Sarah Palin: Dick “Never Misfires”

Greta: “He’s not afraid to say things about the women.” Former Vice President Dick Cheney got “b*tch slapped” tonight on On the Record for his dis of the former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as a “mistake” re her selection by 2008 Republican nominee John McCain as his running mate–by both Palin and host Greta Van Susteren. As if the blow-back from his daughter Liz were not enough for the “best VP ever.”

During her interview of Palin, Van Susteren gave the GOP base fave a chance to hit back hard at the Bush establishment’s Darth Vader. She asked, “Dick Cheney…said some words that he didn’t think that you were a particularly good choice 2008….Your response to Dick Cheney?”*

Grimacing and arching her eyebrows, Palin inhaled deeply and caustically said, “Well, seeings how Dick there.” Appearing to feign to catch herself in reverence for her ailing elder, Palin sarcastically continued, “Excuse me, Vice President Cheney never misfires, then evidently he’s quite convinced that what he had evidently read about me by the lame stream media…what I believe is a false narrative…and that’s a shame so he characterized me as being a mistake.”

Sympathetically, Van Susteren acerbically added, “I might note that Vice President Cheney took a little bit of a slap at Condaleeza Rice in his book, saying she got all teared up….He’s not afraid to say things about the women.”

And, these women are not afraid to say things back about “the man.”

*On the Record with Greta Van Susteren – 07/31/12 (@10:07 a.m. ET)

Update: Vid via Realclearpolitics.com.

“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)

Pawlenty Again: Trump Like Hulk Hogan

“I like Donald Trump….He’s successful. He’s entertaining.” In a Fox & Friends interview this morning, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty took another shot at GOP presidential co-leader Donald Trump this morning. For the second day in a row, Pawlenty compared Trump (real estate mogul and NBC’s The Apprentice reality star) to Hulk Hogan, (wrestling legend and VH-1’s Hogan Knows Best reality star). No umbrage meant, though.

Today F&F co-anchor Brian Kilmeade asked Pawlenty if an April 9-10 CNN/Opinion Research GOP presidential poll showing him with only 2% support vis-a-vis 19% for front runners Donald Trump and Governor Mike Huckabee was very discouraging to him. In response, Pawlenty declared, “Well, it’s not….In the early months here, you’re gonna see just people who have higher name I.D. doing better in those polls. And, if you threw in, you know, Hulk Hogan or somebody like that, they’d be at the top of the polls, too.”*

In a follow-up question, Kilmeade coolly queried, “Do you put Donald Trump with Hulk Hogan?” Laughing, Pawlenty replied, “No. I just mean in terms of familiarity. I like Donald Trump. I think he’s successful, he entertaining, and he’s gonna bring a lot to the debate…if he runs.”

However, belying Pawlenty’s denial that he was coupling Trump and Hogan together were similar statements that he made last night to Piers Morgan on his eponymous CNN show as reported by Politico. Apparently, using the same talking points, Pawlenty positioned himself as the “serious person who has tackled…[the]…issues” in the middle of a “continuum” with “Mitt Romney…with the most name-ID and money” on one end and people like “Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Donald Trump, or I don’t know, Hulk Hogan” on the other. Like today, he hastily added that he intended “no disrespect.”

Perhaps, just as likely, Trump will take no offense.

*Fox & Friends – 04/13/11 (@ 7:04 a.m. ET)

Update: For Pawlenty’s YouTube vid of his F&F interview, link here.

Aly’s F&F: “The Hardness Factor”

Camerota:  “Tempest in a ‘C’ Cup.” Before hitting the snowy slopes this weekend, Fox & Friends‘ alluring Alisyn Camerota heated up the F&F “lodge” Friday. To wit, she started the fires with her racy analysis of the Sarah Palin/Michelle Obama breastfeeding brouhaha, stoked them with her “Hardness Factor” promo, and later brought them to a roar with her handling of the fertility segment itself.

When F&F ran the Sarah Palin/Michele Obama story (in which Palin jauntily jested that new moms should follow the First lady’s advice to breastfeed their babies “because the price of milk is so high,” Aly asserted, I’m confused by this debate.”* Elaborating, she declared, “Everybody basically agrees that breastfeeding is best: So…they’re not in dispute. It’s good economically [and] it’s good nutritionally….I think that Michelle Obama is just…trying to cut down on obesity….First Ladies have often had advocacy of certain issues.” Defusing the partisan issue with her sexy spark, a smiling, suggestive Aly saucily concluded, This is a tempest in a teapot. Or, a teacup. Or, a ‘C’ cup.”

Subsequently, matters turned more sensual in the final hour as Aly’s co-anchor Steve Doocy teased the “Hardness Factor” segment. As Geraldo Rivera waited in the wings to promote his show, Steve ribaldly remarked that F&F was going to tell viewers how to have a baby on 11/11/11.** Amused, Aly animatedly clapped her hands and saucily tittered, “Not only that, Brian and I are going to eat libido-enhancing foods: Steve, you may want to wear some protective gear after that. That’s all I’m saying.”

As Steve cringed in mock disgust at Aly’s fresh comment, co-host Brian Kilmeade laughed heartily, declaring, “And, Geraldo is here weighing in on everything: there’s not a topic that he can’t handle. Meanwhile, the priapic anchor of his eponymous show Geraldo at Large appeared on split screen with the co-host trio, salaciously interjecting, “My head’s going to blow.” As a smiling Aly raised her eyebrows and a reddening Steve laughed heartily, a waggish Brian exclaimed, “So to speak!”

