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Anonymous Commenter: ABC producer flat out said "'we needed to bring Obama's approval ratings down.'"

By GottaLaff

Paddy linked you to a post over at Open Left. I'd like to follow up by making a couple of remarks by an anonymous commenter very public. Take them for what they're worth, since they're from an anonymous source, but IMHO, they are worth a lot:

I just got laid off from ABC after five years. The stories I can tell you. The stories. [...]

I just got laid off at ABC and my best friend works at CNBC.

They don't want Democrats on air. We've been only booking Republicans because "everybody already knows where the Democrats stand"

After all, what are the Democrats going to do? complain? It's the liberal media, right?

I was in a meeting last week where our producer flat out said we needed to "bring Obama's approval ratings down"

Everyone who got laid off this week was an Obama supporter.

Surprised?

Not in the least. Time to put the word out about this kind of bias. This post is a start.

Housekeeper and Taxes Are Said to Derail Kennedy’s Bid

By GottaLaff

Norah O'Donnell is having a field day jumping all over Caroline's "disastrous, bungled, rocky" bid for governor. "What's going on here??" she asked incredulously of Washington Post's Ruth Marcus:

Problems involving taxes and a household employee surfaced during the vetting of Caroline Kennedy and derailed her candidacy for the Senate, a person close to Gov. David A. Paterson said on Thursday, in an account at odds with Ms. Kennedy’s own description of her reasons for withdrawing. [...]

Hard feelings toward Ms. Kennedy were clearly building among the governor’s staff on Thursday, after a dramatic evening in which she was reported to be dropping out, then wavering, then ultimately, shortly after midnight on Thursday, issuing a statement ending her candidacy.

A person close to the governor:

“The fiasco of the last 24 hours reinforced why the governor never intended to choose her,” the person said.

Uh-huh, sure, yeah, but she was still under consideration. Go read the New York Times piece for their depicition of the madness surrounding Kennedy's decision.

Watching O'Donnell's interview with Marcus, and now with the author of this article (who is wondering aloud if the housekeeper may actually be the issue at all), I can safely say that the media have gone completely tabloid about this.

Whatever happened to professionalism?

Obligatory Blagojevich scandal post

By GottaLaff

Just to keep you up to date:

The United States attorney prosecuting Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois on federal corruption charges asked Wednesday for a 90-day extension to bring an indictment against the governor, as more details emerged about how Mr. Blagojevich worked behind closed doors to find someone to fill President-elect Barack Obama’s former Senate seat.[...]

Federal prosecutors normally have 30 days to file an indictment against a defendant. That deadline would have been Jan. 7, and the extension would give prosecutors until April 7 instead. [...]

In the motion filed in federal court on Wednesday, United States Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald asked for more time because “multiple witnesses” have come forward in recent weeks and investigators have to review “thousands of intercepted phone calls.”

Here is an example of what this time extension will provide for ratings-hungry, gossip-worshiping news [sic] outlets:

But, if nothing else, the image of all three standing together in front of flashing cameras served as a reminder of the political environment in which Obama developed: Blagojevich is awaiting an indictment; Burris may be blocked from claiming the Senate seat by leaders in Illinois and Washington; and Rush pushed for a black senator to replace Obama, who prefers not to participate in "the politics of race." [...]

It is that "taint" of controversy with which Obama has become associated during the past month. [...]

Activist Al Sharpton said yesterday: "I think that Governor Blagojevich is trying to save himself and cynically trying to draw the president-elect into this. But President-elect Obama should stay out of this. The worst thing that he could do is be drawn back into Illinois politics."

90 more days of opportunity for Republicans/the news [sic] media (synonymous, for the most part) to stumble all over themselves to manufacture stories that chip away at Obama. They need no justification other than an attempted bump in poll numbers/ratings/self-aggrandizement.

Happy New Year.

