SNL Casts Kellyanne Conway in Glenn Close Fatal Attraction Role

Wonderfully inventive, weaving bits of Fatal Attraction and Death Becomes Her, maybe even a taste of The Thing. Appropriate for Trump flack, Kellyanne Conway.

SNL: Kellyanne Conway with Jake Tapper on CNN

This week's Saturday Night Live didn't tap Alec Baldwin for his Donald Trump impression. Instead, shining cast member of the moment, Kate McKinnon, does her best Kellyanne Conway impression, blithely spinning away the nonsense that is the daily news from the Trump transition team. Very funny when it's not scary. Bryan Cranston shines as the natural pick for Trump's DEA.

Says Who?

Trump's doofy attorney, image from source, NY Daily News

This clip is everywhere, but it brings me so much schadenfreude, I have to run it. For one thing, this Trump attorney, Michael Cohen, comes off as a supreme ass. If I had to guess, I'd say he is a dyed-in-the-wool bully, and has exactly the countenance you love to see "get theirs." But it's just so comical (and refreshing) to see the journalist, Brianna Keilar, being tenacious, and rattling the guy. "Says who?" Says everybody!

[Excerpt]

SEE IT: Donald Trump’s attorney keeps asking ‘Says who’ when confronted with polls that the billionaire is losing

Change the name to the “Says Who” Room.

Appearing on CNN’s “The Situation Room,” Donald Trump’s tough-talking attorney jumped on the defensive when confronted with the candidate’s dismal polling numbers. . .

Read more (with video) at: NY Daily News

Carly Fiorina: Strong and Wrong!

Image from source, Esquire

Well, Carly Fiorina did well the other night, didn't she? She kicked and screamed enough to get removed from the kiddie table debate, and into the proper (though "adult" doesn't sound right) one, making a nice. . .even?. . .eleven candidates. Or contestants. Whatever. But, she did it, she got in, and by all accounts, she actually won the thing.

But if you paid attention to what she said, she was just wrong all over the place. It won't matter. Why? Well, it's that whole, Republicans prefer strong and wrong over weak and right. So long as you believe what you're saying to your core--or at least express yourself as though you do--and espouse a few hard right ideas, you're golden baby. Attention Jeb!, Bobby and the rest: Get confident, stupid!

So, Carly can make stuff up about Hillary Clinton (ironically while accusing her of lying), or she can invent a fake--but horrific!--Planned Parenthood video, but if she stares at the camera like a cobra about to strike, while delivering the lie in a resolute, confident voice? Pure. Conservative. Gold.

It shouldn't surprise me, from a group that absolutely gobbles up "truthiness," fact-like nuggets that feel true, rather than are necessarily actually true. It explains perfectly the whole phenomenon of Religious Freedom Restoration Acts, and "sincerely held beliefs" that require no doctrine and no evidence.

And it contrasts rather sharply with Donald Trump's much coarser version of the same thing. Fiorina is the refined version, Trump the larval stage. Where he's got pure id, with a child's penchant for tantrums and flair with vocabulary, Fiorina is polished and refined. But don't mistake her strength and confidence for accuracy or honesty.

[Excerpt]

Carly Fiorina: Strong, Crisp, and Effective if You Ignore the Facts

Let us take one more tour of the battlefield before we retire to the gift shoppe at Ronnieworld to pick up some Fawn Hall Authorized Confetti (Guaranteed 100 percent Genuine Secret Government Documents!) or, perhaps, for the kids, a Junior TOW Missile Commander suit complete with Iranian flags on the sleeves. What we saw last night, and I stayed awake for the whole damn thing so I now know all I care to know about Chris Christie's secret crush on Abigail Adams, was the triumph of fiction over fact, of fantasy over reality. In other words, what we saw was the most fitting tribute to Ronald Reagan ever produced. Congratulations, one and all. The final fealty of the Republican Party to total and complete bullshit has been sworn. . .

Read more at: Esquire

Impressions: 2016 GOP Debate #2

Embarrassing.

Fascinating. Entertaining. Baffling, Crazy. Boring. Interminable. Endless. And ultimately, still embarrassing.

The GOP/conservative/Republican/Tea Party contingent is a confounding, self-contradictory mélange of mostly crap with the occasional flash of wit or inspiration, dashed with horrifying lack of self awareness, anti-American and anti-constitutional (but simultaneously allegedly patriotic) fervor, and crazy religiosity. Impressions:

Image from source,
Washington Post

- Carly Fiorina acquitted herself nicely, and was unquestionably the winner. She's awful, but for this crowd, she was terrific.

