the dust settles, maybe Keith and Phil can go on the air together, issue a joint statement and donate a "fine" to a charity like the Free Health Clinics. I can't believe MSNBC really wants to lose it's biggest star unless this is a nod to Comcast in what the future holds after their acquisition, which I'm not at all happy about. Hopefully we'll see him reappear sooner than later. At around 3:30 today he tweeted, Greetings From Exile! A quick, overwhelmed, stunned THANK YOU for support that feels like a global hug & obviously left me tweetless XO
Also worth reading: MSNBC's Disgrace by Senator Bernie Sanders
And to wrap up my week of political downs, Friday night Bill Maher at least stood in agreement with my Restore Sanity Rally opinion. Here is the New Rule:
Sunday, October 10, 2010
The View From The Deck - Week Ending 10/10/10
The "Bear Your Rapist's Baby Caucus" currently consists of five teabagging Republican nominees for the senate, but according to Raw Story, at least 78 GOP candidates for the House would qualify for this extreme voting bloc as well. The GOP has always pandered to the right-wing base by promising to strip women of the right to control their own bodies. In the interest of not alienating sane people though, many Republican lawmakers make an exception in cases of incest and rape, and when a mother's life is in danger. Here are five freedom lovers who think they should get to decide what a rape victim does with her body:
3. Sharron Angle (Nevada) - A quote: "If dealt a lemon, make lemonade." WTF!!!
4. Ken Buck (Colorado) - Also supports a Colorado amendment that would bestow fertilized eggs with “personhood” status, essentially outlawing not just abortion but many contraceptives like the IUD and the birth control pill. Because Colorado needs more unintended kids?
5. Joe Miller (Alaska) - Unequivocally pro-life, including cases of rape or incest, but supports death penalty. How does that actually make any sense?
Bottom line, if you don't believe in abortion, don't get one. Let other women make that choice. This has been going on for at least 2010 years, but has only been allowed in a controlled environment in our country for 37 years. If a woman really needs to terminate the pregnancy, do you really want to see wire coat hangers come back in fashion?
Gene Cranick, a rural homeowner in Obion County, Tennessee who hadn’t paid the $75 for the subscription fire protection service offered to the county’s rural residents got to watch his local fire department watch his house burn to the ground...literally. Firefighters came to the scene and just stood there, with their equipment on the trucks, while Cranick’s house with 3 dogs and a cat inside burned to the ground. According to the local NBC TV affiliate, Cranick said he offered to pay whatever it would take for firefighters to put out the flames, but was told no. They wouldn't do anything to stop his house from burning. Thanks to 30 years of right-wing demagoguery about the evils of “collectivism” and the treachery of “big government” we’re getting a peek at a grim nightmare that may be in our not-too-distant future if the teabaggers really get a foothold in our government. It’s a picture of a society in which “rugged individualism” run amok means every man for himself. This law abiding, tax paying citizen should've been afforded the basics --- like fire and police protection with no questions asked. Is this really the America that our founders and sane-thinking individuals pictured for us?
MSNBC, which has become the favorite news channel of cable-loving lefty's thanks to Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann, is finally getting to declare itself the progressive antidote to Fox. With the new slogan, “Lean Forward” and new promotional videos directed by Spike Lee, the news network is branding itself as the spot for progressive, forward-thinking viewers. And by extension it’s branding its competition–Fox News–as being left in the dust, looking backwards. MSNBC has shot past CNN in key timeslots, but public awareness of the network is lagging behind its rivals. The new campaign is a “coming-out of sorts” following the example of Fox News, its ideological competition, by marketing to a specific niche. MSNBC’s left leaning niche began growing with viewers tuning in to hear discontent from Olbermann and to a lesser extent, Chris Matthews (who supported the invasion initially) over the war in Iraq, but was solidified when Maddow, a popular guest on the channel, got her own show in the fall of 2008. “It’s an umbrella that’s pretty wide, but that does have a progressive sensibility,” Phil Griffin, the president of MSNBC told the Times of his audience. “We’re confident. We’re strong. Let’s not live in the past, let’s not live by fear.” In addition to Maddow and Olbermann, MSNBC hosts Ed Schultz and Lawrence O’Donnell round up the progressive-friendly lineup. In addition to the new TV ads which will run on other NBC Universal stations starting this week, the network will run a print campaign for buses, kiosks, and both web and online publications targeted towards potential viewers. All I can say is, it's about time!
