Weekend Links and Open Thread
Weekend cable news links [updated through the weekend]:
Greta gets set.
Profiles: Michelle Malkin, Ron Insana.
Pundits pile on. SEC next? Cramer: gone in 60 days?
Olbermann attacks TVNewser! Analysis: ICN, Olby Watch, Chickaboomer. TVN responds.
Sunday talkers: HuffPo recap.
Video: JD visits The Strategy Room.
Tucker Carlson resurfaces.
Utah cheers Beck.
Use our valuable bandwidth to post your cable news comments in this weekend's open thread. Standard rules apply. fox news cable news
johnny dollar
I was hoping to go Cramer-free for the weekend, but the stories just keep coming. Note how even Olby's devoted Kossack's aren't buying his curious silence about the Cramer affair. Of course he'll tell you that has nothing to do with the fact that CNBC and MSNBC are both part of the same company! And never mind the fact that CNBC all but ignored the Carmer/Stewart showdown all day Friday.
It was Keith Olbermann who talked about the responsibilities of those who call out media people for bias or irresponsibility:
You really do find it incumbent on you to take your own network to the same degree of task...(or) it doesn't say much for (your) manhood. --Nov 16 2006
Words to live by.
March 14, 2009, 12:58:13 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Olby Sucks
The olbypologists are playing the "he's not worth the time" card referring to Cramer not being covered. Audio version of "words to live by" below. Thanks, Johnny!
http://olbermannwatch.com/audios/olbypocrisy1.mp3
March 14, 2009, 1:15:26 AM EDT – Like – Reply
vstol
Excerpt from KO's why no Cramer coverage:
D) Back to one of my original points: we do in fact give weight to stories based on how much they are covered by the older newscasts and organizations. In other words, if it's going to be on ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, etc., that brings it down a notch in our evaluation of its worthiness in our show. Our show is primarily about trying to give airtime to stories that are not on ABC, CBS, CNN, and Fox.
E) There is more in "D" than just seeking novelty. I truly believe in the marketplace of ideas. If two network newscasts with a combined 10 times my audience are doing this story, the thing is being yelled about adequately in the marketplace.
=-=
Besides the utterly self-serving, disengenuous load of BS, one cringe causing sentence jumped out at me like a Hardball "HA!"
Find it and win a prize.
March 14, 2009, 1:47:06 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Blackflon
I don't get MSNBC on my cable. They want $15 more dollars to upgrade to 3-4 more channels and I don't think it is worth it.
But I did get an opportunity to watch MSNBC when I was in Florida a few weeks ago. I watched Olbermann and Maddow one time each. That was enough for me.
Olbermann came off as a child who seems afraid to have anyone on with a different point of view. Maddow seemed nice enough but she was a bit snarky at times and made too many faces at the camera to be deemed an adult.
March 14, 2009, 8:19:57 AM EDT – Like – Reply
cee
The true-believers of the nutroots have to understand that propaganda boy, Keith Olbermann, has more important, self-serving masters to feed right now.....Come now, his Manhattan lifestyle, antique baseball card collection, Dungeons & Dragons hobby and faux Ivy League persona needs to be maintained.
The entire NBC NEWS family has shown their incompetence and thin skin with this whole Cramer/Stewart battle. As the bottom-feeder (and least talented), Olbermann is just the most starkest of corporate shills.
Protect the brand above all else!
I enjoy watching Olbermann squirm....and oh so defensive.
"RESIGN!"
Edited By Siteowner
March 14, 2009, 10:13:47 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
Johnny,
Thanks for the updates on Janice Dean and her little boy.
She seems like such a good and courageous person, and her obvious enthusiasm and joy over her new son is just lovely to watch!
March 14, 2009, 10:17:42 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
Cee,
It's my opinion that Olbermann always chooses easy "media approved" targets and always takes stands that are sure to be viewed as "courageous" by the MSM, rather than actually being that.
