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news analysis
plutocrats
Dear T. Boone Pickens: What the Hell?
The Daily News and the Post today both led with goofy excitable front page stories on Michael Bloomberg's threat to cover our bridges and skyscrapers with hideous power-generating windmills (both front pages: "WINDY CITY"). Both mention that Bloomberg dined with millionaire windpower enthusiast T. Boone Pickens. Page Six also reports on how Rudy Giuliani ignored the advice of Pickens, "a leading advocate for alternative energy," during his failed presidential run. Pickens just did a conference call with Harry Reid. And he just met with McCain. And he's got a book out! The oil billionaire-turned-pseudo-environmentalist is everywhere. And so we ask, upon learning that Obama's met with him too: what the hell? Why is everyone playing nice with the evil old jackass? More »
zingers
"It was February 2006 in Munich, and John McCain's eyes were flashing with the mischievous spark that comes when he's about to fire a verbal rocket. 'I've got a zinger coming,' he told me, referring to a speech on Russia he would give a few hours later at the annual Munich Conference on Security Policy." Wow! What sort of zinger did McCain have planned for the Munich Conference on Security Policy? Did Gunther Beckstein, Minister-President of Bavaria, look like a painted trollop? Or was it the one where a gorilla rapes Richard Holbrooke? Tell us, David Ignatius, what was this zinger you've set up so thrillingly?
More »
John McCain Has a Zinger For You
"It was February 2006 in Munich, and John McCain's eyes were flashing with the mischievous spark that comes when he's about to fire a verbal rocket. 'I've got a zinger coming,' he told me, referring to a speech on Russia he would give a few hours later at the annual Munich Conference on Security Policy." Wow! What sort of zinger did McCain have planned for the Munich Conference on Security Policy? Did Gunther Beckstein, Minister-President of Bavaria, look like a painted trollop? Or was it the one where a gorilla rapes Richard Holbrooke? Tell us, David Ignatius, what was this zinger you've set up so thrillingly?
More »
pic of the day
Obama's Groupies At The Sheraton
If Barack Obama is swarmed like this in the red state of North Carolina where he's four points behind, how is he going to make it out of Denver alive?? No one even cares that he's gone "quietly negative" with a secret terrorist propaganda campaign against poor John McCain, who complains he was sucker-punched by someone stooping to his level. God, Obama really is just like Paris Hilton. (Photo via Getty Images)
conflicts of interest
Bush Minions Welcomed Into Media
The supposedly liberal news media hired talking heads like George Stephanopoulos and James Carville from Bill Clinton's presidential administration, but they were even more eager to Hoover up "talent" from the conservative Bush White House two elections later. In the image at left, our Photoshop wizard Steve Dressler shows which top Bush staffers have landed job as commentators, and with whom. Hint: It's not just Fox News and the Wall Street Journal editorial page hiring these Republican operatives. Click through to see the full-sized image. More »
jobs
Olbermann Favorite Ascends At MSNBC
After frequent guest and guest-host appearances on Keith Olbermann's left-leaning Countdown, political commentator Rachel Maddow will get her own MSNBC show as everyone predicted, replacing Dan Abrams' Verdict 9 pm weeknights. The Times' Brian Stelter writes that "Ms. Maddow will almost certainly be a closer ideological fit with Mr. Olbermann’s," reinforcing our earlier point that, despite its protestations, MSNBC will inevitably become basically the Fox News of the left as it moves to hold on to the young viewers Olbermann has attracted. Judging by the comments attached to Stelter's blog post, this should be a popular decision. Maddow, at least, is un-Fox-like in one way: She hasn't been afraid to smack down her MSNBC colleagues. After the jump, no fewer than three videos of Maddow doing so, with Joe Scarborough, Chris Matthews and Pat Buchanan. More »
from the archives
What's Up With Joe Biden?
