VIDEO: Sarah Palin joins Twitter

By GottaLaff


Some of you alerted me to this, but I was one step ahead of you for once. I was one of the first to follow her, but she has yet to post anything worth reTweeting. But just wait...

“This is my official Twitter feed,” Palin said in her first "tweet." “From here I’ll provide updates on issues concerning Alaskans.”

The GOP vice presidential nominee wasted no time using her new cyber platform to explain her side of the story. In her second "tweet," Palin called sharply criticized the Associated Press for a story they wrote about her.

The Associated Press “gravely misquoted my staff, saying I 'changed my mind' on the stimulus package,” Palin wrote.

And Palin is also using Twitter to update residents about the H1N1 flu outbreak. “We still have no reported cases of swine flu. Be vigilant, AK! Wash hands & watch for flu-like symptoms.”

In less than three days, Palin has amassed nearly 12,000 followers on Twitter. She joins the service after the niche site has gone mainstream in recent weeks. Media mogul Oprah Winfrey recently joined, as have a number of high-profile political journalists.

As of now, she's not following me back. That means she can't read my Tweets, but can read Tweets directed to me.... as if she or her staff cares what I write... but they should. Bwhahaa!

By the way, I'll be joining Jim Alger of Capitol Beat (where I occasionally crosspost)-- soon to be called Common Sense, named after the radio show-- on his new online radio broadcast. I was reluctant to be a regular commentator (plus, there was a schedule conflict), so I pitched an idea he liked: I'll be pre-recording what I call My Tweet Spot (wink), a three minute recap of the week in politics via my favorite Tweets.

Jim's goal is to make it to Air America... he has a connection there. I'm not holding my breath, but you never know.

See? Twitter can pay off. I met Jim there, and we've welcomed several new TPC readers/donors via Twitter.

I'll fill you in later on the specifics. I believe I start next Friday. And maybe, just maybe Sarah Dearest will tune in when she discovers that I'll be quoting her little gems on the radio in (to start) 7 states, AM and FM, and all over the WeberTubes.

The End of Conservative Talk Radio?

By GottaLaff

Old and older:

Michael Wolff: "The dirty little secret of conservative talk radio is that the average age of listeners is 67 and rising... What's more, it's the Internet that is the fast-growing and arguably more powerful political medium -- and it is the province of the young and liberal. The only sensible market view of conservative talk is that it will contract and be reduced, in the coming years, to a much more rarefied format."

Rev. Moon uses big media to frame message. Why don't Dems?

By GottaLaff

Mark Karlin's gem-o'-the-day. Please go read it in full. I don't do it justice with mere excerpts:

In short, Moon, in essence, shells out hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars to use the Washington Times as a public relations vehicle for "framing" the GOP perspective. The Washington Times doesn't have the incendiary flamboyant impact of Rush Limbaugh, but it has played a vital role in moving the "frame" of what is considered "centrist" in the U.S. among D.C. insiders way to the right.

Just last week (March 23), it was announced that the Washington Times is going to launch a radio program:

The Washington Times is headed for radio [...] aimed at showcasing the paper's investigative reporting and accountability journalism.

The move is part of the paper's strategy to transform itself into a multimedia, multiplatform news company. [...]

"We believe this unique journalistic team, combined with radio’s ability to give the time and context needed to flesh out breaking stories, will make for a powerful winning combination in talk radio," said Mark Masters, CEO of Talk Radio Network. “Rather than commenting on yesterday’s news, this news show will have the capacity to make, break and drive the news cycle. Like 60 Minutes once did for TV, this show can do for radio. We are very excited and honored to embark in this partnership with The Washington Times investigative team

If you want a little insight into how the pieces of the right wing media echo chamber puzzle fit together, it is worth looking at some of the people under contract to Talk Radio Network: Michael Savage, Laura Ingraham, Rusty Humphries, Monica Crowley, and Tammy Bruce. Bruce most recently made an infamous remark calling the Obamas trash, and Tammy Bruce managed to insult the entire nation of Canada a couple of weeks ago, resulting in an unprecedented Ottawa call for an apology from FOX "News." [Laffy Note: TPC post here]

Talk Radio Network, on its website, describes the new radio venture with the Washington Times this way:

March 23, 2009 - TALK RADIO NETWORK, THE WASHINGTON TIMES TO LAUNCH INVESTIGATIVE RADIO SHOW NATIONALLY.

Talk Radio Network and The Washington Times are partnering to create a nationally syndicated, morning-drive radio show with an innovative new format aimed at showcasing investigative reporting, accountability journalism and live reporting directly from the Times' newsroom inside the nation's capital. The Washington Times Morning Show is set to launch later this spring.

When you read the term "investigative reporting" applied to the Washington Times, think about the Clinton impeachment. [...]