- Donald Trump hurt himself with thinking people (who he was already not doing well with), and hopefully with some less fervent supporters. If he goes up in popularity, it's not for any reality-based reason from this debate.

- Ben Carson came off slightly better and a tiny bit more animated than he has in the past, though could get a job voicing Winnie the Pooh.

- Ted Cruz was just as creepy and face-punchable as ever. Jesus and meanness and creepy facey-ness.

- Marco Rubio was smart (-ish), and articulate, but oddly juvenile, while also bearing huge old man ears.

- Chris Christie managed to be more amiable and dickish.

- John Kasich looked like he woke up after a long slumber with his face pressed against a pillow, and bed head. He made sense (sometimes) but looked like hell.

- Ron Paul looked extra-weasely, and landed few punches, though he tried. He actually sounded a little reasonable. . .too often to make me comfortable.

- Mike Huckabee is a Dominionist prick who should never, ever be near the levers of power.

- Scott Walker was sleepy-eyed, but occasionally reared his head and made a semi-coherent point.

- Jeb! Bush was mostly reasonable, but not above pandering. I can't imagine he'll budge an inch.

From the kiddie table, you had two Jesus freaks (Jindal and Santorum) and two sorta-kinda normals (Pataki and Graham). They arguably got more airtime than they every would have otherwise, particularly without Rick Perry, but fit the tone of this clown show pretty well.

Embarrassing is still my assessment.


[Excerpt]

Fiorina emerges in GOP debate, but Trump still dominates conversation

The second Republican debate, a three-hour affair that veered from sophomoric insults to policy to late-night silliness, ended after 11 p.m. Wednesday, with an outsider candidate — former tech executive Carly Fiorina — challenging front-runner Donald Trump in a way few rivals have.
 . .

Read more at: MSN

The Gay Thing: CNN's Chris Cuomo Takes Homophobe Peter Sprigg Apart Over Indiana Law

Wow. This is tremendous. Kudos and thank you for the stellar work, Chris Cuomo!

 

CNN Cancels Piers Morgan

Taran Killam will have to find a new news guy to mock
on SNL. Image from source, Raw Story.

While FOX "News" (and their fans) often point and laugh at MSNBC's ratings, the truth is, CNN would kill for even MSNBC's audience. Barring a huge news event--and those still tend to reflexively bring viewers to the channel--CNN is barely breathing, ratings-wise. CNN's own HLN (the horrible devolution of CNN Headline News, which was great) is the only major cable news channel with worse ratings.

So, while it's not a surprise that CNN needs to make changes, it's hard to figure out how they'd know where to start. I guess it's Piers Morgan being scapegoated first. Surely they wouldn't dump Anderson Cooper first. But they've got to do something.

Still, it's worth keeping in mind that cable news as a whole has a tiny, tiny audience. I watch The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC's top-rated program. But she manages only around a million viewers per program. And don't laugh too hard, FOX fans. Maddow's competition usually only gets about double her ratings, so it's not like it's any great shakes either.

[Excerpt]

CNN axing Piers Morgan’s show because of sagging ratings
 
CNN host Piers Morgan, the former British tabloid editor turned primetime successor to Larry King, will leave his show according to reports in the New York Times and POLITICO. Morgan has languished in the ratings, but achieved notoriety for his gun control advocacy in the wake of the Newtown shootings. Morgan’s show registered as few as 50,000 viewers in the 25-to-54 year-old demographic earlier this week, POLITICO noted. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Nelson Mandela Dead at 95

Image from source, CNN

You'd think I'd be more knowledgeable about Nelson Mandela and Apartheid in South Africa. After all, I'm a liberal, I came of age in the 1980s, and other than hunger in Ethiopia, Apartheid was the big liberal issue. But somehow, it just didn't resonate with me in Columbus, Ohio. I suppose if I'd been in a proper college for more than a year and a half, I may have been more involved in a student protest or something. But I couldn't miss stories about Mandela's imprisonment, release and later ascendance to the presidency.  I also couldn't miss his Morgan Freeman-like gravitas and class. RIP, Mr. Mandela.

