Blast in Manchester England at Ariana Grande Concert

Terrorism strikes again, though as of this writing, there was no clear affiliation to a terrorist group, that's still what it is. Be it a crazy guy, or connected to ISIS, the result is the same. And it stinks, that it was at a venue sure to be teeming with underage kids.

The story has overtaken the news, as these stories often do, which can be frustrating. Two things we know (and that was articulated by Rachel Maddow on her program, which was entirely devoted to the story), facts are constantly shifting in  the newness of this kind of story--so, it's unreliable information--and there isn't much to do but speculate. Which creates a dilemma for happening now news: they have to cover it, but there really isn't much to say. I wish they'd get a handle on the way to segue in and out of these major stories, instead of dwelling on them exclusively.

But sadly, no. We see the same looped, shaky, usually vertically* framed cell phone video, interspersed with almost as shaky location footage of the building, with not much going on. It's not riveting television, even though what they're covering is both important and dire. No easy way to do it I suppose.

And on a purely superficial note: if you ever find yourself in the middle of a breaking news event, and have the presence of mind to start recording video, turn the phone sideways. Thank you.

[Excerpt]

Explosion, Panic and Death at Ariana Grande Concert in England

An explosion that may have been a suicide bombing killed at least 19 people on Monday night and wounded dozens at an Ariana Grande concert filled with adoring adolescent fans in what the police were treating as a terrorist attack. . .

Read more (with video) at: New York Times

MSNBC #1, FOX "News" #3: Role Reversal!

Rachel Maddow, from source, Variety

I know I hardly blog anymore, but I knew when I saw this headline, I had to post it. In what has seemed inevitable for months, MSNBC has finally overtaken FOX "News" as the number one cable news station. I say "cable news" as a category, because FOX has of course never really been news, having practically invented "fake news" twenty years ago.

Now, I know, there are several factors here that make this possibly a temporary--and maybe even hollow--victory. The channel that used to call itself "The Place for Politics," and said "Lean Forward," has been seemingly morphing slowly into sort of a FOX lite, at least in certain areas. The guy pulling all the wheels and pullies behind the scenes, Andy Lack, seems hell-bent on tipping the focus to a blend of "straight news," and a tip rightward. He's been thwarted by Rachel Maddow's dynamo ratings, and also to the surges by the rest of the prime time lineup. He couldn't very well fire his new ratings champions.

Or could he? The channel's second highest rated host, Lawrence O'Donnell, has a contract renewal looming, and nobody seems to know if it's going to go through. His fans are planning a march, but as often happens in these sorts of things, we don't get to hear the details. Even tonight, as the world is dealing with another terrorist act in Manchester, England (as I write this, responsible parties unknown), Lawrence is not hosting his program, and is being pre-empted by Brian Williams.

It would be foolhardy for Lack to terminate O'Donnell--who has made it clear that he wants to stay--in the midst of a ratings bonanza. It would almost instantly damage the ratings they have just started to really reap, because a huge segment of the their audience would abandon MSNBC. But I've seen this happen before. Radio channels running Randi Rhodes or Stephanie Miller when they're performing well, and replacing them with radio formats that get microscopic ratings. Sometimes ideology trumps money. Strange but true.

Of course the ratings wave also came amidst a crash at FOX, where they've been rocked by scandal, schedule shakeups, and a complete lack of focus after the departure (and now death) of Roger Ailes. I'd like nothing better than to see one of two things happen: a) FOX "News" slides to irrelevancy, with FOX Business Channel-level ratings; or b) FOX itself morphs into a more straight-news channel, free of rightward slant. But what we don't need is MSNBC basically taking their place as the new leader in "fake news."

Meanwhile, congratulations to Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Chris Hayes and the roster of regulars that has performed a mighty feat, seemingly in the face of their own leadership.

[Excerpt]

MSNBC Reaches No. 1 for First Time in Weekly Primetime Ratings, Fox News Drops to Third

For the first time in its history, MSNBC ranked number one in both total viewers and the key adults 25-54 demographic during primetime for a full week among the big three cable news networks, according to Nielsen data. . .

Read more at: Variety

Keith Olbermann Returning to MSNBC?