It's rather like McCain winning a Profile In Courage Award for championing campaign finance reform (a huge media cause at the time and sure to win him editorial praise) or being called "maverick" for bucking the REPUBLICAN party.
You want "courage" look to Sen. Joe Lieberman. His principles and his stands have not suited the media intelligentsia and he's been the subject of many a scathing article. Joe has stuck to his gun regardless of having to take THEM on.
However, the sort of "courage" Olbermann shows is certainly the faux moxy designed to say what the majority of in the media wished they could say...
MSNBC would not have a shred of credibility left if they featured a host yelling for a Clinton or an Obama to "shut the hell up". No matter how popular the host, the cable channel would be absolutely excoriated in the press.
Despite the outrageous remarks that Olbermann has made, the closest he ever gotten to media opprobrium was when he criticized Hillary. THAT brought out some NYT criticism. THAT got him the jabbing SNL sketch.
It would have been far worse for him had he taken any Dem primary candidate's side other than Obama's against Hillary. He's well aware of that, you can be sure. And it all disappeared after Obama was nominated.
If the media really values courage, rather than merely an embracing of their own ideas, let's see it declare a Lieberman as being that. Let's see them give him a Profile In Courage Award. Let's see it roll its eyes and chuckle over Pres. Obama being told to shut the hell up.
Don't hold your breath. When it comes to "speaking truth to power", whether idea or person, that "power" must always come from one side of the aisle.
March 14, 2009, 10:53:57 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Grammie
Olby Sucks | Homepage | 03.14.09 - 1:20 am | #
Great link OS.
KO's petard blowing up under him shook the windows in my house!
I find it ironic that he gets burned not for all the vindictive and spurious invective he slings around but for just, thank God, the one time he "shut the hell up"
March 14, 2009, 12:12:40 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
Perhaps someone should ask Olbermann why then was there a dearth of MSNBC coverage of the Cramer-Stewart interview.
March 14, 2009, 1:29:18 PM EDT – Like – Reply
johnny dollar
There's a new post up at OlbyWatch about this, by one of their best writers, IMHO.
March 14, 2009, 1:49:07 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
THE best!
March 14, 2009, 2:20:24 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Olby Sucks
Grammie | 03.14.09 - 12:17 pm | #
The credit goes to Johnny.
March 14, 2009, 3:25:45 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Grammie
I must say I agree with the last three comments completley.
In fact I agree with you all so absolutely that I think I'll toast Johmmy with a double Absolut on the rocks. Anyone care to join me?
March 14, 2009, 4:41:41 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
I'll toast Johmmy with a double Absolut on the rocks. Anyone care to join me?
Grammie | 03.14.09 - 4:46 pm | #
Oh, all right, Grammie... Since you seem to insist...
Here's another very interesting bit on the Olbermann-CNBC matter.
It's from The Ace of Spades and know that he very often talks as foul-mouthed as a liberal.
http://minx.cc/?post=284311
March 14, 2009, 5:34:09 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Mike C.
In conjunction with my return to ICN (which came because you-know-who was finally banned), I've decided to resume commenting here.
My first open thread comment is: When I saw "JD visits Strategy Room," I thought you meant you, Johnny. :lol:
March 14, 2009, 9:26:21 PM EDT – Like – Reply
johnny dollar
Unfortunately, no.
March 14, 2009, 9:47:51 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Mike C.
And speaking of unfortunately, you-know-who returned 14 minutes later under a new moniker and with a new IP address. No moderation, BAM! he re-appears. So, now I'm feeding him and talking to him. Ignoring him isn't helping and I already committed to returning, even though I momentarily said "Bye again."
March 14, 2009, 9:58:28 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Fox Fan
I thought the same thing for a moment when I saw JD, Mike.
Grammie, can I toast johnny with a beer? Well, I will anyways.
