MSNBC to Launch Fucking Joe
Just minutes after "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough dropped an F-bomb live on the air, MSNBC announced that it was re-launching the show to capitalize on its star's salty vocabulary.
"Starting on Tuesday, MSNBC's morning show will be known as Fucking Joe," said MSNBC spokesperson Carol Foyler. "We want to send the message that if you tune in to this show, you'll get a unique mix of breaking news and XXX-rated chat."
MSNBC's decision to reformat the show to accommodate Mr. Scarborough's weakness for expletives surprised many in the cable industry, especially since the show owes its origins to the cancellation of shock-jock Don Imus' ill-fated morning program.
But for Mr. Scarborough's part, the move to "porn up" his morning show came as no surprise.
"This move is a fucking home run and anyone who doesn't think so is a fucking cocksucker," Mr. Scarborough said, adding, "Fuck."
Around the cable industry, insiders expressed surprise that Mr. Scarborough had slipped into profanity while on the air.
"I never thought Joe Scarborough would be the first one to drop an F-bomb on that show," one observer said. "I thought it would be Andrea Mitchell."
martes, 11 de noviembre de 2008
Right-Wing Media Already Feeding Its Post-Election Anger
Right-Wing Media Already Feeding Its Post-Election Anger
An article in Sunday's Los Angeles Times takes a look at how the right-wing media is responding to Obama's victory last week. Already, it seems, the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity have started to rile up their listeners/viewers by going after Obama. The relationship of Fox News and the Obama administration will be particularly interesting to watch, given that Fox News was cut out of the questioning at the first Obama press conference. As for Obama's harshest critics among fellow politicians, the New York TImes reported yesterday on how many of them have, for various reasons, rushed to praise him.
From the LA Times:
Opening his first post-election rant against the president-elect, Limbaugh launched in with a certain relish. "The game," he told his radio listeners, "has begun."
Sean Hannity, on the other hand, insisted on feigning a post-election detente, telling his Fox News television audience last week, "I want Barack Obama to succeed."
Didn't he think anyone would notice that, just a moment later, he was back parroting the failed campaign argument that Obama is a "mystery"?
"I fear [this] is the guy that has these radical associations 20 years ago," Hannity added, an odd way of demonstrating support for the new commander in chief.
An article in Sunday's Los Angeles Times takes a look at how the right-wing media is responding to Obama's victory last week. Already, it seems, the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity have started to rile up their listeners/viewers by going after Obama. The relationship of Fox News and the Obama administration will be particularly interesting to watch, given that Fox News was cut out of the questioning at the first Obama press conference. As for Obama's harshest critics among fellow politicians, the New York TImes reported yesterday on how many of them have, for various reasons, rushed to praise him.
From the LA Times:
Opening his first post-election rant against the president-elect, Limbaugh launched in with a certain relish. "The game," he told his radio listeners, "has begun."
Sean Hannity, on the other hand, insisted on feigning a post-election detente, telling his Fox News television audience last week, "I want Barack Obama to succeed."
Didn't he think anyone would notice that, just a moment later, he was back parroting the failed campaign argument that Obama is a "mystery"?
"I fear [this] is the guy that has these radical associations 20 years ago," Hannity added, an odd way of demonstrating support for the new commander in chief.
Obama Dispatching Aides To Georgia Senate Race
Obama Dispatching Aides To Georgia Senate Race
Democratic officials confirm that Barack Obama is sending aides to help with the runoff senatorial campaign in Georgia, putting his post-election coattails to an immediate test.
Organizers who worked on behalf of the Illinois Democrat are heading to the Peach State to offer similar assistance to Jim Martin, the Democratic challenger who is facing a second-round contest against incumbent Saxby Chambliss after neither candidate received 50 percent of the initial vote.
The investment by Obama, confirmed by an official working on behalf of the Senate campaign, apparently includes "ground team" members as well as "online specialists and bloggers," and represents one of the earliest tests of the influence he can wield on the political landscape. A Daily Kos diarist first heard about the move from the Martin team.
