The Political Whore

By Mitch Perry
PoHo correspondent
Mitch Perry is the anchor of the WMNF Evening News on 88.5 FM community radio.

Legendary television anchorman Walter Cronkite’s death on Friday at the age of 92 has prompted massive encomiums on his career and how no one figure could ever dominate mass communications like “Uncle Walter” did in the ’60s and ’70s. It also allows us to ponder the state of national television news.

In the immediate days (and weeks) after Michael Jackson’s death last month, America’s broadcast and cable news networks went — predictably — hog wild over the pop superstar’s death. They saw their ratings rise, while also receiving criticism from a lot of quarters that they were overdoing it.

But were you really surprised?

Pardon the expression, but haven’t we seen this movie, err, blanket news coverage before?

Can you say Anna Nicole Smith?  Ronald Reagan? Princess Diana anybody? Read the rest of this entry »

By Lorna Bracewell
PoHo contributor

Confronted with a news story involving lesbian penguins at a German zoo, you would think that evil geniuses Bill O’Reilly and Dennis Miller could muster at least one decent lesbian joke.

Watch their pathetic attempts after the jump.

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Speaks for itself.

Major has-been Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin gets another round with a national audience tonight, appearing on Sean Hannity’s unquestioning show to say “I told you so” about Barack Obama. She’s flogging the right-wing bullshit about how we are creeping toward socialism. (See the Political Whore post debunking that.)

From the interview, leaked (conveniently) to Drudge Report:

Read the rest of this entry »

Anchor Shepard Smith, Fox News’ lone quasi-sane newsperson melted down on the air last night during a discussion of torture and the government’s role in authorizing it. Shep’s T-shirt worthy quote:

“We are America! I don’t give a rats ass if it helps! We do not fucking torture!”

Can you really blame Shep for losing his cool? He’s surrounded by sycophants and morons of the worst kind. (Hello, Hannity!) I couldn’t take the studio tour at Fox News without losing my cool and getting Tazered by security.

On a side note, the banging on the desk was a nice touch. Video after the break …

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Wow, I have to award a douchebaggery medal for all the “news media” folks involved in this round robin of bullshit. The only person who even appears mildly intelligent is the tea-bagger, even if his history lesson about Lincoln is a bit off topic…

First, the CNN kerfuffle:

Then, Shep Smith’s retort on Fox:

Our country is headed to hell in a handbasket if this is what is going to pass for journalism going forward.

Fox News has essentially rejiggered its online content to create FOXNation.com. Its supporters see its lofty goal as to transform the ‘Nets the way it claims to have reinvented television. This introductory mission statement from Grover Norquist:
Read the rest of this entry »

Words fail me, so we’ll go right to the video:

Let’s check in with our friends at Fox News. The first 2:30 of this clip are maddening, but then Alan Colmes (yeah, Colmes, really) flips the script on his conservative cohorts, leading to much stammering, yelling and Sean Hannity’s contention that McCain’s time as a POW gives him a free pass on marital infidelity.

• Only the French could negotiate a cease fire that allows one side to continue attacking.
• Who will the U.S. be backing, Russia or Georgia? The Russians would like to know.
• More Fox News: Bill Kristol says Colin Powell is going to endorse Barack Obama and speak at the convention. Powell immediately denies everything. It’s a real shame you can’t believe anything broadcast on Fox News, as this one is juicy.
• Bring on the books about the presidential candidates — and by “candidates” we mean Obama.
• Folks, please be careful when shaking hands with Cindy McCain. She’s fragile.
• The”Colbert Bump” gets the research paper treatment.
• Tarantino’s latest has critics up in arms, and he hasn’t even started shooting yet.
• Julia Child was a frickin’ spy!

Enjoy your Fourth of July festivities everyone. I’m off next week, but PoHo will be back on Monday.

• Independence Day: Three Americans held hostage in Columbia have been freed.
  
• McCain shakes it up.
• Temper temper, John.
• Just when you think Fox News can sink no lower …
• Psilocybin research re-enters the mainstream.
• Dumb question of the week, from CNBC: “Which Is Better — Strong or Weak Dollar?”
• The Rays sweep the Sox! The Rays sweep the Sox!
• Salveggi crushes Hancock.
• Hot trial: the Christie Brinkley v. architect guy divorce proceedings.

(I had meant to post this last week as the Russert frenzy was in full bloom but had trouble with the embedding code; with that fixed, and with The Today Show this morning yet again finding a reason to mention Russert’s passing, I figured, what the hell …)

Here’s Fox News waxing godly about how a rainbow suddenly appeared after Tim Russert’s funeral. Don’t these anchors know that Rupert will fire them for saying nice stuff about liberal journalists?

In Honor of Fathers Day, I present this short film that I did not make but found on YouTube.

• Obama’s new website takes a page from the Snopes playbook.
• The Supreme Court undercuts Guantanamo’s legal basis for existence. Bush Administration says they will abide by the ruling (which probably means they won’t).
• Shade of Hillary? Ron Paul’s concession speech contained no actual concession.
• Props to Fox News (no, really): The nut-net pulled ED “terrorist fist jab” Hill from the air.
• Olbermann sees a well-deserved backlash.
• And the award for the “worst drink in America” goes to …
• We now know that your cell phone won’t cause corn to pop, but how much radiation is it really pumping into your skull?
• 3-1 Boston.

This just in from the Creative Loafing food safety division: Attack of the killer tomatoes!!!

• The $100 Million man.
• Trouble brews on the Chinese stock market.
• “Florida Governor Charlie Crist says the Democratic National Committee is cheating Florida delegates out of half of their votes at the national convention this summer.” Someone please inform the Gov that the Dems were just following the GOP’s lead.
• Decision day at the Supreme Court.
• “Terrorist Fist Jab” comment on Fox News a new low for the propaganda network.
• Apple debuts the iPhone 3G and iTunes App Store. Could it be the grim reaper for the GPS industry?
• Gay marriage = economic stimulus.
• The real “surge”: Gas prices crest $4 a gallon.

Side question: What do you think of the new, lean PoHo logo? Sound off in comments.