April 2007 - Posts
Storm Center : The former CIA chief's book is out and already attacked for propping up the Bush Administration's excuses to go to war in Iraq, it is now being truth squadded by the State Department for claiming the Administration targeted Iraq from the day the Supreme Court decided Bush v Gore. Former CIA counter-terrorism specialist Philip Giraldi joins us. Mission & Misdirection : The war that Tenet and company got the United States into - claiming a heavy toll. Over a hundred American troops killed in April alone, while the President prepares to veto funding for said war four years after "mission accomplished."ODDBALL : The coolest volcano video you'll see all week...What drives ATM thieves? In this case, it's a back-hoe... and a man with a million bees all up in his grill.For a Good Time... A Deputy Secretary of State has already resigned because he availed himself of her "massage services". Who else is among the 15,000 names on the so-called "D.C. Madam's" client list? Dana Milbank covered the circus today, and joins us with a full report.Tony Snow is Back: The White House Press Secretary returns to his podium after undergoing cancer treatment, he looks great and is greeted by the press corps with a standing ovation. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD :Rudy Giuliani's campaign releases a list of supporters, some of the 125 are surprised to be on it... The Bald Headed Stooge from the Imus show makes the ridiculous Nazi comparison of the week... and the guy who looks like Osama bin Laden who keeps getting arrested in Pakistan.Enter Bateman : The star of the best show ever to be canceled for no good reason, Jason Bateman of "Arrested Development" is here to talk politics, sports, his new movie and whatever else comes up.
Well, that was some interview with Vince McMahon George Tenet on 60 Minutes tonight. Lots of revelations, accusations and agitated gesticulation.the CBS page sums it all up nicely, but for purposes of starting the discussion here, we kinda like how 'Todd from New Orleans' kicks it off, with his comment post in the 'puppies' thread below... CONTINUED >>
It seems so long ago that Deputy Secretary of State Randall L. Tobias resigned after getting himself caught up in a Washington sex scandal, but that's why they always do these things on a Friday night .customer phone number list of the "D.C. Madam" includes the names of some "very prominent people," as well as a number of women with "important and serious jobs" who had worked as escorts for the firm.next Friday night to find out the who's and the what's and the with who's and the what with's . ABC plans a sweeps-week report on the D.C. Madam and her clients on May 4th. CONTINUED >>
click for VIDEO Countdown salutes Keith's debate night tag-team partner Chris Matthews, with a condensed version of Thursday's coverage... Ha!
Wow, talk about "take out the trash night!" AIDS activists protest against a speech by Tobias in Bangkok in 2004 Friday night, after all us media types have gone home for the weekend, Deputy Secretary of State Randall L. Tobias, whose emphasis on abstinence in AIDS prevention programs has been so controversial, tries to quietly exit, stage left. submitted his resignation one day after he confirmed to ABC News that he had been a customer of the escort agency run by the so-called "D.C. Madam." CONTINUED >>
Keith anchors live from Charlotte, North Carolina tonight... Changing Tenets : There is no possible alternative conclusion now: The President lied us into war. Quoting his former head of the CIA: "There was never a serious debate that I knew of within the administration about the imminence of the Iraqi threat." George Tenet also says he did say the case for war in Iraq should be presented as a "slam dunk" -- that the President used it, and him, to justify an unjustifiable war. Plus, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin admits members of the Senate Intelligence Committee knew the American people were being lied to in the run-upo to the Iraq war, but remained silent because they were sworn to secrecy. Larry Johnson joins us. Office Politics :A list of Justice department information Congress can't see, yet another US attorney who would have been fired, if he hadn't quit first, and at least 20 apparent violations of the law prohibiting political conduct at the governmental office. The fresh stench of scandal from the administration.ODDBALL : A dangerous haircut at 14,000 feet, two deer caught on tape rampaging through a nursing home, and what your help desk guys are doing in the office when you go home at night.The D-8 Debate : A fresh look at the Democratic debate 24 hours later. How and when to get out of Iraq was front and center, we'll rate the candidates. Plus a special presentation: "HA! Four and half hours of Chris Matthews in 90 Seconds!" VIDEO No Limits: WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : John Gibson makes no sense, but he's plenty offensive doing it... John McCain's really really short memory... and John Boehner flip flops like we've never seen before.See The Stars
: Richard Gere's Kiss Karma, and Alec baldwin consults Doctor Phil. When celebrities are in trouble, who you gonna call? Michael Musto!
Former CIA Officer and Deputy Director of the State Department's Office of Counter Terrorism, Larry Johnson, will be our guest tonight. Read the full letter here --->
CONTINUED >>
Some of what we're working on for tonight... Former CIA Director
George J. Tenet has a new book out, so apparently he's in the clear now to begin telling us some of the truth about how the administration got us into the Iraq war. In the book, titled “
At the Center of the Storm ,” Tenet says “There was never a serious debate that I know of within the
administration about the imminence of the Iraqi threat,” nor, “was there ever a significant discussion” about
the possibility of containing Iraq without an invasion.
Tenet complains in the book, and in an upcoming
60 Minutes interview , that the administration misused and twisted his "slam dunk" comment about the evidence of WMD in Iraq to justify the invasion, then later to deflect blame to Tenet and the CIA when the weapons were not found.
