F&F: SENATOR Brown Breaks Bad

“They just call me Scott.” The “cool” whilom GOP senator that took Dem lion “Ted Kennedy’s seat” took his seat on the curvy couch this morning. The former Cosmo nude pinup and its “America’s Sexiest Man” brought levity and gravity to the F&F set today as a holiday guest co-host fill-in for Steve Doocy. On one hand, “Senator Scott Brown” reminded viewers that he had infamously told supporters that his sexy daughters Ayla and Arianna were available at his U. S. Massachusetts Senatorial acceptance speech: On the other, the retired Army National Guard colonel tutored a guest on Army contractor liability.

On the fun side, the MA Senator revealed that he was familiar with the U.S. Senate etiquette police who insisted that the boys had to wear socks even if the female Senators were able to flash some ankle. Furthermore, in an F&F “Meet Scott“ segment [that showed footage of “Scott” jamming with Cheap Trick onstage (vid)], he exclaimed, “It was one of the highlights of my life playing with Rick Nielson, being pulled out of the crowd and playing with Cheap Trick!”

Understandably, F&F guest co-anchor Clayton Morris referred to Brown as “Senator” and F&F co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck called him Colonel. But, if Senator and/or Colonel Scott Brown is going to make it on the curvy couch, he will have to be just Scott: “Senator” or “Colonel” is fine for a guest but it is unacceptable for a real “Friend.”

Welcome to the curvy couch, Senator. Since you are scheduled to back on F&F tomorrow, maybe, the author  should say, “Welcome to the curvy couch, Scott!”

[Author’s aside: Re the subtitle, supra, in the opening “A block” introducing Senator Scott Brown to the F&F fans, the “Senator” said, “Kids, you know how it goes, but they just call me ‘Scott’ certainly.”]

Update: Perchance, Scott read Carpe Diem: When he returned to F&F the very next day (12/30/14), he was welcomed back to the curvy couch by Elisabeth as “Senator Brown”: He replied, “Just call me, Scott, guys!”

Aly & the Boys: Ready to Play?

Fox & Friends‘ official “B Team,” Alisyn Camerota, Dave Briggs, and Clayton Morris, had a much too short stint this weekend. Yesterday the trio was regrettably replaced by F&F‘s first-string, Gretchen Carlson, Brian Kilmeade, and Steve Doocy, for F&F‘s special four-hour 9-11 edition. Apparently, FNC Senior Veep of Programming Bill Shine thought that he should once again bring in his weekday cast for such a momentous occasion.

Unfortunately, Shine did not give his untried trinity an opportunity to prove their mettle as one. As to Camerota, Shine has shown that he knows she is assuredly “A Team” material. E.g., he has placed his seasoned star side-by-side with Doocy and Kilmeade in such F&F specials as Pope Benedict XVI’s 2008 trip to America, President Barack Obama’s inaugural celebrations, and Senator Ted Kennedy’s funeral. However, perhaps, Shine is still not fully confident in his developing “Doublemen Twins,” i.e., Dave Briggs and Clayton Morris.

As the author has previously noted and Camerota has humorously alluded to, Briggs and Morris have come a long way since they were first thrust upon Fox & Friends fans with the then similarly callow Ainsley Earhardt. Under the tutelage of Camerota, the occasional coaching by the weekday denizens (when subbing), and, perchance, some comments from critics, Briggs and Morris seem to be growing into more serious journalists less apt to play the princess or the clown. Furthermore, they and Camerota seem to be evolving into that ensemble to which they have aspired.

Next time, Coach (Shine), put the Doublemen Twins in with Camerota for the big game to see what they’ve got. Their fans would surely love to see them play. And, just, maybe, they’ll surprise you.

“Tough Guy” Hatch(ets) Tearful Bennett?

Poor Robert Bennett. After becoming the first Utah Senator in seventy years to be summarily ousted in his party’s primary ten days ago, the junior Senator got a gratuitous jab in the eye by his friend and fellow Republican, Utah senior Senator Orrin Hatch today. In an interview on FNC’s Happening Now of Hatch, co-host Jon Scott asked him whether he was “nervous” of those conservatives who had orchestrated Bennett’s tearful exit and who were also critical of Hatch (who comes up for election again in 2012). Hatch retorted, “No, I’m not concerned about it. I’m not Senator Bennett, by the way. I’m a tough guy, and people know it.”*

That may well be case. However, Senator Hatch may still want to offer an apology to Senator Bennett akin to the one he gave other dear friend, the late Senator Ted Kennedy,” after he mentioned that “bridge in Massachusetts” that he had to sell during the rancorous Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings.