This Will Ferrell "You're Welcome America" Bush Farewell HBO special is frickin' hilarious. I hope some of the others here get to see it.
March 14, 2009, 10:27:58 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Grammie
FF, sure. Will a schooner do or are you in the mood for the whole keg.
Here is a link at Huff'nPuff with the video of it:
www.huffingtonpost.com/_174876.html
I hadn't looked at it but you convinced me.
March 14, 2009, 11:17:12 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Grammie
Sorry, FF, I see that is just part of it. But if you go to that link they have several Will Ferrel/Bush links.
March 14, 2009, 11:18:50 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Fox Fan
It was hilarious! You have to be able to laugh at Bush's attitude and mannerisms to appreciate it.
March 15, 2009, 12:04:40 AM EDT – Like – Reply
johnny dollar
"Thanks for the updates on Janice Dean and her little boy."
I've added a link to video of their Strategy Room appearance.
March 15, 2009, 12:50:58 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Grammie
I just watched it Johnny and it is great.
Little Mathew is adorable. I just love toothless cue ball babies. It almost makes me want to go find one and bring him home.
March 15, 2009, 1:39:58 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
Welcome home, Mike!
March 15, 2009, 5:35:30 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
Janice looks tired but she's getting her figure back in good time.
March 15, 2009, 11:35:14 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
I think the biggest irony with the Cramer thing is the way it's almost possible to feel sorry for Keith Olbermann because of the corner he and his friends paint themselves into.
Olbermann should say...but can't say.... that both he and Cramer work for a network that they love, and that while he (Olbermann) is aware that there are failures, fall-downs, things that must be changed within the network, overall he thinks that they are doing a good job of serving the public.
He could add that he and Cramer are colleagues and that he is not going to join in the piling on of a colleague who has apologized and who has forth rightly stated that he is in the process of self-examination.
Rational people would say at best, "fair enough", at worst that they don't agree and feel that Olbermann is compromising on this, but that they are aware that work and work colleagues do merit some sort of loyality.
His fans are generally irrational. Olbermann, himself, could never find it within himself to be THAT rational with anyone else.
They all very much deserve one another.
March 15, 2009, 12:32:40 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Fox Fan
They let Bill Schultz, who is not allowed near children in 13 states (Red Eye intro), hold a baby?!?
Agreed Cece, Janice is looking great!
March 15, 2009, 1:03:20 PM EDT – Like – Reply
vstol
Good Malkin profile, especially from a beltway blog. I found these excerpt right on target:
This is Malkin at her best. Fans enjoy her syndicated column for its documentation of liberal outrages, but also for her provocative, humorous presentation of the facts. Critics bridle at the provocations, missing the humor entirely. The formula makes Malkin distinctively controversial, and loved or hated by everyone who reads her.
///snip///
Theres a daily barrage of hate e-mails from liberals, often racist and sexually explicit in nature. And there are vituperative comments from public figures. =-=
And I might add, a plethora of vituperative articles and comments on the FOX News/conservative hating blueblogs.
March 15, 2009, 2:28:43 PM EDT – Like – Reply
notveryhow
Michelle Malkin led the charge against Graeme Frost.
" If a political party is desperate enough to send a boy to do a mans job, then the boy is fair game."
I somehow missed the "provocative, humorous presentation of the facts'" in this wholesale smearing of a boy and his family.
March 15, 2009, 3:44:52 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Mike C.
There's that vituperation now.
March 15, 2009, 4:19:41 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
For anyone who cares to refresh their memory on the entirety of what Malkin said about the stage-prop-cum-human-shield that was made of Graeme Frost, here's the link:
http://tinyurl.com/2ce9j9
Here's a sample that just says it all:
"A word for all the faux outraged leftists accusing conservative bloggers of waging a smear campaign: Asking questions and subjecting political anecdotes to scrutiny are what journalists should be doing.