It didn't stop him from later accepting the Presidential Medal of Freedom (above), though he says in the book, he was "not at all sure he wanted to accept" it.
But he did.
On the TODAY show, White House lawyer Dan Bartlett was the designated hatchet man sent out to discredit yet another adminstration official with a dangerous book. Bartlett said, "I am a bit confused by that because we have never indicated the
president made the sole decision based on that 'slam dunk' comment."
But in fact, they did "indicate that." Vice President Dick Cheney on Meet The Press
September 10, 2006 , told Tim Russert"
" when George Tenet sat in the Oval Office and the
president of the United States asked him directly, he said, 'George,
how good is the case against Saddam on weapons of mass destruction?'
the director of the CIA said, 'It’s a slam dunk, Mr. President, it’s a
slam dunk.' That was the intelligence that was provided to us at the
time, and based upon which we made a choice."Much more on this tonight, along with the
amazing statement of Democratic Senator Richard Durbin, who said
this week that he knew the American people were being lied to in the run-up to the Iraq war, but kept quiet about it, because due to his position on the Senate Intelligence Committee, he was sworn to secrecy.
The White House has always said that the
Congress voted to go to war based on the same intelligence the president had, but Durbin says that is simply not true . "The
information we had in the Intelligence Committee was not the same
information being given to the American people. I couldn't believe it,"
Durbin said Wednesday.
"I was angry about it. (But) frankly, I couldn't do
much about it because, in the Intelligence Committee, we are sworn to
secrecy. We can't walk outside the door and say the statement made
yesterday by the White House is in direct contradiction to classified information that is being given to this Congress."
Something could have been done. Something should have been done. And while the failures of these two men pale in comarison to those of the administration that used them, we find it difficult to celebrate the forthrightness of Tenet and Durbin, who both suddenly found candor four and a half years too late .
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This just not in : Instead of a document dump tonight, the Justice Department sending lawmakers a detailed list of all the memos and emails they are refusing to dump. What seems to be the Bush administration equivalent of a "Wish you were here" postcard - if a postcard can be 159 pages long.
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Click for LIVE VIDEO CONTINUED >>
No Countdown tonight, Keith is at South Carolina State University to cover tonight's Democratic debate. Alberto Gonzales should resign . Why hasn't he mentioned this before? He says it is because nobody ever asked him. “He’s not serving the president well," McCain said, "I reached that conclusion a long time ago. I just haven’t been asked.” He may not be on the Judiciary Committee, but as a candidate for the nation's highest office, that's no excuse. Can't help but wonder what else is on the list of things he hasn't weighed in on because no one has thought to ask, can you?Update : It's not true, he had been asked .SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER This just came to our attention. The Iraqi parliament is taking the summer off. The entire summer ... July and August... eight weeks... regardless of whether it has reached agreement on the issues that have paralyzed the political process, and thus, the entire country. And for that, the political process in this country is approaching paralysis as well. For that, 3,334 (and counting ) Americans in uniforms have died. How many more will be dead by September?
On the fourth anniversary of his infamous 'Mission Accomplished' speech on board the USS Abraham Lincoln, the president will likely veto the bill that would begin to bring the troops home from that mission. The $124.2 billion war funding legislation , passed by the Senate today by a 51-46 margin, would require the start of troop withdrawals from Iraq by October 1. The Senate said the bill was on track to arrive on the president’s desk
by Tuesday, four years to the day after President Bush’s announcement that major combat operations in Iraq had ended.
Michelle Malkin shows once again why she's the intellectual superstar of conservative punditry. Combining substantive debate, scathing satire and top-notch production values, Malkin makes the strongest case yet for staying the course in Iraq - no matter what the Generals say.MediaMatters has the full context of Harry Reid's comments.
click to WATCH VIDEO "Rather than a reasoned discussion — rather than a political campaign
advocating your own causes and extolling your own qualifications — you
have bypassed all the intermediate steps and moved directly to trying
to terrorize the electorate into viewing a vote for a Democrat, not as
a reasonable alternative and an inalienable right ... but as an act of
suicide."Full Transcript
The Politics of Fear : If you had hoped the 2008 election cycle might move the national debate beyond the politics of fear, if you had expected more out of the candidate who had been there when the World Trade Center fell, if you had imagined that on the very day Congress was debating a phased withdrawal from Iraq the Commander in Chief might do more than dance... literally dance... It seems that you have been expecting way too much out of your elected leaders.Scabdalabra : Gonzales-gate escalates. The attorney general goes to Capitol Hill to try to patch things up, instead he gets news of a possible no confidence vote and an offer of immunity to top aide. Monica Goodling.ODDBALL : The Countdown Cool-Ass Robot if the week, is actually kinda creepy -- and decorating tips for Karl Rove, what to do with all that shredded paper!Factor Fiction : Bill O'Reilly has declared was on the website Media Matters , so we decided to investigate to see what all the fuss was about. Turns out they do the slimiest thing: They take direct quotes of Billo lying, offending, or otherwise making a fool of himself, and post them... in context! Ro Better Blues: Rosie O'Donnell is leaving 'The View', was because of her views? The line to claim responsibility forms to the right. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : Glenn Beck suddenly cares about the Iraqi people when it's politically convenient, Rush Limbaugh figures he's got a "Be A Racist For Free" card, and Congressman Dana Rohrabacher tells Americans opposed to the US taking suspects to other countries where torture is allowed: "I hope it's your families that suffer the consequences." They Hate Us For Our Freedom
: A survivor of 9/11 threatens voters with a new 9/11 if they dare to vote for anyone but him. Why is Giuliani trying to terrorize the electorate?
