Flu!

Yo! Zed?

(Well in retrospect, “missed it by that much.”) :)

Yep, it was major funzies watching Ambassador Holbrooke dissing KKKarl’s rapdance-buddy, Daviebird Gregory. Who richly deserved it.

Daviebird talks a good game, asking what appear to be valid questions in the WH press gaggle, but laid down and parroted WH/Faux Nooz talking points in that interview with Ambassador Holbrooke. I will never respect Daviebird again.

First, Whoohoo!

Is there any more coffee?

As in Pandemic Flu. (See previous comment string.)

Rats!

yyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Good morning Christy, congrats on your show this morning.

Thanks Christy. Amazing how easy it is for the WH to get the MSM to attack dems!

I think Gregory is sort of schyzo. I mean he jumps back and forth like a tennis ball. One day he’s asking the tough questions, next day back to a nice game of softball. Geesh!!

egregious @ 8

Good morning Christy, congrats on your radio show.

A real radio show? Not just a segment here and there? Congrats!

Tap Duncan @ 10

I think Gregory is sort of schyzo. I mean he jumps back and forth like a tennis ball. One day he’s asking the tough questions, next day back to a nice game of softball. Geesh!!

Think Rove calls him between one day and the next?

I got an interesting discussion on this topic going over at Kos.

Here’s my take:

Let’s face it - we’ve been playing nicey-nice. Look at the Pelosi issue - Holbrook made some hard-hitting comments, but as Greg Sargent noted, “I haven’t seen any Democratic elected officials or direct Pelosi allies denouncing this story in such stark terms as Holbrooke did.”

We still go out there acting as if it’s not our job to hand the MSM the story on a plate. Well, guess what? The Repubs have been doing that for years, and it works, and we’ve been getting our asses handed to us.

Can we please put together a boot camp weekend for Democratic officeholders that teaches them how to do this? How to go into inverviews with background info, talking points, snappy one-liners - whatever it takes!

Does this sound feasable? The Repubs have done it - why can’t we?

TexasBetsy at 11 — Nope, just a segment here and there. :) If I were handed a radio show, I have absolutely no idea how I could possibly fit it into my already insane schedule. Honestly, I don’t know how Taylor Marsh does it for her show with the huge amount of work that she puts into it.

It must take a Hurculean effort to remain this willfully ignorant: http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....inionsbox2

Good morning, Christy.

Good morning, Jane.

with much love.

TexasBetsy @ 11

egregious @ 8

Good morning Christy, congrats on your radio show.

A real radio show? Not just a segment here and there? Congrats!

Don’t we wish! Alas I think it’s just this one time.

egregious @ 17

TexasBetsy @ 11
egregious @ 8
Good morning Christy, congrats on your radio show.
————

A real radio show? Not just a segment here and there? Congrats!
————

Don’t we wish! Alas I think it’s just this one time.

Apologies. My mistake.

Good morning, two off topic links:

The first, a breathtaking article in the WaPo about a world class violinist who played his stradivarius in a metro station in DC and nobody stopped to listen: Pearls before Breakfast

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....01721.html

Second, I still have the capacity to be a little shocked when a professor of constitutional law at Princeton is on the terrorist no-fly list:

http://balkin.blogspot.com/200.....eople.html

I hate how the Right manages to manipulate the MSM and at the same time, call it left wing and ignore any facts from it that they don’t agree with.

I’m not sure how the media can rebuild it’s trust as it’s been so trashed by Rove and the Repugs. We think it’s Right, the Right think it’s Left. They try to balance themselves to the point of making things up to be balanced. Sad.

Very recent brief ThinkProgress post:

Abramoff may receive reduced prison sentence

Santa Monica Jeremy @ 13

I got an interesting discussion on this topic going over at Kos.

Here’s my take:

Let’s face it - we’ve been playing nicey-nice. Look at the Pelosi issue - Holbrook made some hard-hitting comments, but as Greg Sargent noted, “I haven’t seen any Democratic elected officials or direct Pelosi allies denouncing this story in such stark terms as Holbrooke did.”

We still go out there acting as if it’s not our job to hand the MSM the story on a plate. Well, guess what? The Repubs have been doing that for years, and it works, and we’ve been getting our asses handed to us.

Can we please put together a boot camp weekend for Democratic officeholders that teaches them how to do this? How to go into inverviews with background info, talking points, snappy one-liners - whatever it takes!

Does this sound feasable? The Repubs have done it - why can’t we?

Somewhere I read that Eliot Abrams is behind the campaign to impugne Pelosi. So who is behind the D campaign to counter the R campaign? Huh? Huh?

