Carlson: Senator Landrieu “Bribed”

This morning Fox & Friends co-anchor Gretchen Carlson made an incredibly inflammatory accusation against Senator Landrieu of Louisiana: Bribery. Yes, you read right. Bribery!

Carlson asserted, “There is a lot of bribing going on, specifically, in the state of Louisiana for Senator Mary Landrieu.” She explained, “Why? Because, apparently, [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid was able to get her $300 million to help fix up stuff from Hurricane Katrina. And, that is what bought her the vote, or, bought him, the vote. By giving her $300 million of pork, she then decided to vote for health care reform for his bill.” Carlson continued, “And a lot of people this morning are saying, ‘Yeah, we know these kind of political things happen all the time on Capitol Hill.’ But, for health care reform, something that’s this serious to this country, should we allowing these kind of bribes for votes?”*

Even with that caveat, from this Louisiana author’s perspective, Carlson’s rhetoric bordered on the reckless. When one uses the term bribery in the same breath as a public official, the listener often envisions its primary dictionary denotation. E.g., the first definition in Webster’s Third International Dictionary is “A price, reward, gift, or favor bestowed or promised with a view to pervert the judgment or corrupt the conduct esp. of a person in a position of trust (as a public official). In that context, “bribery” is a serious offense and a federal crime.

While “bribery” has a secondary sense, a more benign definition, i.e., an inducement to grant a favor, it does not resound as resonantly in the listener’s ear. Obviously, any Senator or Representative would be “guilty” of this “crime.” As any politico worth his/her salt knows, such wheeling and dealing is de rigueur in the legislative process on both the state and federal level.

Landrieu’s “deal” has been derisively dubbed, perhaps, aptly, the Louisiana Purchase by opponents of the Democratic bill. However, to go one step further and use the incendiary term “bribery” seems clearly over the line. Especially, for one employed by the “Fair and Balanced” news network.

*Fox & Friends (11/23/09) – @8:02 a.m. ET

“Cougar” Carlson: Saved by the Bell?

Rowrrr! With baby-faced beefcake “Extra” weekday host Mario Lopez on the Fox & Friends curvy couch, co-anchor Gretchen Carlson appeared ready to pounce. Thoughts of her very own “Saved by the Bell” boy toy seemed to permeate the atmosphere as she and her co-host, Brian Kilmeade and Steve Doocy, interviewed Lopez and even into the show’s subsequent block.

Before the segment, Brian gave his sportscast and named Minnesota Viking quarterback “forty-year old Brett Favre” as his choice as his weekly “Brian’s Best Player.” In an aside, he joked, “Hey, forty-year olds get off the couch, put on a uniform and the eye black. You can still play!” Before he segued to Lopez’ interview, the forty-three old Gretchen groused, “You make Favre and forties sound like it’s ancient.” Brian deadpanned, “it’s very old.”

During Lopez’ interview, Brian asked, “Am I right [that] you were never a dancer until you gave it a shot on Dancing with the Stars [2006].” After Lopez said that he had not danced since he was a child of five or six, Gretchen racily remarked, “Well, let me just tell you, you still have the moves!”

Later, when the F&F producers put up a pic of Lopez donning ladies’ lingerie, a Merry Widow variant, for FOX’s Nip/Tuck series, Gretchen oohed, “Aww, man! She suggestively added, “I understand the inside story on this was that you didn’t like the way your feet looked in the shoes but that some people liked you butt.” Reddening, Lopez asked, “Wait, what inside story is that?” Before she could answer, Brian interjected, “Yeah, what is going on, Gretchen? What are your sources?” Undeterred, Gretchen continued, “That’s what I read. I read the chicks are envious of your butt.” Apparently, rather ready to move on, Lopez deflectively declared, “I did not know that but…I was surprised they found heels…for a size eleven shoe.”

However, in the very next block, Gretchen was still purring. As she and Steve discussed mammogram and self-exams in a health care segment with Dr. Mehmet Oz (the host of the Dr. Oz Show” jested, “By the way, Mario Lopez is back in the green room trying to learn from me how to examine breasts.” Randily, Gretchen exclaimed, “I think he knows!” Finally, as the segment concluded, Gretchen lustily eyed the camera and cooed, “I’m not kidding, ladies.”

Ainz May Freeze Her Eggs

Fox and Friends Weekend guest co-host Ainsley Earhardt may not have any children yet but she certainly seems more than willing to try. In a segment on a New York doctor’s innovation to allow women to have children later in life, Ainsley discussed with her co-hosts Dave Briggs and Clayton Morris her childless state and how she might remedy her situation in the future.