It remains unclear whether Obama himself will appear in the state. His campaign put limited paid resources into Georgia during the general election, mainly during the waning weeks of the campaign, though Obama's registration efforts there were lauded for making the presidential contest in that state much closer than the historical norm.
Martin's race to replace Chambliss was even closer. The longtime Georgian Democrat finished with just under 47 percent of the vote to Chambliss' 49.8 percent. Because neither candidate was able to win a majority of the vote, the two will square off again on December 2.
While Martin will be assisted in the effort by the Obama campaign, Chambliss will be banking on GOP star-power to help propel him into office for a second term. Already it has been reported that Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin and John McCain will be either making campaign stops on the Georgian's behalf or providing volunteers and aide.
Democratic officials confirm that Barack Obama is sending aides to help with the runoff senatorial campaign in Georgia, putting his post-election coattails to an immediate test.
Organizers who worked on behalf of the Illinois Democrat are heading to the Peach State to offer similar assistance to Jim Martin, the Democratic challenger who is facing a second-round contest against incumbent Saxby Chambliss after neither candidate received 50 percent of the initial vote.
The investment by Obama, confirmed by an official working on behalf of the Senate campaign, apparently includes "ground team" members as well as "online specialists and bloggers," and represents one of the earliest tests of the influence he can wield on the political landscape. A Daily Kos diarist first heard about the move from the Martin team.
It remains unclear whether Obama himself will appear in the state. His campaign put limited paid resources into Georgia during the general election, mainly during the waning weeks of the campaign, though Obama's registration efforts there were lauded for making the presidential contest in that state much closer than the historical norm.
Martin's race to replace Chambliss was even closer. The longtime Georgian Democrat finished with just under 47 percent of the vote to Chambliss' 49.8 percent. Because neither candidate was able to win a majority of the vote, the two will square off again on December 2.
While Martin will be assisted in the effort by the Obama campaign, Chambliss will be banking on GOP star-power to help propel him into office for a second term. Already it has been reported that Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin and John McCain will be either making campaign stops on the Georgian's behalf or providing volunteers and aide.
lunes, 10 de noviembre de 2008
Names floated for top Obama jobs
Names floated for top Obama jobs
outsiders, including some Republicans, for top administration posts, according to Democratic officials.
Obama has signaled that he will make no Cabinet-level appointments immediately, and his deliberations are tightly held by his closest aides. But that hasn't stopped Democrats and interest groups from circulating lists and offering recommendations to the Obama transition team.
Some are surprising, such as former Bush Secretary of State Colin Powell as possible education secretary. Others are high-profile governors or members of Congress. Yet many are also little known to the general public — and may remain so.
Obama takes office Jan. 20. Some names often mentioned as possible appointees to top posts:
outsiders, including some Republicans, for top administration posts, according to Democratic officials.
Obama has signaled that he will make no Cabinet-level appointments immediately, and his deliberations are tightly held by his closest aides. But that hasn't stopped Democrats and interest groups from circulating lists and offering recommendations to the Obama transition team.
Some are surprising, such as former Bush Secretary of State Colin Powell as possible education secretary. Others are high-profile governors or members of Congress. Yet many are also little known to the general public — and may remain so.
Obama takes office Jan. 20. Some names often mentioned as possible appointees to top posts:
GM needs federal aid in coming weeks: chief
GM needs federal aid in coming weeks: chief
General Motors is in such dire financial straights that it needs to line up a federal aid packaged before president-elect Barack Obama takes office in January, the automaker's chief executive said Monday.
"This is an issue that needs to be addressed urgently," Wagoner told Automotive News, adding that now is the time to "overshoot, not undershoot" the level of assistance.
GM is willing to offer the government preferred stock, speed the introduction of fuel-efficient vehicles and set limits on executive compensation in exchange for financial aid, Wagoner said.
But Wagoner did not think it would be "a very smart move" for him to resign.
"It's not clear to me what purpose would be served" Wagoner said. "I think our job is to make sure we have the best management team to run GM."
On Friday the biggest US automaker warned it would run out of cash in the first half of next year and appealed to the US government for help to save it from collapse.