[Excerpt]

What made Nelson Mandela great

Nelson Mandela was always mindful that his leadership role in the liberation of South Africa from apartheid might not have been possible if he had not been imprisoned. "It is possible that if I had not gone to jail and been able to read and listen to the stories of many people. ... I might not have learned these things," Mandela said of the insights that he gained during his 27 years in jail. . .

Read more at: CNN

CNN's Wolf Blitzer Embarrassed On Camera by Atheist

Image from source, Raw Story

As an atheist, I can get tripped up on language, so I shouldn't be too hard on Wolf Blitzer. I had to train myself to say gesundheit when somebody sneezes, rather than "god bless you." But not all nearly automatic religious phrases are so easy to extract from the vocabulary. There are so many, most people probably don't even realize they come from the Bible. "Oh, god," and "Jesus Christ" are just the most obvious ones. But then, I'm not a high-paid journalist on CNN, I'm a hobbyist blogger.

What Blitzer does in this clip is make the assumption that if you are from Oklahoma, you must be a Christian. And while it is kind of the default there, and in much of America, it's not something you should assume. It's like assuming that the person you are talking to is heterosexual, it's not always the case, and could be embarrassing, depending upon the question. Anyway, part of Blitzer's mindset may have been that so many people when commenting upon a tragedy automatically resort to "prayer."

Whether it's a sincere belief that it will somehow do some good, or it's just a reflexive thing to say, "I'm sending my prayers" and similar phrases just filled Facebook and Twitter, not to mention the news channels*. Most people probably mean well, and surely some are in the same situation as I am, with a religion-saturated mental English phrase book. It has something to do with why I haven't blogged about the Oklahoma tornadoes until now. What can I add to this discussion?

Sure, I'm sorry, and it's heartbreaking to see and hear the details of what's going on. I can say "my heart goes out to the survivors," of course, which is exactly as helpful as prayer, which is to say, not much. So, I donated to the Red Cross. And I'm asking you to do it too. It's not even difficult.

Just get out your cell phone, start a new text to 90999 (where you'd ordinarily put a phone number), with the message:  REDCROSS   That will automatically donate $10 to the American Red Cross, and will be added to your phone bill. It literally couldn't be easier.

[Excerpt]

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer tells atheist tornado survivor: ‘You gotta thank the Lord’

With the number of atheists continuing to rise, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday afternoon learned the danger of assuming on live television that his interviewee is a Christian.

“I guess, you gotta thank the Lord, right?” he told the survivor of a deadly tornado that ripped through Oklahoma. “Do you thank the Lord?. . .”

Read more at: Raw Story

*As an aside, I've got to say that I find the notion of prayer in these situations to be hard to fathom. To me, prayer is basically wishing, hoping, begging to get what you want, with the intensity going up according to the direness of the wish. When something good comes to pass (survival, good health, good fortune), "God answered our prayers." When something bad happens, you have to get down on your knees and pray some more. And have people pray for you, even if who you're praying for is already dead, or missing. For the missing, prayer is really perplexing. It's almost like a Schrödinger's cat exercise. Since we don't know whether the missing person is alive or dead, offering up a prayer essentially makes them that cat in the box, and our prayer can decide its fate. When in reality, that person is either really alive or dead. The prayer isn't going to change that. And you're offering these prayers to a deity that is responsible for the natural disaster in the first place! Further, what are the implications of being saved by a prayer, when there is death and devastation all around you? They didn't pray (or have loved ones who prayed for them) hard enough? They weren't worthy? 

So, now maybe you understand why I have such difficulty expressing myself and dealing with others' expressions after tragedies like this. When you are a person who puts "God" (as a concept and a being) on more or less equal footing with Superman and Yosemite Sam, it is difficult  to hear this imaginary being invoked repeatedly as though it does any good. Besides making the person who expresses the sentiment feel better, of course.

CNN Blows It in Attempt to "Be First" to Report Arrest in Boston Marathon Bombing

To be fair, FOX "News" and AP jumped on this bogus bandwagon too. . .

Another Conservative "News" Network

Image from source, Daily Beast

I don't know which premise is more ridiculous, that MSNBC is more biased than FOX "News," or the idea that FOX is the only outlet for conservative views. First, MSNBC is counter-programming to the per-existent FOX, and you can't tell me that a channel with a former GOP Congressman running a daily 3-hour show is more left-leaning than FOX is right-leaning. And secondly, conservatives have virtually the entire AM-spectrum to themselves, with hundreds--if not thousands--of hours per week dedicated to arch conservative views.