Image from source, Examiner

I'm leery of getting too excited about this one. So far, the sources I've read have seemed skeptical themselves. But if it's true, it's very good news. With the loss of Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report (we keep Stephen, but it's not quite the same, is it?), having a good strong voice for progressives. Crossing fingers, I guess time will tell.

[Excerpt]

MSNBC working to bring Keith Olbermann back to the network, report says
 
After falling behind Fox News and CNN in the ratings, the liberal leaning MSNBC has struggled to rebound. While the network has shifted to a more centrist position, it appears one of the most popular liberal hosts in the channel's history could be making a comeback.

MSNBC started to make changes in the summer, dropping "The Ed Show," "Now with Alex Wagner," and "The Cycle," and replacing their mid day opinion shows with a more traditional news format. Veteran news anchor Brian Williams, and host of "Meet the Press," Chuck Todd, have also returned to the network to provide a more balanced approach. With these changes also comes the possibility that the network is not done fine-tuning their brand. According to Mediaite on Oct. 6, Keith Olbermann could be returning to the front of the camera. . .

Read more at: The Examiner

Ed Schultz Exits MSNBC, and Does So with Class

When I think of Ed Schultz, "class" isn't the first word that leaps to mind. He's not a host for all tastes, and frankly, he wasn't to mine. As a long-time listener of liberal talk radio, I have long been familiar with Schultz. Frankly, there aren't very many liberal hosts (belying the "liberal media" cliché), so he'd pop up quite a bit when lineups were shuffled, and such. The first time I'd heard him, I thought at first he was Rush Limbaugh. And Limbaugh is nearly (remember, I said nearly) the furthest thing from class I can imagine.

So, I can't call myself a fan of Shultz. I've watched his show occasionally, more this year than before because of my new time zone and my sabbatical for full-time work. But I've really never much cared for his style, though I appreciated what he stood for. Ed can be overly strident, and so can his fans, to the point of a bluster, which does not endear me. So, I met the news of MSNBC's cancellation of The Ed Show with little in the way of sorrow. But I have to say, Ed's parting shot to his network, and his viewers changed my mind a bit. Here, at a time when he could have dynamited his bridges, he instead went out in as classy a way as I've ever seen for a person in his position.
 

Now, I have to say, there is another bombastic figure on the news-scape; a man who loves the word "class," who has none: Donald Trump. Trump keeps misusing that word. I'm sure he really means "crass," and just has a bit of trouble with confusing them, like I do with "affect" and "effect." And whatever I think of Ed, I think it's a shame we're losing one more voice against the Trumps of the world. I swear, if anything happens to Rachel Maddow, John Oliver or Bill Maher, I'm going to lose it! I'm just relieved that Berkeley Breathed has come back, and hopeful about the looming return of one Stephen Colbert. . .

Is MSNBC Shifting Away from Leaning Forward?

Television and radio are prone to sudden and dramatic shifts in schedule, in editorial tone, and even in complete formats. In the case of programming that caters specifically to liberals, these changes can often be almost inscrutable. For instance, though liberal talk radio has always had difficulty getting a

Keith Olbermann handing off to Rachel Maddow.
Those were the days.

market foothold for a variety of reasons, it has often been the case that a station (or chain of stations) will abandon the format for programming that gets worse ratings.

It's not hard to feel like there's something more at work than mere market forces sometimes. As a long-time consumer of liberal-oriented information (not to the exclusion of all else, mind you), I'm very, very, very familiar with this phenomenon. I had to chase The Randi Rhodes Show all over the internet, through two or three sudden complete disappearances, and finally her rather abrupt retirement. Other favorite hosts have come and gone with no word, and poor Stephanie Miller is now operating out of her house!

So, I rather scoff at the old "liberal media" trope. It's a moldy, lazy, inaccurate assessment of how things really are. So, if it is indeed true that MSNBC--struggling this year in the ratings--is about to abandon its liberal leanings, it won't surprise me much, though I'm not happy about it. For one thing, their biggest star is Rachel Maddow, whose eponymously named show is unlikely to shift focus without both irritating its host, and losing its audience. What she needs is a stronger lead-in, or a shift to 8:00 pm, putting her in the actual lead spot that Countdown with Keith Olbermann used to occupy.