The company announced a third-quarter loss of 2.5 billion dollars and said it had burned through another 6.9 billion of cash during the three-month period, leaving it with cash reserves of 16.2 billion.
GM has said it needs cash reserves of between 11 and 14 billion dollars to cover the cost of its operations.
Wagoner said that while the company's cash burn in the fourth quarter should ease to one billion dollars a month, it will likely not be able to survive without government help.
GM has developed a turnaround plan which assumes that sales fall to 11.7 million vehicles next year from recent averages of around 15 million a year.
"I'd question whether the US industry as a whole could survive that without support," Wagoner said, adding that even with government help the automaker will have to do "significantly more restructuring" if industry sales stay that low.
Wagoner and executives from Ford, Chrysler and the United Auto Workers Union asked for the federal government to speed up delivery of 25 billion dollars in loan guarantees for the development of fuel-efficient vehicles.
They also requested another 25 billion in loan guarantees to support operations amid a sharp economic downturn which has pushed vehicle sales to a 25 year-low.
Democratic leaders in the US Congress called Saturday for funds contained in a 700-billion-dollar federal rescue plan for the financial sector to be diverted to the struggling auto industry.
Obama's chief of staff urged swift action Sunday to rescue the US auto industry, but declined to say whether Obama supported the appeal by Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority leader Harry Reid.
"As president-elect Obama has said throughout the campaign and as I think as recently as Friday ... the auto industry is an essential part of our economy and an essential part of our industrial base," Congressman Rahm Emanuel told ABC.
General Motors is in such dire financial straights that it needs to line up a federal aid packaged before president-elect Barack Obama takes office in January, the automaker's chief executive said Monday.
"This is an issue that needs to be addressed urgently," Wagoner told Automotive News, adding that now is the time to "overshoot, not undershoot" the level of assistance.
GM is willing to offer the government preferred stock, speed the introduction of fuel-efficient vehicles and set limits on executive compensation in exchange for financial aid, Wagoner said.
But Wagoner did not think it would be "a very smart move" for him to resign.
"It's not clear to me what purpose would be served" Wagoner said. "I think our job is to make sure we have the best management team to run GM."
On Friday the biggest US automaker warned it would run out of cash in the first half of next year and appealed to the US government for help to save it from collapse.
The company announced a third-quarter loss of 2.5 billion dollars and said it had burned through another 6.9 billion of cash during the three-month period, leaving it with cash reserves of 16.2 billion.
GM has said it needs cash reserves of between 11 and 14 billion dollars to cover the cost of its operations.
Wagoner said that while the company's cash burn in the fourth quarter should ease to one billion dollars a month, it will likely not be able to survive without government help.
GM has developed a turnaround plan which assumes that sales fall to 11.7 million vehicles next year from recent averages of around 15 million a year.
"I'd question whether the US industry as a whole could survive that without support," Wagoner said, adding that even with government help the automaker will have to do "significantly more restructuring" if industry sales stay that low.
Wagoner and executives from Ford, Chrysler and the United Auto Workers Union asked for the federal government to speed up delivery of 25 billion dollars in loan guarantees for the development of fuel-efficient vehicles.
They also requested another 25 billion in loan guarantees to support operations amid a sharp economic downturn which has pushed vehicle sales to a 25 year-low.
Democratic leaders in the US Congress called Saturday for funds contained in a 700-billion-dollar federal rescue plan for the financial sector to be diverted to the struggling auto industry.
Obama's chief of staff urged swift action Sunday to rescue the US auto industry, but declined to say whether Obama supported the appeal by Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority leader Harry Reid.
"As president-elect Obama has said throughout the campaign and as I think as recently as Friday ... the auto industry is an essential part of our economy and an essential part of our industrial base," Congressman Rahm Emanuel told ABC.
Obama, Candidate of Change, Looks to Old Hands From Clinton Era
Obama, Candidate of Change, Looks to Old Hands From Clinton Era
Barack Obama, elected president as an agent of change, is building his new team with old hands from the Clinton administration.
His first appointment, chief of staff, went to Rahm Emanuel, an Illinois representative and veteran of the last Democratic White House. Leading Obama's transition team is John Podesta, who was President Bill Clinton's chief of staff.