1. Rand Paul (Kentucky) - Believes the federal government should have the power and the duty to intrude on women's reproductive choices. I thought libertarians were supposed to be small government, fiscal conservatives, but socially liberal?
2. Christine O'Donnell (Delaware) - Too much nuttiness to list with this one.3. Sharron Angle (Nevada) - A quote: "If dealt a lemon, make lemonade." WTF!!!
4. Ken Buck (Colorado) - Also supports a Colorado amendment that would bestow fertilized eggs with “personhood” status, essentially outlawing not just abortion but many contraceptives like the IUD and the birth control pill. Because Colorado needs more unintended kids?
5. Joe Miller (Alaska) - Unequivocally pro-life, including cases of rape or incest, but supports death penalty. How does that actually make any sense?
Bottom line, if you don't believe in abortion, don't get one. Let other women make that choice. This has been going on for at least 2010 years, but has only been allowed in a controlled environment in our country for 37 years. If a woman really needs to terminate the pregnancy, do you really want to see wire coat hangers come back in fashion?
Gene Cranick, a rural homeowner in Obion County, Tennessee who hadn’t paid the $75 for the subscription fire protection service offered to the county’s rural residents got to watch his local fire department watch his house burn to the ground...literally. Firefighters came to the scene and just stood there, with their equipment on the trucks, while Cranick’s house with 3 dogs and a cat inside burned to the ground. According to the local NBC TV affiliate, Cranick said he offered to pay whatever it would take for firefighters to put out the flames, but was told no. They wouldn't do anything to stop his house from burning. Thanks to 30 years of right-wing demagoguery about the evils of “collectivism” and the treachery of “big government” we’re getting a peek at a grim nightmare that may be in our not-too-distant future if the teabaggers really get a foothold in our government. It’s a picture of a society in which “rugged individualism” run amok means every man for himself. This law abiding, tax paying citizen should've been afforded the basics --- like fire and police protection with no questions asked. Is this really the America that our founders and sane-thinking individuals pictured for us?
MSNBC, which has become the favorite news channel of cable-loving lefty's thanks to Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann, is finally getting to declare itself the progressive antidote to Fox. With the new slogan, “Lean Forward” and new promotional videos directed by Spike Lee, the news network is branding itself as the spot for progressive, forward-thinking viewers. And by extension it’s branding its competition–Fox News–as being left in the dust, looking backwards. MSNBC has shot past CNN in key timeslots, but public awareness of the network is lagging behind its rivals. The new campaign is a “coming-out of sorts” following the example of Fox News, its ideological competition, by marketing to a specific niche. MSNBC’s left leaning niche began growing with viewers tuning in to hear discontent from Olbermann and to a lesser extent, Chris Matthews (who supported the invasion initially) over the war in Iraq, but was solidified when Maddow, a popular guest on the channel, got her own show in the fall of 2008. “It’s an umbrella that’s pretty wide, but that does have a progressive sensibility,” Phil Griffin, the president of MSNBC told the Times of his audience. “We’re confident. We’re strong. Let’s not live in the past, let’s not live by fear.” In addition to Maddow and Olbermann, MSNBC hosts Ed Schultz and Lawrence O’Donnell round up the progressive-friendly lineup. In addition to the new TV ads which will run on other NBC Universal stations starting this week, the network will run a print campaign for buses, kiosks, and both web and online publications targeted towards potential viewers. All I can say is, it's about time!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
The View From The Deck - Week Ending 7/4/10
During the hearings for Elena Kagan's SCOTUS nomination, Lindsay Graham (SC-R) asked Elena Kagan where she was during the Christmas Day underpants bomber threat, her response was, "Like all Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant". Good for her for having such a quick wit to such a stupid question. She also was continuously badgered by Jeff Sessions about military recruitment during her time as Dean of Harvard Law School. Keith Olbermann quite possibly had the funniest response saying, "How a hearing to decide if a Supreme Court nominee will be confirmed is turning into a hearing in which the Senator from Keebler elves tree self-destructs." Adding he "all but called Solicitor General Kagan a liar in her hearings, says he knows better than she did what happened at Harvard while she was at Harvard and he was still up in the tree baking the fudge-covered shortbread." Going into this, I wasn't a huge Kagan supporter, I'm still not really, but after listening to some of the asinine questions from Republican Senators I found myself rooting for her.
Rachel Maddow left for Afghanistan Friday where she will team with Richard Engel, NBC News Chief foreign correspondent. She will be broadcasting live from there Tuesday and Wednesday. Below, Rachel gets instructions on saving her life -- or someone else's -- in case they're hit by enemy fire. She better stay safe!