Happening Now – 05/13/10 (@11:40 a.m. ET)

Sharpton: Reid Forgiven, Clinton Next

On Fox & Friends today, Reverend Al Sharpton gave Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid a much needed boost and put former President Bill Clinton on notice. First, he defended Reid’s 2008 anachronistic-at-best description of then Senator Barack Obama  as a “‘light-skinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect'” as “clearly a misstatement.” [This detail is contained in Game Change authored by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann.] Second, Sharpton contrasted it with those of former GOP Majority Leader Trent Lott and former President Bill Clinton. Further, unexpectedly, he indicated that he would be calling President Clinton to account (which would probably take the spotlight off of Reid).

In his interview with F&F co-anchor Steve Doocy, Sharpton contended that Reid’s statement paled in comparison to that of Lott. He stated, “To say that what he [Reid] said is near anywhere comparable…to what Trent Lott said is insulting to the American people. Trent Lott commended a Dixiecrat [1948 prez nominee Senator Strom Thurmond] for running for office, who left the Democratic Party to run to fight integration. How do you compare Trent Lott (saying that I wish this guy Thurmond we’d had those days where blacks would have been at the back of the bus, because that’s what the guy was running on) to a guy [Reid] saying why a guy could be elected President?”

Subsequently, Steve asked Sharpton about a former President Bill Clinton’s controversial quote contained in Game Change. (Clinton allegedly tried to solicit an endorsement for his wife Hillary Clinton during the 2008 Democratic prez primaries from Senator Ted Kennedy: in doing so, Clinton allegedly commented, “A few years ago, this guy [Obama] would have been getting us coffee.”) Sharpton responded, “That is far more disturbing to me than even the comments that were made by Mister Reid….If someone said that he would have been getting us coffee like that in the context they said he said it, that would be very offensive to me. And, I would definitely take Mr. Clinton on as I did in South Carolina [when] he made some statements that I felt was wrong.”

As a follow-up, Steve queried, “I remember. It was in the news. You gonna call him up?” Sharpton replied, “He hasn’t call me so I guess that I will have to make the call.

D&C Do “Courtney”

Not again, Dave & Clayton! Just when Fox & Friends Weekend viewers thought that co-hosts Dave Briggs and Clayton Morris were gaining their sea legs and establishing their separate identities, they re-embraced their Doublemen Twin avatars in the very first segment of the show today. Happily, their sexy tutor Alisyn Camerota was there again to save the day for her F&FW audience.

In the trio’s discussion of Mark Halperin and John Heilemann’s new book, “Game Change,” they turned to the passage about former President Bill Clinton’s purported slam of then Senator Barack Obama (in a conversation with Senator Teddy Kennedy in an effort to secure Kennedy’s endorsement of then Senator Hillary Clinton for President). After showing on screen Clinton’s cited quote, saying, “A few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee,” Dave stated that Kennedy got so turned off by such negativity that he switched his support to Obama. Interestingly, when Aly asked, “But what does that comment mean?,” Dave replied, “Well, I don’t think that’s racial: that’s experience.” Echoing Dave, Clayton chimed, “It just meant his experience.”

After their bald assertions, Aly delicately observed, “I think that’s giving him the benefit of the doubt. That’s great, and you may be right that.” Insisting he was indeed, Dave interrupted, “I don’t take anything racial from that.” Once again, Clayton reverberated, “Yeah.” Not completely cowed, Aly continued, “But it’s still sort of a nasty comment.” Seemingly, not satisfied with Aly’s lack of assent, Dave insisted, “I think that he would have said that about any low level staffer or representative.” Immediately, Clayton concurred, “Yeah. He was making the point that it’s just lack of experience.”

Unfortunately, the Doublemen Twins sounded like Courtney Friel vacuously opining about the healthcare plan. Not racial? Why did a “fuming” Senator Kennedy recount the quote to a friend and, further, switch his support to Obama? About lack of experience? Would a past Harvard Law Review president and University of Chicago School of Law constitutional law professor likely be subserviently serving Bill Clinton and Teddy Kennedy coffee? (As an aside, perhaps, both Dave and Clayton forgot about Bill Clinton’s stirring the racial pot in his comparison of Obama’s 2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary victory to prior ones by Jesse Jackson.)

The author was beginning to believe that the boys were able to fly on their own (and let Aly soar to new heights). At least, for today, it was not to be.

“Dissed” Dave Defensive

Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Dave Briggs did not appear to overly appreciate one follower’s Tweet yesterday. After Dave and fellow co-anchor Clayton Morris were preempted by their weekday counterparts, Twitter’s depochick asked, “Why can’t you guys handle Kennedy coverage?”* Whereas Clayton did not respond, Dave replied,” We can certainly handle it & more, just a station wide decision, heck Shep is in too. CNN did the same and I got to sleep in!”** (Dave failed to mention that CNN does not have an American Morning weekend program.)