Obama's most dramatic step would be to name New York Senator Hillary Clinton, his defeated rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, as secretary of state. Two Obama advisers confirm the idea has been discussed, though they say they don't know how seriously the president-elect is considering it or whether Clinton would accept it.
Faced from day one with an economic crisis and two wars, Obama's campaign theme of changing the way Washington works is about to be overtaken by getting to work in Washington. For that, experience helps.
``Once you become president-elect, the rubber hits the road, and you're going to want to put people in positions of power who have a proven track record,'' says Chris Lehane, who was a special assistant counsel to Clinton.
The presence of Clinton-era advisers has drawn fire on blogs: from liberals who viewed the Clinton administration as too centrist and conservatives for whom the former president remains a favorite target.
The other risk for Obama is that his administration ``can quickly look like the Clinton administration, now defined, by his campaign, as the status quo,'' says Julian Zelizer, a history and public-affairs professor at Princeton University in New Jersey.
New and Old
From his transition team to his economic advisers, Obama, 47, has surrounded himself with both loyalists new to government and a group of familiar Democratic Party figures who formed something of an administration in exile during Republican President George W. Bush's administration. Some of those who have advised Obama reach back to Jimmy Carter's administration, such as Paul Volcker, 81, the former Federal Reserve chairman.
The pattern is familiar, even for presidents who ran for office as outsiders.
Bush, who came to office with little Washington experience, relied on many advisers from past Republican administrations, including former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. His first chief of staff, Andrew Card, was transportation secretary in the administration of his father, former President George H.W. Bush.
Campaign slogans aside, when it comes to the reality of governing and finding the best people to carry out a vision, Obama needs people with Washington experience if he wants to succeed, say political analysts and historians.
Experienced Hands
``Change from President Bush was an important theme in the election,'' says Karlyn Bowman, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. ``Americans will want to see some new faces in the Cabinet, but they also know that you need experienced hands to run the ship in Washington.''
Republicans, looking ahead to potential battles after Obama takes office on Jan. 20, were quick to highlight his appointment of Emanuel, who is known for his sharp partisanship in the Clinton administration and as the No. 4 ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives.
House Republican leader John Boehner called Emanuel, 48, ``an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington.''
But Fred Greenstein, a presidential historian at Princeton, says voters largely aren't interested in such inside-the-Beltway maneuvering.
``Obama may get insider criticism for using retreads,'' but he ``is drawing on people who served well in the Clinton presidency.''
Reaching Out
Obama spent time during the campaign reaching out to Clinton's economic advisers, including former Treasury Secretaries Robert Rubin and Lawrence Summers. Summers, 53, is often mentioned as a possibility to resume his post at the Treasury Department under Obama. Rubin, 70, has told Obama he isn't interested in returning to government service but would consider taking on special projects.
``The real issues on this score will crop up after Jan. 20,'' says Rogan Kersh, a public-service professor at New York University. ``Will there be a Clinton-loyalists versus Obama- faithful dynamic in the White House? That could be a hindrance to the swift, smooth start the new administration dearly needs.''
Advisory Board
An advisory board that will help with transition planning includes former Clinton administration officials Carol Browner, who was the former president's Environmental Protection Agency administrator; William Daley, who served as his commerce secretary; and Federico Pena, former transportation secretary.
Other Clinton officials who have been reported to be candidates for possible posts in an Obama White House include Richard Holbrooke, former United Nations ambassador, as secretary of state and Eric Holder, who was part of Obama's vice-presidential selection committee and deputy attorney general for Clinton, as attorney general.
``What you're going to see with Obama is a mixture of wise men and young Turks,'' says Democratic consultant Peter Fenn.
While Obama may endure criticism for calling on some ``usual suspects,'' he'd be in more trouble if his picks proved unqualified, Fenn says.
``You don't want the head of the Arabian Horse Association as your FEMA director,'' says Fenn, referring to Michael Brown, Bush's choice to run the Federal Emergency Management Agency, who was ousted after the botched government response to Hurricane Katrina.