Christy says:

How hard is it to make a phone call or two to confirm your facts before you go racing in front a camera spouting nonsense? Unless, of course, you don’t care whether or not they are correct, and what you really want is to just be in front of the camera ginning up a reason to be there in the first place.

yes, yes.
it’s a bother to check things out, you know, especially after you’ve gotten yourself to such a plum perch, in the first place. Isn’t that the point?

OT-> Totally…but I’ve just read on MSNBC that Abramoff may be getting a SHORTER jail sentence as a result of his cooperation. I have no idea as to whether this is his payoff for being a good soldier and keeping quiet or whether he actually cooperated in a meaningful manner. I had thought that his sentence already reflected “cooperation.”

Here’s an excerpt from the MSNBC article:

WASHINGTON - Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff may be getting out of jail earlier than he expected, NBC News learned on Monday. A federal judge Monday granted the government’s request for a new hearing to determine an appropriate reduction in Abramoff’s sentence, a reward based on his continued cooperation with investigators in several federal probes.

Abramoff is currently serving a five-and-a-half-year sentence for his conviction in the Florida-based SunCruz Casinos gambling boat fraud case. In Miami, U.S. District Judge Paul Huck granted the request from prosecutors once they told him Abramoff’s cooperation in the investigation.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18029493/

I now return you to your normally scheduled broadcast.

Elliott at 23 — Yes, it is the point. Which is exactly why I mentioned it. *g*

OT - Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Committee Requests that NIH Postpone Privatization of Environmental Health Perspectives
Monday, April 09, 2007
LINK

Chairman Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Kucinich have requested that Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), assure the Committee that NIH will postpone any plan to privatize Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP), a leading journal on environmental health, until the Committee concludes its inquiry into the matter. The first plan to privatize EHP was scrapped by NIH in January 2007 due to apparent conflicts of interest.

I think if Gregory see something posted on the web, he considers sourced, and he goes with it, nothing about journalism in the deal. Maybe there used to be but it’s gone now.

mayan @ 24

OT-> Totally…but I’ve just read on MSNBC that Abramoff may be getting a SHORTER jail sentence as a result of his cooperation. I have no idea as to whether this is his payoff for being a good soldier and keeping quiet or whether he actually cooperated in a meaningful manner. I had thought that his sentence already reflected “cooperation.”

Here’s an excerpt from the MSNBC article:

WASHINGTON - Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff may be getting out of jail earlier than he expected, NBC News learned on Monday. A federal judge Monday granted the government’s request for a new hearing to determine an appropriate reduction in Abramoff’s sentence, a reward based on his continued cooperation with investigators in several federal probes.

Abramoff is currently serving a five-and-a-half-year sentence for his conviction in the Florida-based SunCruz Casinos gambling boat fraud case. In Miami, U.S. District Judge Paul Huck granted the request from prosecutors once they told him Abramoff’s cooperation in the investigation.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18029493/

I now return you to your normally scheduled broadcast.

Raise your hand if you are SURPRISED by this?

mulligatawny @ 19

Good morning, two off topic links:

The first, a breathtaking article in the WaPo about a world class violinist who played his stradivarius in a metro station in DC and nobody stopped to listen: Pearls before Breakfast

wapo link

Second, I still have the capacity to be a little shocked when a professor of constitutional law at Princeton is on the terrorist no-fly list:

balkin link

k-drum did a great smackdown of the violinist story. Short version: violinists aren’t media stars, even affianadoes would be hard pressed to know the diff between a good one & bad one in Metro accoustics, and getting to work in the morning is a pretty focusing task.

We have music in NYC subways. If I am waiting any time & there are no trains roaring thru & the music is to my taste, I’ll drop a $. But believe me, music in those circumstances is not on the top of my list. I prefer listening to my book on tape.

Enough of playing the I’m-more-cultured-than-you card.

Re: TV journalism and infotainment:

I missed the Imus thread because I just got to the lake. My only comment about Imus: he’s very much part of the Beltway nexus of journalists and politicians.

Just look at his retinue of regular guests:

Journalists: Tim Russert; David Gragory; Howard Fineman; Chris Matthews; Andrea Mitchell; Jonathan Fineman (occasionally); Dan Rather (occasionally when he was at CBS but hasn’t been back since he left)

Politicians: Joe Lieberman; John McCain; Harold Ford Jr. (who has yet to come to his defense); Rick Santorum; John Kerry (occasionally: who perhaps hasn’t forgiven Imus his kiss of death in the 2004 elections)

what’s *g* ?

Biodun @ 29

Re: TV journalism and infotainment:

I missed the Imus thread because I just got to the lake. My only comment about Imus: he’s very much part of the Beltway nexus of journalists and politicians.