Later, Aly turned up the heat even more in her sexy food segment with Brian. Before she did so, Brian introduced Dr. Steven Lamm, author of “How to Achieve Your Best Health and Sexual Fitness at Any Age: “The Hardness Factor” and asked him to give a “clinical look at something people like to giggle about.”*** Complying with alacrity, Lamm asked what food should not be eaten before lovemaking. When an off-camera Steve interjected, “Garlic,” Aly correctly countered, “No…Oh, no! I know the answer. It’s this one [cheeseburger and “raw meat”].”

Subsequently, Aly showed that her apt answer was no fluke as Lamm went through his list of fertility foods by property (anatomic, aromatic, and chemical). As he began to explain, saying, “When you look at foods, they are either going to look phallic,” a lusty Aly arched her eyebrows, smiled suggestively, and nodded assuredly. Then, when Lamm explained that other aphrodisiacs emitted an aroma, a light-hearted Aly identified basil as one that Italian men loved. Subsequently, when Lamm elaborated that hot peppers, chocolate, and honey chemically charged the body for love, a naughty Aly dipped her index finger into the honey (at Lamm’s invitation), put it between her lips, and then sensually suckled it.

Seemingly, Aly was too hot for F&F‘s producers. As she stuck her finger into her mouth, the camera lingered for a few safe seconds on the honey jar. Not until she began to suck her finger clean, did it pan up to her face, and then–at a discreet distance.

Nevertheless, apparently, Aly felt just right. As she concluded the “Hardness Factor” with Lamm, she randily remarked, “Thank you. We’re feeling more fertile already. Thanks, doctor.”

Aly: F&F’s real Doctor Feelgood?

*Fox & Friends – 02/18/11 – @ 7:09 a.m. ET

**Fox & Friends – 02/18/11 – @ 8:01 a.m. ET

***Fox & Friends – 02/18/11 – @ 8:23 a.m. ET

“Silly” Sullenberger? Silly F&FW!

“He’s the hero pilot behind the miracle on the Hudson…Captain ‘Silly’ Sullenberger.” As Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Dave Briggs teased an upcoming airline safety segment at the beginning of F&FW, he set the tone for a bigger bungling of the segment by the producers, i.e., a “silly” attempt to rerun the segment in the final hour as if it were new.

Toward the end of the first hour, Dave and Clayton’s interview of Captain “Sully” Sullenberger was excellent (even though Dave unwittingly called the pilot “Silly” Sullenberger anew). Apparently, the producers thought it was, too. So much so, that they ran it again about three hours later—without context.

In the final ten minutes of the program, F&FW returned from commercial break as if it were live. Immediately, without any introduction, the producers began to air the taped interview. As it ran, they even failed to alert their audience with a simple graphic stating that the segment had “previously aired today on Fox & Friends Weekend.” To boot, when the taped interview ended, co-anchor Alisyn Camerota (as if addressing Dave and Clayton directly) said, “Alright. Thanks, guys!”

No thanks, FNC. If F&FW producers are struggling to fill four hours of programming (including ads), it may be understandable to repeat a segment on occasion. However, it not acceptable for them to mislead the audience into thinking that such reruns are original content.

[Author’s aside: In partial defense of the producers, perhaps, they were exceptionally tired in that final hour of the show. Before their bungled second airing of the Sullenberger interview, supra, they had a less egregious gaffe early in that hour. During a story on GOP front runners, they displayed a poll graphic (including GOP candidate photos), mislabeling Mitt Romney “Palin” and Sarah Palin “Romney.” A bit more F&FW “morning joe” needed?]

AM, F&F: Yin, Yang

Subliminal messages collide? Giffords “memorial” Palin pic: Now you see it, now you don’t! As both American Morning and Fox & Friends decried the divisive political climate evident in the aftermath of the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-D), they both also appeared to embrace it subliminally this morning. Case in point: the respective placement and non-placement in their programs of a Giffords “memorial” anti-Palin sign (a peace sign above the word “NOT” and a gun sight graphic). I.e., AM focused on the sign like a laser and F&F hid it like the plague. [Author’s aside: The sign is an obvious acerbic reference to Sarah Palin’s controversial campaign against pro-Obamacare Democrats, including Giffords, using guns sights graphics.]

Ironically, the intended subliminal messages of both AM and F&F were made overt by their parallel universe placements. On one hand, AM situated co-anchor Kiran Chetry so that the anti-Palin sign was to her screen right: this position not only prominently placed it side-by-side with Chetry but also between her and her sitting guests throughout the program. On the other hand, Fox & Friends put reporter Mike Tobin and Tucson interviewees in front of the anti-Palin sign: ergo, except for the times a guest would momentarily move out of position, it would be hidden from the audience’s view.

Yin, yang: AM, FM. Today, the two parts made the whole. Unfortunately, most viewers this morning only got one half of the picture.

AM: All Ms. (Bristol Palin)

Five features for the Dancing with the Stars finalist! In one of the strangest American Morning shows yet, co-host Kiran Chetry and CNN correspondent Carol Costello elevated Bristol Palin, former governor Sarah Palin‘s daughter, almost to the status of America’s Princess. On a day when AM celebrated Great Britain’s Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton extensively, it likewise covered America’s Tea Party Princess Bristol Palin albeit with more caustic commentary.

