One Reason Why MSNBC Is On Life Support

Congressman Mo Brooks is from Alabama. You can tell he's a good ol' boy because he says "yes, ma'am" just like his momma taught him.

It doesn't get much funnier than this.


H/T to Powerline.

CNN's Parker Makes Up American History

OTR really takes umbrage at such blatant ignorance. One would think a national news reporter would have a working knowledge of American history. It was a prerequisite for the national broadcast journalists he grew up with in the 1950s and 1960s. Huntley and Brinkley would have been laughed out of the industry had they made such blunders. That was then, this is now.

So who cares if CNN's Kathleen Parker tells her audience that Alexander Hamilton was an illegal immigrant who wrote the Constitution. Even her co-host, Eliot Spitzer, surely a trustworthy beacon of excellence in journalism, didn't catch the error. With history departments across the country going the way of Latin departments a decade ago, who would know--or care--that her statement is hogwash? OTR knows and cares.

For the record, Hamilton came to the COLONIES "from the British West Indies in 1774." There was no back door because there was no Unites States at that point. Furthermore, Hamilton DID NOT write the Constitution. He did however write a substantial portion of the Federalist Papers that helped convince delegates to ratify the document.

And speaking of ignorance and American history, OTR would love to see Barack Obama's college transcripts. So far, he seems well qualified for an anchor position at a CNN news desk. Indeed, Obama is quite an "anchor" when it come to American history. But why worry, he not a journalist, he's just President of the United States.

CBS And Fidel Castro

Here is a very different perspective on CBS icon Don Hewitt, the creator of 60 Minutes, who died last week. Source: Babalu.

A Risable Dr. Strangelove Moment

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat, answered her cell phone while being asked a question at her town hall meeting this week. Scott Johnson (Powerline) has posted a brief, priceless commentary on her attempt to answer a simple question - and video to prove it - from CNN's Rick Sanchez regarding her behavior. As Johnson concludes, "This video has [to] be seen to be disbelieved."

You Are There

In my lifetime, I suppose I've watched thousands of CBS Evening News broadcasts anchored by Walter Cronkite. His death today reminds me that he had a great influence in shaping my interests in studying world history and the American experience. Cronkite first came into my world in 1953 as the host of You Are There, a weekly half hour, first-person reenactment of historical events. I was seven that year, and for the next four years Cronkite brought me and my family into some riveting historical events, including wars, disasters, political events, and discoveries. In 1957, Cronkite began hosting The Twentieth Century. The program was a weekly half-hour documentary featuring interviews, newsreels and other footage of significant events. It survived well into my college years in the mid-'60s.

Tomorrow, the news wires and blogs will be humming with the Cronkite biography, his influence on the anti-war movement and Vietnam, his political convention and election banter, his excitement over NASA and manned flight in space and the lunar landings, and his empathic words in time of national sorrow.

I can recall all of those events, but I would rather think of him interviewing George Washington crossing the Delaware on a bitter Christmas dawn. Why? I was there thanks to Walter Cronkite, a most powerful shaper of me, perhaps you, and without question, the American experience..

ABC: The All Barack Channel

Last night, ABC Television and it's once-respected news department took the final step in its transformation into a full-fledged state operated medium. I haven't watched the Big Three networks - or commercial television for that matter -for many years with the exception of sports. If there was a salvageable network until last night, it was ABC. Unfortunately, the chose unwisely. If they are willing to sponsor a night full of propaganda and crush any attempt at debate, we can say that journalism at ABC Television died last night. Will I trust ABC for news? No.

UPDATE: The show was a ratings bust: only 4.7 million people chose to drink the Kool-Aid during the 10:00 PM time slot.

What's Up With Fox News?

Anybody notice that Fox News seems to be getting a bit "edgy" lately? I wonder if they're moving right of the perceived right-center orientation of their past news programs. Of course, the opinion programs, e.g., O'Reilly, can go where they may as they are not intended to be "straight news." I am concerned about Glenn Beck though. Since moving from CNN to Fox News, he seems to be delivering opinion while on some new and disagreeable medication.

We know the purpose behind television programming is selling soap. The top entertainment sells the most soap. Unfortunately, the entertainment that has broad appeal is very often not the best. Fox News has made a good run at delivering news and opinion over the past decade. I hope this recent condition doesn't translate into a permanent trend.

Charles Johnson, at Little Green Footballs, provides an example of the same behavior on a Fox News online program hosted by Andrew Napolitano.

Tea And Sympathy

From all accounts, the national tea party held in 750 cities yesterday attracted around 500,000 people. It was good to see citizens exercising their freedom of expression regardless of political persuasions. The diffuse themes, varied programs, and range of attendance supported the belief that the parties were a grass roots effort.

The Atlanta party drew about 15,000 participants to the Georgia State Capitol steps. I'd say it was a typical political rally except for the hype added by the live broadcast of the Sean Hannity Show which began at the conclusion of the official rally. Actually, the Hannity program suffered from a sense of forced spontaneity. It came across to me like a premiere in need of a few more rehearsals. In addition, there were some less than inspiring interviews. I didn't watch much of the event, but I'll bet Hannity was glad to see it end; however, his program did attract 3.2 million cable viewers in prime time.

Interestingly, Fox News crushed the cable opposition yesterday. Perhaps that was expected as Fox is generally regarded as a right-leaning organization and the tea parties played to a primarily right-center audience. You'll get no argument from me on that issue; however, I do believe the network surely approaches better balance in comparison to its competition. That leads me to the "sympathy." Once again, I'm feeling for CNN as its viewership decline continues. The network has undergone several programming and staff changes in an attempt to stem viewer loss. Some changes appear to have worked, but the network still suffers from serious pitfalls. I liken it to rearranging the deck chairs on the RMS Titanic which, by coincidence, sank April 15, 1912. The CNN "deckhand" who rearranged the most chairs yesterday was Susan Roesqen. Here's why:



Is this journalism? Sadly, no. She helped sink CNN yesterday, but don't worry about her. She has a lifeboat called NPR and your tax dollars help keep it afloat. Isn't that special.

Delusion News

Well after midnight last night, I read this post on Yahoo News and got two impressions. First, either the Associated Press writer, David Bauder, apparently doesn't watch news broadcasts on Fox News or he can't recognize news from opinion. And second, CNN U.S. president Jon Klein is deluding himself if he thinks CNN is the "real news network." There was a time, years ago, when CNN did "read the news," but those days are long gone. CNN has been a bastion of liberal journalism for years now, and that's fine as long as people, including management, acknowledge it. On the other hand, Fox News seems perfectly comfortable with their center right news and conservative opinion. If CNN's management wants to operate under a delusion, then they're suffering from Sulzberger syndrome, the illness that is sinking The New York Times.

I feel for CNN. Fifteen years ago, they had the most comprehensive, useful, and timely news page on the Internet. Today, that page is a shell of its former self. Their cable news is struggling. Maybe it's time for that madman maverick, Ted Turner, to rescue his baby. At least he'd bring humor along with his delusions. Best of all, he wouldn't mind admitting he's a far lefty.