Did Tweety Show A White Feather?

Last night I watched as Chris Matthews brutalized Kirk Watson. While interviewing the Texas State Senator and Obama supporter about the coming Texas primary, Matthews asked Watson if he could name Barack Obama's legislative accomplishments. That question caught Watson flat footed. Watson took the time today to explain what happened on his blog.

On Tuesday night, after an important and historic victory in the Wisconsin Presidential Primary by Senator Barack Obama, I appeared on the MSNBC post-election program. “Hardball” host Chris Matthews (who is, it turns out, as ferocious as they say), began grilling me on Senator Obama’s legislative record.

And my mind went blank. I expected to be asked about the primary that night, or the big one coming up in Texas on March 4, or just about anything else in the news. When the subject changed so emphatically, I reached for information that millions of my fellow Obama supporters could recite by heart, and I couldn’t summon it.

My most unfortunate gaffe is not, in any way, a comment on Senator Obama, his substantial record, or the great opportunity we all share to elect him President of the United States.

It wasn't just that Tweety caught Watson without a practiced answer. He wouldn't let it go. He just kept pounding Watson long after it was obvious Watson had gone blank. Frankly, it was brutal. Had it been a fight the referee would have stepped in to stop it. The video is posted after the break.

Of course, Tweety was the ref. He knew that Watson wasn't prepared to answer his question. That was painfully obvious to anybody watching. Instead of letting it go, he decided to beat up Watson on national television. Of course, when asked Tweety couldn't name a single accomplishment of the United States Senate during the last few years. I am not sure there have been any.

Why beat up Watson?

As you might recall last week Hillary's campaign let it be known that their attack on David Shuster was in part to get the attention of Chris Matthews. Could it be that Team Hillary's threat got to him? Maybe some real journalist would like to find out. So far today, however, I haven't seen where anybody has asked the obvious question, did Tweety show a white feather and kneel down to Hillary last night?

Hillary jumped on Tweety's work. TPM video after the break.

For whatever it is worth Watson now lists several Obama accomplishments on his website.



Here is TPM's version of Tweedy brutalizing Watson.



It didn't take long for Hillary to jump on the gaffe.

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Chris Matthews Hits Back At Team Clinton

My father spent his career in the newspaper business. He used to laugh when a politician picked a fight with his paper's editorial department. He would look at me and repeat an old truth, "you never get in a public argument with somebody who buys ink by the tanker car and increases circulation every time there is a controversy."

Yesterday the Clinton campaign let it be known that they ginned up the David Schuster story to take a shot across Chris Matthews' bow. Huffington Post is reporting this morning that Chris has hit back hard on the MSNBC show Morning Joe. The money line: "(Hillary's)campaign slogan right now is don't get your hopes up." He went on "That won't work in America. You can't diminish Obama and hope that you will rise from the ashes." He concluded:

Her press relations are lousy," he said. "If all you do is intimidate and punish and claim you'll get even relentlessly, people of all kinds of politicians -- and in all fairness, the press -- human reaction to intimidation is screw you. That's the human reaction. Don't tell me what to say, and that has been their whole policy. We're going to win this thing. Get out of the way."

Huffington has the video.

I don't know about the corporate executives at NBC, but if my dad were still alive he would be loving this spat.

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David Shuster To Return To MSNBC February 22

TVNewster is reporting that

NBC News president Steve Capus tells TVNewser David Shuster will return to MSNBC Friday, Feb. 22. That will mean a two-week suspension for Shuster who was taken off the air for using the phrase "pimped out" on a Feb. 7 broadcast of MSNBC's "Tucker". Shuster was describing Chelsea Clinton's role of calling superdelegates as part of her mother's Presidential campaign.

At about the same time TPM's Greg Sargent reports that Hillary's campaign was so persistent in their pursuit of Shuster because they were really angry with and sending a message to Chris Matthews. Sargent writes:

As dumb and clueless as Shuster's "pimp" remark, this was never really about him. The Clinton campaign, while genuinely upset about what Shuster said, lashed out at the network because they were primarily irked by Matthews' conduct, and were sending a message to MSNBC that it's time that Matthews muzzle himself.

And you thought that Republicans were the only politicians allowed to work the refs.

Is Chris Matthews capable of being anybody other than himself? Your guess is as good as mine, but I seriously doubt he is that good an actor.

Nothing after the break.