Rachel Maddow left for Afghanistan Friday where she will team with Richard Engel, NBC News Chief foreign correspondent. She will be broadcasting live from there Tuesday and Wednesday. Below, Rachel gets instructions on saving her life -- or someone else's -- in case they're hit by enemy fire. She better stay safe!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Palin Claims She Knows How to Stop the Leak
So there you have it --- Sarah's alternate reality. Her Fox association has taught her well. Just lie, say it over and over and assume that other networks will pick up the lies and report them as fact. It worked when they destroyed ACORN, so their boldness and deception goes full speed ahead.
- …On the June 15 edition of Fox News’ Fox & Friends, Glenn Beck said that Obama “needs to explain why we haven’t — why we turned down all the international help. They offered it within a couple of days. We said no…”
- …In a later segment on the June 15 Fox & Friends, co-host Gretchen Carlson hosted Sen. George LeMieux (R-FL) and stated: “Steve Doocy asked [White House press secretary Robert Gibbs] why the Jones Act has not been waived, allowing international ships to come into the Gulf.” LeMieux later responded, in part, “The Jones Act shouldn’t be preventing any foreign ships from coming to help in the skimming operations.”
- …Later on Fox & Friends, Fox News contributor Laura Ingraham stated that one of the “things the president needs to talk about and needs to do” is to “waive the Jones Act” so that “all of our technology, all of our manpower, all the skimmers internationally” could reach the Gulf. Ingraham did not note that there are already international ships in the Gulf responding to the spill.
- …In a June 15 press release, the Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center stated that “currently, 15 foreign-flagged vessels are involved in the largest response to an oil spill in U.S. history.” The JIC further explained, “No Jones Act waivers have been granted because none of these vessels have required such a waiver to conduct their operations in the Gulf of Mexico.” To date, the administration has leveraged assets and skills from numerous foreign countries and international organizations as part of this historic, all-hands-on-deck response, including Canada, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization and the European Union’s Monitoring and Information Centre. In some cases, offers of international assistance have been turned down because the offer didn’t fit the needs of the response.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Not surprisingly, there's a Fox in the Nielson house
Last week saw the release of the quarterly ratings performance data for television programming. Most of the reporting yammers on and on about the dominant position Fox News retains in the cable news sector. The claim is that Fox News smothered the competition and experienced rapid growth while other news programmers stagnated or declined. The reason I decided to write about this topic is that it's an ongoing battle on Huffington Post and other lefty blog sites that I frequent. Every time the new numbers are released, the right wing trolls decide to taunt all of us MSNBC viewers and I really get sick of it. They never argue about content, it's always about ratings. Here's part of my response to that. If Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz, Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow are so insignificant, why are conservatives so unnerved by their reporting? Matthews plays to whoever's in the room, so I don't think a whole lot of him...and he voted for Bush, which says plenty. Schultz is making a name for himself as being Joe Everyman, which you'd think would be a good thing except that he's an admitted Democrat. Olbermann gets hammered by righties for exposing right wing lies, especially those coming from Fox, Limbaugh and other hate talkers. I'm glad someone's doing it because CNN, HLN, ABC, CBS and PBS sure aren't willing to take them on to set the record straight. Maddow not only exposes the lies, she digs deeper and presents the hypocrisy. Guess what wingnutz? When politicians are naming you and attempting to discredit you with even more lies, they know you're not insignificant! My other point about ratings? Last week, over 20 million people watched both American Idol and Dancing With the Stars. I'm guessing the Discovery Channel and The History Channel didn't do quite that well.
Before I send you off to the possible Fox fraud situation, let's look at some other facts. Check out the poll conducted by DailyKos/Research2000. Republicans and southerners almost completely shut out any cable news source other than Fox News. They are the most sharply segmented groups in the survey when asked on viewing of CNN and MSNBC. The rest of the nation doesn't much care for the right-wing hack network. 78% of the northeast never watches Fox, 70% of the midwest never watches Fox, 68% of the west never does and even 51% of the south doesn't! Also notable is the terrible performance of Fox amongst young voters (18-29) and minorities, at least 80% of whom report that they never watch Fox News. If Nielsen data were to confirm this, advertisers might alter the way they allocate their budgets. Also, cable operators might adjust their channel offerings, which could help to resolve the distribution problem that MSNBC has been hampered by. And why won't Nielson do that?