Just look at his retinue of regular guests:

Journalists: Tim Russert; David Gragory; Howard Fineman; Chris Matthews; Andrea Mitchell; Jonathan Fineman (occasionally)

Politicians: Joe Lieberman; John McCain; Harold Ford Jr. (who has yet to come to his defense); Rick Santorum; John Kerry (occasionally: who perhaps hasn’t forgiven Imus his kiss of death in the 2004 elections)

stop. please

I heard Rep. Rahall on CSpan radio the other morning and he was quite clear and concise regarding the legality and official cooperation the visit received before and during its mission. There was no ambiguity. Even the callers tried to trip him up with the usual KoolAid talking points and he maintained his clear and cool responses. Glad that at least some people are picking up on it.

As far Abraham Jackoff, he’s essentially getting time off for good behavior. Since you can’t get that in a federal case, the Prosecution goes to a judge to request it.

Christy — at work but my sis sent me a quote from a Harper’s article by Scott Horton (sorry, no link), who quotes from a CQ article about Edward Djerejian. A experienced former diplomat, Djerejian describes all the efforts to maintain a backdoor diplomatic channel to Syria, because they were perceived in the reality-based community as potentially/actually helpful against al Qaeda (sound familiar?). It was this channel that Baker/Hamilton used for the ISG. The speculation is that the faux uproar over Pelosi was a proxy for an attack on this backdoor channel and the fact that Baker et al might use it again to undermine the neocons at Bush/Cheney WH.

Gotta run, but it looks interesting if someone can find the links.

raven @ 31

what’s *g* ?

GRIN

raven:

*g* is grin

mayan @
24

OT-> Totally…but I’ve just read on MSNBC that Abramoff may be getting a SHORTER jail sentence as a result of his cooperation. I have no idea as to whether this is his payoff for being a good soldier and keeping quiet or whether he actually cooperated in a meaningful manner. I had thought that his sentence already reflected “cooperation.”

Here’s an excerpt from the MSNBC article:

WASHINGTON - Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff may be getting out of jail earlier than he expected, NBC News learned on Monday. A federal judge Monday granted the government’s request for a new hearing to determine an appropriate reduction in Abramoff’s sentence, a reward based on his continued cooperation with investigators in several federal probes.

Abramoff is currently serving a five-and-a-half-year sentence for his conviction in the Florida-based SunCruz Casinos gambling boat fraud case. In Miami, U.S. District Judge Paul Huck granted the request from prosecutors once they told him Abramoff’s cooperation in the investigation.

msnbc

I now return you to your normally scheduled broadcast.

Easy explanation. Alice Fisher.

Jane and Christy have previously given her bona fides. Look at any of the posts here.

Tap Duncan @ 10

I think Gregory is sort of schyzo. I mean he jumps back and forth like a tennis ball. One day he’s asking the tough questions, next day back to a nice game of softball. Geesh!!

Gregory is doing the access dance. I he was consistently critical of BushCo - and let’s face it, has there ever been a presidency so completely corrupt and deserving of criticism? -
he’d be out of a job.

The ‘News’ folks need to start reporting on how the ‘news’ is sourced.

Thz ya’ll, how do you make a grin and blush?

I love Gregory’s deer-in-headlights look after Holbrooke takes him down and scores a pinfall.

Once again:

FDLers (newbies and veterans): For definitions of most (if not all) FDL shorthands, go to urban dictionary.com.

The question remains why aren’t these teevee reporters out there talking up real controversies and scandals. Why is it always only one-sided?…And Gregory and Charlie Rose the other night were nauseating.

Reposted from previous thread.

O.T.

Help please.

Looking for a good inexpensive web host for the church I’m currently serving. Their tech guy and web host is going poof. I’d recommend mine but I use Mac friendly hosts and the church is anything but Mac friendly.

Any suggestions of an inexpensive host that offers a couple of e-mail aliases and good tech support would be appreciated.

Newt Gingrish is speakin’ his version of global climate changemayan @ 24

OT-> Totally…but I’ve just read on MSNBC that Abramoff may be getting a SHORTER jail sentence as a result of his cooperation. I have no idea as to whether this is his payoff for being a good soldier and keeping quiet or whether he actually cooperated in a meaningful manner. I had thought that his sentence already reflected “cooperation.”
(snip)

or if he actually did co-operate but the pertinent U S Attorney just set the file aside.

morning!

I just got fed up with CNN and their sanctimonious behavior regarding Don Imus. Yes, Imus is a pig and should be off the air - but CNN has made the Imus story their top story for the past two days… all the while ignoring their own little in-house racist and sexist pig, Glenn Beck. I just sent them the following email:

_________________________

Don Imus made vile racist and sexist comments, and deserves to be reprimanded and suspended. However, the same can be said for CNNs Glenn Beck. Beck has made many racially and sexually offensive comments that are on par with those of Imus.

