Kiran Chetry Confesses: “Two New Obsessions”

“I’ve been on the beach…not…actually ‘working.'” Former CNN and FNC anchor Kiran Chetry is back and she has a confession to make: she has two, no, three new obsessions. After promising her fervent fans to be back “soon!!!!!” less than three weeks ago, she delivered, at least, a foretaste as a Huffington Post contributor today. In an article entitled “Observations from My Armchair,” Kiran revealed that she has indeed seized her personal “very special opportunity” after her emotional namaskaar to her American Morning audience over a year ago.

In a missive to her Twitter followers, Kiran Tweeted, “Check out my post from Huff Po…. Observations From My Armchair.” In the article, she declared, “I’ve been on the beach. Not sunning myself, but in TV terms, I have not been actually ‘working.'” Elaborating, the Nepalese beauty continued, “I left CNN last summer and quickly discovered two new obsessions: Tennis, and Bikram (hot) yoga.”  [Kiran’s doubles champ pic and yoga goddess photo.] Then, in an sweet sop to her votaries who have eagerly anticipated her return to early morning news, she explained, “Oh, three obsessions actually. After 12 years doing some form of morning or night shift, I have become obsessed with eight hours of sleep. Something I haven’t seen since before Y2K shut down our world (errr).

Subsequently, in her HuffPo post, Kiran opines about her aptly cynical perspective on Presidential politics. In the process, she discloses that she is an independent voter and bemoans the fact that the Presidential candidates can not now actually be honest and tell the truth a la Ron Paul in the election process. Paraphrasing Jack Nicholson in a Few Good Men, she wonders, “As a nation could we really handle the truth?”

The nation? Perhaps, not. But, Kiran, your fans surely can–at least, for the moment. But, they still want their “Ray of Light” to brighten their dawn anew.

[Author’s aside: Surprised by Kiran’s truth? Cf. “Kiran Chetry: A Year Later”.]

Wallace Repentant? “Happy” if Paul Wins

Bushie no more? Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace seemed to distance himself from his GOP establishment colleagues, e.g., Karl Rove, Dana Perino, etc. today. After pontificating yesterday on FNC’s “Your World with Neil Cavuto” that a Ron Paul victory would “discredit the Iowa caucuses,” Wallace chose a decidedly different tack this morning when Happening Now co-host Jon Scott asked him what a Paul win would mean in Iowa. With his sails more neatly trimmed, Wallace responded, “I don’t mean in any way to denigrate Ron Paul….I fully understand why his…millions of supporters across the country but thousands here in Iowa are so supportive of him.”*

Elaborating, he continued, “But, I think it is fair to say [that] he is a long shot for the Republican nomination. And, to the degree that people look at these States and say, ‘Are they picking a President?,” if they were to pick Paul, I think a lot of the–and, maybe, we’re not so smart–but a lot of the smart guys in the media and in the Republican party would say, ‘Well, that’s kind of an aberration.” Apparently, repentant, he added, “Now, it may be that Ron Paul proves us wrong, and I’d be happy if he did because it would be a very exciting race.”

Chris Wallace: fair and balanced? Trying.

*Happening Now – 12/15/11 (@ 12:11 a.m. ET)

FNC’s Liz Trotta DISSES The Donald

“Vulgarian…celebrity journalist…lounge lizard.” Ouch! Fox News contributor Liz Trotta minced no words in her weekly America’s News HQ commentary about the prospect of real estate mogul Donald Trump’s moderating the GOP Presidential debate on December 27 in Iowa.* Instead of the almost worshipful tone usually adopted by FNC’s Fox & Friends co-hosts for The Donald during his own weekly appearances, Trotta employed a more iconoclastic attitude as she joyfully bashed the Celebrity Apprentice star.

When ANHQ co-host Eric Shawn introduced Trotta’s segment (about media reaction to the debate and candidate participation in it), he sardonically remarked, “So, from the venerable Howard K. Smith moderating the Kennedy-Nixon debate to The Donald.”

Chuckling in concurrence, Trotta first opined that the media were afraid of Trump or of losing access to him: Sneering, she added, “The man really is a vulgarian and really traipses in where he shouldn’t be such as Presidential debates.” Approvingly, she then noted GOP candidate Ron Paul had declined Trump’s invitation and quoted his issued statement which read, “The selection of a reality television personality to host a presidential debate that voters nationwide will be watching is beneath the office of the Presidency and flies in the face of that office’s history and dignity.” With less favor, she subsequently cited Republican frontrunner Newt Gingrich’s “whole-hearted” acceptance of Trump’s invitation and his assertion that he “loves entertainment,” Disdainfully, she declared, “Well, thank you, Newt, because that’s exactly what it’s going to be: It’s certainly not gonna have anything to do with journalism. I mean, Donald Trump as journalist or, we should say, as celebrity journalist.” When concluding her report, she snidely noted that Trump has a new book out and that he seems to surface whenever he does.

Smiling, Shawn sarcastically responded, “‘Seems to surface,’ I don’t think he ever goes away. But he does say, Mr. Trump in his defense says [that] he will talking about important issues…[that] it will be a serious debate and…[that] he gets high ratings.”