On this surreal American Morning, Bristol appeared thrice in “Morning Talkers” (Kiran/John Roberts’ confab) as to her PSA with the Jersey Shore‘s Situation in an abstinence/safe-sex spot and twice in “Gut Check” (Carol’s report) as to her advancement to the final on ABC’s DWTS. However, this American Morning princess was not well received by either Kiran or Carol.

In the “Morning Talkers” segments, Kiran appeared loaded for bear, or the Mama Grizzly’s cub, at least. In the very first one, Kiran laughed that the single mom’s paean to abstinence was “jaw-dropping” and “painful to watch…(that’s why I wanted to bring it to you guys).”* In the next one, Kiran noted, that Bristol’s words were “cringe inducing” immediately before joyfully announcing that Michael Vick, convicted felon and animal abuser–incidentally,  the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, her husband Chris Knowles’ favorite team–appeared possibly headed for redemption as the NFL’s MVP this year.** Then, in the third and final one, Kiran scoffed at Bristol, saying, “Some fine acting….I think that people should practice what they preach about that.”***

[After Kiran made that acerbic remark about Bristol, co-anchor John Roberts told Kiran that her microphone was off. In reply Kiran replied, “Maybe, my mike was off for a reason: I couldn’t put my foot in my mouth.” Unfortunately for Kiran, she could: her audience was still able to hear her.]

In Carol’s “Gut Check” story (which aired twice),**** Bristol fared no better. When John segued to Carol’s report, he declared, “While the judges may not exactly love her moves, the television audience keeps pushing Palin through, leaving some people to wonder if, maybe, we’re witnessing a vast conservative conspiracy.” Leaving little doubt as to where she stood, Carol replied, “If Bristol Palin’s presence on Dancing with the Stars proves anything, it proves just how partisan we’ve become as a nation.” Darkly, she added, “I’m sure you’ve heard this: some believe the only reason Bristol Palin remains on Dancing with the Stars is because of the Tea Party/Republican conspiracy.”

AM‘s Bristol Palin: no common, ordinary girl.

*American Morning – 11/17/10 (@ 6:24 a.m. ET)

**American Morning – 11/17/10 (@ 7:25 a.m. ET)

***American Morning – 11/17/10 (@ 8:21 a.m. ET)

****American Morning – 11/17/10 (@ 6:32 a.m. ET)

****American Morning – 11/17/10 (@ 8:31 a.m. ET)

O’Reilly Errs: Palin Stares

Stewart: “Busted, O’Reilly! Who’s the pinhead now?” Deja vu? Ironically, on this the very night that the Bill O’Reilly aired the Daily Show host Jon Stewart’s comical, acerbic critique (of O’Reilly for his erroneous Andy Griffith Show trivia),  O’Reilly dished out equally unreliable political facts to his audience. However, when he did it this time in front of Republican power player Sarah Palin tonight, he got a welcome reprieve from his Fox News colleague.

During his post-Tuesday primaries interview with the former Alaska governor, O’Reilly praised the Palin and the Tea Party for their influence and mentioned that their candidate had won in New Hampshire.* While Palin looked on with a slight hint of a smile, O’Reilly remarked, “I can’t even say his name. What’s his name up there?” When Palin stayed silent, O’Reilly continued, “What his name in New Hampshire? Tell me in my ear [to producers]. Some guy up there won the primary. And, you endorsed him, Governor.” As Palin still said nothing and continued to stare at him blankly, O’Reilly stammered, “Um. Alright, nobody knows. He’s got a long name. He won. Tea Party guy won in New Hampshire. Okay.”

Unfortunately for O’Reilly, he was wrong–doubly wrong. First, the “Tea Party guy” with “the long name,” Ovide Lamontagne lost. Second, he lost to the Republican establishment’s candidate, Kelly Ayotte, the very choice of Sarah Palin.

Later, making matters all the worse for himself, O’Reilly adventitiously ran the Stewart footage mocking him (for his erroneous Andy Griffith assertion that Thelma Lou was Andy’s girl). In the clip, after Stewart points out that Thelma Lou was actually Barnie Fife’s beau, Stewart exclaimed, “Busted O’Reilly! Who’s the pinhead now?”  Check your facts, old man,  ’cause we’re holding your feet to the fire.” Facetiously, he added, “I expect a full retraction on air–otherwise, I might never trust Fox again.”

After that vid, O’Reilly declared, “Well, the problem with Mr. Stewart’s analysis is that shortly after I made the Thelma Lou mistake I corrected it on the air! Somehow, old Jon didn’t mention that. So, who’s the pinhead now?” Then he added, “By the way, Stewart will be on the Factor next Wednesday. That should be interesting.”

What should be interesting is if O’Reilly shortly corrects his Palin mistake on air. And, if he does not give a “full retraction,” will viewers such as Stewart ever trust Fox again? Tune in to see–especially, Wednesday.

*O’Reilly Factor (09/15/10) – @8:06 p.m. ET)

**O’Reilly Factor (09/15/10) – @8:58 p.m. ET)

Aly & Palin: Oil, Pols, & Boobs

Sarah’s assets: real or inflated? Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Alisyn Camerota interviewed former Alaska governor about the BP oil spill disaster, recent female ballot box successes, and, yes–Palin breast enhancement rumors. After Palin had opined on the Gulf crisis, women’s political ascendancy, etc., Aly went personal: however, she stayed above the belt, so to speak.