Glenn Beck has made comments like this:
“What happened to the Duke lacrosse team was practically a lynching without the rope. And for the first time in my life, Mr. Oreo Cookie without the chocolate on the outside can understand why people celebrated when O.J. Simpson was acquitted.”

Hillary Clinton “is a stereotypical bitch”.

And to Congressman Keith Ellison, a Muslim: “Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.’”

So, while CNN enjoys pointing a scathing finger at MSNBC, they should consider applying the same scrutiny to their own employees. CNN has trumpeted the Imus controversy into a huge two-day story while continuing to tacitly endorse such behavior by Glenn Beck. I would have much more respect for CNN if they operated by the same ethical standards they demand of their competition.
_______________________

do you think it’ll get on the air? I think not.

Of course very few of the MSM do fact check. And they know that the LBs(Lizard Brains) out there aren’t going to fact check either. If the LBs did fact check it would ruin their day. Big pharma would make a lot of money though, the LBs will do anything to maintain their reality
oops my bad fixed now

eCAHNomics — I had a different take from the Joshua Bell story. I’ve seen him a few times with the BSO and he is wonderful, but most don’t get that opportunity — but I think the point of the story is that we recognize Don Imus but wouldn’t recognize a world class artist, even if he’s performing right in front of us. It’s a comment on what the media and our culture do to name/face recognition and where the priorities are. It’s not elitist to enjoy that level of artistry.

JML @ 43

The question remains why aren’t these teevee reporters out there talking up real controversies and scandals. Why is it always only one-sided?…And Gregory and Charlie Rose the other night were nauseating.

Because it is the CORPORATE OWNED media.

Glenn Greenwald on Sam Seder’s AAR show now.

On a similar note, a local ABC affliate telenews yesterday reported the Barak Obama will not participate in the F*X News debates after F*X incorrectly reported that “Obama had attended an extremist Islamist madrassa as a child living in Indonesia.”

“That story”, as the anchor noted,“was completely false.”

It was startling to hear, not to mention refreshing. A network newscaster, stating outright, that the F*X story was false.

Ok, do the people who have been personally affected by 9/11 feel that Bush uses them and their grief? His speech today just makes me angry - but I wasn’t directly touched by 9/11.

Scarecrow, here’s a link to the CQ interview and the original mention in Harper’s.

RevDeb @ 43

Reposted from previous thread.

O.T.

Help please.

Looking for a good inexpensive web host for the church I’m currently serving. Their tech guy and web host is going poof. I’d recommend mine but I use Mac friendly hosts and the church is anything but Mac friendly.

Any suggestions of an inexpensive host that offers a couple of e-mail aliases and good tech support would be appreciated.

Rev

My young techies say godaddy is good.

GoDaddy

Re: TV journalists, infotainment, and corporate media:

Christy, apologies. As a reminder, I recycle what I’ve posted at the lake twice before:

All of electronic MSM is in the pocket of multinational companies:

CBS: Viacom

NBC: General Electric

ABC: Disney

CNN: TimeWarner

MSNBC: NBC –> GE

Fox: NewsCorp

With the exception of GE, all these multinationals are entertainment companies. Whence, MSM’s news divisions have been substantially subsumed by their entertainment divisions. Whence: infotainment.

Okay, I tried to check out this Lionel guy but could not get the podcast to load. From reading his website, sounds like AAR is trying to find some wild & wacky personality who is extremely popular in his venue (New York). Interestingly, he was both a former prosecutor and former criminal defense attorney, as was Christy.

However, he has written books liked “Why Do Men Have Nipples?” and “Why Do Men Fall Asleep After Sex?”

Okay, so I haven’t heard him yet, but this does not bode well for a replacement for Sam Seder.

I’m going to call them up and ask how much money they make from being on XM? Anybody know if they make money off that? I hope that’s not a stupid question. Jeez, XM has like 3 to 4 “conservative” talk show/”news” programs to this ONE progressive station and yet they want to screw around with the AAR programming that everyone is happy with.

Leahy writes another letter to Gonzalez.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002977.php

RevDeb @ 43

Reposted from previous thread.

O.T.

Help please.

Looking for a good inexpensive web host for the church I’m currently serving. Their tech guy and web host is going poof. I’d recommend mine but I use Mac friendly hosts and the church is anything but Mac friendly.

Any suggestions of an inexpensive host that offers a couple of e-mail aliases and good tech support would be appreciated.

Got lost I guess.