Earlier, the three co-anchors conversed about in vitro fertilization and older women’s growing prospects of birthing babies. Dave declared, “The question…when is it too old to have your eggs frozen? When is it too old to give birth to children?” To which, Ainsley then replied, “Freezing the eggs, I have friends that are doing this…in their late thirties, their early forties. They’re freezing their eggs because they’re not married yet.” Co-anchor Clayton Morris interjected, “Fertility drops after forty years old.” “Exactly,” responded Ainsley. She continued, “So when they’re ready to use these eggs, then they’re available. It’s very expensive, though: I want to say its like $20,000 a pop.”

Wisely, Dave said, “As a man, I have a hard time telling a woman when it’s too old to have children. Clayton agreed but added, “At some point, it becomes about you rather than the children.” Dave declared, “But, these women in their mid-to late-forties, I say go for it.”

Ringless, Ainsley responded, “I agree. Hey! I’m not going to knock it ’cause…I’m no spring chicken and I don’t have kids. If I get to be forty years old and I don’t have my kids, then, yeah, I might consider freezing my eggs. We’ll see.”

Chuckling, Clayton jested, “Please keep us updated on that.” Smiling abashedly, Ainsley answered, “I will: I’ll let you know.” Dave chimed, “Yeah, please do!”

Ainsley’s new favorite song? Ice, Ice, Baby!

Sisterhood of the Traveling Panties?

The sisterhood of the former Fox & Friends Weekend co-hosts Kiran Chetry and Alisyn Camerota appears to still be going strong. They may not have bought pants from a thrift store that will help them stay together as they thrive on separate cable news networks but they seem to have found some granny panties that will. Or are they something else?

Friday the “traveling panties” showed up on Kiran Chetry, the co-host of CNN’s American Morning. As the Nepalese lovely interviewed New York Times media reporter Brian Stelter on Oprah’s post-broadcast future, her charcoal skirt inched upward to reveal a rather snug black undergarment. Granny panties?  Perhaps. But possibly something else. As the faithful AM viewer will recall, Kiran revealed that she was wearing her “emergency biking shorts” under her skirt the day that Richard Simmons had a sudden urge to literally kiss her foot.

By Saturday, Kiran seemed to have sent her hubby Chris to personally deliver the magical netherwear to Aly at the now verboten F&FW studio. Beginning in the show’s first segment, the granny panties (or “emergency biking pants”) peeked out from underneath Aly’s red dress. When they did, they seemed to take on a pinkish hue in a futile attempt to go unnoticed.

Regardless of the nature of the lingerie, Kiran and Aly appear to be at one. Perhaps, they can help their respective audiences cross the political aisle as well. Of course, for their male admirers, it might be easier if there were less fabric involved.

Clayton: History Buff or Bluff?

As loyal Fox & Friends Weekend fans know, co-anchor Clayton Morris fashions himself a history buff. However, today he appeared to be more the dilettante of the American narrative in an F&FW interview of Governor Mike Huckabee. During that segment (on Obama’s hinting that he might not run again in 2012), Clayton asked about one-term President Gerald Ford.

Clayton commented, “Let’s talk about Gerald Ford for a second from a history perspective because I’m fascinated by that moment.” (Perhaps, he should not have.) Confounded,  Clayton disjointedly declared, “He ran but he knew by pardoning Nixon, by taking some of those bullets. And, of course, famously even featured in Profiles in Courage, you know, the Kennedy book later for having courage to stand up and take sort of a bullet for the country as a result of the Nixon impeachment proceedings. Is that what President Obama is saying here?”*

In the past, Clayton has confused  the nineteenth century caning of a would-be assassin by our seventh President “Old Hickory,” Andrew Jackson, with the beating of Senator Charles Sumner by Rep. Preston Brooks more than two decades later. Such an error about the arcane Congressional record is one thing. However, not remembering President Gerald Ford’s 1974 pardon of the disgraced Richard M. Nixon occurred almost twenty years after President John F. Kennedy penned his 1955 Profiles in Courage is another altogether. [N.B. Gerald Ford did receive the 2001 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award (named after JFK's book) for his pardon of Nixon.]

The dangers of being a self-dubbed “buff”! In the future, Clayton may well want to consult the country’s chronicles before opining on its past beyond the current news cycle. The author does not doubt that he will learn from another of his avocations and get better with age.

