Smoldering Sambolin: “That’s So Wrong!”

Berman: If that’s why you’re Googling [Paul Ryan] shirtless, that’s, that’s your own business. Early Start co-host Zoraida Sambolin, the caliente CNN senorita too oft with the dress just a little too long and the heels just a little too short, let her fans know today that she is assuredly smoldering–even on the job. And, her co-anchor John Berman gave her good-natured grief for it.

During a post-V.P.-Debate segment, Zoraida and John interviewed Google Election Team member Abbi Tatton for trending Internet search terms as Vice President Joe Biden and GOP V.P. nominee Paul Ryan battled.* After Tatton indicated that “Biden,” “conflating,” “malarkey,” and “who is winning the debate” topped the list, John asked her also for what Google users searched in conjunction with the candidates names. In response, she noted that they looked for Biden’s age, his “laughing,” and his wife Jill whereas they were searching for something quite different with Ryan, e.g., “shirtless” and “workout.”

Meanwhile, a seemingly embarrassed Zoraida began to chuckle. Looking over at Zoraida, John teased, “This is during the debate people are saying, ‘Paul Ryan shirtless’?” In reply, Tatton disdainfully declared, “While they’re talking about Afghanistan, Iran, the ayatollahs, then people are searching for what does he look like without his shirt on.”

Defensively, Zoraida riposted, “Well, because it’s such a big deal that everybody’s talking about it. I gotta tell you [that] I must admit that I also Googled it.” Grinning, a reddening Zoraida added, “This was early on, though.”

Subsequently, in the following EP block, a smiling Zoraida introduced the very next story, saying, “Morning after the Vice Presidential debate and there’s a lot of talk about Paul Ryan pumping iron. It’s our late night laughs.”** After airing clips of late-night comics Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel mocking Ryan’s Time Magainze iron man poses with weights, Zoraida turned to a smirking John: Sheepishly, Zoraida insisted, “Alright, the intense fascination is because he works out to P90X which is really an intense workout.”

Shaking his head incredulously, John jested, “You know, you don’t have to explain yourself to me. If that’s why you’re Googling him shirtless, that’s, that’s your own business!”

Blushing, Zoraida retorted, “I did it for my job!” Chuckling, she playfully slapped John on the arm. After their shot had ended, an off-cam Zoraida exclaimed, “That’s so wrong!”

So wrong. Or, so right for a blossoming chemistry between Zoraida and John.

*Early Start – 10/12/12 (@ 5:54 a.m. ET)

**Ibid at @ 5:59 a.m. ET.

Romney Speech Interrupted–by Karl Rove!

Romney: We’re gonna talk about aspirations and American ideas. Rove: “Hello?” Putative GOP nominee Mitt Romney was bizarrely interrupted today as he announced his new running mate Rep. Paul Ryan: the unlikely culprit, his Super PAC pal, GOP operative Karl Rove. When Romney was wrapping up his introduction of Ryan as aired on FNC, he said, “We’re gonna talk about aspirations and American ideas: Ironically, immediately, an off-camera Rove says, “Hello? Yes. Fine, how are you?”

Apparently, Rove’s FNC mike was hot and his phone was on during Romney’s oration. After Ryan’s subsequent address and commentary by FNC’s Bret Baier and Britt Hume, Rove appeared as a Fox News election special guest to discuss Romney’s selection of Ryan. But, neither he nor his interviewer Baier mentioned the odd blooper.

Karl Rove: “Call me, maybe”? Maybe, not.

*Fox & Friends (preempted during final hour)- 08/11/12 (@ 9:27 a.m. ET)

“Barracuda” Palin Bites Gingrich Back

“What in the heck did you mean?…Bless [your] heart.” Possible GOP Prez candidate Palin bit back hard against Newt Gingrich last night for his acerbic criticism of her four months ago in the aftermath of the Tucson shootings. In an interview with Greta van Susteren on On the Record, the former Alaskan governor was asked whether the media challenge of Gingrich for his recent attack on House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan (as “radical change” and “right-wing social engineering”) was right.* Palin replied, “[T]he media…we all have a right to ask Speaker Gingrich, ‘What in the heck did you mean that Paul Ryan’s budget plan is “radical” or “social engineering”?’ No, what is ‘radical’ is not proposing a plan to counter Obama’s budget plan that has us on the road to bankruptcy.”

Subsequently, Van Susteren observed that another GOP 2012 candidate, former PA Sen. Rick Santorum, should be grateful that the Gingrich controversy overshadowed his comment (that Sen. John McCain, Palin’s 2008 GOP Prez running mate, did not understand torture). Smiling sardonically, Palin answered, “[W]hat I thought after the whole Newt Gingrich thing in these last twenty-four hours, Greta, was bless his heart and every other good old boy’s heart that’s in that political game in the Beltway. They don’t really know any more than the rest of us.”

Seemingly, still smarting from Gingrich’s acerbic counsel to her after she accused her media critics of “blood libel” (after they seemed to insuate that she bore some responsibility for the apparent assassination attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-AZ),” Palin sniped, “Greta, it was Newt Gingrich who told me in January of this year Sarah Palin needs to slow down and really think through what is that she has to say. Well, you know, he, he stumbles, too. We all stumble: We all have our strengths and our weaknesses.”

With a bloodied Gingrich in the GOP waters, a hungry Sarah Barracuda was more than ready to feed.

*On the Record with Greta van Susteren – 05/19/11 (@ 10:08 p.m. ET)