I Am A TV Junkie, A Blog For The Clicker Jockey

"First Rule of Terror Watch List? Don't Talk About Terror Watch List"

Drew Griffin works at CNN, he's an investigative reporter. In May, he ended up on the terror watch list. Why? Well, you know you're not allowed to know that. Hell, Drew can't even find out, and he's an investigative reporter.

You know what else happen a little while before the day Drew joined the many many many many many people on that terror watch list? He did an investigative report on the terror watch list and how many ridiculous names are on it.

Like Ted Kennedy, for example. Yeah, Ted's a terrorist. You would think with the whole brain cancer thing the gov't would do him a solid and take him off the list. Hey, what if the constant scanning and wanding at the airport actually gave Ted Kennedy brain cancer, has anyone thought about that?

Also, if you're a guy named Dave Nelson, any Dave Nelson, even my friend Michelle's husband, you're on the list, too. So are the Roberts last name Johnson, like the founder of BET, Robert Johnson.

So, if you're standing on an airport line behind a guy who looks like this guy pictured above, and he gets pulled out of the line, just know that you were standing behind a TV reporter who performed the high crime of doing his job.

I have clips (2) after the jump, one being Griffin talking about being placed on the list, and Keith's Worst Persons segment, which discusses it (though Bill-O the Clown wins the horserace).

I completely expect that I'll be on the list, too. If you don't see me in NYC in August, check the watch list ... but don't talk about it or you'll be on it, too.

Obama Exclusive to Broadcasting & Cable on DTV, XM and Sirius, FCC, Media Regulation

He answered a series of questions via email for John Eggerton at B&C, and I'm goading you to click over there by excerpting this:

Q: You have said network neutrality would be a priority in your administration. Why and how would you go about ensuring a neutral Internet while still allowing networks to manage traffic?

A: The Internet is a powerful, democratizing tool. There are very low entry barriers for the delivery of services over the Internet, and public debate is unfettered by either the network owner or any single dominant voice. The neutral nature of the Internet makes that possible, and it is something we should defend. Up to now, legislation has focused on protecting against the discrimination against or in favor of any single voice or legal service. All have made allowances for objective, nondiscriminatory network-management practices.

Q: What prompted you to weigh in on media ownership and diversity at an FCC field hearing in Chicago (http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6480419.html) last year?

A: I strongly favor diversity of ownership of outlets and protection against the excessive concentration of power in the hands of any one corporation, interest or small group. I strongly believe that all citizens should be able to receive information from the broadest range of sources. I feel that media consolidation during the Bush administration has had the effect of eliminating a lot of the diversity of information sources available to persons who have to rely on more traditional information sources, such as radio and television broadcasts and newspapers.

Certainly not as important as getting out of Iraq and making healthcare affordable to everyone, but still critical, especially the net neutrality issue.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Mullen Says Troops Banned From Political Action

 

Well, the first person he should tell that to is his boss, the Worst President EVER!

This is what Paul Rieckhoff from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America had to say about an example of this:

This thing was not just staged, it was superstaged. In a disgusting display, the President again used our troops as political props in an event so scripted that it basically turned into a conversation with himself. I wish the White House had put this much effort into post-war planning when my platoon hit Baghdad. ....

When I was an Infantry Platoon leader in Iraq, I was interviewed by CBS 60 Minutes. As the tape was rolling, my commanding officer stood behind the camera carefully listening to my every word with his arms crossed. I knew it wouldn’t be fun for me if I strayed from the prescribed talking points. That incident was one of the motivating factors that led me to create Operation Truth--an organization that truly represents the candid voice of our troops and Veterans. The voices we heard today were neither candid nor representative. ... It was a shameful and misguided use of our military. The Commander in Chief has no right to use America’s sons and daughters as a defibrillator for his ailing Presidency.

Blitzer's CNN report on this after the jump.

Hillary's Endgame: A Despicable Suggestion (And She Still Hasn't Apologized to Her "Target")

So, I guess we've figured out now how Hillary can justify all those loans from her personal accounts to her campaign, she's just trying to ride the crazy train to a crazed gunman. Hey, maybe that's why she all of a sudden became a gun lover about a month ago.

Yes, I have to make a joke or two about this because if I don't my head might explode. I've heard what she had to say, the "Bobby Kennedy in LA" remarks, about six times now and she couldn't have meant anything else but that she was staying in just in case someone shot and killed her opponent.

And she can't seem to bring herself to apologize to the Obamas, as if that, like George Bush admitting mistakes, would indicate wrongdoing on her part. 

Still want her to be your President? Hey, America Ferrera, still doing appearances for this woman on the stump? I hope not. Hey Ellen, still wanna vote for Hillary? Don't you know something about death threats, Ellen?

Of course, no one says it quite like Olbermann. Clip after the jump.