Before running a stand-alone clip of that particular question, Aly explained that it was always difficult to decide whether to ask a “newsmaker about his or her personal life.”* Then, she stated, “But, I went there because it’s been the top item on so many websites and blogs so I asked her if she had [had] some enhancements lately.”

Subsequently, in the footage aired, Aly reticently queried, “Let me ask you a very primitive question….[S]ome websites [say] that, perhaps, you’ve had some physical enhancements. Do you want to set the record straight today?” Without flinching, Palin proclaimed, “No. I don’t have breast implants!” She continued, “And, it’s funny that we even have to talk about it. But…those bored bloggers and some reporters who are covering this issue…really…need to get a life.”

After the film snippet concluded, Aly commented, “She went on to say that she first heard about this story about her own body when her daughter Bristol called her, laughing hysterically and said, ‘You won’t believe what they’re talking about now: you won’t believe what they’re focused on.'” Clowning, Clayton racily interjected, “And, to all the bloggers  who wanted to ask that question, yes, I have had enhancements.” Responding rather risquely, Aly “focused” on Clayton: looking him up and down twice, she jested, “Hm. It’s obvious!”

Back above the belt, Aly!

*Fox & Friends Weekend – 06/12/10 (@9:35 a.m. ET)

Chris’ “Cowgirl” Fantasy?

Palin, now Pickler: Gretchen jealous? After Fox & Friends co-host Gretchen Carlson excited him almost two years ago with her black cowboy hat and Kinky Friedman cigar, Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace seems to have fallen prey to that “wanton” country girl fantasy. First, there was Gretchen; second, there was Sarah Palin; and, yesterday, it was country star Kellie Pickler. Mediaite deemed the latest instance “creepy” but it just seemed like the latest “Wallace wandering” to the author.

With regard to Gretchen, as long-time Fox & Friends fans may remember, Chris, in a similar FNS promo for his show on July 25, 2008, was so taken with Gretchen in her cowgirl getup, supra, that he flirted, ““Let me just say…I was thinking how to clean this up. Gretchen when you were wearing that cowboy hat and smoking that cigar you looked very fetching!” Subsequently, when she teased him with a seductive pose, he panted, “Oh! Mama! You should take that home for your husband tonight.” The sexual tension was such that F&F co-anchor Brian Kilmeade interjected, “Hey, Chris! Is there a shower in that studio?”

[Apparently, Chris got in trouble with the wife, Mrs. Wallace over that episode. Approximately, three months later, during a FNS promo on Halloween Day, Gretchen teased Chris about liking “cowboy hats and cigars.” Chris replied, “We can’t keep talking about that, Gretchen: Mrs. Wallace is no longer amused at that conversation.”]

With regard to former Alaskan governor and famed outdoorswoman Sarah Palin, Chris bawdily bantered about her with FBN anchor Imus before his February 7, 2010 FNS interview with her. When Imus asked, “When you interview her, will she be sitting on your lap?, Chris randily responded, “One can only hope.” Consequently, Chris got grief from women such as noted journalist, Cokie Roberts. (Whether he did from Mrs. Wallace is not known.

Yesterday, during his promo for FNS on Fox & Friends, Chris turned his amorous ardor toward country singer Kellie Pickler, the former American Idol contestant, kicking off F&F’s “All American Summer” concert series. After, apparently, seeing the blond beauty Pickler perform throughout the earlier 2 1/2 hours of the show in her bosom-baring red top and hip-hugging blue jeans, a seemingly smitten Chris could not wait to talk about her. After F&F co-host Brian Kilmeade introduced Chris’ segment (citing the BP oil disaster and the President’s tough times), Chris began, “Yeah. Listen, before we get to that, I’m just curious. Has Kellie Pickler been asking about me?”*

As Gretchen chuckled heartily, Brian answered, “Yes. Yes, she has. And, I think it’s kind of odd because I’m sitting right there, and all I hear is Chris Wallace this, Chris Wallace that.” Chris replied, “You know, just, just tell her that I’m a big fan of hers, too. And, you know, who knows?” Incredulous, a grinning Brain echoed, “Who knows?” Aptly, F&F co-host Gretchen interjected, “Wow! I know that you are a fan of cowboy hats so that, that would make sense.” Brian jested, “She going to be singing in about ten minutes for Chris Wallace.” Before talking about the BP oil spill, Chris enthusiastically added, “Yeah. Maybe, she’ll do one of those torch songs about her unrequited love for me.” In response, Gretchen’s eyes immediately widened and her mouth suddenly shut while a surprised Brian simply smiled.

Later, during Chris’ segment, Brian began a question (about whether purported White House offers of positions for certain candidates to drop out of  Senate races portended a “burgeoning scandal”), stating, “If I wanted to get Chris Wallace out of that job and put myself in it, I’d have to get you another attractive job to actually lure you out and open up that spot.” With thoughts of Pickler still prancing in his head, Chris riantly replied, “Oh. I thought when you said you were going to offer me an attractive job to leave this, I thought it was going to be interviewing Kellie Pickler in six minutes.”