I like Chris Hayes, but he's a bit dry, as is the curse of many a scholarly liberal (see: Thom Hartmann). And I like Lawrence O'Donnell, but he's better at his current spot. Still, I'd prefer either to a return of the likes of  Scarborough Country, Joe Scarborough's old gig before Morning Joe. By the way, can we talk about Scarborough for a second? His very presence as host of a three-hours-per-day show on MSNBC ought to single-handedly dispel any "MSNBC is the flip-side of FOX 'News'" comments. At least until Ronan Farrow or Joy Reid show up as hosts of the oddly named Fox & Friends. But I digress. . .

Frank's kid (I mean come on) is out at MSNBC,
at least as host of his own show.

If Rachel Maddow finds herself smack-dab in the middle of Right Wing World in a format shift, she'll balk, and probably walk. If they lose her, they might as well change the format of the channel to something completely different. There's very little chance MSNBC can compete with FOX as a cloned or "lite" version of that channel. They could instead go hard news--Maddow might even welcome that, and hell, they'd be unique if they did--but would ratings actually go up for that? Righties still wouldn't watch, because reality has that unfortunate "liberal bias" they don't have to worry about on FOX.

I don't envy the position Phil Griffin is in, being in charge of programming there, and undoubtedly with corporate overlords breathing down his neck to improve ratings. But quick fixes don't come easily, especially when you consider that the situation may correct itself with the political and news cycle and the 2016 election. Getting rid of Farrow and Reid can't hurt, and putting in Thomas Roberts again is actually heartening. He's newsy and known to be (gay) liberal, so he's a good blend without feeling traitorous to the audience. Some shuffling around with the schedule? Fine. A wholesale change in tone? A mistake with a capital "M." It all comes down to this, I think: Does Comcast care if MSNBC improves in the ratings, or are they trying to squelch their liberal leanings before a big election? After having seen Clear Channel's treatment of liberal formats on radio, I think that's the most germane question.

[Excerpt]

MSNBC Shifts Ronan Farrow, Joy-Ann Reid; Thomas Roberts Returns to Dayside

First on TVNewser: A year-old experiment at MSNBC is coming to an end. As TVNewser first told you earlier today, “The Reid Report” is being canceled, and we can now confirm that “Ronan Farrow Daily” is also being shelved. Both Reid and Farrow will take on new roles with the network. . .

Read more at: TV Newser
 

Mike Huckabee Quits FOX "News" to Join 2016 GOP Presidential Race

Image from source, MSN

Though quitting FOX "News," and exploring a run for the GOP presidential nomination isn't quite a lateral move for Mike Huckabee, it's certainly merely a change of position within the same "company." Given the symbiotic relationship between FOX, right-wing talk radio, political celebrity (Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich), and actual elected office and the quest of it, it's just a matter of where the wheels line up. But, there are still a few rules left, and you can't run for president while remaining the host of a national show, so there you are.

This one doesn't trouble me like it would have years ago. I still find the Huckster terrifying on virtually any issue. And his ability to sound like a kindly grandfather, coating even homophobia with home-spun honey and brown sugar is genuinely worrisome. But he's had a show on FOX "News" for years. There are hours and hours of Huck spouting some pretty bizarre shit, and hosting some batshit crazy guests. If there isn't a wealth of disqualifying tape there for even the laziest opposition researcher to find, then what hope is there anyway? No, I'm not worried about a Mike Huckabee presidency. Because if it comes to that, we've got bigger problems. All of that said, the political humor possibilities with this one are endless.

[Excerpt]

Mike Huckabee Leaving Fox News; White House Run Next?

The former governor of Arkansas is calling it a career at Fox News Channel. The network said Mike Huckabee will announce his exit during Huckabee tonight at 8 PM ET. FNC reported the news during the 5 PM hour, and a spokesman said the split was amicable. Fox News said it will run specials in place of Huckabee’s political commentary show for the next few weeks and will be trying “a few new ideas” in its longtime weekend time slot. . .