So, in addition to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Michael Savage and their countless compatriots and also-rans, there is FOX "News," FOX "Business," CNBC (c'mon, watch it some time), and a very skittish so-called "liberal media" terrified of being called that. You get MSNBC and CNN often putting "balance" into a story by trotting out the Family Research Council or American Family Institute for their counter opinion, even though those are hate groups. You've got Meet the Press, Face the Nation, FOX "News" Sunday, This Week, State of the Union and other national political talk fests, all of which are heavily skewed to the right (check their lineups). And the right needs yet another outlet? Okay then, go ahead and try it. I'd love for someone to take a bite out of FOX. But be warned. Ask Kelsey Grammer how his RightNetwork worked out.

[Excerpt]

One America News Network, New Conservative Cable Channel, Sets Launch

A new right-wing news and talk station is coming to cable boxes later this year, The Daily Beast has learned. The station, called One America News Network, is slated to announce its launch formally at the Conservative Political Action Conference, the annual gathering of conservatives, in Washington on Thursday. . .

Read More at: The Daily Beast

Alex Jones vs. Pee Wee Herman

Soledad O'Brien Schools John Sununu

I'm getting tired of political ads and pundits who repeat known falsehoods and debunked "facts." I don't care who's doing it, it ticks me off. But it seems to be the Romney campaign's modus operandi.  So, it's nice when a high profile-reporter calls out a high-profile campaign surrogate, and Soledad O'Brien did a great job. More puzzling than the now standard lie-pushing though, is why John Sununu is any kind of reliable source, with his history. With people like him and Karl Rove (and anyone who turns up from the Bush Administration), it makes you wonder who couldn't stage a comeback. Can John Edwards and Anthony Wiener come out of the penalty box? Or is it only okay if you're a Republican?

Anderson Cooper Comes Out

My hero. Image from NY Daily News.

Though the entire world now knows that Anderson Cooper has officially come out as gay, I couldn't let the occasion pass without a mention here on the blog. With Cooper's declaration, there are now fewer and fewer legit reasons for gay celebrities to remain closeted. At least Coop had the excuse that he often visited countries where his life could be in danger. Except for some lame comments that rhymed "Cooper" with "pooper," the news was pretty much met with a collective shrug.

Oh, it was a loud shrug. . .the topic was trending on Twitter all day. But, the comments were 10,000 variations of "yeah, so?" Everyone "already knew." The news is only the latest in a string of fairly low impact outings by gay celebrities. From Zachary Quinto to Matt Bomer to Jim Parsons, it would seem that we're largely past caring very much. Which is great. But it doesn't diminish the importance of the act. Every time someone as well known as Anderson Cooper comes out, more people realize that gay people are just people. And it becomes that much easier for other gay people.


[Excerpt]


Anderson Cooper reveals he's gay: 'I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud'

Yep, he's gay. CNN anchorman Anderson Cooper, for years protective of his private life, came out Monday. . .

Read more: NY Daily News

Ohio's Jean Schmidt and Her Schadenfreude-Gasm

Actually, what do you call schadenfreude caused by a woman who is experiencing what she thinks is schadenfreude, but what is about to turn to bitter disappointment? Whatever it is, it definitely deserves the orgasm suffix, because what else do you call this display? Mean Jean Schmidt, suckered by CNN and/or FOX "News." Sorry girl. No, I'm not. . .

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

CNN Unhappy With Itself After Obamacare Fumble

Uhhh. . .no. Not so much. Image from Buzzfeed.

I'm actually kind of glad that I was listening to a CBS News radio station, and didn't get the big fake-out that Obamacare had been ruled unconstitutional when it hadn't. On the other hand, I wonder what that moment would have felt like, being very disappointed, only to learn moments later. . .fooled ya! It's upheld! That was probably an interesting sensation. But surely not so fun in reverse, for conservatives.

And even less fun if you work for CNN--who blew the story--or FOX "News" (nah, they probably don't care), and those in the media who picked up CNN's blunder.

[Excerpt]


CNN News Staffers Revolt Over Blown Coverage

News staffers at the cable network CNN, long the gold standard in television news, were on the verge of open revolt Thursday after CNN blew the coverage on the most consequential news event of the year.  As Chief Justice John Roberts began reading his decision on the future of President Obama's health care overhaul, the CNN team inside the courtroom jumped the gun, believing that Roberts was saying the individual mandate was unconstitutional and would be overturned. . .