Dismissively, Trotta declared, “Well, I don’t know about the ratings but…he keeps just repeating the same thing: I’m sure [that] we’re gonna here the same old line about China and all his…sorta truck-driver tough remarks.” Scornfully, she snarked, “I mean, here is this lounge lizard trying to sound like a working man: It really is quite laughable….But, it will be entertainment.”

After Trotta tossed back to Shawn, he duly laughed, “Alright, vulgarian, lounge lizard, Liz, when you go home, stay away from Trump Tower. Okay? You don’t know what could come off the terraces.”

Other than the boiling oil.

*America’s News HQ – 12/4/11 (@ 11:56 a.m. ET)

Juliet Returns Unrepentant: Slaps Paul Anew

Huddy: “Yellow belly” Ron Paul “Tutti Frutti,” too. In her first appearance on Fox & Friends Weekend after calling Ron Paul a “yellow belly” for not appearing on the O’Reilly Factor, Fox & Friends Weekend guest co-host Juliet Huddy doubled down on her abuse of libertarian icon Ron Paul.

During a segment subtitled “Ice Cream GOP,” co-hosts Clayton Morris, Dave Briggs, and Juliet read viewer emails pairing Republican contestants with ice cream flavors. After Dave had read one comparing Rick Perry to “Rocky Road” and Mitt Romney to cherry vanilla, Juliet chuckled, “Alright, this one’s funny: ‘Ron Paul [is] Tutti Frutti.'”* As Clayton guffawed and Dave laughed, “That’s not us,” a still “daring or ditzy” Juliet proclaimed, “I don’t think [that] Mr. Paul would find that funny: But, I do!”

Two hours later, Juliet apologized, “I’m sorry that I name called”: ironically, it was not to Ron Paul but to Janeane Garofolo. During the Fox News Sunday promo segment, producers had aired an FNC clip of Cain attributing his Florida straw poll victory to the fact that the “voice of the people is much more powerful than the voice of the media” and that the “message is more powerful than money”: afterwards, Juliet declared, “I have to say something. Remember, when we talked…about a month ago now about what Janeane Garofolo, that dope, was saying about him….It just shows the longer this goes on, the longer he’s able to speak, the more people are really listening to him.” Less than a minute later, she partially expiated, saying, “I’m sorry that I name called. She’s a bad actress.”

Apparently, Ron Paul will still have to wait for his “contrite” apology from Juliet. Even though the Hoboken honey received a reprieve from her fellow Jersey girl, F&FW‘s queen Alisyn Camerota, for calling Paul a “yellow belly,” she may well be pushing her luck. I.e., even though Juliet finds it funny to allude to Paul as “Tutti Frutti,” F&FW‘s Paul fans may not be laughing at her scorn: If not, Aly may be less and less forgiving in the future.

*Fox & Friends Weekend – 10/01/11 (@ 7:32 a.m. ET)
**Ibid at 9:34 a.m. ET.

Juliet Huddy’s Odd O’Reilly Appearance

Osama bin Laden still alive? Fox News anchor Juliet Huddy was back–stranger still. Last week Juliet curiously called GOP candidate and libertarian icon Ron Paul a “yellow belly” on the O’Reilly Factor and suggested that anchor Bill O’Reilly should slap Paul figuratively and/or literally for not returning to the show. This Wednesday, she seemed to have more comically missed the missive that Osama bin Laden had been killed by U.S. troops in May.

At the beginning of Juliet’s weekly “Did You See That?” segment, O’Reilly played a September 14th “The View” clip of Michael Moore apparently advocating the trial of terrorists in U.S. courts and co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck anachronistically retorting that [the deceased] Osama bin Laden does [sic] not deserve a trial in New York City.* When O’Reilly asked Juliet for her opinion of the debate, Juliet responded, “Frankly, for him to say that Osama bin Laden deserves or should be tried here in the United States, first no. No, he doesn’t. We know he’s a killer….We don’t need to try him. There isn’t any proof to be shown. We all know he is and he admits it.”

Subtly correcting her and setting the record straight for viewers, O’Reilly responded, “Naw. He, he, he declared war on the United States and the military took him out.” In response, Juliet blankly looked straight ahead as he segued to a question on an MTV fighting teenage mom.

Oops! Perhaps, Juliet’s simply had her tense usage wrong–or, maybe, her mind was merely muddled as she entered San Francisco’s clime. After all, before her appearance on O’Reilly, she Tweeted, “Driving over foggy Golden Gate Bridge on way to do O’Reilly. See you tonite!”  Perchance, after embracing her new “foggy” bohemian environs a mite too much in the interval, Juliet simply lost her short-term memory for the moment.

Nevertheless, an “odd” Juliet is better than no Juliet.

*O’Reilly Factor – 09/14/11 – @ 8:48 p.m. ET

Aly Back In: Juliet Out?