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At the end of the day

Tonight's GOP debate from CA -- Liveblogged by Josh Marshall here and here.

Debate headline: McCain and Romney spar bitterly in GOP debate

Edwards has left the building -- Good-bye, John, and good luck! Here's to hoping someone is smart enough bring you on board somehow, some way... if that's what you want. Best wishes to Elizabeth, too.

Ed Kilgore offered some thoughts on " Why Edwards Lost" vs. Jonathan Cohn on " Why John Edwards Won."

Speculation over who will benefit from presidential candidate drop-outs.

Polls for 13 Super Tuesday states: The Democratic frontrunners -- Clinton ahead in AL, AZ, CA, MA, MO, NJ, NY, OK, and TN. Obama ahead in IL and by a nose in GA. Clinton and Obama are neck and neck in CO, CT. Click the link for GOP results and caveats. New state polls to come in 24 hours at Pollster Blog. With John Edwards having withdrawn, polls can change dramatically. So beware. There are still a lot of "undecideds." Wheeeee-oooooo! It's a horse race!

He's better than AbuGonzales but -- AG Mukasey dodged and weaved again on whether waterboarding is torture and he "got a harsh reception on Wednesday from senators of both parties, who used his appearance on Capitol Hill to accuse the Bush administration yet again of contempt for the rule of law and American values." NYT

Krugman on today's GDP report and "three reasons" to withhold conclusions on "whether a recession or recession-like period has started."

Rove & Zelikow -- Emptywheel: "By this point, it should surprise no one that Karl Rove does a lot of dirty business using his phone and blackberry. Apparently, that extends to softening the reports of the 9/11 Commission.... ...Rove carried on back-channel discussions with Philip Zelikow, the Commission's Executive Director."

Conservatives and fascism by David Neiwert at Orcinus.

Bipartisanship -- What does it mean in D.C.? Greenwald explained it's "already rampant in Washington" and it happens when "enough Democrats join with all of the Republicans to endorse and enact into law Republican policies, with which most Democratic voters disagree." See Glenn's list of "bipartisan" lawmaking.

Another Repub says no -- Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) will not seek reelection. "There are now 28 House GOPers vacating their seats." (h/t Logan)

Speaking of the GOP exodus -- " 'The open-seat situation is so lopsided as to deny Republicans any chance of taking back the House in 2008,' said David Wasserman, who analyzes House races for The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan publication." Furthermore, "Republicans face a worrisome financial gap in comparison to House Democrats" fundraising. Ending 2007: Democrats -- $35 million cash, $1.3 million debt. Repubs -- $5 million cash, $2 million debt.

Predatory mortgage lenders -- The FBI is investigating 14 "companies, including some of the world’s largest banks..." John Amato provided commentary and video.

Suicidal soldiers -- "Suicides among active-duty soldiers in 2007 reached their highest level since the Army began keeping such records in 1980, according to a draft internal study... Last year, 121 soldiers took their own lives, nearly 20 percent more than in 2006.... At the same time, the number of attempted suicides or self-inflicted injuries in the Army has jumped sixfold since the Iraq war began." Thursday WaPo

Outposts in Iraq -- In an effort to firm up security, "Maj. Gen. Jeffery W. Hammond said he would increase the number of garrisons in [Baghdad] from 75 to 99 by June... ...[M]eanwhile, the remains of 19 people -- 10 heads and nine intact corpses -- were discovered in the town of Muqdadiyah in Diyala province, northeast of the capital, police said. Elsewhere, officials said a suicide car bomber in the northern city of Mosul injured at least 15 people."

Dowd and Brooks -- Echidne unveiled the NYT columnists' codewords about "gender stereotypes" and Clinton Derangement Syndrome.

Fickle Tweety competed with Bloody Bill for the title, Wrongest Wingnut of All. His past praise of Rudy and what a diff a day makes at TP.

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At the end of the day

Take a deep breath and step away from the hyperventilating tent slung over "divisions" in the Democratic Party. History shows we've previously visited this scenario and survived. "The top three candidates agree on almost everything, they’ve each presented a progressive platform, and they each lead Republican candidates in hypothetical general-election match-ups." Check your pulse at The Carpetbagger.

Who's ahead in CT? According to the Hartford Courant, Clinton 41%, Obama 27%, Edwards 9%. On the other side: McCain 39%, Rudy 16%, Mitt 11%. Analysis at the link (h/t Josh).