Meanwhile, wealthy liberal Democrats don't buy up or create large media outlets; they just support efforts to criticize the corporate press and the likes of Rev. Moon. [...]

You can win elections, but you can't make dramatic change unless you own part of the major media.

Rev. Moon understands that. Why can't wealthy Democrats?

Or is it because many of the wealthiest Democrats really don't want a change in the distribution of wealth in this nation?

Good question.

Kids listening to inauguration got Limbaugh

By GottaLaff

Speaking of Rash LimpDong, how would you parents out there feel if, during a broadcast of President Obama taking his (first) oath of office, your child were exposed to the guy who brought us wholesome little mental visuals of hiney maneuvers ?

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Edison Middle School spokeswoman Amanda Brooker said the radio played for the school Tuesday was tuned to a station carrying the [inauguration] via the conservative pundit’s show. She said in a written statement the station was changed once officials realized “the form of the commentary.”

Teacher Amanda Griggs complained in an e-mail to the local station, WTAQ, and Limbaugh quoted from it on his show Wednesday, including the statement that the students were “shocked, angered and saddened by the interruption.” He also played parts of her critical phone call to the station.

Always thinking of the kids, that LimpDong. But being the noble, repentant guy that he is, Rash not only offered to teach the kiddies lessons in civics, but threw in a ride on his private jet (and its big, fatass carbon footprint) and said he'd "give economics to them".

Gee.... Who could resist a visit to the classroom by "No Vulgarity Left Behind" Limbaugh? That would be quite an education.

Tom Brokaw is Joe & Mika's First Radio Guest

Darn, I forgot all about it. I'm sure it was riveting.

Tom Brokaw was the first guest on today's inaugural radio show hosted by MSNBC's Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, "The Joe & Mika Show."

Blogger Ron Mwangaguhunga listened:

The conversation began on the subject of Sunday's passing the torch to David Gregory. Brokaw's wife, Meredith, had some thoughts on Tom's exiting the talking heads mix. "Meredith said to me 'you are going to miss this,' and I said 'I know I am going to miss this.'"

The former NBC anchor continued: "I felt just as strongly as I did when I left the Nightly News (that) it was time for a new generation to take over."

Joe & Mika also teased that Gregory and Chuck Todd would be guests in the 11amET hour. The show airs from 10am-Noon Monday-Friday on WABC Radio in News York.

So basically they need to rename the show "The GE/NBC/MSNBC Hour".

Joe Scarborough & Mika Brzezinski Begin Radio Show Monday

Ugh, it really is happening.

First on TVNewser: Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski begin hosting a radio show on WABC in New York Monday morning. The show will air from 10am-Noon, following Imus in the Morning. Scarborough and Brzezinski will continue with MSNBC's Morning Joe from 6am-9amET, before heading to the WABC studios for the late morning radio show.

The only part of this fiasco I like?

After the jump, the WOR press release, which includes this news: "Bill O'Reilly, Dennis Miller and the station's longtime daily Food Talk program will cease to broadcast on the station."

Bill O'Reilly to end syndicated radio show

Huh wha? There has to be more to this than just this little blurb.

NEW YORK -- Fox News Channel said late Thursday that popular cable TV host Bill O'Reilly will step down as the host of his syndicated talk radio show early next year.

The "The Radio Factor" -- which began in 2002 and runs on more than 400 radio stations, as well as satellite operator Sirius XM Radio Inc. -- will end in the first quarter of 2009, Fox said.

In a statement, O'Reilly said the workload has become too much, adding, "I can no longer give both TV and radio the time they deserve."

O'Reilly will continue hosting "The O'Reilly Factor" on the Fox News Channel and writing his weekly newspaper column.

Killing their party one person at a time

Perfect example of what Nate covered here.

Saying he was "ashamed beyond words," a faculty adviser to the A&M chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas recently resigned after the group posted fliers targeting four professors who signed a petition supporting a former leader of a Vietnam-era radical group.

"At the outset, I told the YCTs that they needed to stand for all of the things that were good about conservatism, and to reject the bad," said John Fike in an e-mail to the faculty members. "I also told them that if I was ever ashamed of them, that was it for me. I am now ashamed beyond words."

Fike on Friday confirmed his resignation, saying he told the group Thursday.

The Young Conservatives -- which has about 60 to 70 dues-paying members at the university that boasts 46,000-plus students -- posted fliers around campus criticizing the instructors for signing an online petition supporting Bill Ayers, a former Weather Underground leader. Ayers had come under scrutiny during the fall campaign when Republican presidential candidate John McCain attacked President-elect Barack Obama for associating with Ayers.

Pretty soon the Republican Party is just going to be a group of angry white men yelling at each other, and it couldn't happen fast enough for me.

h/t.