Poll-itics: Premature condemnation edition

By GottaLaff

Previously, I posted about Rahm Emanuel and other members of the Obama staff being cleared in the Blagoiuapiouqakhich scandal, but that it wouldn't matter. At the risk of repeating myself, here's an excerpt expressing my utter frustration with the so-called press:

The results: Their Nielsen numbers rise, their standards sink, and Team Obama is indelibly defiled by the residual droppings excreted by rabid gossipmongering counterfeit journalists who destroy lives with the same ease with which they mangle the English language.

Now we have this, via Taegan:

Meanwhile, a new CNN/Opinion Research poll finds that 43% of Americans think no one on Obama's staff did anything wrong, 36% think they did something unethical but not illegal, and 12% think they did something illegal.

48% think Team Obama are tainted. Can't imagine why.

Speculating about speculation

By GottaLaff

I'm gonna go way out on a limb here and speculate that there will be many, many more instances of destructive, meaningless speculation about Team Obama in the years to come. Obviously, that's a very safe thing about which to speculate, which sadly makes my point.

Here is today's latest headline from Politico:

Obama to absolve Emanuel in gov. scandal

You know why that's a headline? Because for weeks, all the other headlines have been similar to these:

• Blagojevich scandal: Rahm Emanuel and Jesse Jackson Jr face new revelations
• Emanuel: I'm Getting Death Threats Over Blagojevich Scandal
• 45% Suspect Obama Team Involved in Blagojevich Scandal
  

We have become nothing more than a society of voyeuristic vultures circling around the What-Ifs gleefully provided to us by frenzied media gotcha-mongers desperate to avoid the fate of the Big Three and AIG. Ratings are their god.

The results: Their Nielsen numbers rise, their standards sink, and Team Obama is indelibly defiled by the residual droppings excreted by rabid gossipmongering counterfeit journalists who destroy lives with the same ease with which they mangle the English language.

Those are some achievements. I'd be willing to bet that the Peter Principle will continue to be even more relevant in the foreseeable future. But that would be mere speculation.

Premature condemnation

By GottaLaff

Via Ben Smith, we see discover that-- surprise!-- Rahm Emanuel is in the clear. But that won't matter. Rumors will fly, innuendo will reign, accusations will be flung, and news cycles will be dominated by speculation that suffers from premature condemnation:

George Stephanopolous explains why the Obama camp doesn't seem worried about Rahm Emanuel's dealings with the Blagojevich administration: According to the internal report, he only spoke to Blago once, didn't engage in any negotiations to get Jarrett the Senate seat, and was equally interested in the (fascinating, more standard) wheeling and dealing around his House seat:

The sources add that the report will show Emanuel also had four phone calls with Blagojevich Chief of Staff John Harris. During those conversations, the Senate seat was discussed. The pros and cons of various candidates were reviewed, and the sources say that Emanuel repeatedly reminded Harris that Blagojevich should focus on the message the pick would send about the governor and his administration.

Sources also confirm that Emanuel made the case for picking Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett during at least one of the conversations. In the course of that conversation, Harris asked if in return for picking Jarrett, 'all we get is appreciation, right?' 'Right,' Emanuel responded.

I can just see the Biased Browns of the world stomping their feet, turning on their heels, crossing their arms with a "hmmph!" and whining that it's not fair that all those weeks of eyebrow-raising suspicion have rendered them so journalistically impotent that even a mega-dose of Viagra would be ineffective.

VIDEO: Obama gets pressed for Blago answers he was told not to give

By GottaLaff


Via DKos, we have a blogger that shares a mutual frustration with TPC. We are sick to death of so-called reporters, journalists, and talking heads pressing Obama for answers that they already know he can't give, and then misinterpreting what he can and does say. Patrick Fitzgerald specifically instructed Obama to not discuss the Blagojevich matter, but hey, to quote our president [sic], so what?

