Permanent link to MTA daily media news

Air America to Feature Celebrity Drive-Time Guest Hosts-Richard Belzer Kicks Off Series Starting Monday April 14
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Beginning Monday April 14, Air American Radio will present a month-long series of celebrities who guest host all week during the 3-6 PM ET period. The programs launch with noted comedian, author and actor Richard Belzer, well-known for his work as Det. John Munch on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and numerous other movie and TV roles. Belzer will be joined by special guests to be announced, bringing an entertaining, fast-paced and engaging afternoon listening experience

This is how the right wing portrays Obama (thanks to Grendel was misunderstood at MyDD, adapted from an actual photograph of Barack Obama looking down his nose at Hillary Clinton at one of the debates—I somehow missed getting a copy of the original, so if anyone has a copy please send it to me)

Quote of the Day (Political Wire)
“You know, my dad took me out behind the cottage… and taught me how to shoot when I was a little girl… It’s part of culture. It’s part of a way of life. People enjoy hunting and shooting because it’s an important part of who they are. Not because they are bitter.” — Sen. Hillary Clinton, quoted by CNN, professing her own love of guns after Sen. Barack Obama made his controversial comment.

Obama Invokes Annie Oakley (by Jeralyn at TalkLeft)
Obama doesn’t seem to know much about Annie Oakely: “In her life, Annie overcame poverty, mistreatment and physical injury with her determination and strength of character. She played a role in breaking barriers for women with her talent and accomplishments in her sport. She showed great compassion and generosity to orphans, widows and other young women.”

Dear Sen. Obama, Campaign Staff, and Your Media Cohorts: Have You No Shame? (by SusanUnPC at No Quarter)
We noticed an odd similarity in two front pages this afternoon: HUGE headlines about Hillary and guns. First, there was the Huffington Post’s front page…: “Clinton Becomes A Gun Lover” Then there was Talking Points Memo’s front page…: “FOR IT, BEFORE SHE WAS AGAINST IT” And then it all made sense. I opened Mark Halperin’s The Page blog for Time magazine, and saw these blaring headlines: “… ‘She knows better. Shame on her. Shame on her.’ …  ‘That’s some politics being played by Hillary Clinton.’” This is not the first time we’ve noticed strikingly similar headlines and stories on pro-Obama sites like Huffington Post and Talking Point Memo. Halperin’s big red headlines — about Hillary Clinton “on the duck blind every Sunday” and that she’s “packing a six-shooter” — come straight from Obama’s mouth, quoted in a Fox News article.
Playing politics!  During a political campaign!  Will the shame never end?  And where is the outrage at Whoever Kidnapped Josh Marshall for using against Clinton a right-wing attack on John Kerry?  Yes, I’m talkin’ to YOU, Mike. Click through for screen shots of the mysteriously alike home pages.

Will Whoever Kidnapped Josh Marshall please return him, stat? (by lambert at Corrente)
Because the replacement body is doing a really, really poor job and wrecking the TPM brand.  WKJM [Whoever Kidnapped Josh Marshall] — readers, I’m not making this up — trots out a Harvard sociologist to defend Obama against charges of elitism… It seems that Theda Skocpol, in the extremely spontaneous fashion so characteristic of TPM’s “reader writes” shtick, threw some mail over the TPM transom, and WKJM printed it!… I’ll excerpt the high points: “… absolutely over the top … smash Obama … pretending … lurid publicity … claws her way to the nomination … over-the-top crudity … desperately wants the nomination … We all know that… But where is her authenticity and her dignity and her sense of any proportion?” I don’t know. Maybe where yours is?
Big Tent Democrat at TalkLeft: “I would not be trotting out a Harvard sociologist to defend Obama from a charge of elitism if I were the Obama campaign.”

12 reasons ‘bitter’ is bad for Obama (by Mike Allen at Politico)
His remarks give Clinton a second wind and play into the hands of Republicans eager to portray him as an out-of-touch snob.

From the right wing: Obama To Rural Pennsylvanians: Vote For Me, You Corncob-Smokin’, Banjo-Strokin’ Chicken-Chokin’ Cousin-Pokin’ Inbred Hillbilly Racist Morons (Ace of Spades HQ, thanks to Fleaflicker at TexasDarlin Blog)
How bad is this gaffe? Well, even Hillary Clinton hacks are calling it condescending, and liberal spinner Kirsten Powers admits that there are some things that liberals say to each other when “among friends” that just don’t play so well in Wilkes-Barre or Beaverton. Which is interesting: What other sorts of things do you liberals say to each other behind closed doors, Ms. Powers? Why it’s almost as if you have one way of speaking among the progressive elite and another language entirely for the rubes you’d presume to govern.