As Chris’ segment concluded, Brian ribaldly remarked, “The fact of the matter is, I do want your job, and I am willing to make an offer to you. Kellie Pickler, are you out there? Will you do me a favor, and offer your services to Chris Wallace?” As a blushing Pickler appeared on a trisected screen, a chagrined Chris grimaced and shut his eyes, and Gretchen screamed, “What! What! Excuse me!” Offering Brian diaphanous cover at best, Steve interjected, “Musical services. Musical services.” As Gretchen sat with mouth agape, a goatishly grinning Brian continued, “Would you say ‘hello’ to Chris Wallace?”

As Gretchen punched Brian in the shoulder for his puckish impertinence, a coy Kelli Pickler cooed, “Hello, Chris. How are ya?” Then, as the trio of co-hosts disappeared from the screen, close-ups of Pickler and Chris emerged. Almost like a bashful schoolboy, Chris answered, “Well, I’m just great, Kellie. I must say, I’m better right now.” Chuckling, Pickler coquettishly replied, “Me, too.”

After telling Pickler that he was a big fan of American Idol and saw her “with sushi and all of that stuff” when she was on the show, he queried, “Do you have the faintest idea who I am?” Less than convincingly, Pickler teased, “Oh, yeah. Absolutely! I have your poster hanging above my bed.” As a smiling Pickler looked back at her amused band members, Chris, tugged at his lapels and proudly proclaimed, “Well. Okay, Kelly! There we go!”

Perhaps, a mite jealous, Gretchen questioned, “Chris, is Mrs. Wallace watching?” Before he responded, Pickler interjected, “My apologies to your wife.” Then, Chris replied, “Unfortunately, I think she is. And, I’m gonna pay a heavy price for this.”

Perhaps, not, Chris. Mrs. Wallace has seemed rather charitable thus far.

*Fox & Friends – 06/04/10 (@8:31 a.m. ET)

Kiran: Tea Party Blooper?

American Morning co-host Kiran Chetry seems to get stewed when she interviews her Tea Party guests: today was no exception. Looking like Carol Costello discussing Sarah Palin, Kiran had her arms crossed and her mind apparently made up when she and co-anchor John Roberts interviewed Tea Party Patriots leader Jenny Beth Martin, one of Time’s “100 Most Influential” people. As the duo began to question Martin, they looked like the tired trope of good cop/bad cop. Or, perhaps, more aptly, they seemed like two desperate priests trying to exorcise the evil spirit that now possessed Time and, by extension, the entire Time-Warner family, including CNN herself.

Opening the interview, John served up a softball to Martin about the nature of the Tea Party. After she had answered that it was both a political and protest movement with the “three core values” of “fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government,” and free markets, Kiran went in for the kill. After acknowledging the Tea Party’s growing support by the American public (20% in the latest poll), Kiran opined, “Some of them also have radical views, I guess you could say, sometimes when it comes to race and other things. How did that sort of start to seep into what you say is the core of the movement?”

Not accepting Kiran’s bald premise about the heart of the Tea Party, Martin riposted, “Well, in Tea Party Patriots, we have no place for that. If we see somebody who’s doing something racist, we tell them to leave our events.  We’re there for our core values. We want to reclaim our founding principles in this country.”

Giving Kiran a rest, tag-team partner John innocently interposed, “What is that you think, Jenny Beth, that has led so many people to come to the Tea Party movement in such a short period of time?” When he more pointedly added, “I guess we should point out, too, that most of them according to polling are disaffected Republicans, Kiran nodded her agreement.

Then, after Martin had answered John’s question and his follow-ups, Kiran raised the specter of race again. Kiran queried, “At a lot of the rallies and according to a lot of the polling, nearly 80% of people that say they support the Tea Party or go to the rallies [or are actively involved are Caucasian. What would you say to minorities who say, ‘Is there a really a place for me as part of the Tea Party movement?'” (Unfortunately, Kiran failed to disclose the salient fact that 2008 U.S. Census estimates indicate that 80% of Americans are white.)

In response, Martin replied, “Absolutely, there is a place for you. This is about ordinary citizens in America, and we’re reclaiming our founding principles. And those principles are liberty: it effects everyone in this country regardless of race or age.”

Kiran, America  embraced post-racial politics with the election of President Obama. Obviously, our nation should stay on course. Now, we must make certain that that “buried hatchet” remains so.

Kiran Misses Mark

And Klein’s CNN “opinion-free, middle-of-the-road alternative”? Palin (and Tea Partiers) escapes unscathed. Today American Morning co-host Kiran Chetry seemed loaded for bear, or another moose predator, Sarah Palin. In a political segment (with Republican stalwart Mary Matalin and Democratic strategist Lanny Davis) entitled “Sarah Palin on the Stump,” Kiran a la Carol Costello seemed to be salivating for some piping hot minced Palin meat for breakfast. However, the big trophy game seemed a mite much for her to take down.

Before the discussion, Kiran commented, “Love her or hate her, it’s hard to ignore Sarah Palin. The former Alaska governor VOP [sic] vice presidential candidate is certainly a political lightning rod and she struck again over the weekend when she introduced Senator John McCain at a campaign event.”* Kiran continued, “After a year of sort of sniping between Senator John McCain’s camp and Sarah Palin’s camp, they’re back together….What’s going on, Mary?”

Countering Kiran’s clear implication, James Carville’s better half replied, “Well, the Senator and Governor Palin were never at odds. Campaigns…tend to get tense at the end there and that one did….But, the Senator has always been loyal to her and vice versa.”