Read more at: MSN

The Media's Insane Reaction to Ebola

Now that the very few actual cases of Ebola in the United States have run their course, and the incubation period for anyone else is past, can we talk about the media reaction?

In Case You Missed It: Rachel Maddow Finds a Silver Lining in the 2014 Election

I forgot to post this yesterday, and it's too good to forget. Rachel Maddow was one of MSNBC's main commentators on their election coverage (yes, FOX-lovers, I'm her one viewer, haha), and did a pretty good job during the dour thing (when Chris Matthews wasn't being a dick). People who claimed it was funereal on that channel didn't watch, or only caught a snippet. Because Maddow lives for this stuff. She's a political junkie who thinks of elections like Christmas, no matter who is winning.

As such, even though the night was dire for liberals, Rachel culled the returns for some good news. And delivers it with the appropriate amount of "yes, I'm digging through a pile of poop for nuggets of gold here." So, if you don't know about the good things that came out of that dismal election, here's your go-to source.
 

Daily Show Responds to Faux Outrage "Latte Salute"

Image from source, Daily Kos

The phony controversy about President Obama saluting with a cup in his hand was made more ridiculous by the fact that it--as a "news" story--overtook far more important actual news stories, particularly on FOX "News." And I've got to say, Sean Hannity and (shudder) Karl Rove yukking it up over it, pretty much proves that it wasn't a serious story. It was just another chance to take a shot at the prez, and do so by not-so-subtly calling him "uppity." Jon Stewart skewered the whole "controversy" on Thursdays Daily Show.

[Excerpt]

Jon Stewart to Eric Bolling: 'F*** you and all your false patriotism.'

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive

OK, last night's show was so incredible, I had to do a transcript. Jon Stewart blasted the Fox News crew for attacking Obama over his "latte salute", calling them out for their utter hypocrisy. Make this video go viral. Share it on social media. That right-wing acquaintance you know who ranted about it on Facebook? Post this video on their Wall for EVERY one of their friends to see. . .

Read more at: Daily Kos

So, Finally, Here's What Happened to Lawrence O'Donnell

Image from The Daily Beast

If you follow any particular news/entertainment programs on either radio or television (which is easier to do if you're a conservative fan of such programming, than if you're a liberal), you may be accustomed to programming changes with little explanation. Again, this may happen more to liberals like me whose hosts don't have a rock-solid perch (like say a Rush Limbaugh). Anyway, when something happens, the host is gone, or the format changes, news about what happened is somehow always shrouded in mystery. When radio host Randi Rhodes was mysteriously off the air (two or three times), the only way to get any information was online, and then it was sparse and untrustworthy.

So, when Lawrence O'Donnell, host of The Last Word on MSNBC, suddenly wasn't on the air, it was no surprise that details were few. We were told he'd been in a crash with his brother in a foreign country, and that he was convalescing. That was it, there was no more information. I haven't looked, but I'm sure there were online conspiracy theories on both sides about what happened. That's just par for the course.

On Thursday, Lawrence appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show to announce his return this coming Monday. And now, we have an account of where he was and what happened. It's actually a harrowing, yet interesting story.

[Excerpt]

The Crash and Churn of Lawrence O’Donnell

“What a stupid way to die,” Lawrence O’Donnell thought to himself. A split-second earlier, the host of MSNBC’s 10 p.m. program, The Last Word, had been gazing down at a map on his iPhone, following the progress of his taxi, a Chevy van, as he and his older brother Michael rode to dinner on the resort island of Tortola. It was around 7:45 p.m., Saturday, April 12, the start of what promised to be a lovely vacation in the British Virgin Islands with his big brother, a Boston lawyer. . .

Read more at: The Daily Beast

John Oliver: Climate Change "Debate" in Perspective

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has turned out to be a very good show in its two short weeks on the air. It bears a strong resemblance to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, naturally, but has its own vibe. And it can go places that Comedy Central just can't, at least at that hour. Google "John Oliver Mitch McConnell ad" if you don't believe me!

Anyway, one segment from Sunday's show had to do with global climate change, and how it is treated in the mainstream media. As Oliver rightly points out, the drag out Bill Nye for the side of science, and then a climate denier for "balance." But the scientific consensus isn't 1:1. It's 97:3.
 

