Kate Bolduan: Out at New Day?

“No, not yet!…I still need him here for a little while longer.” Yesterday, New Day co-host Kate Bolduan appeared to let viewers in on a little secret, i.e., that she may not be Chris Cuomo‘s co-anchor for much longer on CNN’s early morning news flat liner. Perhaps, CNN honcho Jeff Zucker has given her the news: According to FTVLive last month, its sources disclosed that Chris told CNN honcho Jeff Zucker that “Kate is not a good fit for him and he wants someone new.”

During a segment on Obamacare, political commentator Will Cain used the “you” as a pronoun for government in answer to a query from Chris.* Chuckling, Chris replied, “From now on, every time you’re here you call me “government. That’s my new nickname.” As Cain remarked that he was using the proverbial “you,” Chris jested, “You can call me “Guv.”

Smiling, Cain riposted, “Are you announcing something today?”

Grabbing Chris’ arm, Kate interjected, “No, not yet!…I still need him here for a little while longer.”

For Chris and/or Kate’s acolytes, the question is “how much longer, Zucker?”

*New Day – 11/21/13 (@ 6:33 a.m. ET)

“Mean Girl” Soledad: I’m Not a Refined Lady!

Roland Martin: “Work it, Soledad!” Starting Point anchor Soledad O’Brien: CNN’s Hooters honey? Not yet. Yesterday, she did declare that she was not a refined lady. But as to being “delightfully tacky,” she uttered not a word. But, that could change, especially, if her ratings do not climb out of the cellar soon.

On a more serious note, yesterday, Soledad interviewed Jennifer Livingston, the local Wisconsin news anchor, whose dressing down on air of a meddling e-mailer has gone viral.* When Soledad asked the WKBT news host if she had to obtain her boss’ approval to take out the bully (who had deemed her obese and who had indicated that she was not a good role model), she said that her news director trusted her. Elaborating, Livingston said that she and her boss both decided not to name the e-mailer on air because her response was not about him per se, rather the “critical” culture.

Ready for some vengence, Soledad exclaimed, “Oh, let’s name him anyway, Jennifer! Because, yesterday, I was thinking, ‘If I were Jennifer, I would go ahead and name him.’ So, his name is Kenneth Krause.”

Subsequently, Soledad informed her audience that Livingston had received “a ton of support” but that Krause had stood by his initial statement. Punctuating the air with her pen, she derisively declared, “Here’s what Kenneth Krause, the evil e-mailer, said in his statement.” [Italics added for emphasis.]

In response to Soledad’s hyperbole, Livingston began to chuckle. Looking up from her papers, Soledad insisted, “I know, I know. You’re, you’re refined and a lady: And, I’m not!”

From his spot in the peanut gallery, off-cam SP panelist Roland Martin interjected, as is his wont: Perhaps, envisioning Soledad as his favorite Buffalo wing server in her orange short shorts, Martin gleefully demanded, “Work it, Soledad!”

Ignoring Martin’s gratuitous interruption, Soledad continued, reading Krause’s defiant statement that Livingston should take the opportunity to “transform” herself into a good role model over the next year and that he would be glad to give her any advice or support that she would be willing to accept. When Soledad had finished, she asked, “Is there anything that he could offer you that you would accept?”

Charitably, Livingston answered, “I hold no ill will towards him. And, I hope that people don’t bully the bully….I don’t…want to…make him an evil representation of the whole world.” Kindly, she added, “I hope that, at some point, [that] he will learn that he could have approached the topic in a much more kind way.”

As the interview drew to an end,  Soledad caustically concluded, “Well, I am, I hold ill will all the time, Jennifer. So, I’ll hold ill.” Hearing off-camera snickers, Soledad stopped mid-sentence and looked to her right, protesting, “I know, I know, Will Cain [SP regular]. It’s mean! But, Jennifer is obviously a much better person than I am.”

Serious “End Point”: Don’t bully.

As to Soledad, no CNN Hooters honey yet. But, yesterday, she was a “Mean Girl”!

*Starting Point – 10/04/12 (@ 8:51 a.m. ET)

Soledad O’Brien: “Bravo”?

“My theme song.” Yesterday, Starting Point host Soledad O’Brien seemed more than satisfied with her new morning show—so much so, that she practically begged thrice-Grammy-nominated R& B singer Ledisi to be able to use her song “Bravo” as SP‘s theme song. After Soledad started her last SP segment with Ledisi’s “Raise Up,” she said, “If I could get a little portion of America to love Ledisi as I do, it would be a very good thing but, I really would like ‘Bravo.’ For some reason, we can’t play it. I don’t think we have the right to it.” Then, looking straight into the camera, she pleaded, “So, Ledisi, Tweet me. Can we have the rights to “Bravo” as my theme song? Call you later.”

Fortunately, CNN appears more ambivalent about Soledad’s new show. According to the New York Post‘s “Page Six,” one source said that “executives are looking to support Soledad O’Brien…and have expressed interest in adding [regular panelists] conservative commentator Will Cain and liberal commentator Roland Martin to the cast.” But, “Page Six” also indicated that an unnamed CNN representative denied it saying, “We couldn’t be more pleased with Soledad and the direction she is taking her program. Her newsmaking interviews and substantive panel discussions are the centerpiece of the program.”

Unfortunately, for CNN, Soledad’s show (which replaced in part the now kaput American Morning) has not gained traction with CNN viewers. In fact, if early ratings are any indication, it will lay even lower in the cable news morning cellar than it’s predecessor AM–for good reason. Regrettably, SP is proving to be not as good as AM: instead of a program where co-hosts had, at least, the patina of objectivity, CNN has an unabashedly opinionated sole anchor, who never fails to remind her panelists and her viewers that SP is “my show.” Nevertheless, CNN would make matters even worse if CNN were to give the soft-spoken milquetoast Will Cain and the obstreperous, cocksure Roland Martin even more prominent roles as Soledad’s co-hosts on Starting Point.

Bravo for SP? No. At least, not in the foreseeable future.

H/t to J$P for “Page Six” alert.

Spitzer’s “Arena”: E.D.’s Debut

Out with the CNN wife: in with the FNC fox. Former Parker Spitzer anchor Eliot Spitzer debuted his new show, In the Arena, last night on CNN. And, make no mistake, it is his show no matter what CNN exec VP Ken Jautz might say. Finally, free of his conservative complaining tv spouse, Kathleen Parker, the old peacock was free to roam at will on his range and show his tail feathers to a saucier, prettier peahen, E. D. Hill.

From the very start, Spitzer marked his territory as he began his show, briefly introducing Jautz “ensemble” members, E.D. Hill (former long-time FNC anchor) and Will Cain (conservative pundit/blogger) as “two friends of the show [that] will be joining me as regulars in the “Arena.” After giving his Arena friends face time for about ten seconds, Spitzer flied solo until the bottom of the hour as he focused on the Libyan crisis (with interviews of the Libyan deputy ambassador, a CNN Tripoli correspondent, and GPS anchor Fareed Zakaria). Then, after stopping for about five minutes to share his time with Cain for a segment with Tea Party Prez fave, Herman Cane, Spitzer started anew on an twenty-minute marathon on another Mideast crisis, the Iranian problem. Finally, in the last ten minutes, did Spitzer allow the first female of the night, his new beautiful blonde, to have her say–on the partisan Wisconsin budget battle. And, then she had to share her time with the boyish Cain to boot.

In the Arena last night: where Spitzer and the boys had their say. And, finally, a good girl got to play.