Turning to Davis, Kiran persisted, “Well, Lanny,…John McCain was asked several months back to name some GOP…hopefuls that could run for President and he didn’t mention Sarah Palin, his former GOP running mate.” Then noting Palin’s popularity with “these crowds” and citing various polls that indicated that a majority of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents did not want her to run for President, Kiran asked, “What to make of that division there, Lanny?”

Unswayed by Kiran’s spin, Davis responded, “[N]ice to be on with Mary, and we usually agree which is a disappointment to your audience that loves partisanship. I agree with Mary…that John McCain has always taken a gracious high road and so has Sarah Palin….[D]espite the sniping among the staffs, it did not happen between the two of them.”

Then, the Clinton diehard added, “I give Sarah Palin a lot of credit. First of all, she’s always impressed me as a political performer and also a political talent, and I think any Democrat that underestimates her is making a mistake. Secondly, I give her credit for standing up to this Tea Party movement that is opposing John McCain, and… [her] going there tells me…that she’s willing to stand up to what she might consider her base: And, that is a good definition of political courage.”

Seemingly surprised by Davis’ positive evaluation of Palin, Kiran remarked, “Yeah, it’s a little bit confusing, though, because a lot of the things that she said are the exact things that the Tea Party wants to happen: I mean from less government, lower government. In fact, let’s listen to what she said. This is at a rally in Senator Harry Reid’s hometown of Searchlight, Nevada, on Saturday.”

[On the tape, Palin proclaims, “We’re not inciting violence. Don’t get sucked into the lame stream media’s lies about conservative America’s standing up for freedom as inciting violence. Violence isn’t the answer. It’s a bunch of bunk what the media is trying to feed you. Don’t let them divert attention from the debate.”]

After the footage aired, Kiran continued, “So, she [Palin] seemed to brush off the media and brush off the violence and sort of point the finger at the media. She also…said it was ‘ginned up’ and she referred to the media as the ‘lame stream media.’ Mary, does that work, blaming the media, instead of talking more seriously about some of these quite credible threats that have happened in the wake of health care reform passing?”

Matalin retorted, “Well, I don’t know that they’re necessarily credible. All of that was videotaped, and they’ve yet to appear to be any credible appearances filmed. But, that’s not the issue here. The Tea Party activists, we should be careful not to paint them with a broad brush: They’re not monolithic: They are largely pulled together by their constitutionalism….They want less government or government closer to the people that’s more accountable. And, the main stream press was slow to come to cover them.”

Then, underscoring her disagreement with Kiran’s claim of “quite credible threats,” Matalin asserted, “But, these notions of violence and threats that that has happened, I don’t think is credible. And, secondly, that it never happens to Republicans or conservatives or by the hands of liberal activists is nonsense.”

Appearing to seek some support, Kiran queried, “Lanny, do you take the same thoughts as Mary when it comes to whether or not this is a bigger deal what we’ve been talking about?”

Offering little solace, Davis declared, “I’m sorry to disappoint your audience that wants some fireworks here. But, I do agree with Mary….[T]he Tea Party movement does represent conservative thinking but there are extremists in both sides that both parties need to repudiate, including Sarah Palin. There was evidence of some nasty behavior and she should repudiate that the same way Democrats should among the haters on the left of which there are many.”

Apparently disappointed, a slightly smiling Kiran concluded, “Alright, Mary Matalin and Lanny Davis, great to get your take this morning. Appreciate it.” As Mary and Lanny bid each other adieu, Kiran’s co-host John Roberts sympathetically chuckled in the background before he took the reins again. In response, Kiran’s seemingly forced smiled briefly broadened.

Clearly, Kiran missed her mark this morning. No kill: ergo, no meal. Hunting hint: Reload and shoot straight.

*American Morning – 03/29/10 (@8:11 a.m. ET)

A.M.: Another Moos?

In the name of Sarah Palin, Jamie, no more re-heated Moos soup! American Morning EP Jamie Kraft served his audience yet more leftover fare from his Moos menu. “For the second time in three days,* Kraft added a repeat “Moost News in the Morning” to his morning news show. Monday, it was “Ma’am…Is That a Squirrel” (06/30/09 repeat): today, it was “Valet Parkers Gone Wild” (12/17/09 rerun). Mercifully, after the author complained after it first-hour airing today in a Tweet, Kraft appeared to relent and did not repeat the report in the final hour (as is his wont).

Thanks for the reprieve this morning, Jamie. However, in the future, the author suggests more fresh news and less frozen Moos for AM breakfasts. A better way to start the day!

*Third time in 3+ weeks (including February 15, 2010 episode).

Wallace: Morning Joe Blow

Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace hit back hard at Morning Joe co-host Joe Scarborough today in an interview with Megyn Kelly on America Live. Responding to Scarborough’s claim that Wallace “roll[ed] his eyes, embarrassed” after the Palin interview to signal to his friends that “yes, I know [that] she is not a serious thinker,” Wallace asserted, “‘No’ is the quick answer to that.”* Then, scornfully, he added, “Secondly, let me just say that Joe Scarborough lives out where the trolleys don’t run at night.”

Eager to pummel Scarborough further, Wallace continued, “The last time I heard of somebody getting that kind of a secret message, it was Son of Sam hearing from a Labrador retriever that he should go out and shoot people….I think that Morning Joe definitely needs to switch to decaf.” Later, in the interview when Megyn asked whether he was offended by Scarborough comment, Wallace snidely stated, “I’m offended that people watch him on MSNBC.”