When Obama explains that concept again, during the Q and A, the follow-up TV commentators (deliberately?) misconstrue his response and perpetuate the implication that Obama is either avoiding their questions, misleading them, or contradicting himself. E-nough:

[S]omeone stood up and asked a "gotcha" question about Rahm talking to Blogojevich and whether Obama favored a special election, and Obama cut him off in the middle of his question and told him not to waste it because he wasn't going to answer it. Well, the reporter just didn't seem to understand that Obama wasn't going to talk about it because he's already said what was found in the report and why he's not releasing it. I'm sure the news will play the moment over and over, but I think it's safe to say that our next President is tired of the distractions. [...]

[N]ow Chuck Todd is saying Obama can't seem annoyed by more pointless questions about Blogojevich. Then the other random guy starts talking about how they need to be tougher on Obama. Seriously? The media doesn't even understand what the hell is important to people. I'm sick of hearing about Blogojevich. I want to hear about the cabinet. I want to know who will be running this country. Everyone involved has exonerated Obama, and yet the press won't let the shit go. Where was all of this "we have to hold his feet to the fire" mentality for the past 8 years? The press hasn't been "easy" on Obama since right after Iowa.

Anywhoo, that's what happened in today's press conference. I try not to hate people, but I reeeeeeeeeeally hate our press.

Join the club.

Attention news media (sic)! You get a few more days to speculate about Obama and Blagojevitch!

By GottaLaff

What a relief! The so-called press still has a few days to hone their skeptical facial expressions, eye-narrowing sidelong glances, "what does Obama really know?" intonations, and knowing sneers:

Incoming White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs spoke (.mp3) yesterday to the Tribune's Rick Pearson, promising to bring back the results of the "staff investigation" into the Blago mess in "the next few days."

Objectivity has gone the way of the U.S. Constitution.

Poll-itics: Obama gains support as news media piles on

By GottaLaff

Obama Honeymoon Continues

President-elect Obama "is entering the White House with an enormous reservoir of goodwill from an American public that is rooting for his success in the face of bad economic times," a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds.

"The poll found that 73% of adults approve of the way he is handling the transition and his preparations for becoming president... Polling indicates that the nation is more unified around Mr. Obama than it was for either Bill Clinton in 1992 or George W. Bush in 2000. Americans say the challenges, too, are greater, with 77% of those surveyed predicting Mr. Obama will face bigger problems than most recent presidents have."

The "news" [sic] media must feel threatened, because Obama is too popular, and that's simply unacceptable. Or maybe they're just bored and just need a new toy to play with. Or they're pushing for better ratings (that's a given). Or they're tools (another given).

Why else would they follow Republican talking points and insist that Obama is tainted even after Blah-Blah-Blago and Pat Fitzgerald both made it clear that he isn't? Why else would they repeat the ancient and debunked GOP talking points about Obama pallin' around with Tony Rezko? Etc., etc., ad nauseam.

Clinton redux.

Voice of reason

By GottaLaff

I was just talking to my dad about the ludicrous media insistence on perpetuating yet another meaningless story. They have nothing else to talk about, so they've crescendoed into some crazed, manufactured frenzy over the plethora of leaks from the formerly disciplined Obama team! Yes, leaks!! And more leaks!!! Leaks, do you hear me, leaks!!

Good god, who's doing the leaking? Hillary? Her team?? The Hill??? Could it be that Obama's gang has lost all control?! He-e-elp! The world is coming to an end! Somebody tell us it's all gonna be okay! Who will finally come forward and-- ?

"No one is frustrated, no one is anguished. Any time you involve large numbers of people in something like this, there's gonna be leaks. And there's a fanaticism almost among the news media to break the big story."

-- Obama strategist David Axelrod, quoted by the Huffington Post, on the increasing leaks during the transition.

Whew! What a relief. We've avoided Armegeddon. We can all go shopping again (well, except for that whole lousy economy thing).

Thank you, as always, David Axelrod. I'll let my dad know what you said.