Huckabee barbecues McCain in an "aged" sauce concocted by No. 1 Huckster fan, Chuck Norris.

AQ suicide bomber blows up in Fallujah -- Killed 3, wounded 8 among a US-supported tribal group in western Anbar province. "The explosion was one of the deadliest attacks in Anbar since the council drove most al-Qaeda in Iraq fighters out of the province last year." Monday's WaPo

"It's (Grandpa's) Economy, Stupid" -- "The press may think we're headed back to 1992, but the real worry is we may be headed for 1932, 21st Century style." Pachacutec

Paul Krugman distills Reaganomics. Bottom-line: It took a Clinton economy to correct the recession.

"The Week Ahead" for the Supremes via SCOTUSblog. No arguments.

Staying forever in Iraq -- The oblivious warmongering "liberal" media. Tsk, tsk. Scripting an Iraq war epic offers only one "Serious Option." Blood! Horror! Action! Glenn Greenwald

Peggy Noonan at O'Shilling's Tavern. Oh, me darlin', you also ain't got no soul. MTP video, transcript, and commentary by John Amato.

No! "McCain is the new Reagan." Clap harder, Tweety.

Remembering MLK -- "Let Justice Roll Down," by Martin Luther King, Jr., March 15, 1965, at The Nation.

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At the end of the day

Whistlin' Dixie with South Carolina conservatives in mind, the Huckster flapped the Confederate flag. An "independent group" sponsored a "flag issue" radio ad that smacked McCain and poured a heaping helping of praise on how Huckabee "understands the value of heritage." On Huck's values, Joe Conason at Salon wrote about his religious extremism and his ties to it. His face was sharp as a butcher’s cleaver... Look away!

None of the above -- 19% of SC GOP voters are undecided. Is that big? No, it's "HUGE."

What's a GOP code word for heartless bastard? In, SC, Fred Thompson dissed Bush's global AIDS initiative because "Christ didn’t tell us to go to the government and pass a bill to get some of these social problems dealt with. He told us to do it... ...we need to keep firmly in mind the role of the government, and the role of us as individuals and as Christians on the other.” Countering Fred's criticism, Bush's former speechifier Michael Gerson said of Fred, "he clearly is playing to isolationist sentiments." TP offers more, um, insight.

Mr. and Mrs. Obama took a swipe at Hillary's voting record. When it comes to taking a stand on an issue, you're either fer it or agin it. Oh, wait...

Picking up from Manifesto Joe, the Bush-league economic stimulus plan refrains that one-hit wonder -- Tax cuts, baby! Via Sam Boyd at Campaign for America's Future, the CBO applauds the Democratic solution.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) "ain't buying" WH spokesman Tony Fratto's kooky denial, "We have no reason to believe that any e-mail at all are missing." Oh? Emptywheel explained why Tony should have kept his piehole shut and today connected a few dots to the Plame investigation. Way to go, Fratto! Fred Fielding must luv u.

The No. 3 U.S. diplomat -- R. Nicholas Burns -- will leave the State Department in March for personal reasons. Uh huh. He'll remain involved "as a special envoy on India." U.S. Ambassador to Moscow William J. Burns will replace Burns. The two are not related. Tomorrow's WaPo.

Bob Somerby aptly covered the truncated, bogus apology from Tweety. Transcript at Media Matters. Corpus Juris posted the video .

First, Lee Siegel called us blogofascists. Now he whines that we're Stalinists (h/t Avedon).

Passive-Aggressive: In today's NYT column, David Brooks compared presidential frontrunners, Democratic to GOP -- "...a daughter of the feminist movement, a beneficiary of the civil rights movement and a self-styled proletarian. These are powerful Democratic categories" vs. "a pastor, a businessman and a war hero. These are the three most evocative Republican leadership models." Is Bobo aware of his unconscious cognition? Doorknobs say maybe, maybe not.

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At the end of the day

If only the mainstream press had exhibited the same foresight as Manifesto Joe in reporting the incident with Iran. But, noooooo... they jumped for Bush. Amy Goodman interviewed historian and national security expert Gareth Porter about the Case of the Yapping Lapdogs, the Pentagon, and the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking of fakery, Faux News' John Gibson kinda implies that Tweety is more sexist than he. What's the difference between a super duper sexist and super shrill misogynist? Tell us in comments.