Keith Olbermann will deliver a Special Comment tonight on the remarkable and disappointing fear-mongering of politician Rudy Giuliani. The following is a preview...(click here for video & transcript ) FULL TRANSCRIPT & VIDEO
Charles Ommanney / Getty Images TIME Magazine's Joe Klein has an amusing translation at Swampland of Vice President Dick Cheney's impromptu press conference yesterday
CHENEY: Maybe it's a political calculation. Some Democratic leaders seem to
believe that blind opposition to the new strategy in Iraq is good
politics. Senator Reid himself has said that the war in Iraq will bring
his party more seats in the next election. It is cynical to declare
that the war is lost because you believe it gives you political
advantage. Leaders should make decisions based on the security
interests of our country, not on the interests of their political party.
Translation: We have never played politics with Iraq. We didn't
schedule the initial authorization vote for just before the 2002
elections. We didn't cook the intel. We had nothing to do with the
Mission Accomplished banner. The Navy told Bush to put on the flight
suit. We didn't ignore the insurgency and spend vast resources on the
Iraq Survey Group to look for non-existent WMD. Karl Rove never told
Republicans they could use the war for their benefit. We never
questioned the patriotism of people who opposed the war. I'm not
questioning Harry Reid's patriotism now. And if you can't get that
through your thick heads, you stupid, stupid Americans...you stupid
Americans impatient with our master plan for VICTORY in the middle
east...you...you... well then, as I once explained to Pat Leahy
[expletive deleted].
Rudy Giuliani is apparently eager to show Republican primary voters that he can use wild scare tactics with the best of 'em, warning a crowd of supporters of a 'new 9/11' should a Democrat win the White House. They hate us for our freedom. ' Update: Barack Obama has issued a statement : "Rudy Giuliani today has taken the politics of fear to a new low and I
believe Americans are ready to reject those kind of politics." Keith Olbermann will deliver a Special Comment on Giuliani tonight. Some of the other stories we're working on for tonight... CONTINUED >>
love this.LA Times that started the whole "magic negro" meme in respect to Obama -- much like the Imus' defense, that black rappers invented the term "Ho" -- so Rush can hardly be blamed for so enthusiastically running with this when he's clearly holding a "Be A Racist For Free" card.
Alison Stewart is in for Keith tonight... True Heroes :The death of Pat Tillman and the rescue of Jessica Lynch...both stories falsley portrayed by military and administration officials, both stories used to distract Americans and the media from the mistakes in Iraq. Both stories set straight before congress today.Turd-Blossoming Investigation :A special counsel is looking into the political moves of Karl Rove from inside the White House. He vows that no stone will go unturned, but just how serious is this investigation, or is it a political smokescreen?ODDBALL : It's raining women in Australia, Captain America hits rock bottom, and the fastest way to add years to your jail sentence is demonstrated in an Oregon courtroom.The '08 Horserace: The big momentum in the Democratic race for president. Can Barack Obama do anything to stop his progress in the money race and the polls? Is it critical Hillary Clinton slam the breaks on the Obama express? Seriously Distracted Driving: New details about the car crash involving New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine. Did a love triangle distract the trooper behind the wheel of that speeding SUV? Support the Troops : Paying tribute to the troops. John Mellencamp this week singing for wounded vets at Walter Reed. How did the loud voice against the war get picked for the performance... and what does he hope to accomplish?
Some of what we're working on for tonight... Karl Rove is going to be investigated... again. But what makes this one different, and potentially more dangerous for the White House and Bush's Brain, is that it has been launched not by Democrats in Congress, but by the administration's own Office of Special Counsel, headed by Bush appointee Scott J. Bloch. The LA Times reports the obscure investigative unit will launch a broad inquiry into Rove's political operations, it will examine the firing of at least one U.S. attorney, those missing White House
e-mails, and the efforts to keep presidential appointees
attuned to Republican political priorities.CONTINUED >>
this link . The clip contains multiple F-Bombs and adult content from monologuist Mike Daisey during a live performance in Cambridge, MA last week, and the last thing we want is the sort of reaction that he received. So here's your fair warning about the harsh language .WARNING about the STRONG LANGUAGE ?the clip to see the reaction of 87 members of Daisey's audience who apparently couldn't -- then the remarkable reaction of Daisey himself, who manages to pull his show back together afterward.CONTINUED >>
Alison Stewart is in for Keith Olbermann tonight... The War on Reality :
As nine U.S. soldiers are killed by an IED in Iraq, the President and the Congress continue their war of words over the troop funding bill. Plus, President Bush stands by his man, Alberto Gonzales, saying of the Attorney General's testimony last week, "he answered as honestly as he could."Hot on the Trail : The race to replace President Bush. Obama and Clinton both fighting to earn the black vote, and the Mrs. teasing yet again what role the Mister might have if she gets to move in to the Oval Office.ODDBALL : The worst place in the world to stash $14,000 in cash, and the miracle of San Diego: kids...walking on water.Laugh A Little :
The White House Correspondents' Dinner...Sanjaya was there -- and he wasn't the only one without talent. Rich Little bombs, but the real fireworks came from none other than MC Rove, getting in a heated debate over global warming.Blue Angels Crash: Uncle Junior, Off His Meds : Some gangsters get whacked, others just fade away....Then there's "The Sopranos." How will it End? We'll try to get some hints from Dominic Chianese, "Uncle Junior" himself is here.
photo: Doug Elbinger, Elbinger Studios.
