Another Leg Up

In her debut as lone anchor on her new FNC show, America Live, Megyn Kelly fans were not disappointed.* Fresh from a maternity leave of four months, the “old” Kelly was back: smart, sharp, and sexy. Apparently, Fox News Senior VP of Programming Bill Shine decided not to mess with her winning formula.

In promos for American Live, FNC had presented its star, Megyn Kelly, much too somberly.* I.e., this Ms. Kelly would be a SERIOUS newsMan much like some of her male-mimicking counterparts in the old media. Happily, the previews did not match the style nor the substance of its brainy, blond beauty.

Yesterday, from matching wits with cam-ham lawyer Gloria Allred to waxing maternal about her newborn son Yates, Megyn seemed to navigate with comfort the gamut of a “working” woman’s duties. Dressed is a rather conserative red dress (high-necked & knee-high), she still was fun and frisky with liberal shots of her long legs throughout the show. Megyn was not afraid to be herself: professional mom and married hottie.

In other words, the lovely legal eagle acquitted herself well yesterday. The latest step up for FNC’s rapidly rising star on the FNC ladder. What’s next? Hm. N.B. As the New York Times reminded readers Sunday Greta van Susteren’s current contract expires at the end of this year.

* Vid links: via Johnny Dollar’s Place (J$P).

Carlson’s OctoMom Crusade Peters Out

Fox & Friends co-anchor Gretchen Carlson’s ceaseless crusade against Nadya Suleman a/k/a OctoMom was calmly and logically eviscerated by FNC legal analyst Peter Johnson, Jr., this morning in an Octomom segment. When Johnson asserted that Suleman and her eight newborns desperately needed help, Carlson’s replied, “She’s defied help, though, Peter: apparently, Gloria Allred’s outfit…offered twenty-four hour care…for free.” Johnson countered, “I think Gloria Allred is a bit of a buttinsky in this case….because what she said [was]…if you don’t take this help, then the county authorities are going to step in: That was a public threat that was not useful.”

After further noting Vivid Video’s offer to give Suleman one million dollars and health care for her children in exchange for becoming a porn actress for it, Johnson said, “That’s sick. The stresses that are on this woman are tremendous.” Somewhat callously, Carlson countered, “Oh, please, Peter! She would never have been under this stress had she not done the irresponsible thing and had these eight babies to begin with: The full responsibility is on her shoulders.”

Johnson responded, “Well, the full responsibility may be on the doctor who did it.” In part Carlson conceded, “Both.” Compassionately, Johnson replied, “We’re very concerned about the children from Mumbai and we should be: These new children who are still sick in the hospital, we should be concerned about them….We don’t like what this woman did but these children are at risk!”

Well said, Peter.