The election of real Democrats: "Mark Pera goes up against corrupt establishment Democrat Dan Lipinski" in Illinois.

Dday offers more on Pera along with the Maryland match-up between Rep. Al Wynn and challenger Donna Edwards. Go Donna! Plus, another Illinois contest, fighting progressive John Laesch vs. "Rahm Emanuel-backed" Bill Foster.

On the eve of the Michigan primary, Mitt 27%, McCain 22%, and Huck 16%, according to the Detroit Free Press. McClatchy/MSNBC puts Romney at 30%, McCain at 22, and Huck at the bottom of the top three with 17%.

[That's all....No more after the jump.]

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Chris Matthews -- Wurlitzer Prize for Wingnuttery™

Hacktacular! ...It's Tweety's Imus moment! ...His stunning performance as a bag of hammers was brilliantly clueless!

UPDATED BELOW

The reviews poured in. A 2007 recipient from our top 10, Chris Matthews wins an encore nomination with his premier appearance this week in a psycho-drama role. A review of his NH primary commentary garnered * * * * stars, the most the reality-based academy can bestow.

How a tee-vee pundit can proudly crown himself with the allure of sexism as if he had bought his piffle-whacked tiara at Tiffany's speaks ill of NBC's brainless hubris in keeping Tweety on its roster. Loathing Hillary doesn't excuse his lengthy misogynistic history shown here and beyond Clinton here. A sample of clips:

Clinton gave a "barn-burner speech, which is harder to give for a woman; it can grate on some men when they listen to it -- fingernails on a blackboard." [Nov. 6, 2006]

After questioning Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) about Sen. Hillary Clinton’s (D-NY) position on entitlement reforms, he then asked Dodd, "Do you find it difficult to debate a woman?" Dodd, not surprisingly, said, "[N]ot at all." [Sept. 26, 2007]

...Matthews asked Financial Times U.S. managing editor Chrystia Freeland: "[A]ren't you appalled at the willingness of these people to become castratos in the eunuch chorus here or whatever they are?" [Dec. 17, 2007]

Someone, please, make him stop! Compiling a contact list of Hardball's advertisers to deluge with complaints might do the trick. Sponsoring Tweety's cage-liner act is like stamping the Imus Seal of Bigotry on an advertiser's brand. Perhaps the newly-inspired blog, whose title and efforts we whole-heartedly applaud, can alert us to sources. A letter-writing enterprise would surely grab a network ad veep's attention and TPTB.

But would Tweety get the message? What a laughable proposition! A Freudian two-by-four smacked across his Olympic-sized ego would dislodge not one iota of self-awareness or ignite a solitary synapse to fire up any idea associated with an honest apology. A mea culpa that sticks? Don't make us snort! He demonstrated his incapacity for mea culpa within hours after Tom Brokaw tweaked his beak and the Village elders for pissing on the HRC campaign when voters proved them hacktacularly wrong. Courtesy TPM, relive Tweety's headliner flop in living color....



Bravo! What sensational wingnuttery! Other critics raved this week with equally damning praise -- He's a prince among the Media Misogynists! You can't deny he's assholish, a legend in his own "warped mind." Heeeeeee's back "speaking for voters again," oblivious to what a "ding-dong" he is along with "other angry male pundits," who motivated women to the polls in Hillary's defense.

[Keep reading ... more stunning videos and reviews after the jump]

Via Atrios, Air America's Rachel Maddox informed Matthews that his political theatrics in the Hillary Bash-a-thon helped tilt the election....



And just when you prayed that the curtain would drop on Tweety's unseemly burlesque, add another star to the Media Walk of Shame for his lead in the remake of The Bradley Effect. Digby's critique:

That's a very hot accusation in a Democratic primary to suggest that the women who voted for Hillary didn't do it as a matter of affinity but rather did it because they couldn't vote for an African American and had earlier lied to pollsters about it. (That's what the Bradley Effect is.) ...a provocative accusation about a specific group of voters in the Democratic coalition.

Bob Somerby (with emphasis):

Matthews ran as fast as he could to accuse large numbers of New Hampshire Dems of lying on account of race. As far as we know, there’s no evidence that anything like that occurred; we’d have to say that, in our view, Matthews’ conjecture makes little real sense. But Matthews is a deeply irresponsible man—a slightly cleaned-up Joseph McCarthy. That’s why Jack Welch so loved this tool’s soul....