The apparent run-in between Karl Rove and the Global Warming tag team of Sheryl Crow and Loaurie David is getting top billing on the Huffington Post...
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Some of what we're working on for tonight... he has called for construction to stop .
Quoting him, via the Associated Press, “There are
other methods to protect neighborhoods. The Iraqi
premier adding “This wall reminds us of other walls,"
in an apparent reference to the wall that divided the
German city of Berlin during the Cold War.
We'll see about that .CONTINUED >>
The War, Politics and the War Politics : To hear the President tell it, the American force in Iraq might as well be George Washington's starving troops at Valley Forge. Even though his own Pentagon says there will be no funding issues until July, he says: give him the money now...debate whether or not to save their lives later. Plus, the administration's own policy in Iraq is apparently changing -- in significant, albeit still secret ways... and secrecy was the first priority of the Pentagon as new details emerge about the cover-up after the death of Pat Tillman.But Seriously, Folks :
It's insert-foot week on the '08 campaign trail. John McCain jokes about bombing Iran, then follows up with 'Get a Life', and President Clinton gives a shout out to a Presidential candidate not his wifeODDBALL : We take a quick run through some of the odd news we missed this week, mostly just to make sure there's enough for the upcoming Plays of the Month!Witz End?
One of the salesmen of the war, Paul Wolfowitz, on the ropes at the World Bank for mixing business and pleasure. A chief deputy calls on him to resign, because of seeming favoritism over job contracts to his girlfriend. Flubya: WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : Whereever there might be anti-semitism, Bill O'Reilly will be there to defend it, Tommy Thompson digs himself in deeper looking for someone else to blame... and dividing America has made Rush Limbaugh into one of the country's "super-rich", which means he's got two reasons to say the Virginia Tech murderer "had to be a liberal."Custody Battles of the Rich & Famous
: The extremely ugly turn in the fight between Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger over their 11 year-old daughter. After he insults his daughter on tape, and somebody else releases that tape -- should either of them get custody?
Some of what we're working on for tonight... Ahmad al-Rubaye / AFP - Getty Images Iraq is "lost", because the "Dems Don't Support the Troops" distraction tactic works so much better than discussing the actual substance of his remarks. But when, as McClatchy Newspapers reports today, we find that the U.S. has abandoned the policy of "when they stand up, we'll stand down", Newsweek reports there seem to be no actual military plans drawn up for withdrawal at any time, and the new plan to stop the sectarian violence is a giant, 3-mile wall through Baghdad ... Americans can be excused for wondering: how exactly Iraq can ever be "won"? Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Robert Gates made another trip to the region, and warned Iraqi leaders that American patience is wearing
thin. Indeed it is. CONTINUED >>
driving directions from New York to London , you probably deserve to be messed with by the code monkeys extremely talented and smart software developers (sorry...really!).CONTINUED >>
I Don't Recall :
The Attorney General's make-or-break hearing before the Senate looking to be irreparably broken. Certainly in the eyes of at least one Conservative Senator. Mister Gonzales, today defending
his controversial decision to fire eight U-S attorneys, but insisting
that his involvement was limited... leaving some Senators dumbfounded. Republican Arlen Spector, calling that characterization "significantly, if not totally, at variance with the facts." Files Not Found : Untold numbers of e-mails, documents and other records conveniently "lost" by the Bush administration. Who needs a shredder when you have a department of "losing stuff"? Countdown's chronicle of the missing data.ODDBALL
: Baseballs, beers and flying pizza come together to make the perfect sports hightlight ... and the The Big Sky Montana "Hypothermia Challenge."Law & Odor
: A Republican Senator calls on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign, while the White House says it was pleased with his performance. John Dean joins us to analyze these events taking place through the looking glass.Virginia Tech : As that campus again honors the victims, there is reaction too, to the killer's multi-media
manifesto and to the NBC News decision to disseminate portions of
those materials. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : John 'Rambo' Derbyshire, Neal Boortz and the rest of the "Blame the Victims First" crowd...they used to call Karl Rove a "genius", but his act is wearing thin...and Billo sends out the O'Reilly Youth to stalk and ambush a reporter who dared It's Over. It's Finally Over
: American Idol dealing with its own backlash from the Virginia Tech tragedy, Simon Cowell forced to explain his eyeroll when a contestant mentioned the shootings. Oh and yeah... that kid with the hair... Sanjaya? He's finally gone. Our American Idol princess joins us.
