The Kicker

Today’s episode of Martha Stewart’s talk show–due, we can only assume, to some combination of its host’s continuing attempts to redefine her role in the cultural conversation, its employment of politically astute booker-producers, and some kind of rupture in the space-time continuum–features as its guests…Ben Smith and Jonathan Martin. Yes, the Politico bloggers. Which, just…there […]

Earlier today, on Campaign Desk, I posted an assessment of an article by The New York Times‘s Jeff Zeleny–an article that does, I think, a great job of reporting on the Obama campaign’s economic-messaging strategy. Well, just wanted to add to the props-giving: Another NYT piece, this one by Michael Cooper, does a similarly commendable […]

Apparently, Democrat. He might have voted for Ron Paul. But probably not for Palin (I mean… McCain-Palin). Here’s the reason, according to Paul Malmont, whose fictional book about London hits shelves in January and therefore makes him the appropriate authority for any speculation on the fabled author’s (fast forward to present… now!) voting proclivities: Jack, […]

Perusing the Times today, I came across this sad little headline: “Supreme Court’s Global Influence Is Waning.” Yeah. Not only is our executive branch wallowing in lame duck-hood and our legislative branch often stalled in partisan gridlock–now, it seems, we’ve gone and made our declining influence into a hat trick. The judicial branch? Lame. In […]

Number of segments in which “Streisand” has been mentioned over the past 24 hours (per a TVEyes search): CNN: 13 FOX NEWS: 13 MSNBC: 27

They kiss babies, too.

CBS News reports that this morning “marked the first time [Palin] answered a question from the press on the fly, prompting concerned looks from staffers.” She was asked for her reaction to the AIG bailout. Also: Told that her traveling press corps was getting lonely in the back of her campaign plane, Palin said, “Are […]

This is how they’re filling that fourth hour of the Today Show? “Kathie Lee and Hoda Take Off Their Makeup:”

Gripping man-on-the-street reporting from Christian Science Monitor contributor Shane Bauer in Sanaa, Yemen. (Plus, some helpful context and background to the bombing at the U.S. Embassy there today.) Bauer quotes “Yemeni journalist Adel al-Ahmedi, standing among a crowd of hudnreds who gathered at the scene”: This attack targeted Yemen and America at the same time. […]

Having already tracked down the woman who styled The Real Sarah Palin’s hair, the next step for the The New York Times was, naturally, to locate the woman responsible for Pretend Palin’s coif. (Fey wore a wig!) From the Times: Is there a name for this hairstyle? Ms. Rogers [hair stylist for Saturday Night Live] […]

CNN taps someone from Harvard Business School to wax wise on “the vulnerability of American citizens to anything that is new” and Sarah Palin’s “shelf life” (who are you calling a product?), or the shelf life of the Palin brand, or, maybe, the Palin brand’s buzz… or…something. I think. With so much business jargon-speak (“Election […]

The AP’s Glen Johnson sees McCain going in and out and in and out (because, maybe, where’s the melody in “trying to have it both ways?”): John McCain embraces and expels Washington like an accordion player belting out a song. Squeeze in and he touts his vast knowledge of the capital city. Draw out and […]

The New York Post is reporting that another major paper is in danger of demise. This time, it’s the Star-Ledger, New Jersey’s largest daily. Sigh. The paper’s owners, the Newhouse family, according to Keith Kelly, “will issue notices to all employees later this week saying that the paper will be sold or – failing that […]

Politics is delicious.