*Fox & Friends (11/21/09) – @8:49 a.m. ET

F&FW Guest: Obama’s “Mussolini Pose”

An allusion too far? Lt. Col. Ralph Peters (ret), FNC strategic analyst, was as outspoken and controversial as ever this morning on Fox & Friends Weekend. When F&FW co-anchor Dave Briggs asked the author of the War after Armageddon what Americans obtained from President Obama’s trip to Asia and the “deference that he is showing all these countries around the world,” Peters did not hold back.

Brusquely, Peters replied, “The answer is nowhere.” He added, “We have a runaway President. He doesn’t seem to like to be in the Oval Office facing tough decisions….[He] thrives on applause: He’s hooked on it.” Then going for the proverbial jugular, he continued, “He loves to go abroad and, you know, lift his jaw in that sort of Mussolini pose he does and stir us with his rhetoric. But, there are no results.”*

Wow! If Peters did not go over the edge in comparing Obama’s oratorical carriage to that of Italian Fascist leader Benito Mussolini, he certainly skated right up to it. Had he likened Obama’s rhetorical skills to Mussolini’s German Axis partner, would there be any doubt?

*Fox & Friends Weekend (11/21/09) – @7:48 a.m. ET

Aly: Ailes’ New Bunny

With his Energizer bunny Megyn Kelly away on maternity leave, Roger Ailes seems to have picked Alisyn Camerota to fill in the void. Not only did Aly perform her duties on Fox & Friends Weekend last weekend but she also guest-hosted on American’s Newsroom this week and subbed as a Cultural Warrior on the O’Reilly Factor last night. According to her AN co-anchor Bill Hemmer, Aly will be on F&F as usual this weekend. Ailes has definitely upped her profile.

Today one began to wonder if FNC was trying to put a too serious newsperson spin on Aly. Instead of AN’s customary full-figure views as the show begins each hour, the cameraperson cropped Ms. Camerota from the waist up basically. Apparently, someone called the offending producer to account toward the end of the show: After 100 minutes without any real stem shots, the camera captured three in the last twenty minutes.

Aly: a real FNC journalist and a busy Ailes bunny to boot.

Gretchen: 2 “Close” 4 Comfort?

“Get off our golden boy’s case” seemed to be the message Fox & Friends co-host Gretchen Carlson had this morning for her colleague Brian Kilmeade this morning as he sported about the highly prized client of sports agent and hubby, Casey Close. After Brian’s first sports segment at the blue wall, he went back to the curvy couch and asked to “go off script just a little bit.”* Thereafter, he began to express sympathy for a certain someone in the news who was “going through a tough time.”

However, when he named the “poor chap” as New York Yankee star Derek Jeter and showed the New York Post cover pic of him cavorting with his gorgeous girlfriend actress Minka Kelly on the beach at St. Barts, Gretchen seemed slightly chafed. As Brian “encouraged” the 2009 World Series champion marooned on the isle with his bikini babe that things would get better, Gretchen shook her head, smirked, and crossed her arms tightly against her chest. Appearing more than a moit agitated with Brian’s puckish play, she put her right  forefinger to her temple as if she had a headache and snugly wrapped her left arm defensively around her waist.

When Brian finally finished his elfin tomfoolery,  a relieved Gretchen leaned forward, looked straight ahead, and placed her hands more comfortably in her lap. While co-anchor Steve Doocy introduced the next story, Brian turned to Gretchen and smiled impishly. Like an annoyed school teacher, Gretch gave him the eye for a moment and then looked away with a slight air of irritation.

F&F: NSFSC (Not Safe for Sacred Cows)

* Fox & Friends (11/19/09) – @6:36 a.m. ET

Kiran: Pumpkin Princess

“34D”: another memorable AM mammary moment! After an airline delay report and a baby panda story, American Morning co-anchor John Roberts opined, “Every time you see a panda, you can’t help but feel good about life.” Kiran replied, “That’s right. They should actually start showing those pandas in all the screens if you’re stuck on the tarmac there…from seat 1A to all the way back down to like 34D.”*

Catching herself a tad too late, Kiran giggled, “Oops! 34D. Anyway.” Interjecting rather randily, meteorologist Rob Marciano remarked, “Spreading the happiness.” Readily, Kiran racily replied, “That’s right. Spreading the love.”

Then as she mischievously turned to her co-anchor John Roberts, John struggled to maintain his composure. He shook his head, smiled broadly and saltily added, “I never sat in that seat.” Saucily tilting her head, Kiran responded, “Me either.”