From a 1993 Harper's, reprinting a lengthy missive from legendary author Terry Southern to the Village Voice. Southern, Dr. Strangelove screenwriter and New Journalism inventor, has some very important questions to ask about Joe Biden, then chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, now possible Vice President. Click through to see. More »
Just As We Suspected
A new survey shows that shoppers at Wal-Mart, Kohl's, and JC Penney favor McCain, while shoppers at Target and Macy's favor Obama. American Apparel shoppers, of course, favor Spank Rock. [Ad Age]
A new survey shows that shoppers at Wal-Mart, Kohl's, and JC Penney favor McCain, while shoppers at Target and Macy's favor Obama. American Apparel shoppers, of course, favor Spank Rock. [Ad Age]
media meshing
The Gawker Convention Party Calendar
Attached to this post, the party calender for the forthcoming Democratic and Republican national conventions in Denver and St. Paul. As everyone has acknowledged, there is no news at these conventions, at all. They are just excuses for partying. So this, really, is all your average conventioneer journalist needs to know. We'll tell you which ones to attend and which to skip in favor of unorganized drinking, below. More »
advertising
Al Gore Demands American Earnestness
Al Gore's incredibly expensive campaign to solve the climate crisis by enriching the advertising industry is still going strong! The Gore-backed WeCanSolveIt.org is running a new ad, and it unfortunately embodies the traits of its sponsor: off-putting earnestness and a befuddling message in support of a worthy cause. This one features various Americans staring creepily into the camera while slogans flash, informing politicians that we "demand" that they "use the wind" to stop global warming or something. A tenth of Gore's $300 million budget spent directly on lobbying would accomplish much more than these ads ever will. Environmentalists have all the good weed—is this as creative as they can get? Watch the Gore-like spot after the jump: More »
horse race
Joe Biden: Bad Choice
It looks like the smart money is on Delaware Senator Joe Biden for Obama's running mate. Mark Halperin's already announced it in his typical cryptic way (after erasing his "if I don't know the selection it hasn't happened yet" post from last night): "Bo knows," he says, which probably refers to Biden's son, Beau, though why Beau would know is unknown. Why would Obama choose Biden? Our theory is that Obama just likes Biden. He's a funny guy. But is it a terrible choice? We think it is! But we'd love to be wrong! Pros and cons (mostly cons), below. More »
vanity fair
Posh Convention Candyland For Bloggers
It's bad enough that 500 bloggers are wasting time and energy "covering" the pointless media spectacle of the upcoming political conventions. Can't tightly-orchestrated pageantry and vacant messaging be left for the television networks and political trades while top bloggers find important actual news that would otherwise go ignored? Apparently not. But the bloggers are making themselves look even more silly and co-opted by accepting a package of goodies, and an embarrassingly nerdy one at that. Reports the Wall Street Journal: More »
wtf
McCain Blamed Sadistic Gays For Ill-Treatment In Vietnam
Back in 1973, when young John McCain had just been released from his five hellish years of torture at the hands of the North Vietnamese, he became a media sensation back home. His tale of heroism inspired the nation, and his refusal to back down and give in to his captors demands was thrilling stuff. Queerty tracked down what may be McCain's first personal account of his captivity and torture, for US News & World Report in May of 1973. They posted it online in January, but maybe it's because we're all so familiar with his tale at this point that no one noticed, until now, the bit where he says all his captors were homosexuals who got off on whipping him. No, that is not made up. More »
marketing
Wal-Mart Rocks The Hardest
Guns "N" Roses' "new" album Chinese Democracy—insert standard joke about album taking longer to happen than actual democracy in China—reportedly stands a good chance of being sold exclusively at Wal-Mart. This comes on the same day that AC/ DC announced that it will be selling its new album exclusively at Wal-Mart. Maybe because the soul-crushing retailer has been forced to accept a union at a store in Canada, it's now progressive enough for this to be acceptable? Either that or rock and roll is dead. [via Adfreak]
the gays
Manhunt Chairman Forced to Resign Once Users Discover That He's a Mean Old Republican
It was revealed last week that Jonathan Crutchley, chairman of popular gay hookup site Manhunt, had donated $2300 to not-so-gay-friendly John McCain's campaign fund. And now, amid a a furor of hurt feelings and un-nursed booboos, he has resigned. Site founder Larry Basile issued a statement today, decrying Crutchley's hoodwinkery and affirming his and the site's (but most importantly his) devoted slobbering for Obama: More »
Time Warner Chief Doesn't Want To Be Mayor
"Whatever I do next—and it very well could be in public service— I want to be passionate about it. " [NY Mag]
"Whatever I do next—and it very well could be in public service— I want to be passionate about it. " [NY Mag]
journalismism
Why MSNBC Will Only Get More Liberal
MSNBC is still not comfortable with the idea that it is the liberal counterweight to Fox News. Executives at the cable news network bristle at the comparison, claiming that while individual "point of view" shows like Keith Olbermann's Countdown skew leftward, the network as a whole has no unifying ideology, as at Fox. But demographics may be making such a bias inevitable. The Times points out today that, amid heightened political activity among young, mostly liberal voters, MSNBC has added nearly 40,000 18-to-34-year-old viewers during prime time, far more than either Fox News or CNN. It is now number one among the young in those hours, while Fox News is dead last. That makes sense politically: Republicans are, as a group, significantly older the Democrats. Perhaps most revealing are the news nets' seemingly bizarre choices of internet partners. More »
Face Injections For Hillary?
"A source tells us Clinton visited a New York plastic surgeon early this month and received injections of a 'dermafiller' in her face... 'It appears that she has restored a youthful look with a combination of injectables.'" Click the picture for a close-up. [R&M]
