The Kicker

Obama’s backgrounders come forward

NPR looks at The Other Campaign: 2008’s Senate Race

Keith Olbermann provides Exhibit W in the case of Hillary v. MSNBC

The New Republic is feeling a tad photo-plagiarized today. TIME magazine’s new Obama/Clinton cover is, it says, pretty similar to its own ultra-eerie Hillbama art. (Down, in fact, to the tagline: “There can only be one,” TIME notes, while TNR reminds us that “We have to choose one.”) But don’t fret, TNR! TIME isn’t ripping […]

Don’t miss Dana Milbank’s “Washington Sketch” today which begins: Lt. Col. Billy Hall, one of the most senior officers to be killed in the Iraq war, was laid to rest yesterday at Arlington National Cemetery. It’s hard to escape the conclusion that the Pentagon doesn’t want you to know that. The family of 38-year-old Hall, […]

If not by scoring some Hollywood armcandy for the White House Correspondents dinner on Saturday, how else might a news organization “remain relevant” in the eyes (and maws) of their peers? Alcohol. Via TV Newser, if you’re willing to pre-game the WHCA dinner with some Reuters reporters, you can enjoy Reuters-provided cocktails with timely names […]

Josh Marshall wonders if any networks (cable or broadcast) have followed up on David Barsow’s “blockbuster article detailing how the Pentagon has used a mix of control of access, defense contracts and more to get network ‘military analysts’ to spout Pentagon talking points in their on-camera analysis.” I’m doing a quick TV Eyes search and, […]

Another day, another “let’s put evening network newscasts out of their misery” piece that begins with a crack about their lifeblood: the old-person ads. “To judge by the ads,” writes Slate‘s Troy Patterson, “the most loyal adherents to CBS’ quasi-journalistic programming are impotent and incontinent.” Specifically, Patterson watched CBS Evening News last Friday, as well […]

Among the Wake Us When It’s Over, Are We Theeere Yet? headlines* today: “Clinton v. Obama: When Will The Race Be Over?” — NBC’s Today Show this morning “Here We Go Again!” — (New York) Daily News “It’s Not Over Yet” —(Knoxville, TN) News Sentinel “Clinton’s Victory Draws Out Battle” — Sarasota (FL) Herald-Tribune Headlines […]

Yes, my eyes first went to all that colorful confetti falling (whee!) in the large photo of the Hillary and Chelsea Clinton embracing on the front page of today’s New York Times (paper edition). But then I saw this, the first sentence of Adam Liptak’s article in the far-left column of the Times‘ A-1: The […]

Personally, I don’t like my Morning Joe with Mitchell –Andrea Mitchell, who is subbing today for Joe Scarborough’s usual Joe co-host, Mika Brzezinski on MSNBC. I think Andrea Mitchell is miscast. I think she looked out-of-place (lost, even) in the swirl of pontification and bloviation. As Joe and Tucker Carlson loudly chewed over How Michelle […]

Last night on MSNBC, Tim Russert said (with one of his Man, I’m plugged-in — or maybe I LOVE this game! — grins): I was talking to someone who understands the game of tennis quite well and says this is very simple: Obama needs to win match point. He had his chance tonight. He had […]

What’s the proper analogy? Asking a Clinton voter, as he’s exiting the polling place on primary day, whether he would vote for Obama in November is like… asking someone who fears he may soon lose out on a promotion whether he’d consider befriending The Likely Promotee a few months hence? Like asking someone who fears […]