"I think it was Osama bin Laden's.'' - Karl Rove , asked yesterday whose idea it was to start a pre-emptive war in Iraq. "One of the lessons of these tragedies is to make sure that when people see somebody or know somebody who is exhibiting abnormal behavior, you do something about it, to suggest that somebody take a look." - President Bush , referring to VT Killer Cho Seung-Hui, who was "red flagged' for years as troubled, abnormal and disturbed -- even declared "mentally ill and potentially dangerous" by a Virginia court, yet was still able to purchase firearms. "Bomb bomb bomb... bomb bomb Iran." - Senator John McCain , responding in song to the question from a supporter: "When are we going to send an air mail message to Tehran?" "I don't recall." ["I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall." "I don't recall."] - Alberto Gonzales , testifying at least 45 times today at a Senate hearing that he could not recall
events he was asked about. Just some of what we're working on for tonight. Countdown 8pm ET / 5pm PT
Someone has posted a clip on YouTube of what appears to be an injured student at Virginia Tech being interviewed in the hospital. We'll try to get some more information on this, but it is a frightening and heartbreaking description of what students faced during the rampage of killer Cho Seung-Hui.John 'Rambo' Derbyshire , who chastises the victims, "at least count the shots and jump him reloading or changing hands. Better yet, just jump him."Neal Boortz , who characterized these young victims as evidence of the "wussification of America," and asked: "How the hell do 25 students allow
themselves to be lined up against the wall in a classroom and picked off one by
one?"Update: The student is named Garrett Evans, and he's from the Chicago area. The clip is from an interview with ABC station WLS, and they have much more with Evans on their site.
CONTINUED >>
Update: 4:25pm As Alex Witt has just reported, NBC News has a received a communication, believed to have been sent by gunman Cho Seung-Hui, containing "some images" and "a lengthy diatribe".CONTINUED >>
The Day After :
The murderer Virginia Tech authorities thought had left the campus, perhaps the state, was a Virginia Tech student, was still on campus, had made bomb threats against the campus last week and had reportedly, left behind an extraordinary letter.Profiles and Courage
:The warnings about the Virginia Tech shooter, the failed attempt to warn police about him. And the successful effort by a Holocaust survivor -- to save some of his own students, at the cost of his own life. Death and Distinction :
There are other young men and women to be remembered, to be eulogized. Same ages, same aspirations. Some, trying to work their way into colleges like Virginia Tech. Our grief about the victims there is genuine and noble. What happened to our grief about those kids we've lost in Iraq?Gonzo Interrupted : WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD :
The sad political pundit who jumped to conclusions of terrorism and bigoted smears, and what could be more cowardly than to write that the Virginia Tech victims should be "ashamed" of themselves for not fighting off their killer like some action movie hero? It is John Derbyshire and Nathaniel Blake who should be ashamed today.Finding Facts and Faith : We end the Countdown where we began, a day of contrasts at Virginia Tech. Details about the worst of students and events there, and poignant memorials to the best of students and events there.
"When I first heard about the multiple shootings at Virginia Tech
yesterday, my first thought was about my friends, and my second thought
was 'I bet it was Seung Cho.'" - Ian McFarlane, an AOL staffer who was a former classmate of Cho Seung-Hui, the man police have identified as the gunman in the Virginia Tech rampage.two disturbing plays he says were written by Cho.When we read Cho's plays, it was like something out of a nightmare. The
plays had really twisted, macabre violence that used weapons I wouldn't
have even thought of. Before Cho got to class that day, we students
were talking to each other with serious worry about whether he could be
a school shooter. I was even thinking of scenarios of what I would do
in case he did come in with a gun, I was that freaked out about him.
When the students gave reviews of his play in class, we were very
careful with our words in case he decided to snap. Even the professor
didn't pressure him to give closing comments. That was last year.On The Scene blog.clicked has a fascinating collection of the online lives of some of the victims. (helps if you have a FaceBook account)important development s in the Alberto Gonzales case either. Trying to work the balance on this busy news day. Stay tuned...
Massacre at Virginia Tech :
We get the latest details from NBC's Kevin Corke, and analysis from former FBI agent Clint Van Zandt. Survival Story :
This campus crisis as survived by one Virginia Tech sophomore. Trey Perkins tells us his amazing story of survival as he watched a gunman enter his classroom and open fire.Gun Control : Columbine was supposed to spark change in our gun control laws, yet Virginia Tech has already been cited as a reason for toughening them -- and relaxing them.Political Impact: Not postponed: the President's continued showdown with democrats over the war in Iraq. History, Repeated : We return to the top story of this day: The worst mass shooting in this country's history. The chaos on the campus of Virginia Tech...and the first version of history.
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 09:50:07 -0400 Subject: PLease stay put CONTINUED >>
here ...Update: AP-APNewsAlert,0021 BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) -- Government officials tell The Associated 31 . Update: 33 DEAD 33 dead in the shooting.Update: GONZALES HEARING POSTPONED Update: STATE OF EMERGENCY CONTINUED >>
Can you tell that the blog team took a three day weekend?here ya go! (thx ERT) $1.5 Billion ?Matt Drudge ...
