By Mark Finkelstein | Saturday October 31, 2009, 12:41 PM
Hillary Clinton has flatly said she’ll never run for president again. She’s even mused about retirement. But can a woman who fought so hard and came so close to bagging the big enchilada last time around suddenly flip off the ambition switch?
Ask yourself: particularly in light of her trip to Pakistan, who’s sounding more like a Commander-in-Chief these days: Hillary Clinton or that hope-’n-change fella back in DC?
This morning’s Today show ran part of Andrea Mitchell’s interview of Hillary in Pakistan. You can wonder about the wisdom of Clinton scolding the Pakistanis for providing al Qaeda a “safe haven in Pakistan since 2002,” adding “I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are and couldn’t get them if they really wanted to.” But you sure can’t question her moxie in making those statements while on Pakistani soil. (Continued)
By Mark Finkelstein | Tuesday July 28, 2009, 07:23 AM
Now that’s it been announced that Pres. Obama will get together Thursday with Sgt. James Crowley and Prof. H.L. Gates for the proverbial beer, PBO’s spin doctors are surely feverishly at work. The White House must be looking at the event as the last best chance to salvage something from the president’s gaffe. Not only did PBO’s assertion that the police acted “stupidly” kill whatever momentum health care reform might have had, it tarnished Obama’s image as a post-racial healer.
So surely the likes of Rahm Emanuel, David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs are busily orchestrating the theatrics and optics of the suds session. I’m pretty sure an extended game of beer pong with comely White House interns is not in the cards, but let’s imagine some of the issues the spin doctors are grappling with. (Continued)
By Mark Finkelstein | Monday July 27, 2009, 03:03 PM
His style might be more “regular-guy” than that of some of his fellow MSNBC hosts. But Dylan Ratigan’s substance is apparently just as MSM-elitist as the rest of the network’s lot . . .
On his new show in the 9 AM slot, Ratigan today accused American police of having a culture based fundamentally on “intimidation.” Discussing L’Affaire Gates, the CNBC exile made his indictment in the form of a question. (Continued)
By Mark Finkelstein | Friday July 24, 2009, 08:39 AM
video management, video solution, video streaming
Could Harold Ford, Jr. be a fan? On Morning Joe today, the former-congressman-turned-professor, commenting on the Cambridge brouhaha, said:
“I think, look, the guy [Officer Crowley] did the right thing. My only question is once you determine there was no break-in, guy may be yakking off, I don’t care if he’s black or white, his name is Gates or Johnson . . . or Finkelstein. You don’t arrest a guy in his home.”
(Continued)
By Mark Finkelstein | Sunday July 12, 2009, 12:34 PM
If there’s one thing likely to rally Republicans around Sarah Palin, even those who might harbor qualms about her, it’s to see her literally laughed at and mocked by the likes of Charles Schumer and Bob Shrum. On Today’s Meet The Press, the senior senator from New York and the former Dem campaign adviser did just that.
Schumer went first, literally laughing out loud [see screencap] when host David Gregory asked him if Sarah Palin is the future of the Republican party.
Then it was Shrum’s turn. (Continued)
By Mark Finkelstein | Thursday July 09, 2009, 11:17 AM
T.S. Eliot might have to go back to the drawing board. April might not be the cruelest month after all. At least for Barack Obama, some combination of June and July is shaping up as the 30 days he’d like to forget.
Check out the chart after the jump, which shows the Rasmussen Daily Presidential Tracking Poll. You’ll note that just one month ago on, July 8, PBO was enjoying a +8 positive rating, meaning 36% of people strongly approved of him while only 28% strongly disapproved. That has turned entirely around. The latest data shows a -8% margin, with only 30% strongly approving versus 38% strongly disapproving. (Continued)
By Mark Finkelstein | Tuesday July 07, 2009, 08:23 PM
What does it take to be considered strange in Al Sharpton’s book? I’d really like to know. Cause if Michael Jackson doesn’t qualify, then the Reverend Al most know some seriously out-there dudes.
Speaking at the Staples Center service today, Sharpton, addressing himself to Jackson’s children, declared:
“Wudn’t nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with.” (Continued)
By Mark Finkelstein | Monday July 06, 2009, 07:06 AM
Listen carefully and you can hear Pres. Obama’s internal dialogue: “who is the soon-to-be-former advance man who roped me into this?”
Morning Joe interrupted its panel’s banter today to bring live coverage of Pres. Obama participating in a wreath-laying ceremony in Moscow at the tomb of Russia’s unknown soldier.
There was PBO, forced to walk at an unnaturally slow place, stuck behind a goose-stepping Russian soldier even younger and more fresh-faced than he. Comic relief was provided by a portly fellow shambling along screen right carrying a briefcase [the Russian nuclear "football" perhaps?] (Continued)
By Mark Finkelstein | Wednesday June 24, 2009, 03:40 PM
Early clubhouse leader for worst political advice of the year . . .
Jonathan Capehart has suggested that Republicans would be well-advised to skip a generation and wait for the Meghan McCains of the world to assume the GOP’s mantle of leadership. The WaPo editorial writer made his smirk-worthy suggestion on MSNBC this afternoon while chewing over Mark Sanford’s stunning announcement.
The panel had literally and figuratively run down the list of Republican presidential hopefuls and found virtually all of them wanting. Capehart’s brainstorm came in response to a leading question from host Tamron Hall, who touted the younger McCain’s wisdom. (Continued)
By Mark Finkelstein | Tuesday June 23, 2009, 01:29 PM
Yeah, their government might have shot a young girl in the heart and killed a bunch of other people protesting for freedom and fair elections. But that doesn’t mean their diplomats aren’t welcome at US embassy parties around the world . . .
At today’s press conference, a testy PBO repeatedly dodged Major Garrett’s question as to whether the invitation the Obama admin has extended to Iranian diplomats to attend 4th of July celebrations at US embassies still stood.
Things had gotten off to an edgy start between the Fox News correspondent and the prez, when, referring to PBO’s press conference-opening claim to be “appalled and outraged” by events in Iran, Garrett asked “what took you so long?” A stone-faced Obama responded “I don’t think that’s accurate,” and went on to claim that “we have been entirely consistent.” Yeah, right.
Then came Garrett’s follow-up. (Continued)