When a family and Democrat political leaders drag a child down to Washington at 6 in the morning to read a script written by Senate Democrat staffers on a crusade to overturn a presidential veto, someone might have questions about the familys claims. The newspapers dont want to do their jobs. The vacuum is being filled.
If you dont want questions, dont foist these children onto the public stage.
Fight your battles like adults and stop hiding behind youngsters dragging around red wagons filled with your talking points."
March 15, 2009, 4:24:41 PM EDT – Like – Reply
notveryhow
"If you dont want questions, dont foist these children onto the public stage."
So you (or Michelle) are saying that it would have been perfectly honky dory if, when Bush signed a ban on stem cell funding surrounded by a bunch of "snowflake babies", it would have been perfectly honky dory to investigate and smear the families with a bunch of (false) information, and make statements such as Red State did that the family should be hung from lampposts. OK, then. I hope you weren't one of those complaining about the treqatment of "Joe the Plumber".
March 15, 2009, 8:00:59 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Fox Fan
1. Michelle wasn't talking about "snowflake babies" and your bringing it up is a straw man because they are completely different issues.
b. This isn't Red State, and nobody here endorsed any comments there. Feel free to prove otherwise.
0b11. Were the background checks on JTP an invasion of privacy or not?
March 15, 2009, 9:48:53 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Mike C.
Anyway, I was wondering when the set in FNC's D.C. bureau would be renovated. Hopefully, this means "Special Report" will finally go HD.
March 15, 2009, 10:01:18 PM EDT – Like – Reply
johnny dollar
I'm going to let nvh respond and then we'll close out this tangent, unless it somehow magically morphs back into talking about cable news.
March 15, 2009, 10:01:46 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Cecelia
No problem with the media investigating to see if these really were "snowflake" adoptions.
Certainly none of these children delivered speeches written by Republican legislative staffers. I under stand the politics behind the gesture, but adoption is not a tax payer funded entitlement program or research program. It is generally felt to be a worthy thing even by people who view human embryos as being on par with a kidney kept viable for transplant.
Yes, I certainly was one of those complaining about the treatment of Joe the Plumber. Initially, Joe the Plumber was not a political prop in any way. His crime was asking then candidate Obama a hard question from the crowd in front of a camera. For that a state agency investigated him.
I don't write for Red State. What he..she...it... said is beyond the pale.
March 15, 2009, 11:36:08 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Mike C.
The only shows left in SD on FNC (that I know of):
"America's Newsroom"
"Happening Now"
"The Live Desk"
"Studio B"
"Your World"
"Special Report"
"Red Eye"
"Bulls & Bears"
"Cavuto on Business"
"Forbes on FOX"
"Cashin' In"
"America's News HQ"
"The Journal Editorial Report"
"The Beltway Boys"
"Fox News Watch"
"Geraldo at Large"
Everything else has switched to HD.
March 15, 2009, 11:52:35 PM EDT – Like – Reply
johnny dollar
Huckabee isn't full HD, it's upconverted SD. But at least there's no annoying HD 'wing' with useless information off to the side.
March 15, 2009, 11:53:54 PM EDT – Like – Reply
Mike C.
That must be a Studio D thing. So, I guess the Beck Friday special was in upconverted SD. Also, "The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet." And is that also the case for Studio E-based shows like "Fox & Friends" and "The Factor"?
March 16, 2009, 12:07:18 AM EDT – Like – Reply
johnny dollar
F&F and The Factor are both real HD. I've never seen M&J on HD so I don't know about them. I'm just wondering what happens to M&J when their show runs out. Back to FNC? Or something else?
March 16, 2009, 12:16:36 AM EDT – Like – Reply
Mike C.
>F&F and The Factor are both real HD.<
Okay, good. That's what I thought.
>I'm just wondering what happens to M&J when their show runs out.<
I'm hoping they return to FNC. That's what happened with "Geraldo at Large."
March 16, 2009, 1:05:04 AM EDT – Like – Reply