Still Beloved
Clinton, 62, is still beloved by many in the Democratic Party, and his support and approval of Obama's policies might well boost the new president's efforts. When Clinton made his first campaign appearance for Obama in Orlando, Florida, on Oct. 1, he veered from prepared remarks to offer special praise for the way Obama was handling the financial crisis.
``He got his advisers on the phone, then he called all of mine, then he called some more,'' Clinton said. ``And you know what he said? Tell me what the problem is and how to fix it and don't bother me with the politics. Let's do the right thing, and we'll sell it to America.''
Presidential historian Robert Dallek, a biographer of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, says Clinton veterans can be agents of change.
``They will be under Obama's command,'' he says. ``It's not as if they are going to say we've got to go back to what Bill Clinton was thinking 10 years ago.''
Barack Obama, elected president as an agent of change, is building his new team with old hands from the Clinton administration.
His first appointment, chief of staff, went to Rahm Emanuel, an Illinois representative and veteran of the last Democratic White House. Leading Obama's transition team is John Podesta, who was President Bill Clinton's chief of staff.
Obama's most dramatic step would be to name New York Senator Hillary Clinton, his defeated rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, as secretary of state. Two Obama advisers confirm the idea has been discussed, though they say they don't know how seriously the president-elect is considering it or whether Clinton would accept it.
Faced from day one with an economic crisis and two wars, Obama's campaign theme of changing the way Washington works is about to be overtaken by getting to work in Washington. For that, experience helps.
``Once you become president-elect, the rubber hits the road, and you're going to want to put people in positions of power who have a proven track record,'' says Chris Lehane, who was a special assistant counsel to Clinton.
The presence of Clinton-era advisers has drawn fire on blogs: from liberals who viewed the Clinton administration as too centrist and conservatives for whom the former president remains a favorite target.
The other risk for Obama is that his administration ``can quickly look like the Clinton administration, now defined, by his campaign, as the status quo,'' says Julian Zelizer, a history and public-affairs professor at Princeton University in New Jersey.
New and Old
From his transition team to his economic advisers, Obama, 47, has surrounded himself with both loyalists new to government and a group of familiar Democratic Party figures who formed something of an administration in exile during Republican President George W. Bush's administration. Some of those who have advised Obama reach back to Jimmy Carter's administration, such as Paul Volcker, 81, the former Federal Reserve chairman.
The pattern is familiar, even for presidents who ran for office as outsiders.
Bush, who came to office with little Washington experience, relied on many advisers from past Republican administrations, including former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. His first chief of staff, Andrew Card, was transportation secretary in the administration of his father, former President George H.W. Bush.
Campaign slogans aside, when it comes to the reality of governing and finding the best people to carry out a vision, Obama needs people with Washington experience if he wants to succeed, say political analysts and historians.
Experienced Hands
``Change from President Bush was an important theme in the election,'' says Karlyn Bowman, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. ``Americans will want to see some new faces in the Cabinet, but they also know that you need experienced hands to run the ship in Washington.''
Republicans, looking ahead to potential battles after Obama takes office on Jan. 20, were quick to highlight his appointment of Emanuel, who is known for his sharp partisanship in the Clinton administration and as the No. 4 ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives.
House Republican leader John Boehner called Emanuel, 48, ``an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington.''
But Fred Greenstein, a presidential historian at Princeton, says voters largely aren't interested in such inside-the-Beltway maneuvering.
``Obama may get insider criticism for using retreads,'' but he ``is drawing on people who served well in the Clinton presidency.''
Reaching Out
Obama spent time during the campaign reaching out to Clinton's economic advisers, including former Treasury Secretaries Robert Rubin and Lawrence Summers. Summers, 53, is often mentioned as a possibility to resume his post at the Treasury Department under Obama. Rubin, 70, has told Obama he isn't interested in returning to government service but would consider taking on special projects.
``The real issues on this score will crop up after Jan. 20,'' says Rogan Kersh, a public-service professor at New York University. ``Will there be a Clinton-loyalists versus Obama- faithful dynamic in the White House? That could be a hindrance to the swift, smooth start the new administration dearly needs.''