Some of what we're working on for tonight... has a history of losing key documents relevant to investigations and judicial proceedings. Just in case you thought any of those emails were "routinely destroyed" accidentally, check out his astonishing list of other times key documents have mysteriously gone missing. IN THE ZONE
The video was astonishing. For an even more harrowing account of what it was like inside the Iraqi Parliament cafeteria yesterday when that bomb went off, the Washington Post's Sudarsan Raghavan was there . CONTINUED >>
Off the Air :
CBS chairman Les Moonves, said the "effect language like this has on young people, particularly young women of color trying to make their way in this society... has weighed most heavily on our minds as we made our decision," cancelling Imus's radio program late this afternoon. His radio affiliates in Portland, Oregon, and Charleston, South Carolina, had already cancelled the program. Moonves' boss, Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone, had already said he was certain Moonves would "do the right thing" about the program, syndicated to about 70 stations around the country. And this morning, Imus himself had said the cancellation of the MSNBC part of his telecast meant little, because viewership was only a few hundred thousand -- it was radio that mattered, because "millions listened." Not any more.The End of the Line? Protests, suspensions, advertisers pulling out and now two firings. Will Don Imus be able to rebound from his racist and sexist remarks the way he's rebounded before? ODDBALL
:
Rapping squirrels are always cool, right? What about the Monkey King of Sasaram?Attack in the Green Zone
:
One day things are supposedly improving in Iraq and the next day the parliament cafeteria gets bombed. The president says those same people that carried out the bombing will come to America to attack us."We Screwed Up, And We're trying to Fix It": WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD :
Karen Tumulty's thin smear of Hillary Clinton, the pet food CEO who coincidentally dumped half his stock just before the big contamination news hit, and the "Geek Squad" guy who came to fix the computer and ended up filming in the shower.Back to the Really Important News
: Sanjaya survives another round on American Idol, and now there's word he's hitting on J-Lo. Kid, you're out of your league. WAY out. In all of the above.
NEW YORK (AP) -- CBS has fired Don Imus from his radio show. -- statement from CBS -- CBS TO CEASE BROADCASTING IMUS IN THE MORNING CBS today announced its decision to cease broadcasting the Imus in the Morning radio program, effective immediately, on a permanent basis. CONTINUED >>
Some of what we're working on for tonight... bombers penetrated the heart of Baghdad's heavily-fortified Green Zone for the very first time. At least two Iraqi lawmakers were killed when a bomb rocked the Parliament building.
VIDEO a major bridge in Baghdad , collapsing the steel structure and sending cars toppling into
the Tigris River below. At least 10 people
were killed.CONTINUED >>
deleted some of those emails pertaining to the U.S. Attorney firings .Update: In a startling new revelation, CREW has also learned through two confidential sources that the Executive Office of the President (EOP) has lost over five million emails generated between March 2003 and October 2005. CONTINUED >>
If you're watching live, you'll see that we're in a breaking news situation and some of the order of the show segments and guests won't necessarily match up with the 'rundown' below... Don Imus Fired : His MSNBC show cancelled, immediately, even before his suspension was to begin. The Reverend Al Sharpton, and Steve Capus join us.Selective Outrage ? Imus is only one of a long list of radio personalities who make offensive racial remarks. Is the entire industry now on notice that this type of behavior will no longer be tolerated? The Reverend Jesse Jackson joins us. Help Wanted: Has the White House given up? The President wants a "War Czar" to oversee Iraq and Afghanistan. And reportedly they can't find any retired generals even willing to consider the job. But shouldn't the Commander-in-Chief be the "War Czar" anyway?The Countdown I-Team: A Countdown special investigation blows the lid off the hydrogen car hyperbole that embarrassed President Bush. Now the White House is getting apologies from the CEO of Ford.
WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD :
ESPN.com gets slapped for a technical glitch in its fantasy baseball league software, Dick Morris believes the entire country is as racist as he is, and Billo is back, exploiting grieving families for his own twisted political agenda.Idol Chatter : Sanjaya lives, and the audience leaves. Princess Maria Milito is here to discuss the great American train wreck that is: American Idol.
Feel free to discuss.... CONTINUED >>
Some of what we're working on for tonight... DONALD RUMSFELD NEED NOT APPLY Looking for work? Have a masochistic streak? Then how
about becoming the Bush administration's new czar for
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ? Chances are, just by
actually wanting it, the job could be yours! Military
experience, a plus.At least three retired four-star generals approached by the White House
in recent weeks have declined to be considered for the position, the
sources said, underscoring the administration's difficulty in enlisting
its top recruits to join the team after five years of warfare that have
taxed the United States and its military. DUTY BOUND
Having already extended tours of duty for thousands of
U.S. troops in Iraq, now comes word it could be ALL of
them. According to ABC News, Defense Secretary Robert
Gates is weighing a proposal to extend the tour of
duty of every single active-duty soldier stationed in
Iraq and Afghanistan. Why? Because it looks like the
surge that never really was going to be a surge will
be extended until the end of the year. (Now set the
clock for how long until somebody in the
administration tries to blame all of this on the
Democrats.)CONTINUED >>
The Shell Game : The last time President Bush addressed the American Legion, in August, his remarks kicked off a pre-election propaganda campaign so destructive it cost his party control of Congress. When he addressed the American Legion again this morning Mr. Bush tried to foist blame for his administration now extending tours of duty for thousands of U-S troops in Iraq on Democrats in Congress because they refuse to rubber stamp his failed plan for the conflict. What it might cost him this time? Any credibility he has left. WATCH VIDEO Offensive Maneuvers : Is Mr. Bush to blame for the deconstruction of the National Guard? Ohio's Governor pleads with the President on behalf of his state's guard troops while some veterans say the commander in chief is the one putting untold hardships on the military and its families. WATCH VIDEO ODDBALL : Cheeta the Chimpanzee has a big birthday party, the Easter Egg Hunt on skiis, and another bear is brought down from a tree in spectacular fashion.WATCH VIDEO Foul Shot : Don Imus says he'll serve out his suspension with dignity, then takes a swipe at coverage of the story by NBC News. And the late developments that may make the suspension - and him - academic.Justice Subpoenaed: The showdown grows more ominous between Congress and the Bush Adminstration over Gonzales-Gate. The adminstration says it's cooperating with the request for information, but the House Judiciary committee says it's getting stonewalled and today issued subpoenas. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : Glenn Beck is leading the flat-earthers again, Hannity and John McCain revisit the untrue smear of a CNN reporter, and the Governor of Nevada has a wild conspiracy theory about why he might be under FBI investigation.The Drama in the Bahama: The international drama over who's the daddy of Anna Nicole Smith's baby is finally over. It was that photographer guy what's-his-name fella. Paul F. Thompkins is here for the to discuss the heartwarming reunion of father and meal ticket - er...daughter. WATCH VIDEO
Larry Birkhead is the father of the Anna Nicole Smith's daughter Dannielynn.
