Chris Matthews Over the Edge

Journalist or Partisan Hack?

This morning on Imus, Chris Matthews revealed the depth of his left-wing lunacy.

From NewsBusters:

"Hardball" host Chris Matthews lurched even further off the deep end on Wednesday’s "Imus in the Morning." After praising the “great job” Rudy Giuliani did in cleaning up New York City — which Matthews again suggested was done with just “a pinch” of fascism — the MSNBC star went on a rant declaring how he’s “sick of southern guys with ranches running this country.”

Losing control, Matthews dropped the F-bomb on national television: “I want a guy to run for President who doesn’t have a fucking — I’m sorry, a ranch.” As host Don Imus began to snicker, Matthews plowed ahead with his Democratic talking points: “Wouldn’t that be good, Don, a guy who wasn’t on the ranch during Katrina, he was on the street corner answering questions?”

Radio listeners were spared Matthews’ cursing, but no such luck for those watching the MSNBC simulcast. After saying goodbye to Matthews about three minutes later, Imus and his crew mocked their MSNBC colleague. MSNBC's on-screen file photo of Matthews was altered to include a black censor bar over his mouth. Executive Producer Bernard McGuirk suggested Matthews was the sort who would “put on a diaper and drive 900 miles to abduct Dick Cheney or somebody,” and someone else offered that “he’s crazy.”

Imus was the diplomat: “But isn’t that what we like about him? I love his energy, his passion.”

Here’s the transcript of Matthews’ comments, which happened at about 7:45 ET.

“We love good mayors because we love our cities and Giuliani is the city guy, and I’m so sick of southern guys with ranches running this country. I want a guy to run for president who doesn’t have a fucking — I’m sorry, a ranch. Wouldn’t that be good, Don, a guy who wasn’t on the ranch during Katrina, he was on the street corner answering questions?”

I agree.

Matthews is the type that would put on a diaper and drive 900 miles to abduct somebody.

Do you think that Sean Hannity or some other conservative cable personality could get away with dropping the F-bomb on the air?

No way.

Manly Snickers

I think it's sort of funny that Super Bowl XLI seemed to be without controversy.

Days later however, controversy is popping up, slowly but surely.

It's as though there needed to be a review, a slow-motion replay before issues with this year's Super Bowl became evident to the masses.

First, the half time show. You have the Prince phallic form that's been receiving attention.


REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES)


(Screen shot)

I have two questions about that.

1. What took so long for people to notice and make an issue out of it? I'm surprised it wasn't more immediate.

2. Was it an intentional move by Prince? I don't know. I would say there's a strong possibility. The producers of the half time show had to recognize the image during rehearsals, unless Prince made the move unexpectedly. I doubt that.

Anyway, I did notice the suggestive silhouette on Sunday. My reaction now is the same as it was then: Who cares?

It was a brief image, something to giggle about during half time. No big deal.

The second controversy is causing more of a ruckus -- The Snickers commercial.

Watch it.



I didn't see that ad during the game.

Most likely, I was preparing food or serving food or cleaning up from the food. I'm sorry I missed it. I wish I had seen it as it aired live. That way, my reaction wouldn't be colored by the ensuing controversy and the reactions of others. I don't really know how I would have responded to the ad.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. -- A commercial for Snickers candy bars launched in the Super Bowl broadcast was benched after its maker got complaints that it was homophobic.

The ad showed two auto mechanics accidentally kissing while eating the same candy bar and then ripping out some chest hair to do something "manly." One of the alternate endings on the Snickers Web site showed the men attacking each other.

The Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation complained to the maker of Snickers, Hackettstown-based Masterfoods USA, a division of Mars Inc., which also makes M&M's and other candies.

The Web site also featured video of players from the Super Bowl teams reacting to the kiss.

"This type of jeering from professional sports figures at the sight of two men kissing fuels the kind of anti-gay bullying that haunts countless gay and lesbian school children on playgrounds all across the country," Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese said in a statement.

GLAAD spokesman Marc McCarthy said Tuesday the group believed "this kind of prejudice was inexcusable."

The company has agreed to pull the ad from TV and its website, even though it received positive feedback from its target consumers.

Masterfoods spokeswoman Alice Nathanson said, "[M]any media and website commentators of this year's Super Bowl commercial line-up ranked the commercial among this year's top ten best. USA Today ranked it 9 of its top ten picks."

USA Today liked it. Does that make USA Today homophobic? I suppose so.

Will USA Today and other media outlets that lauded the commercial be targeted as bigoted?