My young techies sau godaddy
godaddy

Scarecrow @ 35

Christy — at work but my sis sent me a quote from a Harper’s article by Scott Horton (sorry, no link), who quotes from a CQ article about Edward Djerejian. A experienced former diplomat, Djerejian describes all the efforts to maintain a backdoor diplomatic channel to Syria, because they were perceived in the reality-based community as potentially/actually helpful against al Qaeda (sound familiar?). It was this channel that Baker/Hamilton used for the ISG. The speculation is that the faux uproar over Pelosi was a proxy for an attack on this backdoor channel and the fact that Baker et al might use it again to undermine the neocons at Bush/Cheney WH.

Gotta run, but it looks interesting if someone can find the links.

Hi Scarecrow and all:

Your comment intrigued me, here’s the link. I think you’re spot on after reading this:

http://harpers.org/archive/200.....ia-houston

There are far too many people profiting from the destruction of America.

They have no shame, only large houses and big bank acconts.

They are NOT patriots and they really don’t care.

They’re hypocritical lying thievin’ criminals who have the guns and the courts on their side.

We have indeed descended to the ‘convicts ruling the jailhouse’ situation.

We’ve got to fight them where we can and with as much cooperation as we can muster. Yes, I know Abramoff will probably get a lighter sentence, but he’s still a convicted felon and will probably be tried later for conspiracy to commit murder. So, maybe that’ll put him away more permanently. Take them to court. Get cases where a jury of ordinary folks (as in the Plame case) can be honest jurors. The public can handle the truth and will enforce some kind of justice on the crooks.

landofthefree @ 46

morning!

I just got fed up with CNN and their sanctimonious behavior regarding Don Imus. Yes, Imus is a pig and should be off the air - but CNN has made the Imus story their top story for the past two days… all the while ignoring their own little in-house racist and sexist pig, Glenn Beck. I just sent them the following email:

_________________________

Don Imus made vile racist and sexist comments, and deserves to be reprimanded and suspended. However, the same can be said for CNNs Glenn Beck. Beck has made many racially and sexually offensive comments that are on par with those of Imus.

Glenn Beck has made comments like this:
“What happened to the Duke lacrosse team was practically a lynching without the rope. And for the first time in my life, Mr. Oreo Cookie without the chocolate on the outside can understand why people celebrated when O.J. Simpson was acquitted.”

Hillary Clinton “is a stereotypical bitch”.

And to Congressman Keith Ellison, a Muslim: “Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.’”

So, while CNN enjoys pointing a scathing finger at MSNBC, they should consider applying the same scrutiny to their own employees. CNN has trumpeted the Imus controversy into a huge two-day story while continuing to tacitly endorse such behavior by Glenn Beck. I would have much more respect for CNN if they operated by the same ethical standards they demand of their competition.
_______________________

do you think it’ll get on the air? I think not.

I have NO respect for CNN and will NOT watch them because they have Glenn Beck, their FOX posterboy. As for huffing and puffing about Imus: pot meet kettle.

Pfifferling @ 53

Scarecrow, here’s a link to the CQ interview and the original mention in Harper’s.

Thanks much. Interesting stuff, no? If you think the WH is lying or obfuscating, it’s usually because they are.

Why am I still here?

Mandrake @ 59

I have NO respect for CNN and will NOT watch them because they have Glenn Beck, their FOX posterboy. As for huffing and puffing about Imus: pot meet kettle.

Just saw over the weekend where the guy responsible for Beck’s hiring at CNN just left that network for Fox. Figures.

Biodun @ 54

Re: TV journalists, infotainment, and corporate media:

Christy, apologies. As a reminder, I recycle what I’ve posted at the lake twice before:

All of electronic MSM is in the pocket of multinational companies:

CBS: Viacom

NBC: General Electric

ABC: Disney

CNN: TimeWarner

MSNBC: NBC –> GE

Fox: NewsCorp

With the exception of GE, all these multinationals are entertainment companies. Whence, MSM’s news divisions have been substantially subsumed by their entertainment divisions. Whence: infotainment.

BTW, there were comments yesterday about how Fox is losing out, with the D debate now toast. So I checked out NewsCorp stock price. IIRC, it’s gone from about $18 a year ago to the mid-20s range today. So whatever is happening to Fox, the parent company is doing well.

About the Joshua Bell story - perhaps I’m thinking of it from an artist’s point of view, but what the story made me think of was the fact that people are so busy being involved in their own lives, they block out a lot in their environment. They don’t take time to smell the flowers. It’s rather sad that people aren’t recognizing & appreciating spectacular beauty.

It might also indicate that many don’t recongize great art when they hear it - if they’re listening. I’m sure a bit of snobbiness is mixed in (”if he was good, why would he be playing in the subway?”). But, the point is that people didn’t even hear that they were being presented with one of the finest musicians of his generation.