Read more at: Buzzfeed

Anderson Cooper Schools Anti-Gay Bigot

Remember that Pastor Charles Worley guy, who thought it'd be nifty to put "lesbians, queers and hom-a-seck-shulls" behind an electric fence, until they "die out?" Well, obviously, nobody would ever go on national television to defend such a thing, so. . .what? Somebody did? Oh dear, that couldn't have gone well, could it?

Actually, it's very instructive. Anderson Cooper is meticulously rational, measured and logical. And this horrible woman is impervious to all of it. She's got her own version of Wonder Woman's bracelets, except hers are logic deflectors! It's obvious how badly she's beaten by her snipe at Cooper right at the end there. I'd love to hear Cooper's internal monologue. . .he ought to have been proud of himself for this one.

Cenk Uygur: "CNN -- Change Everything"

Image found at GoHarrison.com

I've been a fan of Cenk Uygur ever since the first time I saw a Young Turks clip. Unfortunately, with no liberal radio in Las Vegas, no Current TV on Cox Cable, and a day job when he was on MSNBC, I've always had to seek out clips, or online streams. So my fandom has been tempered by practicality. Still, it has been rare when I've seen anything by Uygar that I didn't agree with. This critique of CNN is no exception.

I'd extend the critique to Face the Nation, This Week, FOX "News" Sunday (which barely counts) and especially Meet the Press. David Gregory in particular is guilty of doing the "he said, she said," "two equal sides to every story" simplistic interviews and reporting. It's all horse race and controversy. Rarely if ever do the Sunday political shows do anything more than that. The round-table discussion groups occasionally have someone burst through with a concise truth, but it is almost always met with a counterpoint that dilutes it

[Excerpt]


Friendly Advice to CNN -- Change Everything 

CNN just had their lowest ratings in a decade. They are in disastrous shape. When I was on MSNBC, we would beat them with a stick. Even after "pro-CNN" stories like revolutions in Egypt and Libya, Japanese nuclear meltdowns and the killing of Osama bin Laden (CNN does much better when major news or international stories break out), we still beat them. Now they're doing so poorly I might even catch them on Current. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

GOP Debate Bores This Blogger

Image from source, Washignton Post

Well, I've fallen down as a blogger. I came home from work Wednesday night with the goal of watching the most recent GOP debate. And I did, sort of. I parked myself in front of the big TV, with my Mac on my lap, logged in to Twitter. But I couldn't bear to pay much attention to the TV. No, I was reading the fantastic and funny tweets by the comedians, pundits and other smart people I follow. The television droned, and I was eventually run out of the TV room by The Other Half, banished to my office.

I picked it up there, both on TV and Twitter. But the problem didn't get better. These are four odious men, none of whom I'd trust to watch my cat, let alone the country. The pandering was cringe worthy. The crowd would applaud any red meat thrown to them; they'd boo anything they found remotely negative toward conservatives. The whole thing was just distasteful. I'm having a very, very hard time figuring out what Republicans see an any of them.

[Excerpt]


Mitt Romney attacks put Rick Santorum on defensive in GOP presidential debate

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum was thrown on the defensive here Wednesday night as rival Mitt Romney attacked the former senator over spending and earmarks and accused him of compiling an inconsistent and contradictory record. . .

Read more at: Washington Post

Newt Gingrich Thinks His Adultery is the Media's Fault

The most memorable part of the Thursday night South Carolina debate will likely be Newt going all "no you di'n't" on John King for daring to bring up Newt's tawdry marital issues. This is the top political story of the day (vying with Rick Perry calling it quits, and Rick Santorum "winning" Iowa, sorta), and was a valid question. Maybe the teabaggers in the audience fell for Newtie's trick, but nobody else should. All through these debates, when Gingrich gets an uncomfortable question, he lashes out at the questioner. It's a great tactic. You might instinctively leap to his defense, he seems so put out. Except that he's a lying, despicable, odious toad.

[Excerpt]

Newt Gingrich Responds To Ex-Wife's 'Open Marriage' Claims, Slams CNN During 2012 GOP Debate 

Sparks flew on the stage of the CNN debate in Charleston, S.C., Thursday during the very first question. The charges, however, were not directed between the candidates, but between former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and debate moderator John King. . .


Read more at: Huffington Post