Looking toward the producer, John asked, “Okay, should we just go to break, or should we actually? No, okay, let’s do the tease.” As he read, “Alright, confusion over the mammogram guidelines, our Dr. Gupta,” Kiran simply looked down and abashedly laughed. Chuckling, John commented, “You just can’t make these things up.”

No, you can’t. In fact, as the segment ended and the camera began to fade, John’s eyes immediately gravitated to Kiran’s ample melons. Gazing appreciatively, he aptly added, “I’m as red as your dress.”

Even after Halloween, the pumpkin princess reigns supreme.

*American Morning – @8:53 a.m. ET

Palin: Was the AMFix In?

Even if she was on Oprah, SARAH PALIN WILL NOT BE PRESIDENT! American Morning viewer, if you did not get the message in the first hour, it was repeated in a less than subliminal fashion throughout the next two hours. Before each of its three Sarah Palin segments (two by Carol Costello and another by Christine Romans), a clip of Conan O’Brien’s monologue on the Tonight Show was run.

[In the selected snippet, Conan joked, "The other day Sarah Palin said that she would like to have coffee with Hillary Clinton. Now, Hillary is saying she looks forward to it. The two have agreed to meet at the Never Will Be President Cafe."]

If the Palin slights had stopped at Conan’s comedy, they would have seemed insignificant. However, Carol’s “Palin vs. Oprah” story (which ran twice) seemed to go over the top to discount Palin’s appearance on the talk show queen’s program yesterday. In the promo to Carol’s segment, AM co-host Kiran Chetry had said, “It was Sarah Palin and Oprah: Very interesting, very interesting sit-down interview. And, we’re gonna have Carol Costello join us: she sat down with Libertarians, Independents, Democrats, and Republican women, and said, ‘Hey, what did you think?” However, when Carol appeared after the break, she remarked, “I sat down with four very sharp women, and you know what they thought of the interview? Boring!”

Then she said, “I talked with these four women, a Republican, a Libertarian, a Conservative, and an Independent to watch [sic] Palin vs. Oprah. We chose not to talk to a Democrat because Sarah Palin doesn’t seem to be trying to win over Democrats.” More telling, and, perhaps, a bit damning, she added, “Let’s face it: We know what Democrats think of Sarah Palin.” (She failed to note that according to most polls, approximately 80% of the media votes Democratic.)

Furthermore, Carol did not tell the  viewer how these four women in the focus group were chosen nor their particular political proclivities. E.g., she did not apprise the audience that the Independent Leighann Lord, who claimed that Palin had “almost trivialized the serious decision of abortion,” has been a pro-Obama HuffPo blogger. Moreover, Carol’s other three panelists appeared to be coastal “country club” Republicans at best: one (Jamie Maarten) was an Ivy League Libertarian prez who proclaimed that Palin “was well-spoken” (but cattily added “she did look nice but I feel it stops there”); the second (Marianna Picciocchi) was a “conservative” attorney who asserted that the interview was “boring” and later admitted that her friends, “of course, are all liberal”; and the third (Joyce Giuffra) was a former press secretary of failed GOP nominee Bob Dole, who indicated that she would not be buying the book but clairvoyantly discerned that “supposedly in a 432-page book, only 13 pages were dedicated to policy issues.” Incredibly, Carol stated that these women wanted “substance” [political]–from an Oprah interview. (Perhaps, they prefer their news from Oxygen as well.)

This segment should be an embarrassment to correspondent Carol Costello, American Morning, and, by extension CNN. Perhaps, AM executive producer Jamie Kraft did not get the memo from CNN news chief Jonathan Klein. According to the New York Post, Klein wants CNN “to position itself as an opinion-free, middle-of-the-road alternative to its cable news rivals — conservative Fox News and liberal MSNBC.”

American Morning should have followed Klein’s admonition and played it down the middle. AM is a good show with excellent anchors and gifted correspondents. Its viewers deserved better today. Hopefully, they will get it tomorrow and in the future.

Brian: Lou, Do It!

Fox & Friends put out the Fox News  welcome mat anew for former CNN anchor Lou Dobbs this morning. After discussing Dobbs’ interview with Bill O’Reilly last night with his co-hosts Gretchen Carlson and Brian Kilmeade, Steve Doocy declared, “Also, what’s interesting is Bill O’Reilly on the [Dobbs'] way out the door said, ‘Hey! You want to stop by from time to time?’ So he [Dobbs] said, ‘Yes, he would become kind of a semi-regular on the O’Reilly Factor.” Brian jested, “Usually, he [O'Reilly] just offers them the O’Reilly home game so this was a definite exit package that he [Dobbs] should take advantage of.”