As I mentioned in last night’s TRex thread, I remember hearing a lot of subway musicians when I lived in a city with mass transit. Most of them are amateurs. Some have limited training. It was rare when I heard anyone that was truly gifted and well-trained. I would think if I heard anyone near the caliber of Joshua Bell in the subway, I’d probably fall over. Of course, that’s because I’m trained to be aurally aware… but I cannot imagine not realizing such brilliance if it were in front of me. It would make me very, very sad to realize I was so unaware of the world around me.

Abramoff -

your pals Jane & Christy have built a nice signal fire that can be seen from some distance

Jane

Christy throws another log on the fire

Mandrake @56- I get Lionel on Sat. pm’s. I liked him from the first show, but then, after a while he got on my nerves. I still listen and he’s not as annoying as he turned out to be. I guess it’s like anything, they can’t all be winners 24/7/365. But check him out, he’s super smart, opinionated,& argumentative, but in a nice way.

martha — the text my sis sent was from the Harper’s link. Thanks.

CHS: “Ratings is all about hyping a controversy — whether it is a real one or a fake one.”

more precisely, hyping a controversy that benefits the rethuglican and/or corporate media propoganda. if news was just about news or REAL controversial subjects, the lies of this administration and it s corporate fascist press/media would be wall-to-wall full of informative outrages being foisted upon the american people re: stolen elections, reopening 911 investigations, accelerating corporate fascism, illegitimate wars, the attacks on every front by treasonous and traitorly agents of the fascist elite on america’s wellbeing, constitution, bill of rights, economy, environment, education, etc., etc., ad finitum.

Santa Monica Jeremy @ 13

I got an interesting discussion on this topic going over at Kos.

Here’s my take:

Let’s face it - we’ve been playing nicey-nice. Look at the Pelosi issue - Holbrook made some hard-hitting comments, but as Greg Sargent noted, “I haven’t seen any Democratic elected officials or direct Pelosi allies denouncing this story in such stark terms as Holbrooke did.”

We still go out there acting as if it’s not our job to hand the MSM the story on a plate. Well, guess what? The Repubs have been doing that for years, and it works, and we’ve been getting our asses handed to us.

Can we please put together a boot camp weekend for Democratic officeholders that teaches them how to do this? How to go into inverviews with background info, talking points, snappy one-liners - whatever it takes!

Does this sound feasable? The Repubs have done it - why can’t we?

Matthew Dowd is available as a featured speaker.

I think the Preznit has a man crush on David Gregory. He never misses an opportunity to lather on the compliments about how ‘beautiful’ Gregory looks in his suit or how well he shakes it on the dance floor. Gregory acts coy and submits to the praise.

I’m still trying to put my finger on what is going on, but their own little dance is getting awkward and annoying in a time when we people are demanding truth and accountability in both government and in reporting.

Just heard on wnyc. Publisher of Wilson’s book is doing an instabook on Libby trial, scheduled for publication on June 5 sentencing date. Anyone know more about this? Whi is author?

OT: on the etymology of the phrase “Drinking the Kool-Aid”

For those too young (or too old) to remember the story, watch for the PBS documentary on Jim Jones, the People’s Temple Church and the final happenings in Guyana.

Absolutely compelling & chilling.

Muzzy @ 71

I think the Preznit has a man crush on David Gregory. He never misses an opportunity to lather on the compliments about how ‘beautiful’ Gregory looks in his suit or how well he shakes it on the dance floor. Gregory acts coy and submits to the praise.

I’m still trying to put my finger on what is going on, but their own little dance is getting awkward and annoying in a time when we people are demanding truth an accountability in both government and in reporting.

David Gregory-”Aw, shucks Mr. President, I’m not that cute, really, no, stop, thank you saying I have nice hair, but really, please stop…”

Mandrake @ 61

I have NO respect for CNN and will NOT watch them because they have Glenn Beck, their FOX posterboy. As for huffing and puffing about Imus: pot meet kettle.

I watch most of the various news networks, mainly because I was trained that it’s healthy and interesting to see how different orgs prioritize news and cover various stories. I’ve been disgusted with CNN over several issues (especially their hiring of Beck), and I’m amazed how over-the-top they’ve been about Imus.

They’ve read some viewer comments - mine hasn’t made it on air. It’s also stuck in moderation on their blog, for some odd reason. Guess they don’t like it when the mirror of scrutiny is held up to them.

Raven,
Thanks. I know about them for domain registration. Not about hosting. Will check into it.