Some of what we're working on for tonight...
press conference today , calling the comments made by embattled radio host Don Imus, “racist and sexist remarks that are deplorable, despicable
and unconscionable.”“Here’s what I’ve learned: that you can’t make fun of everybody,
because some people don’t deserve it,” he said. “And because the
climate on this program has been what it’s been for 30 years doesn’t
mean that it has to be that way for the next five years or whatever
because that has to change, and I understand that.” "it is time for him to go." ON GWEN ICE: In the early
1990s, Don Imus reportedly called PBS's Gwen Ifill (then writing for the New York
Times, later a correspondent for our own NBC News) a "cleaning lady."
Today she has an op-ed about it in the Time s . ..and today Don Imus denied ever saying it. CONTINUED >>
Since the Statue Fell :
Four years to the day since Baghdad fell, anti-American protests rage throughout Iraq. And John McCain is sticking to his story over the Baghdad market fiasco. Just one of the GOP candidates seeming imploding before our eyes.Revelations : The Attorney General called off his vacation and canceled his public appearances to prepare for his next questioning by the Senate. Reportedly, it's not going well. That, and how a university only founded in 1986 with a law school only accredited in 1996 could have put 150 graduates into the Bush Administration.ODDBALL :
It's time once again for the greatest event in all of motorsports, and the greatest even in all of Big-Wheel racing.NBC/CBS Suspend Don Imus : The verdict's in on Don Imus. His supporters aren't going to like this. His detractors aren't going to like this. MSNBC and CBS radio suspend the morning host for two weeks over his racist comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team. Chaos at Sea: Amazing home video shows the crisis on the sinkingcruise ship, The Sea Diamond in the Agean Sea. Will the captain and his crew be punished for the accident?WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD :
The court system that send a 74 year-old man to jail for forgetting to pay for a hot dog...The selective outrage of the Wall Street Journal Op-Ed gang... and Tom Delay continues the "Liberals Are Like Nazi's World Tour 2007"Politicians & Other Varmints
:The C-E-O of a car company claims he saved President Bush from blowing himself up at a hybrid car demonstration at the White House. And Mitt Romney's shot himself in the foot over being a "lifelong hunter" ... who never got a license in any of the four states in which he's lived. TV personality Mo Rocca is here.
Beginning Monday, April 16, MSNBC will suspend simulcasting the syndicated "Imus in the Morning" radio program for two weeks . This comes after careful consideration in the days since his racist, abhorrent comments were made. Don Imus has expressed profound regret and embarrassment and has made a commitment to listen to all of those who have raised legitimate expressions of outrage. In addition, his dedication - in his words - to change the discourse on his program moving forward, has confirmed for us that this action is appropriate. Our future relationship with Imus is contingent on his ability to live up to his word. CBS STATEMENT ON DON IMUS Due to the events of the past week, CBS Radio will suspend Don Imus and the broadcast of his show for a period of two weeks, effective Monday, April 16. The program will continue to broadcast this week due to WFAN's previously scheduled on-air charity fundraiser on Thursday, April 12 and Friday, April 13.
Detroit News ...Credit Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally with saving the leader of the free world from self-immolation .
"I just thought, 'Oh my goodness!'
So, I started walking faster, and the President walked faster and he
got to the cord before I did. I violated all the protocols. I touched
the President. I grabbed his arm and I moved him up to the front,"
Mulally said. "I wanted the president to make sure he plugged into the
electricity, not into the hydrogen This is all off the record, right?"