Camerota: “Let’s make it a surprise.” A “Shine” surprise? After abdicating her Fox & Friends Weekend throne for five months, co-host Alisyn Camerota announced her long-awaited return to F&FW tomorrow. Early this morning as she hosted F&F weekday, Aly Tweeted, “FOX News Alert — I’ll be back on F+F this Saturday! …don’t tell Dave and Clayton. let’s make it a surprise. I may wear a disguise.”

Five months to the very day: Aly’s return just in the nick of time? Last week FNC aired a new F&FW promo for its Labor Day weekend that featured her recent sole sub Juliet Huddy with F&FW co-anchors Clayton Morris and Dave Briggs as “One Morning Team” and “the Friends You Trust.” The message seemed pellucidly clear: FNC had dubbed Juliet queen again of the F&FW curvy couch. After all, Aly had been strangely absent from her F&FW post for almost five months (approximately one month longer than the purported “maternity shuffle” for Megyn Kelly): Furthermore, in the interim, Aly had repeated anchored other FNC shows, including, America’s Newsroom, Happening Now, America Live, and even Fox & Friends weekday without returning to her own F&FW.

Perhaps, Aly realized that she needed to move now if she were to reclaim her F&FW throne from Juliet before it was too late: i.e., before her co-hosts, Clayton and Dave, and her viewers switched their allegiance to Juliet. Even though it may appear less likely, FNC Senior VP of Programming Bill Shine himself may have prompted the move to oust Juliet, at least, for now, after her questionable comments two days ago on the O’Reilly Factor: Juliet called GOP Presidential candidate Ron Paul a “yellow belly” who would not appear on O’Reilly and that O’Reilly should have “just slapped him down” – verbally or literally. Coincidently or not, just yesterday, the author wrote, “Unless Alisyn Camerota returns to her long “abandoned” center seat this weekend, F&FW viewers should not be surprised by a ‘contrite’ apology posthaste from jaunty Juliet to Paul and his Praetorian Guard.” (Apparently, Juliet’s apology will have to wait.)

Welcome back, Aly! Hopefully, you will stay. But, whatever you do, do not banish F&FW‘s beloved Juliet from your F&FW realm for good.

Juliet Huddy: “Yellow Belly” Ron Paul

“Just slapped him down!” Daring or ditzy? With a slight smile, Fox News anchor Juliet Huddy tore into GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul last night on the O’Reilly Factor over his refusal to return to the show. During her weekly “Did You See That?” segment (after Factor ambush reporter Jesse Waters’ interview of the recalcitrant Paul), host Bill O’Reilly revealed, “Huddy said something very interesting to me as she came on the set….You [Juliet] said I should have let Ron Paul have it.”* Gesturing as if she were smacking Paul on the face repeatedly, she exclaimed, “Just slapped him down!”

Subsequently, O’Reilly queried, “Really?” Pointing at him for emphasis, Juliet remarked, “We love seeing that.” Clarifying Juliet’s “slap-down” advice, O’Reilly asked, “Verbally? Verbally?”

Ignoring his suggested caution, Juliet answered, “Well, or, the other way, too. You know, you couldn’t do that on set, obviously, ’cause he’s not going to be here.” Interjecting, O’Reilly remarked, “I’m not going to slap anybody.” Upping the ante, Juliet responded, “The yellow belly won’t be here! But…it would have been great.”

Perchance, Juliet was just blowing sweet blandishments in the ear of her “William.” But, she must know that Paul has a phalanx of fiercely loyal supporters that may not take too kindly too her caustic comments. If they turn on her, she may experience a blowblack that she will not soon forget.

Juliet’s assualt: daring or ditzy? Regardless, of the answer, it was probably ill-timed. Just as she appears to be becoming more and more ensconced again on the curvy couch as a Fox & Friends Weekend co-host, Juiet seemed to give short shrift to the political hero of one of F&FW‘s core demos. Unless Alisyn Camerota returns to her long “abandoned” center seat this weekend, F&FW viewers should not be surprised by a “contrite” apology posthaste from jaunty Juliet to Paul and his Praetorian Guard.

O’Reilly Factor – 09/07/11 (@ 11:52 a.m. ET)

Paul Whacks Trump Back

Rep. Ron Paul struck back at real estate mogul Donald Trump during an interview Sunday on Fox & Friends Weekend. When asked by F&FW co-anchor Alisyn Camerota for a response to Trump’s scoffing, “Look, we all know Ron Paul can never win,” (Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference) ” Paul derisively laughed, “I don’t know whether anybody who’s never run a race or won a race is going to be the judge of whether or not an individual can win.*

GOP Presidential polemics: the fun has begun!

Fox & Friends Weekend – 02/13/11 (@ 9:05 a.m. ET)

*Camerota actually paraphrased Trump’s saying, “By the way, Ron Paul cannot get elected, I’m sorry to tell you….Honestly, he has just zero chance of getting elected. You have to win an election.”

Update: Ron Paul repeated his slam of Trump again today on American Morning in an interview with AM co-host Kiran Chetry. When Chetry asked Paul about Trump’s slam at CPAC, he replied, “I’ve won eleven times….I don’t know whether he has earned the right…to criticize somebody for not winning an election when I don’t know how many elections he’s won himself.” (Vid via Mediaite.)