Will the jeering sports figures be punished by GLAAD? Will they be forced to apologize or sent to gay rehab like Isaiah Washington of Grey's Anatomy?

Nathanson said that the company didn't intend to be offensive. The ad was meant to be humorous. Some obviously didn't see the humor.

So, the ad is history.

I didn't even know about the Snickers ad until there was this uproar about it. By complaining and drawing attention to it, the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation actually ending up giving Snickers additional advertising, more bang for their buck.

Personally, I think it was a little too edgy for a candy bar commercial; but it did get noticed, which is the point of advertising.

So many candy commercials target children. That's evil, right? This one clearly was meant to appeal to an older demographic. I guess Snickers can't win.
The bottom line is the ad offended some people. They complained. The company responded by removing it. That's nothing all that unusual. A decision was made to discontinue showing the ad.

I think the more interesting question is whether the ad was funny, clever, and fair or an inexcusable, hateful display.

I understand how some people would take the men's reaction to their unexpected kiss as offensive. They believe it presents a homosexual kiss as repulsive and shameful.

However, I don't think that the ad does that. I don't think it degrades homosexual behavior as much as it mocks the completely over the top reaction of the men.

The men ripping out their chest hair and screaming look like fools. They may be trying to be "manly," but they are buffoons.

They are the idiots in the ad for behaving so ridiculously.

How is that anti-gay?

Perhaps the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation should back off their knee jerk reaction and examine the ad's message.

There's humor in the ad, and it's at the expense of homophobes.



"I just want your extra time and your Kiss"

Paradise Freezes Over for Kids

Why were schools closed for two days?

Did it have something to do with the weather?

It's hard to tell.

I thought it was too dangerous to go outside.

The children needed to be protected.

Maybe not.

From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

When Gail Chan heard that school for the Greendale School District was called off Tuesday over the cold weather, she moved fast to hook up her daughter and the neighborhood children for a day of fun.

"We all got on the phone and made a game plan," she said.

Chan and her daughter, Maya, a second-grader at Canterbury Elementary School, headed out into the frigid weather en route to a warm and steamy water park in Waukesha that was packed with schoolchildren.

Cold temperatures prompted school districts across southeastern Wisconsin to shut down classes Tuesday, in some cases for the second straight day, but the weather didn't keep schoolchildren - or teachers - from venturing out to malls, movie theaters, entertainment centers and water parks.

"You could definitely tell that the schools were out and people were out at the mall," said Nancy Conley, senior marketing manager at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa. "I've also noticed a lot of moms in the mall with grade-school children."

YIPPEE!

Brutal, bitter cold temperatures! Let's go out and have some fun! Make hay while the mercury drops!

...But the closures didn't sit well with Jeanne Tarantino, who has three children in the Waukesha School District and sees the closures as "a softening of our people."

"Yesterday was colder than today," she said. "How long are they going to be out of school? All week?"

Good questions.

The wind chills for Wednesday are predicted to be as low as -25.

It doesn't make sense that school needed to cancelled on Tuesday, to protect the children, but not today or the rest of the week.

...Others said schools made the right move so children wouldn't have to endure the freeze while waiting at bus stops or walking to school.

"I think it's just too cold to have kids waiting for the bus," Randy Beres, a reading specialist at Canterbury, said as she soaked in a hot tub at the Country Springs' water park. "I think it's a great little winter break for the kids."

What?

"A great little winter break"?

That wasn't the purpose of the closings.

...Wauwatosa School District Superintendent Phil Ertl said he struggled before deciding to shut down school for the second day Tuesday, coming down on the side of avoiding risk to students.

...Ertl said the decision came down to whether the weather constituted a risk for students' well-being.

"I think we save the risk of 7,000 students," he said. "If one has problems, it becomes a good decision."

So the reasoning is that if one student would have a problem because of the cold, then school should be closed for all 7, 000 students.

That's nuts.

Any parent could choose to keep their child home if it would be necessary, just like on any other day.

Explain to me how the weather constituted a risk for students' well-being when so many managed to get out and crawl around the malls, movie theaters, and water parks.

What did the events of the past two frigid days in Wisconsin reveal?

It's not necessary to close school and let the children stay home when the wind chills are dangerously low.

Why?

THEY DON'T STAY AT HOME.

Peter Berdovsky and Turner Broadcasting: Hoax, Lies, and Videotape

This is an interesting twist on the Aqua Teen Hunger Force hoax in Boston.

