When Chris Matthews Attacks

I've always been kind of a fan of Hardball (though I actually much prefer Chris Matthews' syndicated Sunday show), but it's become regular viewing for me since, oh, January. So I was watching when Matthews tore Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA) to shreds yesterday, and meant to post something about it much earlier. If you didn't see it, well... release the hounds.



I'm surprised Cantor's Democratic counterpart during the segment, Robert Wexler, didn't let out a Nelson-like "HA ha!" after the smoke had cleared.

Matthews was dead-on in calling Cantor out on his bull$#!+. The McCain campaign (and the Republican party, in general) is acting like some George W. Bush belongs to some mysterious third party that's been running the White House for the past eight years. Do they really think people are going to buy that "foolery," as Matthews termed it? He got a standing ovation in my house last night.

Somebody's Pants Are on Fire...

How badly is John McCain's presidential campaign mangling the facts? Even anchors on FOX News are now calling out his spokespeople for spreading misinformation. Case in point, the claim that Barack Obama will raise taxes on the middle class, which analysts say isn't true.



I have to admit, I thought Megyn Kelly was a typical FOX-bot when it came to sticking up for the Republican candidate. But apparently, even she can't ignore some of the falsehoods that are being served to the people.

And for the second time in two weeks, McCain campaign spokesperson Tucker Bounds is made to look like a fool on television, attempting to cloud the issue by trying to jibber-jabber around it. Finally, he can only make mean-spirited, sarcastic remarks about Obama parting oceans and healing the sick. (Norah O'Donnell also smacked him around yesterday on MSNBC. As Ana Marie Cox posted on TIME.com, maybe Bounds likes getting spanked by attractive female anchors.)

C'mon, even Karl Rove had to sheepishly acknowledge on Sunday that the McCain campaign had gone "one step too far," "beyond the '100 percent truth' test." Not a good testament to credibility.

Here's more from the Washington Post's Howard Kurtz.

Thanks to my buddy Matt for passing this along.

The Role Tina Fey Had to Play

Almost immediately after the world was introduced to Sarah Palin, people began to compare her to Tina Fey. (That is, after they finished asking "Who the hell is Sarah Palin?" and zooming over to Google.) All in the glasses, don't you know. And when the real thing answers her calling to do the impression America's been yearning for, it's a thing of beauty. Or hilarity.

So if you missed it last night (presumably having better things to do on a Saturday night or being pooped out from a long day), here's the opening from last night's Saturday Night Live. (Apologies for the ads, but at least this Hulu clip won't be taken down):



"In conclusion, I invite the media to grow a pair. And if you can't, I will lend you mine." HA!

Kudos, by the way, to the SNL staff for snagging a pair of those Palin-esque rimless frames, which are apparently quite the hot item.

If only the rest of last night's SNL measured up to the opening sketch. (You tried, Michael Phelps. You tried.) But when's the last time that happened?

Why We Let Mom Gamble

My mother and I have a pretty simple deal during baseball season. I love going to mid-week day games. She loves playing the slots at the casino. So I drop her off in Greektown, then take the People Mover to Comerica Park.

How does that work for us?


It's not like she's blowing away my inheritance. That's straight cash, homey!

Unlike the past, where my physical presence in the casino has been terrible luck for her, Mama Cass built up that stash while I was sitting at the bar. Lady Luck is a fickle mistress.

Why So Sad, Kwame?

It's all over for Kwame Kilpatrick as Detroit mayor.

• He pleaded guilty to two felony counts of committing perjury.
• He pleaded no-contest to a felonious assault charge for shoving a police officer.
  
• He'll serve 120 days in jail.
• He will pay $1 million back to the city of Detroit for restitution.
• He loses his state pension.
• He must surrender his license to practice law.
• He cannot run for public office for five years, while serving probation.

And thus, the best sitcom of the summer comes to an end. I love big finales. (With bonus features, such as other city officials resigning - and more surely to follow - in addition to a ripple effect that could help Barack Obama in Michigan.)

Not coincidentally, the weather in Detroit today is cloudy, but cool and refreshingly pleasant.

And I Thought Harvey Dent Was Two-Faced...

I know. Suddenly, we're posting video on politics every day. (But hey, I am posting every day...) But when we're being force-fed a bunch of bulljive, it's reassuring to know that someone with a very public forum is there to highlight the hypocrisy.



You are a national treasure, Jon Stewart.

(Hat tip to Kevin Crossman)

How Things Can Change in Two Years

"Joe-Mentum" was apparently rolling in something of a different direction in 2006.



Did Sen. Lieberman sound this enthused last night when pumping up his buddy John McCain? (Well... as "enthused" as Lieberman gets, that is.)

(via Andrew Sullivan)

Campbell Brown, Attack Dog

I used to have a major TV crush on Campbell Brown. Years ago, I would actually wake up early on weekend mornings to watch her co-host Weekend Today with Lester Holt.

Eventually, I got over that - probably when she married a Republican strategist. But this interview with Tucker Bounds, a spokesman for the John McCain campaign, reminded me of at least one reason I enjoyed watching her on TV. She can be pretty damn good at her job.

How does Bounds defend the selection of Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate? Well...