This might be why. Do you ever wonder how Fox News can be so consistently lead the ratings despite their obvious position and programming focus on a small segment of the viewers? The last time I saw a poll, only 23% of registered voters admitted to be Republicans. Evidently, Nielsen entered the high-tech era of TV market research in the early 2000's with People Meter methodology. It was during this time, that Fox News began its climb to ratings dominance. It has recently been discovered that the Wegener Corporation, the manufacturer of the set-top devices that Nielsen uses, has a long association with Rupert Murdoch and the News Corporation, the parent of Fox News. It would not be difficult to encode an electronic device so that it would purposefully miscalculate survey data. Diebold anyone? So you have to ask; with a continuous 24/7 right wing propaganda effort, if Fox were as persuasive as they claim, why haven't they been able to move the country to their far right positions? Yes, they've got the teabaggers doing some of their dirty work now, but they're just Foxbots. This is not the large anti-government, anti-Obama pushback that Fox is selling to their viewers. According to the following article, Murdoch has paid millions for his cover-up of various media manipulations. Not only are there allegations about Nielson, he has also undermined competitor Dish Network. For those out there who dispise this man, and are considering satellite tv, you should know that he owns DirectTV as well. The connection to Murdoch's covert operations and his history of unlawful corporate espionage should not continue to be ignored. If Nielsen doesn't want it's credibility completely dismissed, it should investigate their equipment providers and perform intensive examinations of the devices they place in viewers' homes. To be fair, the suspicions have not been confirmed, but it really makes you wonder. Don't forget, this is the man who was continuously rebuffed in 1996 from putting his new network on NY's cable systems. It wasn't until he got Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, Gov. George E. Pataki and Dennis C. Vacco, the State Attorney General involved. Source: NY Times
For more detail, read Fox News Caught In Massive Ratings Fraud at DailyKos (their compilation of various articles). I figured I better use that disclaimer before I get the, "what would you expect from a leftist, socialist, marxist blog like DailyKos."
Before I send you off to the possible Fox fraud situation, let's look at some other facts. Check out the poll conducted by DailyKos/Research2000. Republicans and southerners almost completely shut out any cable news source other than Fox News. They are the most sharply segmented groups in the survey when asked on viewing of CNN and MSNBC. The rest of the nation doesn't much care for the right-wing hack network. 78% of the northeast never watches Fox, 70% of the midwest never watches Fox, 68% of the west never does and even 51% of the south doesn't! Also notable is the terrible performance of Fox amongst young voters (18-29) and minorities, at least 80% of whom report that they never watch Fox News. If Nielsen data were to confirm this, advertisers might alter the way they allocate their budgets. Also, cable operators might adjust their channel offerings, which could help to resolve the distribution problem that MSNBC has been hampered by. And why won't Nielson do that?
This might be why. Do you ever wonder how Fox News can be so consistently lead the ratings despite their obvious position and programming focus on a small segment of the viewers? The last time I saw a poll, only 23% of registered voters admitted to be Republicans. Evidently, Nielsen entered the high-tech era of TV market research in the early 2000's with People Meter methodology. It was during this time, that Fox News began its climb to ratings dominance. It has recently been discovered that the Wegener Corporation, the manufacturer of the set-top devices that Nielsen uses, has a long association with Rupert Murdoch and the News Corporation, the parent of Fox News. It would not be difficult to encode an electronic device so that it would purposefully miscalculate survey data. Diebold anyone? So you have to ask; with a continuous 24/7 right wing propaganda effort, if Fox were as persuasive as they claim, why haven't they been able to move the country to their far right positions? Yes, they've got the teabaggers doing some of their dirty work now, but they're just Foxbots. This is not the large anti-government, anti-Obama pushback that Fox is selling to their viewers. According to the following article, Murdoch has paid millions for his cover-up of various media manipulations. Not only are there allegations about Nielson, he has also undermined competitor Dish Network. For those out there who dispise this man, and are considering satellite tv, you should know that he owns DirectTV as well. The connection to Murdoch's covert operations and his history of unlawful corporate espionage should not continue to be ignored. If Nielsen doesn't want it's credibility completely dismissed, it should investigate their equipment providers and perform intensive examinations of the devices they place in viewers' homes. To be fair, the suspicions have not been confirmed, but it really makes you wonder. Don't forget, this is the man who was continuously rebuffed in 1996 from putting his new network on NY's cable systems. It wasn't until he got Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, Gov. George E. Pataki and Dennis C. Vacco, the State Attorney General involved. Source: NY Times
For more detail, read Fox News Caught In Massive Ratings Fraud at DailyKos (their compilation of various articles). I figured I better use that disclaimer before I get the, "what would you expect from a leftist, socialist, marxist blog like DailyKos."