Peter Berdovsky, guy with the hair fetish, videotaped officials as they removed one of the "advertisements."

BOSTON -- One of the men criminally charged after placing blinking cartoon advertisements around the city videotaped a police bomb squad removing one of the electronic devices, but did not tell the officers the object was harmless.

Surveillance cameras caught 27-year-old Peter Berdovsky videotaping officers removing what they thought was a possible bomb.

His lawyer, Walter Prince, said Tuesday: "Mr. Berdovsky didn't do anything inappropriate."

Prince said Berdovsky had received a call that morning from a friend who told him there was a bomb threat at the Sullivan Square transit station in Boston. He said Berdovsky grabbed his camera and headed out to the scene, unaware it involved one of the electronic devices that he and Sean Stevens, 28, had hung as part of a guerrilla advertising campaign for Turner Broadcasting, a division of Time Warner Inc.

"That's what he does. He videotapes things. He's a videotape freelance artist. He got a call that there was a bomb threat near his house and he went to tape it," Prince said. "When he got there, he realized what was going on, and he went back to his apartment and called his employer, and they told him they would take care of it. That's not an inappropriate response."

"Not an inappropriate response"?

I disagree.

Lawyer Prince says that Berdovsky "realized what was going on."

At that point, without question, the onus was on Berdovsky to inform the officials he was videotaping that the device was harmless.

Instead, he let his advertising stunt snowball into shutting down Boston.

INEXCUSABLE.

Clearly, he enjoyed causing the panic and so did Turner Broadcasting.

...Turner Broadcasting has agreed to pay $2 million to cover costs and restitution for the massive police response on Jan. 31 that shut down highways and bridges and snarled traffic.

So, Turner is forking over $2 million to make this go away.

Has justice been served? I don't know.

I don't really like out of court settlements.

Clearly, Turner felt it was in its best interests to throw a little chump change to the city of Boston rather than stage a legal battle.

Rather than the incident being seen as an advertising coup by Turner, the "underground" campaign should result in a backlash.

Employees of Turner let panic reign.

Not cool.

Can Rudy Giuliani Win?

Some conservatives shudder at the thought of voting for Rudy Giuliani.

I understand the concern when it comes to Giuliani's positions on social issues.

He may be great when it comes to tackling terrorism, but he's not even close to being a candidate interested in protecting the unborn.

That could be a problem.

Can a Republican candidate that isn't against even the ghastly procedure of partial birth abortion rally the conservative base and win the White House?

There are so many factors to consider when looking at Giuliani's viability, such as his Dem opponent, the possibility of more terrorist attacks before the election, etc.

Putting aside all those unknowns, I do think it's possible for Giuliani to win the support of the base. I think it can be done if Giuliani manages to run a campaign based on sound, rational policies and if he can soften the edges of his stance on the emotionally-charged social issues.

From The Washington Post:

Former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani jumped into the 2008 presidential race yesterday, filing a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission and declaring on national television last night, "I'm in this to win."

Giuliani's actions were aimed at erasing any lingering doubts about whether he would enter the 2008 campaign and came after an intensive month of activity in which he has stepped up his political travels, broadened his political team and expanded his fundraising operation. A formal announcement will come later, Giuliani said.

Giuliani, 62, served two terms as mayor of New York and earned widespread praise for his leadership after terrorists struck the city on Sept. 11, 2001. He leads the field of declared and prospective Republican presidential candidates in national polls and, with Sen. John McCain of Arizona, ranks either first or second in most of the important early states.

But his support for abortion rights and gay rights puts him sharply at odds with the majority of his party, a situation that many GOP strategists think will present a substantial obstacle to his hopes of winning the nomination. Giuliani also remains well behind McCain and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in building a state-by-state political organization that will be crucial to navigating through early contests in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

In an interview last night with commentator Sean Hannity on Fox News Channel, Giuliani sought to play down his differences with conservatives by pointing to his record of shrinking government, reducing taxes and fighting crime in New York and to his commitment to staying on "offense" against terrorists.

Giuliani restated his support for abortion rights and gay rights but said he believes marriage should remain a union between a man and a woman. He also defended his support for tough gun-control laws in New York, saying they helped reduce crime in the city while he was mayor.

Giuliani's challenge, aides believe, will be to convince Republican primary voters that, despite his disagreements with conservatives, he will not overturn what has been party orthodoxy on many social issues. One way of indicating that has been through his comments about judicial appointments, a topic he returned to last night.

"I think the appointment of judges that I would make would be very similar to, if not exactly the same as, the last two judges that were appointed" to the Supreme Court, he told Hannity.

