Posted by TheDon
Since the Don Imus firing, I’ve been watching MSNBC in the morning. I tried watching when he was still on the air but just couldn’t take more than a few minutes of the cranky old drunk routine. Although I don’t like the reasons they used to pull him off the air, I always wondered why they didn’t get someone on in the mornings who was watchable. It seemed like there was a real opportunity to grab the audience of people who wanted a serious news show in the morning. Nobody else has.
During the interview process they tried some really good people as well as some really bad ones. Sadly, they settled on Joey the Scar, but he has a good supporting cast, and the format is great. Long interviews with people who matter, long news segments when needed, less fluff than most (although it is there). This morning’s headlines have so many notable stories that I had to grab the keyboard.
In the NYT, MaDo says that W has turned the Republicans in her family into Democrats. I think there are two factors at work. First, the goalposts have been moved so far to the right that Nixon would have to run as a liberal today. They have finally become too obnoxious for all but the true believers. Second, there’s Bush. Who would want to be associated with him? He can’t be defended in any debate or argument, only in the safe harbor of incestuous television discussions and printed screeds.
Fort Lewis Washington joins other military bases in eliminating individual memorials for fallen soldiers, opting for once-a-month Memorial Days. I’ve written about this before, and it really makes me angry. Whether you support the current wars or not (and I don’t), you can’t support the destruction of our army and the disrespect towards people who died after they volunteered to fight for us. Where is the outrage from the “Support The Troops” crowd?
The Pentagon is now targeting Summer 2009 to bring stability to Iraq. “The plan is in keeping with President Bush’s surge strategy.” Ummmmm… That would be the brief surge which would last a couple of months? The one which would bring us “a bloody Summer”? The one we would be able to judge very quickly? The one which continues to make Al-Qaeda stronger? That one? Dammit. ITMFA to stop these wars.
The Pentagon is going for some quick, easy bandaids to fix the VA medical system. Here’s my fix – universal health care! You don’t need a separate health care system when it’s free for everyone.
Gonzo lied repeatedly to Congress, and in easily provable ways. Impeach that clown, and his bosses.
The Arab League is offering full recognition of Israel in a plan which involves returning to pre-1967 borders. Call me a starry-eyed optimist, but this sounds like a pretty good way to go. If enough people are finally tired of the bloodshed, and if the Arab League governments will really commit to enforcing the plan, it could be the solution we’ve been looking for.
The TSA is trying to scare us some more, with stories of terrorist dry runs. I see that support for the Iraq war is inching up, and I’m guessing that the loyal Bushies believe that the current strategy of referring to every man, woman and child that we torture or kill in Iraq as Al Qaeda is responsible. So bring on the fear! It’s working, boys!
What a morning of headlines! More shows like this, please!
3 Comments.
Please forgive my ignorance, but who is this MaDo?
Sorry – Maureen Dowd, New York Times columnist
Oh. Thanks!