From Dobbs’ acceptance last night of O’Reilly’s offer, it appears that he will indeed. Perhaps, much more.

O’Reilly: Dobbs 2B “Semi-Regular”

After his abrupt but “amicable” adieu to CNN last Wednesday, Lou Dobbs, gave his first TV interview to Bill O’Reilly, FNC’s ratings king, on his eponymous show tonight. In turn, O’Reilly provided the heretofore last surviving original CNN anchor with a fair and friendly interview, asking Dobbs about immigration, the “birther” movement, future plans, etc. At the end of the interview, O’Reilly remarked, “I’d like you to come back…on a semi-regular basis. Would you be willing to do that?” Without hesitation, Dobbs declared, “It would be my honor.”*

CNN may have been happy to see him go since it reportedly ponied up $8 million to see him leave with 1 1/2 years left on his contract. However, it appears that FNC may be just as eager to start its romance with the controversial host.

Watch out, Greta!

*The O’Reilly Factor – 11/16/09 (@8:11 p.m. ET)

Update: Cf. Carpe Diem’s F&F: Dobbs Factor Semi-Regular.

Martha: “Buzzed” Live?

Was the Live Desk a bit too live for Martha MacCallum today? As she and co-anchor Trace Gallagher covered the liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis, they interviewed former NASA astronaut Tom Jones. With regard to the administration’s active review of the NASA program Martha asked, “Any sense of how that evaluation is going and whether or not we’re going to see more extraordinary travels into space and beyond?”

Out of the blue, an unknown and “unshown” woman was heard, saying, “That sounded like Bud [sic] Lightyear right there.”* Not directly acknowledging the probable producer whose “whisper” was apparently inadvertently aired, Martha responded with a hearty laugh. Ignoring or not hearing the interjection, Jones simply answered the question and co-host Trace uttered not a word.

Martha, did your producer mean Bud Lite Year or Buzz Lightyear?

*Live Desk – 11/16/09 (@2:36 p.m. ET)

Dave: “In Your Bed!”

Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Dave Briggs seemed to take a playful jab at his colleague Clayton Morris and his wife Sara this morning. As Clayton introduced an upcoming segment featuring the “Macho Mattress,” he remarked, “All the guys out there, this is the best thing that’s ever happened to the bedroom!”: Chuckling almost uncontrollably, co-anchor Dave Briggs replied, “Lord help us if it is.” Qualifying his statement in response, Clayton remarked, “Well, it’s one of the best things to ever happen”: Dave riantly riposted, “In your bed!”

Ouch! Not necessarily the most a propos thing to say on air to your friend and colleague with a missing wedding ring. Clayton may have left himself wide open, but still!

Domenica: “Just a Girl”?

Fox & Friends Weekend weatherwoman Domenica Davis seemed to take Gwen Stefani’s  anthem a little too literally today. With F&FW meteorologist Rick Reichmuth out celebrating this weekend with his 1991-year-abroad buds, the delightful damsel Domenica subbed for him. Looking demure in her pink frilly dress without decolletage and avec long short sleeves, she seemed to be channelling Gwen Stefani, stating, “I’m just a girl I’d rather not be ’cause they won’t let me drive.”

And Bill Shine probably will not until Domenica looks and acts like she is more than ready to roar. Even though she usually puts out a vivacious, voluptuous vibe, the Italian beauty kept it largely in check today. Even her usual playful rejoinders to co-anchors Clayton Morris and flirtations with Dave Briggs were muted. Maybe, she was mulling over No Doubt’s lyrics in the final verse: I.e., “I’m just a girl, what’s my destiny? What I’ve succumbed to is making me numb.”

No worries, Double D. Perk up and let your inner caliente out. Your future should be bright!

Gretchen’s Red Dress

Fox News’ Gretchen Carlson loved her red dress today. Apparently, so much so, that she refused to take it off. After donning it for her three-hour early morning show, Fox and Friends, she appeared again with the very same one on for her evening O’Reilly Factor guest appearance.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Obviously, unless, a media personality is the proverbial Queen of England, she will wear the same dress on more than one occasion. However, one might expect her to wait for some time to pass before she does.

To be “fair and balanced,” one could easily envisage her “cheap and proud” F&F co-anchor and weekly O’Reilly guest Steve Doocy not changing clothes after a full day for his evening guest slot. In fact, one could even see her no-nonsense predecessor and erstwhile O’Reilly sub E.D. Hill doing the same thing. On second thought, it might not have been that bad to wear her red dress in the evening, too, but it did seem somewhat strange for a former Miss America.