I loved the example. And it bears pointing out that it isn't just climate change that is treated this way in the media. I swear, the next time I see Tony Perkins or some other church fart brought on to give balance to a gay rights story, I'm going to scream.

Ed Schultz Changes Mind, Now Opposes Keystone XL Pipeline

I listen to Ed Schultz most days at work, sort of by default. I like to listen to talk radio, but enjoy the left-wing variety. Which, if you didn't know, is a very scarce commodity. And since Tom Hartmann switched to a later hour (where he conflicts with Randi Rhodes), I'm pretty much stuck with Schultz.

I'm not a fan. I find him very knee-jerk, blustery, loud and rough around the edges. Sandwiched between Stephanie Miller and Rhodes, Schultz just comes off as sour. But I usually listen (when Ed deigns to be on for all or part of the show, which is less often than you'd think). And lately, he's been even more irritating, on several issues, but notably, on the Keystone XL pipeline.

Ed was all for it. He proudly announced his diversion from the "party line," and made it a centerpiece in his show. Over a period of a few weeks, Ed's been softening, and now he's apparently changed his mind. Which I think  is worth a bit of an attaboy. Most people in his position would hold fast, or just stop talking about it, moving on to the next controversy.

[Excerpt]

Keystone Supporter Ed Schultz Now Opposes The Pipeline, Tells President Obama To Go To Nebraska

 

Ed Schultz, host of MSNBC’s The Ed Show, has changed his mind and become the latest prominent opponent of approving the Keystone XL pipeline. Schultz had angered Keystone opponents by taking the State Department environmental analysis at face value, arguing that the oil is going to come out of Alberta anyways, and the pipeline could be better for the climate. The report left some key context out, and over the course of the last few weeks, Schultz has had a very public — and fascinating — process of coming to grips with the arguments against the pipeline. Climate Progress’ Joe Romm was a guest as this process started. . .

 

Read more at: Think Progress

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

Is FOX "News" Dying?

One can only hope!

[Excerpt]

Frank Rich: Fox News Is Dying

. . .In truth, Fox News has been defeated on the media battlefield—and on the political battlefield as well. Even the 73-year-old wizard of Fox, Roger Ailes, now in full Lear-raging-on-the-heath mode as ­portrayed in my colleague Gabriel ­Sherman’s definitive new biography, "The Loudest Voice in the Room," seems to sense the waning of his power. The only people who seem not to know or accept Fox’s decline, besides its own audience, are ­liberals, including Barack Obama, whose White House mounted a short-lived, pointless freeze-out of Fox News in 2009, and who convinced himself that the network has shaved five points off his approval rating. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

New Yorkers Beg Sean Hannity Not to Leave

Sean Hannity isn't very bright. Or at least his on air persona isn't very bright, it may be a Colbertian character that he plays. Last week, taking fake umbrage at New York Governor Cuomo's dismissal of far-right politics, Hannity (hugely overacting) threatened to leave the state as soon as he can. Which--as Jon Stewart notes in the bit from the excerpt below--should be anytime he wants, it's not like he's Snake Plissken.

But leave it to The Daily Show to take this moron's moronic pronouncement, and turn it into comedy gold. . .with singing and dancing! Inspired.

[Excerpt]

Stewart Finds Minority NY’ers Who’ll Stop Being Minorities So Hannity Will Stay

 

On Monday, The Daily Show host Jon Stewart took on the controversy surrounding comments made by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo who suggested that far-right conservatives running for office are not welcome in the Empire State. Noting that Fox host Sean Hannity pledged to leave the state as a result of those comments, Stewart worked out an innovative way to convince the conservative broadcaster to stay in New York. . .

 

Read more (with video) at: Mediaite

MSNBC Shakes Up Daytime Lineup

Young Blue Eyes. Image from source, Huffington Post

I don't catch a lot of MSNBC's daytime lineup, except for what would be considered "afternoon" programming sometimes on Fridays, when I'm off. I liked Thomas Roberts if I caught him. So, MSNBC's decision to shake up its programing doesn't affect me much. But even if I did watch more often, since all of their time slots are geared toward Eastern Time (like all of the rest of cable news), most of it is just on too early for me to care. But before I move on, I'd like to hammer this for a bit!