Tweety must blame someone, something to deflect the notion that prima donnas like him can't divine an election no more than howlers auditioning for Scream MMVIII. Mark Halperin of Time conceded mainstream press bias during Charlie Rose's coverage of the primary. We don't know what got into him (someone may say he's a Clinton plant), but here's the video....



How dare he! Don't expect Halperin's "we're not fair" confession to get much traction especially with the likes of Matthews.

Will Tweety continue to hog the spotlight cluelessly out of touch with an audience shrinking to the size of his credibility? Perhaps, in a world where the Nyuk Nyuk Times rewards the "wrongest wingnut of all," Bill Kristol, with a headline gig, Matthews could make a comeback even if he repeatedly bombs.

Dragging Tweety off center stage would thrill critics, but his dramatic reprisals may serve to disrupt Big Media's influence on an electorate determined to think for themselves. Some might fault how voters react, but waving their middle fingers at the media establishment earns our applause.

Give it up for Tweety's well-deserved award.

Check next Saturday when we award another Wurlitzer Prize for Wingnuttery™. Leave your nominations for next week's winner in comments.

UPDATE: Also check Jamison Foser's excellent column, "MSNBC's Chris Matthews problem," which includes an insightful snippet from Christy Hardin Smith of FireDogLake.

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Top 10 of 2007 -- Wurlitzer Prize for Wingnuttery™

Since we started awarding the prize late in 2007, we added two deserving recipients who are standard bearers from the past week to our Top 10 countdown of exemplary honorees. Who is No. 1 in all of Wingnuttia? We think you will applaud but let's start with...

No. 10: I see nutheeng! -- One of two recipients from the Heritage Foundation, Nina Owcharenko can face the problem of uninsured children, and without batting an eyelash, obfuscate the situation. Nina trotted out the fallacy that the government program to cover uninsured children is expanding in order to -- gasp with us in horror -- drive children from private insurance! Oh, what an affront to the profits of the insurance industry! "The truth is various states have been pushing for an expansion of SCHIP precisely because, faced with spiraling increases in health insurance premiums, more and more employers are electing to drop dependent coverage and more and more middle class parents, confronted with the same price spiral, are unable to pay for private insurance." The parental nightmare: choose between paying for their children's health coverage or the mortgage. But, pish posh, neighs Nina. She canters on, her award teetering on her ideological rump, leaving a trail of road apples for the kiddies.

No. 9: The poor couldn't possibly be really poor -- That's what an elite fellow of the Heritage Foundation, Robert Rector, explained, wagging his finger at us little people. When "one in eight" Americans lack "enough money for the food, shelter, and clothing they need," caught in a daily "struggle with incredible poverty," Rector pulled out his scented hankie, dabbed his pursed lips before opining, Let them eat dirt. Rector's award for excellence in denying the truth about Americans living in poverty earns him a special booby prize in addition to the award -- a miniature guillotine designed to trim his lengthy aristocratic claws.

No. 8: I'm a useful idiot -- Bill Sammon of the Washington Examiner knows how to lobe a softball to Bush during a WH press briefing so the pResident Evil can chortle, "Now, watch this drive." Sammon's question, ”Mr. President, what did you think of the MoveOn ad?” With that, aWol launched into a tirade against the "Democrat" Party. “I thought the ad was disgusting. I felt like the ad was an attack not only on General Petraeus, but on the U.S. military....[blah, blah, blah]." For Sammon's efforts, he gets a brass-plated Kool-Aid sippycup inscribed with "D.C. Stenographer" to accompany his award.

No. 7: Wiping the ass of the GOP -- Home to the rants of crotchety white man Lou Dobbs, stenographer Malveaux, and groveling Wolf, the Cowardly News Network proves once again that liberal media is an extinct creature of mythical lore. In homage to their GOP favoritism during the presidential debates, the award comes with a magic CNN eightball that when shaken, always answers, "Carry water for Republicans or God will getcha!" They take the admonition Seriously.

No. 6: Harangutan Glenn Beck -- When Southern California burned, ravaging the homes of Republican-leaning Orange County and San Diego, a place where active duty and retired military also live, the right-wing nutjob of CNN poisoned with venom for the blue state -- and absent of fact-checking to whom he would spew his obscenities -- delighted in the inferno by announcing that "people who hate America are losing their homes today." A perpetual fountain of animosity toward liberals, environmentalists, Anyone Not A Wingnut™, Beck's bigotry earned him an award wrapped in a brownshirt for outstanding achievement in smearing non-Christians.