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Keith Olbermann's Tribute to his Dad
Re-posted in entirety from Baseball Nerd, the official MLBlog of MSNBC's Keith Olbermann. Since Keith let his viewers into his world and I posted his February 24, 2010 Special Comment about the need of health care reform based on his own experiences, I wanted to share a son's memory of his father.
Theodore C. Olbermann, 1929-2010
My father died, in the city of his birth, New York, at 3:50 EST this afternoon.
Though the financial constraints of his youth made college infeasible, he accomplished the near-impossible, becoming an architect licensed in 40 states. Much of his work was commercial, for a series of shoe store chains and department stores. There was a time in the 1970's when nearly all of the Baskin-Robbins outlets in the country had been built to his design, and under his direction. Through much of my youth and my early adult life, it was almost impossible to be anywhere in this country and not be a short drive to one of "his" stores.
My Dad was predeceased last year by my mother, Marie, his wife of nearly 60 years. He died peacefully after a long fight against the complications that ensued after successful colon surgery last September at the New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center. My sister Jenna and I were at his side, and I was reading him his favorite James Thurber short stories, as he left us.
I can't say enough about Dr. Jeff Milsom and his team at the hospital, and all of those physicians and nurses and staffers in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit who looked after my Dad all this time, and kept him in their hearts. And I feel the same way about all of you who have expressed your best wishes and prayers to him, and to me, and to our family.
My Dad was my biggest booster. A day after I was hired by CNN in the summer of 1981 as a two-week vacation relief sports reporter, I traveled by train to my childhood hometown, and walked from the station towards my folks' house. I was stopped half a dozen times before I got to my Dad's office by people congratulating me on my impending television debut. There was, of course, only one way they could have known. My Dad, the press agent.
Of course it was he and my Mom who took me to my first Yankees games (even though my father nursed a delightful grudge against the team for trading away his favorite players, Steve Souchock and Snuffy Stirnweiss - in 1948 and 1950). But as my interest in the sport began to take the shape of a dreamt-of career, it was my Dad also sacrificed family vacations so we could buy ever more tickets to Yankee games. When we could afford both games and vacations, four times those vacations were to Spring Training.
He was my inspiration, and will always remain so. His bravery these last six months cannot be measured. He is as much my hero now, as he was when I was five years old.
Theodore C. Olbermann, 1929-2010
My father died, in the city of his birth, New York, at 3:50 EST this afternoon.
Though the financial constraints of his youth made college infeasible, he accomplished the near-impossible, becoming an architect licensed in 40 states. Much of his work was commercial, for a series of shoe store chains and department stores. There was a time in the 1970's when nearly all of the Baskin-Robbins outlets in the country had been built to his design, and under his direction. Through much of my youth and my early adult life, it was almost impossible to be anywhere in this country and not be a short drive to one of "his" stores.
My Dad was predeceased last year by my mother, Marie, his wife of nearly 60 years. He died peacefully after a long fight against the complications that ensued after successful colon surgery last September at the New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center. My sister Jenna and I were at his side, and I was reading him his favorite James Thurber short stories, as he left us.
I can't say enough about Dr. Jeff Milsom and his team at the hospital, and all of those physicians and nurses and staffers in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit who looked after my Dad all this time, and kept him in their hearts. And I feel the same way about all of you who have expressed your best wishes and prayers to him, and to me, and to our family.
My Dad was my biggest booster. A day after I was hired by CNN in the summer of 1981 as a two-week vacation relief sports reporter, I traveled by train to my childhood hometown, and walked from the station towards my folks' house. I was stopped half a dozen times before I got to my Dad's office by people congratulating me on my impending television debut. There was, of course, only one way they could have known. My Dad, the press agent.
Of course it was he and my Mom who took me to my first Yankees games (even though my father nursed a delightful grudge against the team for trading away his favorite players, Steve Souchock and Snuffy Stirnweiss - in 1948 and 1950). But as my interest in the sport began to take the shape of a dreamt-of career, it was my Dad also sacrificed family vacations so we could buy ever more tickets to Yankee games. When we could afford both games and vacations, four times those vacations were to Spring Training.