"I don't think there should be any problem defending her experience." And yet, there he goes having problems defending it.

Apparently, she took it a bit far for the McCain campaign's liking, however. McCain canceled an interview with Larry King to punish CNN for Brown's "unfair" line of questioning.

Watching that reminded me of trying to defend my first semester college grades as a freshman to my parents. There was no defense. Especially since Mama Cass could invoke tears and guilt, which Brown doesn't have to resort to in that interview. She didn't need to.

(via Andrew Sullivan)

Spins Some Glass Any Size, Catches Geeks Just Like Flies...

If I could find a church with this for a stained glass window, I might bother dragging my butt out of bed on Sunday mornings.


Or maybe I could get something like that for my own private cathedral/man's room/geek cave. I might have to give the artist a call. When I have, you know, money for such a thing. Oh, and the room.

(via Cinematical)

The Speech We Should've Seen

When looking over the schedule for last night's speeches at the Democratic National Convention, I'm sure the cable news channels saw John Kerry set to speak after Bill Clinton and thought it might be anti-climactic. Plus, Kerry does have the reputation of being sort of a gasbag.

Had Kerry's speech been shown, I might have turned the channel. And that's surely why CNN and MSNBC opted to have their pundits jabber on instead. But I followed along online, and quickly realized I would've been wrong not to pay attention. The cable news channels most certainly made a bad decision in not showing the speech. Especially when they'd been criticizing the Democrats the past two nights for going into attack mode toward the Republicans. Everyone should've seen Kerry's remarks on TV last night, if they were already tuned into DNC coverage.

Fortunately, we have YouTube:



Had this guy shown himself in 2004, maybe he would've won the presidential election.

(via Andrew Sullivan)

Don Draper's Advice to Live By

"It will shock you how much it didn't happen."

Great line, great scene, and a great episode of Mad Men last night.

Bobbie Barrett finally became an interesting character after three episodes, Peggy Olson is a complex tangle of complexity, and Don Draper may have learned one of life's most important lessons. Infidelity could eventually prevent your food from tasting good.

Keeping My Olympic Torch Ablaze

I knew there was a reason I took a nap this evening. Whether I realized it or not, I wanted to stay up late to watch the USA Women's Beach Volleyball team!


(Courtesy of someecards.com)

Just supporting our young Olympians. Like our President.


(I'm also waiting for the Misty May-Treanor/ Kerri Walsh cereal box.)

U! S! A! U! S! A! Bring back some gold!

The Only Thing Michael Phelps and I Have in Common

Over the past week, I've gotten as caught up in this Michael Phelps thing as anyone. Besides the tremendous spectacle he's presented in Beijing (Friday night's by-the-fingertips win in the 100M Butterfly was incredible to watch), I dig him even more because he's been an Ann Arborite for the past few years. I think it's that Midwestern need to identify with "one of us" (even though Phelps is really a Maryland guy).

Besides the gold medals, Phelps has also gotten a lot of play for the voracious eating regimen that fuels the swimming machine. Anyone who's ever looked at me knows I can eat, but even I don't think I could put 12,000 calories away. (Unless I actually have, and didn't realize it during an evening at a Chinese buffet.)

Anyway, Phelps has to go somewhere to get all that food, which is what makes this video cool. Plenty of local Ann Arbor eateries can be seen here.



Yep. That's about the only thing Michael Phelps and I have in common. We both eat breakfast at Benny's Family Dining. (Well, sometimes - I'm more of a Mark's Midtown Coney Island guy nowadays.) Oh, and our favorite Chinese restaurant is Middle Kingdom on Main St. I was just in there last night, and the old man who owns the place was talkative and giddy over all the attention his place was receiving from its moment on TV. And he's not usually talkative or giddy. But he sure enjoyed telling anyone who asked what Phelps likes to eat.

You know, I used to swim a lot, too, when I was a kid. Which you might not guess by looking at me now. Even then, I didn't wear the Speedos, though.

(via MGoBlog, by way of MVictors.com)

Kwame: The Best Sitcom of the Summer

Up until now, I haven't paid too much attention to summer television because of baseball, but just before the Beijing Olympics begin, I think Kwame Kilpatrick has given us a fantastic sitcom to watch. Or is this more of a "dramedy"?

If you didn't catch the news - and this has gotten an embarrassing amount of national coverage - Detroit's joke of a mayor will be spending tonight in the slammer after violating the terms of his bond which prohibited him from leaving the city without first notifying the Wayne County Circuit Court. Kilpatrick said he was in Windsor, Canada on city business, and apologized like a teenager who trashed the family car, but the judge said he had to treat the mayor as he would any other citizen that violated bond. That led to the image that's provided most of my dinner entertainment this evening.


If that wasn't bad enough for Kilpatrick, the Michigan attorney general is set to charge him with at least one felony count tomorrow, connected to Kwame's alleged shoving of a Detroit police office. And if that charge leads to a conviction, it won't matter if the mayor chooses to resign or not because he'd be removed from office. (This would also relieve the governor from exercising her constitutional power to do so herself.)

None of this, by the way, is connected with the text message/perjury scandal that already had many Detroit citizens and politicians calling for his resignation. The Wayne County prosecutor is still working on that one.