On The Media Merry-Go-Round:

What’s Bin Did and What’s Bin Hid

So it turns out that one of the most intriguing rumors of the past week was, happily from this perspective, untrue. Whack-job Glenn Beck had not been suspended by Faux News, either indefinitely or at all, for his on-air claim that Barack Obama is a racist who hates all white people.

Now why, you’re probably asking, would we be happy that Beck will be back on the air this week spewing his frighteningly screwy brand of anti-Barack Obama, anti-Health Care Reform, or anti-anything even remotely Democratic, brand of venom on behalf of News Corp. We all know that he’s nutty as a fruitcake…quite likely certifiable if anyone were to do even a half-assed psychological analysis…but we need him on the job to make people understand. And sooner or later their viewers are going to wake up to the realization that these people are not now, and never have been, on their side. Nor are the Republican politicians whose music the Faux News fear-mongers sing every day, or the Health Care industry lobbyists who write the songs.

And besides, in fairness to Beck, how in the world could anybody ever come to the clear conclusion that he’s really any crazier than any of the rest of the Faux babbling heads. Seriously: Sean Hannity is a self-absorbed, self-stroking egomaniac; Bill O’Reilly is, in addition to being a pathological liar, a psychotic bully; and Neal Cavuto, Gretchen Carlson, Steve Doocy and their ilk…well, they’re little more than mouth-breathing parrots!

It’s inevitable that the (News) Corps is eventually going to rot from the inside out anyway. But the process will be expedited if Beck, Hannity, O’Reilly and the rest of the not-ready-for-prime-time boot-lickers on Faux simply keep opening their mouths. Because America is finally starting to pay attention to what these media whores are actually saying.


Wow! We knew Jon Stewart was both a skilled and a relentless interviewer. But we had no idea an interview with Stewart could cost someone their job. However, less than 24 hours after her ill-advised and apparently unprepared turn on the Daily Show, former New York Lieutenant Governor Betsy McCaughey, the mother of the ‘Death Panels’ controversy, is out as a member of Cantel Medical Corporation’s board of directors.

A spokesperson for Cantel insists McCaughey actually “…resigned to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest during the national debate over Health Care Reform”. Right…that was just after they said “…and don’t let the door hit you on the ass on your way out”.

Now we’re not saying McCaughey’s performance during her interview with Stewart was an unmitigated disaster…oh what the hell, yes we are! Although Stewart didn’t make her look quite as stupid and inept as he made CNBC’s blowhard financial guru Jim Kramer look a few months back, as we pointed out Friday on this blog, it was pretty humiliating.

When oh when are these people going to learn that if they agree to be interviewed by Stewart, they’d better understand going in that he’s much more than “merely a comedian”. While unfailingly polite, he’s also well-prepared and tenacious, especially if he doesn’t agree with his guest. Anyone who underestimates him does so at their peril. And if it costs someone their job, well, we won’t complain when that person deserves it.


We finish up our spin on the media Merry-go-round with a Stephanie Miller story. The radio host got off one of the best lines in recent memory while doing a guest spot on ‘The Ed Show’ on MSNBC.

During a panel discussion which had already touched on everyone’s take on Michael Vick’s pending return to the National Football League, the conversation turned to Sarah Palin. The panelists were asked whether or not they believed the former Alaska Governor and Vice Presidential candidate’s many recent, politically-motivated pronouncements and quite bizarre public appearances were her way of testing the waters for a possible 2012 Presidential run.

When her turn came, Miller…who, as anyone who has ever heard her radio show knows, is a Major League dog lover…couldn’t resist the set up and didn’t waste the opportunity.
“Well”, she said. “Everyone who knows me knows how much I love my dogs…and I’ll tell you right now that if it came down to a choice, I’d vote for Michael Vick for President before I’d vote for Sarah Palin”!

And so it goes.

SC