Listen, media conglomerates! The entire USA is not in the Eastern Time Zone! Yes, we appreciate that you tend to run the major awards shows (Emmys, Oscars, Golden Globes but curiously not the Grammys) and sports programming in real time. And there is the occasional nod to Central Time, sometimes even Mountain Time. But we in Pacific Time get a lot of ignoring! We often can't vote in live shows where viewers can call in. We get Saturday Night Live three hours later than "live." And we're in constant danger of being spoiled by accidental online surfing giving away a plot point for a show we haven't watched yet!

Anyway, my biggest loss from MSNBC's move is that Thomas Roberts got a "promotion" (which doesn't seem like much of one) to Way Too Early, which is certainly insanely too early for me. And Frank Sinatra's Woody Allen's son Satchel Ronan Farrow is getting a show that I might get to catch on Fridays. Even in the news releases, and on-air promos, only Eastern Time is given for any of the changes. So, I still have something to complain about. At least I get to watch The Rachel Maddow Show at 6pm, and don't have to jockey the DVR around prime-time, so I'll shut up now.

[Excerpt]

Ronan Farrow's Timeslot Amid Broad Shakeup

MSNBC announced a broad shakeup of its daytime schedule on Monday. Chief among the changes are the confirmation that Joy Reid will be given a permanent show of her own at 2 p.m., and the news that Ronan Farrow will occupy the 1 p.m. slot currently helmed by Andrea Mitchell. Mitchell has been moved to 12 p.m. Hall will shift to 11 a.m. The changes will take effect on Feb. 24. . .

Read more at: MSNBC

Rachel Maddow Fires Back At Christie

Image from source, RawStory

Over the years, whenever a public figure has complained about FOX "News," they're met with a firestorm of poutrage from the right-wing blogosphere, and often by right wing talk radio hosts and FOX pundits themselves. Beyond an obligatory defense of the FOX "News" operation and its journalistic integrity (ha!), they'll then call it whining, and blaming the messenger, and call it a weak excuse and on and on.

But just as Chris Christie and his administration has been embodying Right Wing World's every bullet-list item that they dislike about President Obama (or rather, the cartoonish version of Obama they imagine exists), now there's the excuse that this is all the fault of MSNBC!

Now, it's true that MSNBC--Rachel Maddow and Steve Kornacki in particular--is responsible from turning this from a local to a national story. But there's meat (and fat) on this bone, and there keep turning out to be more bones! Christie may not like it, but this isn't one of those faux controversies, conspiracy theories or out-of-context outrages that FOX specializes in. And it's pretty weak as an excuse.

[Excerpt]

Rachel Maddow to Chris Christie’s administration: You want a piece of me?


 
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow responded on Monday to accusations by members of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) staff that her network is out to get him, pointing out that Christie’s administration has still not explained the September 2013 lane closures on the George Washington Bridge that has led to several Christie appointees being subpoenaed. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Sarah Palin Has No Idea What Happened with Martin Bashir

A world class idiot. Image from source, Raw Story.

MSNBC fired (or accepted the resignation of) Martin Bashir, after he made a very well-phrased suggestion that Sarah Palin eat shit. More or less. Palin had made a typical really bad analogy comparing the budget to slavery. Bashir gave a history lesson on the horrors of actual slavery, along with an allusion that Palin might deserve a very specific punishment afforded some particularly unfortunate slaves in the past. This begat a Right Wing World freak-out, followed by a very sincere (and I think, more thorough than necessary) apology by Bashir, followed by more faux outrage, followed by his dismissal.

So, the man apologized profusely, continued to take a critical drubbing and then was run out of his job. Apparently, FOX "News" thinks more should have been done to him, and has--as far as I know--not even broached the question of whether or not Palin's original comments were over the line. The question would be academic anyway, because Palin hasn't the first, foggiest clue what she herself is talking about.