For Wallace, apparently, there is little love left for that former Fox News contributor.

*America Live – 02/11/10 (@2:36 p.m. ET).

Update: Cf. Mediaite‘s vid of segment including footage of Wallace’s “eye roll” and Scarborough’s analysis.

Wallace “Explains” Imus Jest

about Sarah Palin to an uncomfortable Gretchen Carlson. As Fox & Friends co-anchor Brian Kilmeade observed, Chris Wallace’s promo for Fox News Sunday on F&F Friday”was as awkward as ever.” After Chris previewed his show which includes the first FNS interview of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, co-host Steve Doocy asked Wallace about his controversial comment on Imus Thursday. Steve remarked, “Chris…normally during our time together, it is Brian that asks the embarrassing question of you. However, I saw online that you said…yesterday when queried whether or not you would do the interview with Sarah Palin on your lap, you said [that] you hope so.”*

Before Wallace could respond, co-host Gretchen Carlson, aghast, exclaimed, “What!” Steve replied, “It’s true.” Wallace retorted, “No, no…What happened was [that] I was on Imus, which was my first mistake, and he said to me at the end, just kidding around, ‘So when you do the interview with her, will she be sitting on your lap?’ And I said, ‘One could hope.’…I thought it was funny at the time.”

Clearly, not amused, Gretchen shook her hand and queried, “Why would he ask such an inane question?” Steve interjected, “I think it was a great question!” As Wallace laughed and both Brian and Steve smiled, a rather outraged Gretchen queried, “Do you ask that of a man?” Wallace stuttered, “Would he have asked me of a man?” With palms upraised, an incredulous Gretchen responded, “Yeah. [Whether a man] would sit on your lap.”

Wallace riposted, “I don’t know. Let me ask you a question. Would you do an interview with Brad Pitt, you sitting on his lap, Gretchen?” “Absolutely not. I find nothing hot about Brad Pitt.” Wallace persisted, “Oh, okay. Oh, and, how ’bout Brian Kilmeade if you sat on his lap?” Rubbing her upper lip uncomfortably and, apparently, trying to skirt the question about her and her colleague, Gretchen replied, “Who?”

Meanwhile, Brian, shaking his head and looking down, only somewhat facetiously interposed, “Hey, let me just say this. Chris Wallace, that as I pointed out–Gretchen, very good move saying, ‘Who?’–Chris, we’re a news show. I don’t know about this lap thing. We got facts, people need to get information, [and] I don’t need the color and stuff. So, this whole thing about socializing and the behind-the-scenes stuff, it has no place.” Under his breath, Steve muttered, “Oh. Wow.” Wallace sarcastically responded, “What, what the heck happened to you? Have the drugs [unintelligble] finally, Brian?

From his off-set Ft. Lauderdale perch, a salty Brian asked, “By the way, what are you [Wallace] wearing?” Trying to bring that topic to a quick close, Steve interjected, “He’s wearing his Chris Wallace outfit.” However, the producers, apparently, were not quite ready to do so and began to play Austin Powers-like theme music. Playing along, Wallace jested, “Are you talking about now or for the interview with Sarah Palin?” Before Brian could respond, Steve interjected, “Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!”

Then, as Steve concluded the promo, Wallace declared, “Get me outta here!” “Me, too!” cried Gretchen. Smiling Brian added, “Yeah. That was as awkward as ever. I’ll miss Chris.”

Wallace is certainly not apologizing for his Imus comment. Will Sarah Palin respond to him tomorrow? If so, will she be as outraged as Gretchen with the ribald banter?

Fox & Friends (02/05/10) – @8:36 a.m. ET

Gretchen: Downplayin’ Palin?

Playing up to the “too perfect” Mitt Romney?* In part 3 of her exclusive interview with the probable 2012 GOP presidential candidate and author of No Apology: The Case for American Greatness on his bucolic estate, Fox & Friends co-host Gretchen Carlson asked him about Sarah Palin (whether she would splinter the GOP with the formation of a third party). In response, Romney replied that he did not think that Palin would but that she was a “great energizing member of the party” with “good ideas that have galvanized a lot of support for the party. In a follow-up, Gretchen asked, “[S]he’s sold hundreds and thousands of books, does that intimidate you as you go out on your book tour. [Italics added for emphasis.]

When the author heard Gretchen’s query, he had to rewind the proverbial tape. No, she did not say, “hundreds of thousands” but “hundreds and thousands.” N.B. Even though the interview was a couple of weeks ago (according to Gretchen), Palin’s book sales of Going Rogue had sold over a million copies and the print run had been increased from 1.5 to 2.8 million by December 1, 2009.

Maybe, Gretchen was merely careless. Or, perhaps, she simply preferred this presidential candidate who she later alluded to as “too perfect” and ” too well together.”* Regardless, her co-host Brian Kilmeade appeared to feel the need to note Palin’s significant sales numbers, albeit indirectly: Later, after part 4 of the interview, Brian remarked, “It’s going to be interesting because his book comes out, and you have the numbers from Sarah Palin’s book, and, you wonder if that’s going to blast off like hers did.”