From a conservative: Obama Issues Non-Apology For “Bitter” Remarks (by Rob at Say Anything Blog, Pajamas Media)
Typical: “…[O]bviously, if I worded things in a way that made people offended, I deeply regret that. The first step in apologizing is admitting that you’re wrong.  People are offended by what he said, but he’s clearly not willing to admit that.  Which means the only thing he regrets is that his campaign is in hot water because the rubes heard what he said.

From the Republican Party: NRCC Continues to Hammer Democratic Congressmen with Obama Remarks (by Jake Tapper at Political Punch, ABC News)
Focusing this time on Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa., the National Republican Congressional Committee is trying to damn local Democrats with the comments about small towns made by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. “Jason Altmire Should Stop Flirting With Obama Campaign,” says an NRCC news release sent to local media in the Keystone State. “Time for Superdelegate to Say Who He Supports.”… The NRCC says it’s going to send out similar news releases about [other Democratic superdelegates].  If local reporters ask these members of Congress what they think of Obama’s remarks, that could extend this story and hurt him with all-important superdelegates. That’s the NRCC’s hope, anyway.

Sent to me by an Obama supporter: Congressional Republicans, Afraid of Obama, Throw Hail Mary Pass to Try to Keep Him From Nomination (by DHinMI at Daily Kos)
Barack Obama’s comments about the bitterness of Americans let down by their government has prompted derision from the Clintons, John McCain and the Congressional Republicans, who are all saying roughly the same thing.  Is it good for Democratic politics to have message discipline between Hillary Clinton and the GOP?
Of course, you knew this was coming.  Obama’s condescension for small town America is Hillary Clinton’s fault.  I refuse to link to Daily Kos, so if you want to read the entire post, you’ll have to go find it yourself.

From North Carolina Democrats: Big Names Small Towns (by gregflynn at Blue NC)
[A]n NC “open letter”… [Excerpt:] “We are from small town America – we are the people you are talking about, the people you say are leading ‘bitter’ lives. Well, Senator Obama, nothing could be further from the truth. Here in small town America we lead productive lives full of belief in God and country. We live in communities where we go to church because we are hopeful, not because we are bitter. We believe that our passion for fair trade is born out of the principle of fair play, not frustration. We believe that the future of our country is bright and reflected every day in the stars and stripes of our country’s flag. We need a leader who will stand up for small town North Carolina and all Americans. Someone who understands that we are a resilient and hopeful people who are proud of our values and our communities. That, Senator Obama, is what this country needs.”
The letter was signed by artists, writers community activists, businesswomen, and others.

Clinton backer: Superdelegates need to consider ‘bitter’ remark (Political Ticker, CNN)
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (CNN) -– Sen. Evan Bayh, Hillary Clinton’s top backer in the May 6 primary state of Indiana, argued Saturday that superdelegates need to evaluate Barack Obama’s “bitter” remarks when deciding who to back for the Democratic nomination. “I think it’s a real potential political problem and it’s something for superdelegates and voters to think about,” said Bayh, who was made available to reporters by the Clinton campaign to speak about the controversy. “The far right wing has a very good track record of using things like this relentlessly against our candidates, whether its Al Gore or John Kerry,” Bayh said, “I’m afraid this is the kind of fodder they might use to harm him.”

What Clinton wishes she could say (by John F. Harris and Jim VandeHei at Politico)
Why, ask many Democrats and media commentators, won’t Hillary Rodham Clinton see the long odds against her, put her own ambitions aside, and gracefully embrace Barack Obama as the inevitable Democratic nominee? Here is why: She and Bill Clinton both devoutly believe that Obama’s likely victory is a disaster-in-waiting. Naive Democrats just don’t see it. And a timid, pro-Obama press corps, in their view, won’t tell the story. But Hillary Clinton won’t tell it, either… Rip off the duct tape and here is what they would say: Obama has serious problems with Jewish voters (goodbye Florida), working-class whites (goodbye Ohio) and Hispanics (goodbye, New Mexico). Republicans will also ruthlessly exploit openings that Clinton — in the genteel confines of an intraparty contest — never could. Top targets: Obama’s radioactive personal associations, his liberal ideology, his exotic life story, his coolly academic and elitist style…

Carter Will Not Endorse Until The Convention (Political Radar, ABC News)
Former President Jimmy Carter confirmed in an exclusive “This Week” interview with George Stephanopoulos that he will not be endorsing any time soon. “The only thing I know is that, I have not made an endorsement, and don’t intend to, until the time of the convention.” Despite previously dropping hints in favor of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., Carter said “I’ll let you make your own judgment…about my inclinations.  I’ve told you what I — as much as I intend to reveal.” On the state of the Democratic race, Carter said he agreed that superdelegates should not overturn the will of the people but that “any superdelegate who wishes to deviate from that opinion should be perfectly free to do so.”
Like Bill Richardson, President Carter—the superdelegate who went against his constituents but is lauded by the Obama fans, even as they proclaim that superdelegates should always vote with their constituents?  Oh, and so much for the piece at The Scotsman.

