Oops! Stephanie didn’t get the American Morning memo today. Fresh from her vacation in Puerto Rico, CNN biz beauty Stephanie Elam returned to the AM set today to report on the government shutdown. Unfortunately, for her AM colleagues, Ali Velshi and Kiran Chetry, she had not received that AM “e-mail” as to Ali’s ad libs.
In her mid-show segment this morning, Stephanie dutifully reported on “government & private workers who’ll be hurt by [a federal government] shutdown.” After her story, Ali emphasized that, unlike governmental workers who would recoup their lost wages, businesses that catered to spring tourists simply lost their seasonal earnings.
Enthusiastically, Stephanie agreed, “They don’t get it back! That’s just lost. And, this is the beginning, especially like D.C.” Elaborating, she added, “Cherry blossoms–I went to school in D.C.–love it! That is like the best time and people come to see that every year. It’s a beautiful time.”
Concurring, Kiran (Gaithersburg, MD native and Terp alum), interjected, “I know. Me, too…It’s a huge draw. Huge draw!”
Turning to Kiran to make his point more poignantly, Ali proclaimed, “We were actually planning a little trip down there for cherry blossoms.” Looking back at Stephanie, he groused, “But, now if the government shuts down, we’re not gonna have that trip.”
Eying Ali quizzically, Stephanie glanced down at her notes and then back up at him, querying, “You’re not? Was I invited to this trip?” Seeming to sense that her friend and colleague Ali might need to be aided–and, perhaps, even abetted–Kiran nodded emphatically at Stephanie and exclaimed, “Yes!” Echoing his helpful co-host, a stone-faced Aly shook his head but once and unconvincingly uttered, “Yeah.”
Still puzzled, Stephanie looked at Kiran. In response, Kiran explained, “It was on an e-mail that we sent a week ago.” Then, she appeared to give Stephanie a knowing eye and a telling smile.
Meanwhile, Ali pursed his lips and licked them as Kiran spoke. Seeming to realize that his apparently apocyrphal anecdote had been exposed, he jested, “Yeah, it’s a class trip!” Laughing, Kiran chimed (to Stephanie), “It may have been in your spam box.”
Perhaps, that’s what happened to John Roberts’ AM e-mail, too, when he gainsayed Kiran on the Imus Show a few weeks ago. Oh, wait! John probably no longer has his Turner account.
American Morning – 04/08/11 (@ 7:28 a.m. ET)
Carpe Diem 