That's key.

If Giuliani would run on the promise to appoint constructionist judges like John Roberts and Samuel Alito, then the socially conservative contingent should be able to find some solace.

If Giuliani takes the stance that social issues like abortion and gay marriage are matters for the states to decide, that also should help lessen the sting of a socially liberal Republican candidate.

While a president can veto bills, as President Bush did when an INCREASE in federal funding for EMBRYONIC stem cell research was proposed, a president's powers are limited.

Roe v. Wade won't be overturned directly by a president. That's the reality. It's not going to happen.

Giuliani wouldn't be a pro-life champion per se, but as long as his judicial appointments would be constructionists, that would be what really counts in the long term.

The Constitution is pro-life. If Giuliani's judges wouldn't be the "legislate from the bench" types, social conservatives should be satisfied.

I think Giuliani could really cut into the Dems' ability to woo the swing voters, those undecideds.

Giuliani has planted himself in the middle, a good place to be.

Without question Giuliani is liberal on some issues. He's also very conservative on others, and extremely strong when it comes to terrorism, national security, taxes, and crime.

On balance, it should be remembered that Giuliani is far more conservative than he is liberal.

Christian conservatives need to quit being so demanding and be willing to compromise a bit. Small steps forward are better than giant leaps back with a Dem president.

Giuliani would be far better suited to serve as President of the United States than any Dem candidate, hands down.

I think the Dems fear Giuliani. I also think they believe that conservative Christians won't back him and would block his nomination, so they really don't have to worry about facing him in the general election.

That's a miscalculation.

I think at the end of the day social conservatives will conclude that Giuliani might actually help their causes.

They understand how important the courts are when it comes to the nation's social agenda.

The bottom line here is that a promise to deliver constructionist judges and a states' rights mentality would serve to advance conservative positions on social issues.

Social conservatives shouldn't consider Giuliani to be working against them or on the opposite of the fence. He's really on their side.

Too Cold for School, Just Right for Water Parks

As I write this, the wind chill here is around -20. The actual temperature is -6.

That's really cold, and recent winters have been more mild; but it's not like this doesn't happen in Wisconsin.

Really dangerous wind chills can mean school closings.

The thing is the decision to close is so inconsistent. It's been this cold before and schools didn't shut down.

Today will be the second day in a row that schools have been cancelled because of the Great Wind Chill of '07.

The temps plus the wind is adding up to an extra long, long weekend for many kids in the country.

From the Associated Press:

A bone-chilling cold wave with temperatures as low as 42 below zero shut down schools for thousands of youngsters Monday, sent homeless people into shelters and put car batteries on the disabled list from the northern Plains across the Great Lakes. At least six deaths were linked to the cold weather.

...With a temperature of 12 below zero and wind chill of 31 below, Wisconsin's largest school district, Milwaukee Public Schools, also shut down, idling some 90,000 children. In upstate New York, 34,000 kids got the day off in Rochester because of temperatures near zero. Schools also closed in parts of Michigan and Illinois. A few schools closed even in Minnesota, where February cold is the norm and people are accustomed to coping.

...Hayward, Wis., fell to 27 below, and wind chills around the state dipped to nearly 40 below. The weather service said that Tuesday morning temperatures across Wisconsin would range from 15 below to 25 below.

Are we getting a little wimpy here?

When it's cold, you dress appropriately and limit the time you're outside.

It's a rare thing for MPS to shut down for two days straight.

From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Milwaukee Public Schools will be closed again today. The decision was made by MPS Superintendent William Andrekopoulos on Monday afternoon based on safety concerns in the face of severely cold temperatures forecast for a second day.

..."The temperature was 12 below and wind chill 31 below, and we didn't want to expose the children to such severe conditions," said Phil Harris, an MPS spokesman. The National Weather Service reported a low temperature Monday of minus 11 degrees at Mitchell International Airport.

In the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District, the decision to close schools Monday came down to student safety, said Scot Ecker, director of business services for the district.

"The most important priority is the safety of the children," Ecker said, referring to students who must walk to school or wait on bus stops. "We had a real concern for their safety, particularly in light of the weather warnings."

...But not everyone minded the cold Monday, including indoor water park owners swamped with calls from parents whose children were home from school.

"Our phone has been pretty much ringing off the hook," said Julie Beck, marketing manager at Country Springs water park in Waukesha.

WHAT???

Kids can't get to school because of the frigid, dangerous conditions. Looking for the safety of the children is a good thing.