Rev. Jeremiah Wright criticizes media at Eugene Pincham funeral (Chicago Sun-Times)
The Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., former pastor of Barack Obama’s Trinity United Church of Christ… made his first extensive public remarks since the controversy began as he paid tribute to his friend, former appellate judge R. Eugene Pincham… Escalating into full-preaching mode, Wright thundered, “Fox News can’t understand that. [Bill] O’Reilly will never get that. Sean Hannity’s stupid fantasy will keep him forever stuck on stupid when it comes to comprehending how you can love a brother who does not believe what you believe…” At that point, congregants nearly drowned Wright out with a booming standing ovation. Wright also referred to Fox News as “Fix News.” And, talking about Pincham’s integrity and honesty, Wright said, “You don’t change who you are because of where you are. You don’t stop telling the truth because it is not politically correct or it makes a racist uncomfortable. You don’t blame other folks for not fixing some of the problems in our own community that we can and need to fix ourselves.”
So THAT’s what he was trying to teach Obama all those years?  Too bad it didn’t take.

The Chris Matthews Show: David Brooks Says In Order To Win, McCain Can’t Appear To Be Too…Republican (by Nicole Belle at Crooks and Liars)
Ah…the rub of any Republican candidate after the clusterf&@k of the Bush administration: in order to be electable, you can’t be like them. Which is a problem for John McSame, who has built his campaign around giving voters a third term of the Bush presidency. David Brooks thinks that McCain can still pull it out, but it involves invoking another President: Teddy Roosevelt. “… he’s gotta say, ‘hey Teddy Roosevelt took on corporations, he took on health insurance, he took on the trust of his day’…” But, but, but…if McCain goes up against corporations and stand up for the working class and the poor, he wouldn’t be a Republican, would he?  First step might be not giving trillions of dollars in tax breaks to corporations in your tax plan.
Click through to watch the video.

McCain’s Electoral College Math (by Richard Baehr at the American Thinker—yes, it’s conservative, but conservatives can do math, too)
[T]he  Electoral College math shows this: the most competitive of the large swing states — Ohio (4% margin for Bush in 2000, 2% for Bush in 2004), Michigan (5% Gore win in 2000, 3% Kerry win in 2004), Pennsylvania (5% Gore win in 2000, 2% Kerry win in 2004), and Florida (tie in 2000, 5% Bush win in 2004) — are all states where Clinton is more competitive with McCain than Obama is with McCain at the moment (though Rasmussen has Obama a bit closer in Florida, differing from all other surveys of that state). None of this will matter to those on the left, or to young people who are buying Obama’s content-free but well delivered messages on hope and change. But to many Americans in the “flyover zone” who do not live for politics, but still vote every four years, John McCain may appear to be more tested, and a safer choice in troubled times than his young, and untested opponent.  At least that is what the polls now show. 

Singing McCain’s Praises, or Joking?
For a while, it was not clear whether the videos of the “McCain Girls,” a trio of singing and dancing campaign supporters, were meant to be sincere or ironic…. The creators of the McCain Girls turn out to be the comedy team behind 23/6, a five-month-old Web site owned by an affiliate of IAC/InterActiveCorp that parodies the news. The site, at 236.com, uses the motto “Some of the news, most of the time.” Indeed, the videos’ makers say they were trying to tread the line between sincerity and irony. “We wanted to parody the campaign-song phenomenon,” said Sarah Bernard, the president of 23/6. Because most of the so-called stars of YouTube are amateurs, the comedy site decided to take no credit for its creation.

Mary Matalin: Cheney is brilliant and People are sick of Bush bashing stuff (by John Amato at Crooks and Liars)
While talking about possible VP’s on Meet the Press, Lady MacCheney praises her ex-boss by having the audacity to say Dick Cheney is brilliant because he overstepped his authority and turned the VP’s office into a Co-Presidency. Something that has hurt this country badly and led to the leaking of a CIA agent’s name to the press which got Scooter Libby convicted of multiple felonies. And then she delves into freeper land with this one: “… Dick Cheney has changed the nature of that office….this brilliant man has made that office completely relevant.”
Click through to watch the video.

NPR Calls for Immediate Action to Increase Global Warming (by Dean Baker)
NPR had a report on China’s one-child policy this morning. While there have been many abuses associated with this policy, it has probably been the most successful environmental policy in the history of the world. Imagine if China had 1.7 billion people today rather than 1.3 billion. Add 30 percent to their annual emission of greenhouse gases, wouldn’t that be great? This point apparently never occurred to NPR’s reporter.