Gregory reports to…Russert. Russert values important contacts - ergo, no on the record without his VIP contacts’ permission. NBC News exists to reward shareholders with profits via advertising revenue, generated from numbers of viewers/listeners. NBC parent company does business with WH.

Who do you think Gregory is responsible to - viewers or WH/GE/advertisers/shareholders?

Now you get it.

Thank you, Christy for sharing this. It’s very gratifying. I can’t bring myself to watch David Gregory again on the Meet the Press clip. Apparently, the little rap session was a pretty good indication of a loss of integrity on his part. I guess just the heady thrill of standing on the same stage with the rhythmically and comically challenged Brain of Bush was just such a rush, he had to reciprocate by vigorously massaging the administrations’ “manhood” by hyping their lies.

What ought to be happening to Imus is that CBS (the originating publisher) ought to be put under license review by the FCC. The Tines “questioned” whether there is anything the FCC can do, following the mainsream line of protecting the license holders of publicly owned spectrum.

Rutgers on behalf its team ouught to sue CBS, NBC and Imus for slander per se. Imus should not be let off the hook.

Several MSNBC and CNN “journalists” have jumped over to Fox:

Kimberly Guilfoyle (”analyst”); Greta van Susteren; Bill Hemmer (from CNN); Laurie Dhue; John Gibson; Brigitte Quinn (from MSNBC

mulligatawny @ 19

Good morning, two off topic links:

The first, a breathtaking article in the WaPo about a world class violinist who played his stradivarius in a metro station in DC and nobody stopped to listen: Pearls before Breakfast

wapo link

Speaking of manufactured controversy…

First off…regarding the Hardball incident at the top…since the 2006 elections NBC/MSNBC seems to have gone a little more to controversy reporting in a Fox style. That behooves the question of has there been a change in upper structure at NBC that could be dictating this? I mean the rumors are out there that Matthews wants out to CBS, that Oberman is not happy, and that would leave them with Scarface and Pucker…not a good combination there.

Regarding Imus…is it ok that he was using the same language he has for years? no..the world has changed. I would say that his lead producer Bernard is probably more guilty than anyone as he obviously knows how to push Imus’s buttons to get what he considers a good ’show’. That ‘little bald headed idiot’ needs to go if the show is allowed to continue.

Ohio Governor worried about National Guard readiness:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18036958/

Gunga Djinn @
73

OT: on the etymology of the phrase “Drinking the Kool-Aid”

For those too young (or too old) to remember the story, watch for the PBS documentary on Jim Jones, the People’s Temple Church and the final happenings in Guyana.

Absolutely compelling & chilling.

Watched it last night. Fascinating.

Notice, there were people who observed that Jones, who many agree had supported many good and positive social issues, they noticed that he was “going crazy”.

There are always people who are willing to listen to the little voice inside of them that says…something is wrong here.

There are far more that hear that voice, but they don’t want to cause a stir, they don’t want to be left out, the want to remain part of the group.

As Bush goes deeper into the bunnyhole of disbelief, more and more of the establishment folks are willing to say…somethings wrong. But even more don’t want to miss out on the fun, parties and camraderie of being with the “in” crowd.

A story for our times.

-GSD

It should also be noted that Democratic Congressman Ryan was the only Congressman ever killed in the line of duty. Funny, notice Tom Delay didn’t offer to mediate the David Koresh standoff.

Kimberly Guilfoyle is at CourtTV but is at Fox as a “consultant/analyst,” which is what she was at CNN (mostly for pretty boy Anderson Cooper, AKA “Coop”).

Muzzy @ 71

I think the Preznit has a man crush on David Gregory. He never misses an opportunity to lather on the compliments about how ‘beautiful’ Gregory looks in his suit or how well he shakes it on the dance floor. Gregory acts coy and submits to the praise.

I’m still trying to put my finger on what is going on, but their own little dance is getting awkward and annoying in a time when we people are demanding truth and accountability in both government and in reporting.

ABSOLUTELY! I commented on this during the prez-poop’s Rose Garden hissy fit. He was flirting with Gregory then and I imagine he does so during every press conference. I don’t guess Gregory’s going to be the one to break the story of the Secret Service logs of Gannon’s numerous suspicious visits to the WH.

Of course, all this “you look beautiful” stuff is also one of Bush’s trademark “alpha dog” humping the submissive dog techniques which he loves to employ to keep people in their place.

Muzzy @ 71

I think the Preznit has a man crush on David Gregory. He never misses an opportunity to lather on the compliments about how ‘beautiful’ Gregory looks in his suit or how well he shakes it on the dance floor. Gregory acts coy and submits to the praise.

I’m still trying to put my finger on what is going on, but their own little dance is getting awkward and annoying in a time when we people are demanding truth and accountability in both government and in reporting.