Palin learned the art of the non-answer, either on the pageant circuit, the news studio, or the political stage. So, I will acknowledge that she has a very specific talent, and an aptitude for learning this one "stupid human trick." She can talk around any topic, sprinkling words that sound like she's saying something, maybe even something related to the topic. If you were a conservative fan, or an indifferent person who isn't paying attention, her peppy delivery, confident demeanor and that sparkling glint off of her lip gloss would make you think she's just a firecracker!

But Martin Bashir got something very, very right. He said, in part. . ."America’s resident dunce, Sarah Palin, scraping the barrel of her long deceased mind, and using her all-time favorite analogy in an attempt to sound intelligent about the national debt. . ." He also said, ". . . Given her well-established reputation as a world class idiot, it's hardly surprising that she should choose to mention slavery in a way that is abominable to anyone. . ."

In her response to questions by another of America's lesser lights, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, Palin proved Bashir's assessment accurate. Responding to the question of whether or not Bashir has been sufficiently shamed, Palin replied,

“My role is to accept his apology and be humble enough and to, you know, accept it and move on,”  So far, so good, though "role" was probably not the right word, she's hardly humble, and she had to throw in a "you know." She continued.  [Story continued below]



"But I just hope that unprovoked attacks like that don’t result in people being hesitant to jump in the arena anyway, to get out there and serve the public or start a business or really commit themselves to changing within their family, their community, their world, doing whatever they can despite the fact that, in this world, you are going to be hurt and attacks will come your way." Utter word salad, stream-of-consciousness, nonsense. The "attack" wasn't unprovoked. And what arena are these mythical "people" stepping into. . .starting a business and. . .changing within their. . .what? Martin Bashir is now going to be out there randomly criticizing people opening their own restaurants or, I don't know, putting a Florida room on their house?

But she didn't stop with that random, run-on sentence. She finished with this doozy: “The target of the attack is usually more significant than what the attack, the articulated words used, actually are, and that’s part of that doubled standard.” So, the target--Sarah Palin--is more significant than what Martin Bashir said about her, and that's a. . .double standard?

She has no idea what she herself is talking about. Martin Bashir's mistake was in assuming she had any clue what had come from her own mouth. She is a world class idiot.

[Excerpt]

Sarah Palin: People might be afraid to ‘start a business’ because Martin Bashir attacked me
 
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Thursday responded to Martin Bashir’s resignation from MSNBC by saying that she was used to being the victim of liberals, but she hoped that the former host’s attack did not stop other people from starting businesses. On Wednesday, Bashir had announced that he was resigning from MSNBC after suggesting that Palin deserved to eat human feces the way that slaves were once forced to for her remarks comparing the federal debt to slavery. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Anti-Gay Conservative Taunts Shepard Smith: Come Out

With so much cable news company (Anderson Cooper, Don Lemon, Rachel Maddow, Thomas Roberts, Steve Kornacki, Jane Valez-Mitchell), it's surprising that Shepard Smith--assuming he is gay, wink, wink--feels the need to stay in the closet. I mean, I know it's FOX "News" and all, but Shep is supposed to be their one claim to "real news," so he ought to be exempt, right?
 



[Excerpt]
 
Anti-gay conservative calls on Shepard Smith to ‘come out of the closet’

 

. . .ASI President Cliff Kincaid gave a presentation at the National Press Club last Tuesday about his organization’s investigation of Fox News. The group’s 40,000-word report warned that Fox News “has become pro-homosexual propaganda. . .”

Read more at: Raw Story

Could Sean Hannity Be Replaced on FOX "News?"

Image from source,
NewsCorpse

Oh, I know they'd just shift him somewhere else, most likely. He's still their second-most watched show, though I really can't believe it is out of anything other than viewer habit. But Sean Hannity has had a berth at 9 pm (6 pm Pacific) on the FOX "News" Channel since its debut. Unless Bill-O the Clown is departing, and Sideshow Sean is getting his plum spot, there would be no way to look at such a move as anything but a demotion.

[Excerpt]

Megyn Kelly Nabs Sean Hannity’s Timeslot On Fox News – Per Drudge

daytime anchor Megyn Kelly is set to move to primetime when she returns from maternity leave in September. At the time of the announcement there was no indication of which current primetime host would be ousted. . .

Read more at: News Corpse