HBO Recounts Those 2000 Florida Ballots Sunday Night

That's Laura Dern above right with Air America's Rachel Maddow (who we are all hoping will indeed get a cable show of her very own before too long). They talked on her radio show (link to that interview) about the new HBO film Recount which chronicles the ridiculous means by which we picked a President for the first and only time (through a vote of nine rich white people, almost all of them being men appointed by hateful jerks) in the year 2000, which led to all kinds of crap going on. In fact, we are still treading said crap and probably will for years to come to get ourselves out of these problems.

WORST. PRESIDENT. EVER. (link)

Kevin Spacey and Denis Leary are part of the cast, as are Tom Wilkinson, Ed Begley Jr. and Bob Balaban. Directed by Jay Roach, who's next project is on Mark Felt, the Watergate Scandal's Deep Throat.

Trailer for the movie, which airs Sunday night and again the next day on HBO, after the jump. At least I think it'll be there. You let me know if it's not.

Also after the jump, a comparison between Dern in character and the actual Katherine "Pink Sugar" (Thank you for that, Sam Seder) Harris.

Your Current President: An Arrogant, Shameless, Corrupt, Lying Fool

Compares Barack to Nazi appeasers in a speech in Israel.

He really does need to STFU! Keith is right.

Thing is, Bush's own religion and his religious allies only supports Jews in the Holy Land because scripture says they need to be there so that the Rapture can happen. They don't really care what happens to them afterward.

Personally, I think anyone who thinks they're gonna be sucked out of their clothes by a supernatural deity has some issues they need to address outside the auspices of faith.

Wait just a few minutes and Joe Lieberman will probably just come right to your front door and tell you that Michelle Obama is Eva Braun. When he does, kick him in the balls for me, will you?

More from John at Americablog at this link.

The thing is, the hard right gov't in Israel just eats this stuff up, they don't seem to mind that their allies in the Evangelical community are just supporting them as a means to their own ends. The Israeli Jews who bask in the glow of this support just don't seem to care, including the Lieberman types.

Makes me sick to my stomach that after all these centuries we're still doing this stupid shit.

Bill Moyers Gets the Jeremiah Wright Interview, Airs April 25

My hero, Bill Moyers, still relevant, still doing the best newsmagazine on television (take that 60 Minutes!) and probably the only guy out there who is qualified to talk to this man about the remarks in question.

Broadcasting & Cable:

Wright is Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) former pastor, whose fiery preaching about race relations at his Trinity UCC church in Chicago forced Obama to distance himself from those comments.

Moyers is a member of the Riverside UCC/American Baptist Church in New York, the church pointed out in announcing the interview.

Wright will appear on the April 25 episode of the show.

Website for the show (where you can watch each and every episode should you miss it on air) at this link.

Kentucky Rethuglican Congressman Calls Obama "Boy"

Outrageous.

Backwards.

Regressive.

Racist.

Go tell Geoff Davis what you think of him, contact his campaign site or call his office at 202-225-3465.

More from John at Americablog at this link.

UPDATE of 4/15: He's apologized! From AP ...

"My poor choice of words is regrettable, and was in no way meant to impugn you or your integrity," Davis wrote in the letter delivered to Obama's Washington office Monday afternoon. "I offer my sincere apology to you and ask for your forgiveness."

Earlier, Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said, "It's hard to tell what is more outrageous — Representative Davis' condescending and personal attack, or his absurd and offensive claim that Barack Obama is not prepared to defend America."

Regarding Talking Points, Your Job is To Examine the Source

Two clips here, watch both, read about both, and please, people, know where the talking points are coming from, because it's important.

For instance, and you'll have to click over the jump to see it, this clip from David Gregory's new show on MSNBC (which, as much as I would like to, is not called David Gregory's Dance Party, it's in fact called Race to the White House.

Now, the article that they refer to in the clip, that talks about not counting out Hillary Clinton, is from RealClearPolitics.com. And the John McIntyre piece there is titled, Time to Buy Hillary Clinton. Among other things, the very short piece suggests that:

• The Obama pastor thing will continue to be a very big deal
• The tanking economy favors Clinton
• The switch in Puerto Rico from caucus to primary favors Clinton

The problem is ... the only thing that the Clinton camp can hope to do is lasso every superdelegate they can, and I don't think there's a chance, like the panel says, that this group of superdelegates will overturn the will of the people. And Obama has numbers on his side. It's kind of like the evolution debate -- you can say whatever you want, but the science indicates one group is right.

Promised clip, another one as well and looking beyond the article cited after the jump.

Really!?! With Seth and Amy on Spitzer, This Should be a Weekly Series

We need Seth and Amy to have much more influence the the world. And as much as I would enjoy seeing them show up every Sunday with Pumpkinhead Russert on Meet the Press (they could roll in after the SNL afterparty all effed up with trash from the gutter stuck to them and still have more cred than the guy from the Christian Broadcasting Network) I think a half hour after MTP would be an interesting way to liven up the NBC Sunday morning sked.

Clip after the jump.