So what do the kids do with the free day? Stay huddled inside and hope the furnace doesn't conk out?

Noooooo.

THEIR PARENTS TAKE THEM TO SPEND THE DAY AT INDOOR WATER PARKS!!!

The kids are home because it would be too risky to send them to school, forcing them to venture out into the deep freeze.

If it's too cold to go to school, the kids shouldn't be going out to water parks or malls or movies.

I'm not blaming the kids for making the most of their days off.

The point is closing schools because the temperatures make it too dangerous to go outside is pointless if kids are leaving their homes to go swimming.

It's too cold to get to school but not too cold to get to a water park.

Right.

Super Bowl XLI Observations

Indianapolis Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning (R) hugs his head coach Tony Dungy, while holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy, after defeating the Chicago Bears to win the NFL's Super Bowl XLI football game in Miami, Florida, February 4, 2007. Manning was named MVP of the game. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES)

The champs of Super Bowl XLI are the Colts!

There's no joy in Bearville tonight.

As a Packer fan, I'm happy.

Super Bowl titles:

Minnesota -- 0

Chicago -- 1

Green Bay -- 3

Here is an account of the game from the Associated Press.

Also from AP, here is a review of the Super Bowl entertainment.

I wasn't able to watch every moment of the broadcast. Someone has to feed and clean up after those who do.

So, from what I did see, here are a few random observations:

-- I couldn't believe that CBS trotted out Katie Couric during the pre-game show. Super Bowl viewers should not be ambushed and forced to put up with Couric.

Katie Couric, who can chant "We're No. 3" about CBS News, joined the guys, for yet another "very touching story indeed," as Brown put it after introducing the high-priced "Evening News" anchorwoman by citing her sports reporting credibility. ("She brings a sports background to the desk. She ran track — an outstanding cheerleader").

HAHAHA

(Photo/mediabistro)

-- When the coverage of the game began, around 5:00 pm CT, there was a taped intro with a montage of Colts and Bears players talking about the game being "60 Minutes." The players said things like: I have "60 Minutes" to become a champion. I have "60 Minutes" to do what I've spent a lifetime dreaming about. For "60 Minutes" I will give it all I've got. The one thing that linked the players' comments together was "60 Minutes."

I thought it was a cheap move by CBS to promote 60 Minutes. If one or two players referenced the "60 Minutes" of an NFL game, I wouldn't call it that. I'd consider it just a coincidence, but this seemed like a commercial. I expected Morley Safer to pop up.

-- I give Billy Joel's version of the National Anthem a passing mark. It was a straight forward rendition, nothing special. Actually, I liked that. He didn't showcase himself like some singers do when given that assignment. He sang the Anthem without a lot of added flourish. That was a nice change.


REUTERS/Pierre Ducharme (UNITED STATES)

-- While the rain had to be a nightmare for the crowd and tough on the players, the difficult conditions made the game more exciting. The sloppy play could be chalked up to the elements.

-- Half time was great. I really liked Prince's performance and I don't consider myself a diehard fan by any means. It had an energy and electricity that's been missing recently. Paul McCartney was so boring. Even the Rolling Stones were dull.


REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES)

The New York Times declared Prince to be an "American treasure" and called his performance "noncontroversial." Hmmm -- American treasure? True, there was no Janet Jackson-style wardrobe malfunction, but there was one sort of risqué image. At one point, Prince was behind a billowing sheet. Because of the shape of his guitar, a certain angle of his silhouette was...let's say eye-catching.

It was very brief, but I wasn't the only one to notice.

It's not just my mind that travels in that direction.

This photo gives you an idea, but it's not the specific image that drew our attention. It's close, but no cigar.


REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES)

While watching the broadcast, I didn't notice Prince striking this pose, gesturing during his performance. I'm sure it was a split second move captured by a quick shutter.


REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES)

Anyway, Prince put on an impressive show. Very well done.

-- The commercials were a disappointment. This wasn't a good year. No standouts.

-- Lovie Smith is a class act. He was so gracious in his post-game interview. I hope kids watching noted how he acted in defeat. He's a great role model.

-- Tony Dungy is also a class act. I have such respect for him. His life has been far from perfect, yet his faith in God remains strong and he's not afraid to say it. He said he was proud to be the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl. He also wanted to make it clear that he's a Christian coach. What a great role model! What a humble man! Like Smith, Dungy's style should be noted and copied.

-- MVP Peyton Manning is a good winner, too. He reminds me of Brett Favre.