[Read on... the countdown continues after the jump!]

No. 5: War on Christmas kerfuffle -- Faux News & Friends hosted a curious holiday segment with the Catholic League's Bill Donohue as guest to kvetch about Huckabee's holiday campaign ad that "displayed an image of a white cross floating in the background behind the Huckster's head." WTF? Didn't the Flared Nostril realize there was a war on Xmas? How could he quibble with a cross, for chrissakes?! His "hypocrisy, partisan bias, and bullying are legion.... Donohue's hyperbolic media whoring and Judas act to progressives, Catholic Democrats, gays, Muslims, Wiccans, and Jews" tickles him pinko. "He excoriates or discounts anyone who disturbs his unbridled wingnuttery" and "Big Media, having given him a bully pulpit, turn a blind eye to his hypocrisy." For his yuletide performance and to complement his award, we bestow a super-size kazoo to play along off-key with the noise machine.

No. 4: O'shilling is me middle name -- NBC's Tim Russert never encountered a fact he couldn't dismiss or distort on behalf of his BFF, the Greedy Old Phonies. Describing Huck's victory in Iowa, he said that "the Republicans [were] embracing someone whose message was populist, and in terms of foreign policy, anti-George W. Bush." Wait a minute. That's not what Huck said: "I love the president. I've been with him on the war. I've been with him on the surge when Mitt Romney wasn't. So it's absurd to say that I'm against the president." Typical of Russert, his Meet The Press dog-and-pony show demonstrates an exercise in disregarding his buddies' misleading statements, allowing propaganda to flourish, and dissing Democrats every chance he can insert an attack. In special recognition, he receives a GOP-monogrammed chamois to polish his award along with the turds he serves up as journalism. Maybe he can use it to buff his brown nose, too.

No. 3: He's a Muslim (wink, wink) but I'm a slut -- He'll criticize others for spreading innuendo but when Chris Matthews does the same thing, he's oblivious to his brazen double standard. As a bona fide Hillary-hater, Tweety makes millions trashing Big Major Dems and he doesn't mind stooping to sexism to do it. He's been dissembling a long, long time. Ah, but he can't seem to cure his complusion 'cause he's in love! Republican he-men, Mr. 9/11, the Codpiece-in-Chief, and "Big Handsome" Fred Thompson make him swoon. We've re-engineered the Wurlitzer prize to accommodate a hidden compartment where Tweety can keep a bottle of smelling salts to use when he's overcome with the vapors. Should we toss in a hand towel for his, um, sweaty palms?

No. 2: Who can top Rudy!? Only Rudy Giuliani, a constant source of wingnuttery, can soar beyond himself like Icarus lifting on the thermal of 9/11 (video). He was for "socialized medicine" before he was against it, but Rudy's never liked facts much. He can out-howl the dogs of war louder than any banshee and he can scare little children and big people alike with terror, terror, terror. Oh, Rudy! "The serial exaggerator can't help himself." But when will he drop out of the race for the WH? His Wurlitzer prize comes rigged with a oscillating white flag. Maybe he will get the hint.

No. 1: Who's the wrongest wingnut of all? -- Taking the top slot, William "The Bloody" Kristol reigns as the King of Crap. For being spectacularly wrong as a pundit, the Gray Lady added him to her "stable of neocon stooges." I kid you not! With Bloody Bill "on board, the Nyuk Nyuk Times can whoop-whoop-whoop-whoop it up with the phoniest stooge of all. The infotainment value that a weekly dose of Bloody Bill can bring to Serious Punditry will surely elevate the laughing stock of the paper in the marketplace of Opinion as it bolts in the opposite direction of the nation's move toward progressive ideas. Who's next to [dis]grace its editorial pages? Ann Coultergeist? N'yaaah-ah-ah!" For such an colossal misstep, the sound of mailbox flaps banging shut on cancelled subscription letters lends a raspberry-induced a cappella to both the Times and Kristol's Wurlitzer Prize for Wingnuttery™.

Stay tuned for next Saturday's award to kick off the first honoree of 2008.