Drugs Cost a Few Dollars, Sell for Tens of Thousands, NYT Doesn’t Notice (by Dean Baker)
The NYT reports on a new practice among insurers to charge patients one third of the cost of the most expensive drugs. Since drug companies can charge more than $100,000 for some drugs, this means that patients with insurance can still end up paying tens of thousands of dollars a year for these drugs. In the context of this discussion, it would have been appropriate to note that these drugs only cost a few dollars to produce… The reason that these drugs sell for such high prices is that the government grants the drug companies a patent monopoly on drugs that essential for people’s lives and health. The justification for this government imposed monopoly is that it is needed to provide incentives for research. However, with such incredible gaps between price and cost, and the resulting economic distortions, it would be reasonable to discuss more efficient mechanisms for financing drug research.

The Clean Development Mechanism Doesn’t Work, Surprise! (by Dean Baker)
As in not surprised. alongside the war in Iraq and supply-side tax cuts, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) was one of the most predictable failures in the last quarter century, for exactly the reasons noted in [a] WSJ article. Why doesn’t this article name names? Where is the accountability? The policy people and “environmentalists” who pushed the CDM should be clearly identified as fools and hacks and never allowed to hold any position of responsibility again in their lifetime. This is yet another instance, where the people in power get to mess up, again and again and again, and never get held accountable.

Media Matters for America headlines

• Wash. Post uncritically reported McCain adviser’s assertion that McCain “has been seen as standing up to his party and fighting on issues” including “immigration”

• Wash. Post’s Balz reported McCain “again made clear his opposition to broad federal intervention or bailouts,” ignored approval of Bear Stearns aid

• NY Times’ Caucus blog reported McCain’s criticism of Obama’s “commitment” to public financing, but not that McCain may have violated public financing system’s spending limits

• Citing Gingrich, Halperin falsely suggested Obama’s “[t]alk to your enemies” position includes support for meeting with Hamas

Off New York Streets, Film Piracy Is Online
While bootlegged DVDs are harder to find on the streets of New York, worldwide and on the Internet, video piracy remains rampant.

Rowling to Testify in Trial Over Potter Lexicon
J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, is expected to testify against a small publisher looking to bring out an encyclopedia based on her work.

He Wrote 200,000 Books (but Computers Did Some of the Work)
A professor has developed computer algorithms that collect publicly available information on a given subject, turn them into books, printed on demand or delivered digitally.

Your Place and Mine (WeTellStories.co.uk, from Penguin, thanks to Jeff Jarvis)
The story of a relationship — written live, Mon-Fri 6.30PM
This week, from Monday 7th to Friday 11th April 2008, bestselling authors Nicci French perform a high-wire act of storytelling. For an hour every night they will write the story of Laurence and Terry – and you can witness the story being created, live and in realtime.

Swarm intelligence inspired by animals
It’s never too late to learn about the birds and the bees. Particularly when they can help enhance surveillance photos, quickly sort through military reports and even enable individual robots to navigate within an army of fellow automatons.

A Funnier-Than-Usual Journal Gets Snapped Up Early
A satire of The Wall Street Journal is selling mysteriously well, a few days before its sales release date.

Expecting Jabs, Tribune Decides to Mock Itself
Since Samuel Zell took control in December, Tribune, a company that is struggling financially, has hired a number of music and radio executives with no background in the company’s core businesses of newspapers and television. This has led to some carping from media watchers and people inside the company. Since Mr. Chase is another career radio man, Tribune decided to mock itself before any critics could. Gary Weitman, a spokesman for Tribune, said, “This was a way of saying to everybody, ‘This is a creative environment, and we want creative people.’ ”

History Channel teams with Library of Congress
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – A&E Television Networks’ History brands, which include the History channel and its Web site, have teamed up with the Library of Congress on a multimedia partnership that will encompass on-air and online content.

Why Advertising Execs Are All the Rage on Small Screen
‘Mad Men’ Sets off Flurry of Ad-Related TV Shows, Placement Opportunities

It’s Web 3.0, and Someone Else’s Content Is King
Without Original Reporting, How Long Can the Aggregation Party Last?

Tibet Backers Show China Value of P.R.
With the Olympics in mind, China has been exploring American-style public relations approaches.

TV Nets Move the Ads to Boost Ratings
ABC, CBS Put More Commercials in First Half of Late-Night Talk Shows

Blockbuster offers $1 billion-plus for Circuit City
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Blockbuster Inc , the No. 1 U.S. movie rental chain, said on Monday it has offered to buy electronics retailer Circuit City Stores Inc for about $1 billion to $1.3 billion in cash.
I do NOT understand this move.  At all.

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