The game Bush is playing with Gregory (and everyone in the press core, is a disarming distraction and a power play.

Bush personalizes the relationship in a seemingly friendly way but its entirely innapropriate in the public forum. The more it seems like sincere affection the more ‘over the line’ it is.

We learn in sexual harrasment training to limit compliments to clothing appearance and not personal commentary. IE. “That’s a nice suit you’re wearing” is ok, whereas “You are one sexy voluptuous person whose tree I want to clime” is not.

Bush is not aware of other people’s boundries. Witness, the shoulder massage he gave Merkel of Germany.

He is equally innapropraite and equally personal is lavishing personal praise on reporters as well as equally innapropraite poking fun at personal characteristics of reports.

Bush’s comments appear as friendly and favorable but they are not. They underscore and enforce the power relationship and they coerce and corrupt the essential interaction which is a president’s accountability to the fourth estate and the country it represents.

OT or late, but…

Christy, from previous thread — the Peanut was sick last week and you had the flu over the weekend AND YOU STILL GOT ALL OF THOSE GREAT POSTS OUT OVER THE WEEKEND? I am impressed, grateful, and hope all are now well. Cheers.

Sorry for the OT (and the source of the following content), but Drudge has a story up about Obama and his “political/media adriser” up. He’s complaining about the use of the use of federal office spave for political activity.

Yet, he’s strangely silent on the use of the entire White House and Justice Department for political activity.

recovering at 88 — Thanks, we are both feeling much better as of yesterday. :)

Christy Hardin Smith @ 89

recovering at 88 — Thanks, we are both feeling much better as of yesterday. :)

Who is “the peanut” ?

Bush’s flattery gets him everywhere. The press corps are fundamentally starstruck. He likes me, he really likes me…and then they roll over for him every time.

Neil @ 87

Muzzy @ 71

I think the Preznit has a man crush on David Gregory. He never misses an opportunity to lather on the compliments about how ‘beautiful’ Gregory looks in his suit or how well he shakes it on the dance floor. Gregory acts coy and submits to the praise.

I’m still trying to put my finger on what is going on, but their own little dance is getting awkward and annoying in a time when we people are demanding truth and accountability in both government and in reporting.

The game Bush is playing with Gregory (and everyone in the press core, is a disarming distraction and a power play.

Bush personalizes the relationship in a seemingly friendly way but its entirely innapropriate in the public forum. The more it seems like sincere affection the more ‘over the line’ it is.

We learn in sexual harrasment training to limit compliments to clothing appearance and not personal commentary. IE. “That’s a nice suit you’re wearing” is ok, whereas “You are one sexy voluptuous person whose tree I want to clime” is not.

Bush is not aware of other people’s boundries. Witness, the shoulder massage he gave Merkel of Germany.

He is equally innapropraite and equally personal is lavishing personal praise on reporters as well as equally innapropraite poking fun at personal characteristics of reports.

Bush’s comments appear as friendly and favorable but they are not. They underscore and enforce the power relationship and they coerce and corrupt the essential interaction which is a president’s accountability to the fourth estate and the country it represents.

But then, to remind the press corps who’s really in charge he tries to run them down, but it’s all just one big joke (nudge, nudge, wink, wink):

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2....._0131.html

I’m not a psychologist, but could it be more obvious POTUS has serious issues?

The Peanut is Christy’s daughter, a favorite at FDL…

Tap Duncan @ 67

Mandrake @56- I get Lionel on Sat. pm’s. I liked him from the first show, but then, after a while he got on my nerves. I still listen and he’s not as annoying as he turned out to be. I guess it’s like anything, they can’t all be winners 24/7/365. But check him out, he’s super smart, opinionated,& argumentative, but in a nice way.

K thanks. I will give him a try, of course. Like I said, I wasn’t able to download a podcast so I haven’t heard him. I was just a little put off by what I read. But I will miss Sam. He made me laugh. *sniffle*

I thought Randi Rhodes was annoying at first also, but the more I listened, the more I realized she does know her stuff and it also feels good to hear her express the anger and indignation I feel inside that I have to keep covered up all the time since no one will allow me to express it. Guess that’s why I come to the blogs.

David Gregory’s reputation for standing up to Shrubco is baloney..he stands up for his own bullshit not for the truth

Neil @87 - You got it.

I’m not a psychologist, but could it be more obvious POTUS has serious issues?

Yes, he does. Regular FDL commenter kirk murphy (who AFAIK is a psychiatrist) offered a “free” diagnosis of The Dunce at FDL a few months ago.

GSD @ 84

There are always people who are willing to listen to the little voice inside of them that says…somet