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John Edwards Demonstrates Why He Is Ready For Prime Time

American politicians and pundits spent yesterday making asses of themselves. Who will ever forget John McCain strutting around like a little popping jay announcing that he alone was ready to handle the kind of crisis resulting from the Bhutto assassination. Roger Simon of the Politico bought the McCain line hook, line and sinker. In fact he bought it so completely somebody needs to check Simon's sources of income.

Personally I was shocked at how quickly Joe Scarborough and Chris Matthews shamefully turned the assassination into some sort of media event favoring Hillary Clinton. Clinton and Obama engaged in a day of childish pronouncements that amounted to "vote for me, unlike my opponent I know how to handle an assassination."

But then there was John Edwards, who with a single dignified comment showed us how a President of the United States should act in the face of tragedy.

Decorah, Iowa – Today in Decorah, Iowa, Senator John Edwards made the following statement:

"I want to say a word about the terrible tragedy that occurred in Pakistan earlier today. It's a terrible thing for the process of democratization in Pakistan, it's a terrible thing for the stability of Pakistan, and it's very important that we, America, and those of us who are running for president of the United States, be a strengthening and calming influence in these kinds of times.

"I met the former Prime Minister a few years ago. We spoke together at a conference. And she spoke then about the importance of the democratization process, her personal commitment and risk of her own life, which she recognized, and how the democratization process in Pakistan was, I think her words were, 'baptized in blood.'

"I spoke to President Musharraf a few minutes ago and I urged him to continue the democratization process because of how important it is to the Pakistani people and how important it is to his country. I also urged him to allow international investigators into Pakistan so that, for the rest of the world, there can be credibility in determining what the facts were and what actually occurred.

"It's very important for the Pakistani people, for the stability of the world and for America's interests, that the democratization process continue, and I believe this is the time for America to be a strong and calming influence in a difficult and unstable environment."

That is the kind of thing a President says.

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Campaign Video of the Day -- September 28, 2007

Today's Campaign Video is called Edwards Distinguishes Himself in Democratic Debate. It was posted by The Political Chase just yesterday. Notice that Edwards separates his Iraq position from Hillary Clinton's. Since the debate we have been hearing that the three front runners have nearly identical positions because none of them will commit to leaving Iraq by a date certain. One of the three is probably going to be President of the United States. It would be inappropriate for any of them to give us a date certain when all troops will be out of Iraq. That doesn't mean they have the same plan for ending the war. It is the responsibility of the Candidates to point out the differences. Edwards did that the other day. I have a hunch his star is shining a little brighter after Wednesday's debate.



If you encounter a video in need of a showcase, please send the link to proctoring.congress@gmail.com subject Campaign Video of the Day.

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Hillary Clinton Might Not Be Republican Lite, But Howard Wolfson Appears To Be A Full Blown Republican Heavy

I made a mistake. I watched Chris Matthews on MSNBC tonight. He had as guests Hillary Clinton's mouthpiece, Howard Wolfson, and David Axelrod from the Barack Obama campaign. If Hillary Clinton really wants to avoid being labeled Bush-Cheney lite, she will never, ever, never send Wolfson to appear on television again. He appeared to be nothing so much as a standard Karl Rove selected, repeat the three prepared talking points over and over again, and scream when the other guy is trying to make his point, water carrier Republican. Of course, Tweedy did nothing to referee the fight, so poor old David Axelrod didn't have a chance to say anything. My wife, a Clinton supporter, looked up from her paper and said, "Is that guy a Republican?"

Hint to Hillary, don't send somebody who looks and sounds like a Republican mouth piece straight from Karl Rove's central casting to defend you from the charge that your foreign policy is Bush-Cheney lite. Wolfson's demeanor screams pompous, arrogant, put upon Republican.

Some might think I have been a little hard on Hillary the last couple of days. If I have been it is because there are some heavy questions that have to be asked of and answered by Hillary and all the candidates.

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Chris Matthews Media Clown

While we are on the subject of fake news and comedy, how about the heckling Chris Matthews endured yesterday while interviewing Hillary Clinton at a union forum. It seems he asked an irrelevant question about Scooter Libby. The audience wanted him to ask a substantive question. They let him know it. I can't find the clip on YouTube and it is protected by both MSNBC's Hardball and Huffington Post. I suggest you go to Huffington Post and look at its clip. Over at Hardball, Matthews pretends he doesn't understand just how stupid the audience took his fake news question. Maybe he isn't pretending.

Chris, what happened is as old as showbiz. Sometimes comedians are heckled. Learn from it.

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