One certainly can certainly understand Dave’s feeling dissed. However, F&F & F&FW co-anchors have regularly referred to the weekday crew as the “A” Team and weekend cast as the “B” Team. As such, one should not feel surprised nor snubbed when Bill Shine, FNC Senior VP of Programming, brings in the “A” Team to cover this special event (as he did during the pontiff’s 2008 U.S. visit and the presidential 2009 inaugural affairs).

For the reader who wonders why Alisyn Camerota, F&FW’s co-host, was on the curvy couch yesterday, cf. Carpe Diem’s “F&F’s A(ly)-Team.”***

*http://twitter.com/depochick

**http://twitter.com/claytonmorris

**http://twitter.com/foxdavebriggs

***https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/ffs-aly-team/

Obama: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal?

As President Barack Obama delivered an eloquent eulogy to the liberal lion of the Senate, he seemed ready to embrace not only Ted Kennedy’s health care cause but also a more controversial one. According to Politicsdaily.com, the deceased senator had begun and intended to champion the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” military policy before he succumbed to his malignant malady. During his melancholic encomium, President Obama praised Kennedy for becoming more alive to the plight and suffering of others: Particularly, he cited “the young soldier denied her rights because of…who she loves….“* [Underscoring added for emphasis.]

If Obama truly deems the soldier to have the right to love whom she wants, the implication seems crystal clear. The Obama administration is actively looking at the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy adopted during the Clinton administration. Will Kennedy’s legacy ultimately include this expansion of gay rights?

*http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/08/28/without-kennedy-dont-ask-dont-tell-foes-look-for-a-champio/

**After comparing Kennedy to William Wordsworth’s “happy warrior,” Obama declared, “Through his own suffering, Ted Kennedy became more alive to the plight and the suffering of others. The sick child who could not see a doctor, the young soldier denied her rights because of what she looks like or who she loves or where she comes from.”

F&F’s A(ly)-Team

Today, Fox & Friends Weekend co-anchor Alisyn Camerota once again showed that she is first femme on F&F’s real A-Team. As she did last year when Pope Benedict XVI arrived and this year during the Barack Obama inaugural coverage, Aly took the center seat on the latest F&F special, the Ted Kennedy funeral edition.* Not surprisingly, she performed par excellence.

Yesterday, go-to-cable-news-blog TVNewser, apparently, assumed that F&F co-host Gretchen Carlson would join her weekday co-anchor Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade as usual.** However, it was not to be. In fact, F&FW co-anchors Dave Briggs, Clayton Morris, and Alisyn Tweeted otherwise.*** E.g., after Clayton said that Brian and Steve would be in for the Kennedy funeral coverage, he obliquely commented, “Gretchen had a prior commitment.”

Today on F&FW, Steve simply said, “That’s why Brian and I are here this morning for Dave and Clayton with our special coverage of the [Kennedy] funeral, mass, and burial….” Conspicuously, he made no mention of Gretchen’s absence. Perhaps, he realized that he need not do so.

*https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2008/04/19/ff-a-team/

*https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2009/01/17/ffs-real-a-team/

**http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/obits/kennedy_funeral_coverage_cable_network_plans_129534.asp

***http://twitter.com/foxdavebriggs

***http://twitter.com/claytonmorris

***http://twitter.com/alyatfox

---

Tomorrow’s A-Team: Aly or Gretch?

TVNewser said, “Gretch.” Aly appears to aver, “Me!” Which Fox & Friends fox will co-host F&F Saturday’s special Kennedy funeral edition tomorrow with the A-Team boys? At 7:36 a.m. today, TVNewser reported Gretchen Carlson would be joining Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade.* However, about 10:00 a.m., F&FW’s Alisyn Camerota seemed to indicate that it would be she, not Gretchen. She Tweeted, “Sitting in my morning planning meeting, hammering out tomorrow’s show. Tune in at 7am…“

Who will it be? There certainly is precedent for Aly co-anchoring special editions with Brian and Steve on F&FW. When Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States last year, she excelled on the curvy couch betwixt the two on F&F Saturday.**

As Aly said, “Tune in at 7 a.m.” tomorrow to see for sure.

UPDATE: F&FW co-host Dave Briggs appears to disclose that it will indeed be Aly tomorrow. At approximately 6:40 p.m. ET, he Tweeted, “@sdoocy & @kilmeade filling in tomorrow.” N.B. Dave made no mention of Gretch’s doing likewise.***

UPDATE2: It’s Aly! Clayton Tweeted, “Steve and Brian are in tomorrow for Kennedy funeral coverage. Gretchen had a prior commitment.”**** Aly confirmed, “See you [Twitter followers & F&FW fans] bright and early tomorrow…”*****

*http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/obits/kennedy_funeral_coverage_cable_network_plans_129534.asp

**https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2008/04/19/ff-a-team/

***http://twitter.com/foxdavebriggs

****http://twitter.com/claytonmorris

*****http://twitter.com/alyatfox