PBS chief welcomes public TV funding under Obama

Chalk one up for the good guys.

PBS chief Paula Kerger says budget numbers tell the tale of how public TV is faring under the Obama administration, compared to that of former President George W. Bush.

Kerger said that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's $430 million budget for this year was left intact by President Barack Obama, in contrast to the Bush administration's repeated bids to reduce or eliminate the federal subsidy. Kerger says Congress countered Bush's actions.

The president and CEO of PBS told the Television Critics Association on Sunday, "I guess that says something," adding that she's hoping for $450 million next year.

Videos- President Obama Interview On The PBS News Hour

VIDEOS-- President Obama to Jim Lehrer, et al: Read my lips

By GottaLaff


Okay, the blog title isn't a direct quote, but that's the gist. Here's more of what he said:

Despite touting the military’s victories in Iraq during his Friday speech in North Carolina, Obama isn’t prepared to declare the American invasion a success.

“I think what we can say unequivocally is that our military succeeded in every mission that was given to them,” Obama said. “I don’t think we can rightly say that the strategy cooked up by our civilian leadership, with respect to either going in, in the first place, or how the war was managed, was a success.”

On the whole, however, the president sounded a hopeful note in his conversation with Lehrer.

“If we get it right over the next few months and years, ... there is a strong possibility we can leave Iraq as a stable, peaceful partner in the region,” said Obama.

Here are a couple of longer videos of the interview:

Take the Palin Poll

By GottaLaff

My Father In Law (of Stand-Up Comedy Blog fame) just sent me this in an e-mail. Go now. Take the poll. Why? Because here's what the results are so far:

Do you think Sarah Palin is qualified to serve as Vice President of the United States?

Yes		51%
No		46%
Not Sure		1%

Follow this link. Take the poll. And then go back to wondering who their respondents are.

Moyers on O'Reilly: "Bill Is Not a Journalist, He's a Pugilist"

By Paddy



In case you missed this yesterday, Bill O'Reilly's little lapdog Porter Berry accosted Bill Moyers at the National Conference for Media Reform about the "left wing" convention and going on O'Reilly's show. A thing of beauty.