No perspiration stains? That’s her Secret.

Kiran: Puss in Boots?

With her on-screen hubby John Roberts gone today, American Morning co-host Kiran Chetry was back in her single prime. Or, as psychoanalysts might opine, she seemed to “suffer” from the feminine version of the Coolidge effect this morning. The beneficiaries? Her A.M. acolytes.

Yesterday, with the old boy in tow, the Nepalese beauty was rather attractive in her somewhat short teal dress with a modestly plunging neckline. However, today, with T. J. Holmes subbing, Kiran showed her sexier side in a red form-fitting mini and black stiletto-heeled ankle boots. The girl was back: she knew it, and everyone else did as well.

The controversial Puss in Boots? Nah. But, who would mind if she were?

O’Reilly: “Cu* Activity”?

Did Bill O’Reilly really just say THAT about Jennifer Lopez’ “sex tape“? I.e., the “c” word that rhymes with “sum.” Listening to the O’Reilly Factor tonight, the author could not believe what he apparently heard–even after listening to it repeatedly on DVR.

During the “Is It Legal” segment (with his legal lovelies, Lis Wiehl and Kimberly Guilfoyle), O’Reilly asked about the wisdom of Jennifer Lopez’ suing her ex-hubby Ojani Noa over their honeymoon romp video.  He seemingly said, “Jennifer Lopez’ first husband [is] trying to make money off of her. He’s got some tape showing cu* activity that Jennifer doesn’t want out there. Jennifer’s suing the guy for $10,000,000: Is that a smart play?” [Italics added for emphasis.]

Please say that it is not so. However, reader, listen carefully for yourself. The apparent Freudian slip occurred at @ 8:44 p.m. ET. Yikes!

F&F’s “Fresh” Leftovers

Ready, reader, for some Paula Deen next-day leftovers? No? They are still as “fresh” as the Georgia Peach herself and as “juicy” as her Savannah sweets even if they were served yesterday on Fox & Friends. [Even though the author had decided not to blog about Paula's appearance, he changed his mind when he found that the morsels were not found easily elsewhere.]

Yesterday celebrity cook Paula Deen helped her hubby, Michael Groover promote his new book, “My Delicious Life with Paula,” in her interview with co-hosts Steve Doocy, Brian Kilmeade, and Gretchen Carlson. As it began, Paula said that she watched Fox & Friends every morning. A rather inquisitive Brian asked what she wore when she did: Undaunted, Paula disclosed that she was sometimes naked and on occasion she and her husband both were.

When she did, Steve looked down and Paula had her hand on his knee. After Steve mentioned that she was the first person other than Henry Kissinger to start an interview this way, an emboldened Paula ran her hand up his inner thigh a bit. After abashing Steve thoroughly, she brought it back and assured him that it was there [on his knee] again. Steve asserted that it was okay.

Always the impish wag, Brian randily told everyone to grab someone. Sitting side by side, a reddened Gretchen put her hand on Brian’s knee, and he took her shoulder. Trying to gain control of the situation, Gretchen deftly segued from the “dirty” situation to “dirty players” (Elizabeth Lambert, YouTube’s bad girl University of Mexico soccer player).

It was yet another F&F crazy senior moment!

Missing Clayton?

Fans of Fox & Friends Weekend may well have been in for a surprise this morning: co-anchor Clayton Morris was missing from the “curvy couch.” As the show opened, co-host Dave Briggs announced, “Clayton Morris is off for the first time since coming to Fox News almost two years ago.” Oddly, he and fellow co-anchors, Alisyn Camerota and fill-in Peter Johnson, Jr., failed to elaborate. (At the onset of the second hour, Aly merely mentioned that Clayton was “giving a big speech.”)

Happily, however, Clayton had alerted his Twitter followers of his impending absence. Yesterday evening, he Tweeted, “Yes I will be off tomorrow from Fox and Friends…. I’m here at my Alma Mater tonight.” Earlier, he had disclosed, “Arrived in Pittsburgh. Giving a speech tonight at University of Pittsburg. (Nostalgically, he intoned, “Ahhh I haven’t been here since I graduated.”)

Since F&FW producers have run “Get to Know Your Anchor” segments in the past, it seems somewhat strange that they failed to fully inform the viewers about Clayton’s whereabouts. However, happily, Clayton did apprise his Twitter followers. If the reader is not one of them or simply missed his Tweets, the author thought you might want to know.