*Full quote (Gretchen): “And, I was discussing with Ann some of the things that catch on, like, for example, people said, “Oh, well, Mitt Romney just is too perfect; he’s too well put together; [and] his hair is always in place. And, somehow, that suddenly became a negative. Was that surprising to you?”

Single F&F Female

Is that all it takes? If viewers enjoyed Fox & Friends yesterday a little more than usual, they may be asking themselves, “Why?” Perhaps, it is because FNC which proudly embraces the “Fox” in its name was forced to be less miserly in meting them out. With co-anchor Gretchen Carlson in Florida interviewing former gov Sarah Palin, FNC Senior VP of Programming was “forced” to add a second main femme, Alisyn Camerota, to the almost “all boy” club at F&F.

It was a refreshing return to better days when both Aly and Gretchen graced the show daily. The audience was reminded of the time when F&F, weekday and weekend, was more gender proportionate. Then Shine had not yet replaced F&FW’s Ainsley Earhardt with Aly and, subsequently, pared the prominent position of newsreader (which had been aptly held by a female to help balance the second lad on the F&F curvy couch). It was before there was just one girl Gretchen to the duo of F&F boys, Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade and only one lass, Aly, to the F&FW trio of lads, Clayton Morris, Dave Briggs, and Rick Reichmuth.

Bill, a bit more sex parity, please. It’s time to make it Foxes and Friends once again!

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.

Carpe Diem: “Princess” Dave’s Pea?

Is Carpe Diem not letting Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Dave Briggs rest easy? Apparently, not. After Carpe Diem held Dave’s feet to the fire for ignoring his Twitter followers for almost three weeks, Dave tried to explain in a story on Sarah Palin’s mysterious Facebook and Twitter silence.* [Earlier in segment on the same topic, co-anchor Clayton Morris had jested, “Speaking of Twitter, I’m Clayton Morris on Twitter. Go there and let me know [viewer’s opinion): I’ll respond whereas Dave won’t.”]

As Dave commiserated with Palin’s plight, he said, “I happily let go of the social networking: I’m kind of a weekend Twitterer.” When co-anchor Alisyn Camerota teased, “But your legion of fans are not clamoring  for you to get back on Twitter,” Dave answered, “In fact, I was getting grief for not responding on Twitter recently…so I got back in the game.”* [Seemingly, he was responding directly to Carpe Diem “Dave Clams Up” and the author’s Tweet which had implored Dave to do just that, i.e., “Get back in the game!”]**

As an aside, Dave seems to be still smarting from Carpe Diem’s coverage of his Jay Leno moment of infamy where he alleged checked out the derrieres of Ainsley Earhardt and Janice Dean.*** After copious prior Tweets to the author, Dave’s has yet to respond to the author’s Tweets since May 31, 2009, when he defended himself in a three-part Tweet, infra.**** In a seemingly intentional slight with a rather humorous hue, the apparently still peeved self-proclaimed “Princess” pointedly thanked every single Twitter follower (save one, i.e., the author) for their anniversary best wishes.*****

Dave, the author is glad that you’re “back in the game.” As to any bruised ego, as the F&F producers joke, “Walk it off!” The author has no animus toward you, and, hopefully, you’ll harbor none toward him either. Once again, happy anniversary to you and Brandi!

*F&F (08/02/09) – 8:39 a.m. ET

**https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/dave-clams-up/

**http://twitter.com/jakeho

***https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2009/05/30/ffw-fetes-leno-buries-briggs-vid/

https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2009/06/01/daves-tale-what-tail/

****It read, “I think the weekday embarrassed me enough for one week. I would actually like to point out what I WAS looking at and it wasn’t #%+. [S]eriously it wasn’t food but my producer at that very moment was telling me ‘get in the shot’ and I was looking for an opening. I know that sounds like BS but I would admit looking at a beautiful woman if in fact I was! Leno is funny, how he caught [sic] is bizarre.”

*****http://twitter.com/#search?q=foxdavebriggs

“God” Fires Up AM

“Wish they all could be California girls!” That refrain was not heard on American Morning as co-host Kiran Chetry moderated an animated discussion between lib comedienne/talk show host Stephanie Miller today and her conservative counterpart radio host Michael Reagan.* When Kiran asked Miller to weigh in on the Miss California controversy, Miller snidely stated, “No offense to anybody out there but, you know, to be that far right and out of touch with the American people, and inarticulate, I think she going to have to up against Sarah Palin for the Republican nomination 2012.”

Reagan robustly rebutted, “By the way, the state of California voted for Prop 8 and against same-sex marriage….If she were to say the exact same thing about Perez Hilton today as Perez Hilton said about her, she would be guilty of a hate crime.” He added, “She answered it honestly. She believes that marriage should be between one man and one woman; that’s the way I believe; [and] that’s how most people believe it.”

Miller countered, “That’s not what most people think. I don’t know if you’ve checked the news lately but I think that New Hampshire just joined several states yesterday in voting for gay marriage….You mentioned one state.”

As the segment concluded, Reagan acerbicly asserted, “I’ll stay with God: You stay with New Hampshire.” Kiran exclaimed, “Oh!” A piqued Miller retorted, “I’ll stay Godless, I guess.”

When Kiran sanguinely segued to co-anchor John Roberts, John remarked, “It’s always right at the end where that hand grenade just goes off. Kiran replied, “Right! Toss me a zinger.”

A real bombshell!

*AM (05/01/09) – @9:42 a.m. ET