He was my inspiration, and will always remain so. His bravery these last six months cannot be measured. He is as much my hero now, as he was when I was five years old.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Olbermann: An American Cry for Help
Last evening Keith Olbermann shared his personal experience with a real life "death panel" situation and scorns the unfairness of health insurance in America. Since today is to be the big "Blair House Health Care Summit", I thought I'd share Keith's impassioned plea for our elected officials to fix a very broken system. Don't count on it Keith. By the way, why wasn't Anthony Weiner invited?
Since Republicans got spanked the last time they met with President Obama, they've already set up their defense.
1. Democrats aren't willing to start from scratch Riiight, because that will help.
2. President Obama actually introduced a bill Why doesn't anyone get that Republicans were voted out for a reason?
3. The bill Obama introduced is too short. Seriously? They said other one was too long.
4. The summit is superficial and designed to make Republicans look bad. Well, let's be honest. How hard is that?
5. No governors were invited to the summit -- making it too D.C.-centric. When have governors ever been included?
6. No state legislators were invited to the summit (see above for explanation). When have state legislators ever been included?
7. The summit is taxpayer-funded -- which makes it a waste of money. Kind of like Iraq?
Since Republicans got spanked the last time they met with President Obama, they've already set up their defense.
1. Democrats aren't willing to start from scratch Riiight, because that will help.
2. President Obama actually introduced a bill Why doesn't anyone get that Republicans were voted out for a reason?
3. The bill Obama introduced is too short. Seriously? They said other one was too long.
4. The summit is superficial and designed to make Republicans look bad. Well, let's be honest. How hard is that?
5. No governors were invited to the summit -- making it too D.C.-centric. When have governors ever been included?
6. No state legislators were invited to the summit (see above for explanation). When have state legislators ever been included?
7. The summit is taxpayer-funded -- which makes it a waste of money. Kind of like Iraq?
Friday, February 19, 2010
Rachel Maddow Delivering 2010 Smith College Commencement Address
Last night during the toss to TRMS, Keith Olbermann decided to share video of Smith College seniors reacting to the news that Rachel Maddow will deliver the commencement speech at their graduation May 16, 2010. I know, it's been a Rachel kind of week on my blog, but I thought the reaction of the students in this video was a pretty impressive statement as to the "rock star" appeal Maddow commands at this time. Every once in a while Keith does something like this to slightly embarrass the always humble Rachel. Seems to me his fondness for his one time protégé is genuine. Read more from The Smith College Sophian
One more thing I'd like to add as reported by Danny Shea of Huffington Post:
'Meet The Press' Ratings Burst With Maddow Appearance
Meet the Press has benefitted from another Maddow Bump. The NBC Sunday morning program moderated by David Gregory averaged 4.162 million total viewers for first place. That's the show's highest total viewer delivery since March 22, 2009. Gregory interviewed Vice President Joe Biden and the roundtable included David Brooks, Rep. Aaron Schock, Harold Ford, and Rachel Maddow. Maddow's first appearance, in August, brought the show its highest numbers since April. She battled Schock in a particularly memorable clip on this Sunday's episode. It can be viewed from my Sunday blog post.
Meet the Press beat CBS' Face the Nation (3.025 million) by the widest margin since May 17, 2009, and it beat ABC's This Week (2.508 million) by the widest margin since December 7, 2008. The 2.508 million total viewers represent ABC's lowest total viewer delivery since August 23, 2009. FOX News Sunday averaged 1.208 million total viewers in its FOX broadcast.
One more thing I'd like to add as reported by Danny Shea of Huffington Post:
'Meet The Press' Ratings Burst With Maddow Appearance
Meet the Press has benefitted from another Maddow Bump. The NBC Sunday morning program moderated by David Gregory averaged 4.162 million total viewers for first place. That's the show's highest total viewer delivery since March 22, 2009. Gregory interviewed Vice President Joe Biden and the roundtable included David Brooks, Rep. Aaron Schock, Harold Ford, and Rachel Maddow. Maddow's first appearance, in August, brought the show its highest numbers since April. She battled Schock in a particularly memorable clip on this Sunday's episode. It can be viewed from my Sunday blog post.
Meet the Press beat CBS' Face the Nation (3.025 million) by the widest margin since May 17, 2009, and it beat ABC's This Week (2.508 million) by the widest margin since December 7, 2008. The 2.508 million total viewers represent ABC's lowest total viewer delivery since August 23, 2009. FOX News Sunday averaged 1.208 million total viewers in its FOX broadcast.
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