Advisory Board
An advisory board that will help with transition planning includes former Clinton administration officials Carol Browner, who was the former president's Environmental Protection Agency administrator; William Daley, who served as his commerce secretary; and Federico Pena, former transportation secretary.
Other Clinton officials who have been reported to be candidates for possible posts in an Obama White House include Richard Holbrooke, former United Nations ambassador, as secretary of state and Eric Holder, who was part of Obama's vice-presidential selection committee and deputy attorney general for Clinton, as attorney general.
``What you're going to see with Obama is a mixture of wise men and young Turks,'' says Democratic consultant Peter Fenn.
While Obama may endure criticism for calling on some ``usual suspects,'' he'd be in more trouble if his picks proved unqualified, Fenn says.
``You don't want the head of the Arabian Horse Association as your FEMA director,'' says Fenn, referring to Michael Brown, Bush's choice to run the Federal Emergency Management Agency, who was ousted after the botched government response to Hurricane Katrina.
Still Beloved
Clinton, 62, is still beloved by many in the Democratic Party, and his support and approval of Obama's policies might well boost the new president's efforts. When Clinton made his first campaign appearance for Obama in Orlando, Florida, on Oct. 1, he veered from prepared remarks to offer special praise for the way Obama was handling the financial crisis.
``He got his advisers on the phone, then he called all of mine, then he called some more,'' Clinton said. ``And you know what he said? Tell me what the problem is and how to fix it and don't bother me with the politics. Let's do the right thing, and we'll sell it to America.''
Presidential historian Robert Dallek, a biographer of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, says Clinton veterans can be agents of change.
``They will be under Obama's command,'' he says. ``It's not as if they are going to say we've got to go back to what Bill Clinton was thinking 10 years ago.''
Obama plans U.S. trials for Gitmo detainees
Obama plans U.S. trials for Gitmo detainees
Obama's advisers are quietly crafting a proposal to ship dozens, if not hundreds, of imprisoned terrorism suspects to the United States to face criminal trials, a plan that would make good on his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison but could require creation of a controversial new system of justice.
During his campaign, Obama described Guantanamo as a "sad chapter in American history" and has said generally that the U.S. legal system is equipped to handle the detainees. But he has offered few details on what he planned to do once the facility is closed.
Under plans being put together in Obama's camp, some detainees would be released and many others would be prosecuted in U.S. criminal courts.
A third group of detainees — the ones whose cases are most entangled in highly classified information — might have to go before a new court designed especially to handle sensitive national security cases, according to advisers and Democrats involved in the talks. Advisers participating directly in the planning spoke on condition of anonymity because the plans aren't final.
The move would be a sharp deviation from the Bush administration, which established military tribunals to prosecute detainees at the Navy base in Cuba and strongly opposes bringing prisoners to the United States. Obama's Republican challenger, John McCain, had also pledged to close Guantanamo. But McCain opposed criminal trials, saying the Bush administration's tribunals should continue on U.S. soil.
Obama's advisers are quietly crafting a proposal to ship dozens, if not hundreds, of imprisoned terrorism suspects to the United States to face criminal trials, a plan that would make good on his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison but could require creation of a controversial new system of justice.
During his campaign, Obama described Guantanamo as a "sad chapter in American history" and has said generally that the U.S. legal system is equipped to handle the detainees. But he has offered few details on what he planned to do once the facility is closed.
Under plans being put together in Obama's camp, some detainees would be released and many others would be prosecuted in U.S. criminal courts.
A third group of detainees — the ones whose cases are most entangled in highly classified information — might have to go before a new court designed especially to handle sensitive national security cases, according to advisers and Democrats involved in the talks. Advisers participating directly in the planning spoke on condition of anonymity because the plans aren't final.
The move would be a sharp deviation from the Bush administration, which established military tribunals to prosecute detainees at the Navy base in Cuba and strongly opposes bringing prisoners to the United States. Obama's Republican challenger, John McCain, had also pledged to close Guantanamo. But McCain opposed criminal trials, saying the Bush administration's tribunals should continue on U.S. soil.
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