UPDATE: We've just watched the video of this here in the Countdown newsroom, and well... We think Mr. Mulally is maybe...embellishing his story a bit. We'll try to get a clip posted here later this afternoon, HERE IS THE VIDEO , from what we can see... almost none of what he says happened... actually happened.CONTINUED >>
The War on Truth : For the first time in weeks, the Bush Administration has something to deflect the cascade of bad news that is the U.S. Attorneys scandal -- highlighted today by the resignation of the silent liasion, Monica Goodling, from the Justice Department, and a new part of Gonzales-gate popping up in Minnesota. Unfortunately for the President -- and all of us -- his Monica is being overshadowed by official confirmation of a legacy-defining kind of deceit. The Pentagon itself confirming it: cherry-picking would be a generous characterization of what the administration did with its pre-war intelligence about the non-existant link between Saddam Hussein's Iraq and Al-Qaeda; A more apt term might be "bald-faced lying." WATCH VIDEO Juris Imprudence : The White House liasion at the Justice department just up and quit, and four Deputy US Attorneys just volunteered for demotion rather than spend another day associated with Mr. Bush's appointee in Minnesota. Another day, another step deeper into the Gonzo-Gate muck. WATCH VIDEO ODDBALL : Wild gangs of vandal cows, an innocent dog is sent to prison, and the 'Grapes of Wrath' is back in the Detroit school system. WATCH VIDEO Talking Heads of State : In an administration for which 'diplomacy' is a bad word, Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria is a crime worthy of both barrels of the slime machine. But why shouldn't we be trying diplomacy? Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is our special guest. WATCH VIDEO Bye Bye Bada Bing : WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD The Odds of March : Set the TiVo, get the popcorn, and put on your special oddball helmet... it's the craziest five minutes in television*, The Oddball Plays of the Month. WATCH VIDEO *well, it was ... until that whole Billo-Geraldo thing.
Some of what we're working on for tonight... repeating to the soft-target listeners of the Rush Limbaugh radio show Thursday that al-Qaeda was operating in Iraq "before we ever launched the war." This of course has been debunked now so many times that the only ones who still believe it are Cheney and the listeners of the Rush Limbaugh radio show. But the Vice President begins to look pathological when - on the very same day - a declassified Pentagon report is released confirming that the terrorist organization and the Saddam government were not working together before the invasion.CONTINUED >>
CONTINUED >>
Confrontation of Powers : How much is the President willing to risk politically to stick with 'Swift Boat' Sam Fox, especially if his non-paid appointment turns out to be illegal? Plus Alberto Gonzales cancels his vacation to 'study' to tell the truth, and what secrets are hidden in Karl Rove's and other White House officials' 'off the books' email accounts? WATCH VIDEO Breaking News : The "surge" just got a little bigger, as the Pentagon p repares to send an additional 12,000 National Guard combat forces to Iraq and Afghanistan. The Anti-Bush Ante-Up : A role reversal in presidential fund-raising power... Suddenly the Democrats are the ones raking in the big bucks for their campaigns. Are Bush and Cheney scaring away GOP donors? WATCH VIDEO ODDBALL : The methods the Chinese Police use to end a hostage standoff is a little different that we're used to, but it sure is fun to watch... and the Ohio firefighter who just became a mug-shot Hall of Famer. WATCH VIDEO Hypocrisy on the March : The right-wing attacks Speaker Pelosi for visiting Syria -- but where was that outrage when the Republican delegations just visited -- with the blessing of the White House? WATCH VIDEO Craigslist, It's a Steal: thought they were getting free stuff when they literally cleaned out a home. Instead they were stealing it from an unsuspecting home-owner. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : Mike Allen of the Politico, Glenn Beck of CNN/ABC and Vice President Dick Cheney all take the opportunity to bash the Democrats for not going along with the brand name for the President's war. One most administration officials have already abandoned. WATCH VIDEO Idol Implosion : He's back for another week, so she's back to tell us all why . The ever-growing outrage surrounding Sanjaya -- Just what will it take to get this kid kicked off American Idol? Princess Maria Milito is here. WATCH VIDEO
Some of what we're working on for tonight... spending hours practicing testimony " with "three days of rigorous mock testimony sessions next week." Who knew the truth could be such a burden? CONTINUED >>
Confrontation Nation : 'Bush's Brain' gets a headache, as protesters pelt his car with objects after a speech to young republicans...The President ratchets up the rhetoric over the troop funding bill, invoking 9/11 yet again, and while slamming congress for being on recess -- uses it to his advantage to appoint "Swift Boat" Sam Fox as Ambassador to Belgium. WATCH VIDEO "The Gift" : The US denying it had anything to do with the Iranian government's sudden decision to release 15 British sailors. The release of an Iranian diplomat in Iraq this week must have been coincidence. WATCH VIDEOODDBALL : The devil goes down to El Salvador, and we now have a tie for best paint-huffing mugshot ever. WATCH VIDEO Primary Coffers : Shock and Awe in the war for campaign cash, Barack Obama matches Hillary Clinton dollar for dollar... The new kid on the block sending shockwaves through DC and beyond. WATCH VIDEO Just Say Dough: It's the trendiest trend in all of Hollywood - but does rehab actually rehabilitate? WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : The conservative columnist who hates the British troops held hostage in Iran... "Three Dollar Bill" is a tough guy, no matter how stupid the things he says might be... and the ex-husband who's trying to get out of paying alimony... since his wife is on her death bed. WATCH VIDEO Idol Idiocy : If Sanjaya ever does get voted off American Idol, there won't be anything left to talk about. So now we're really rooting againsat him. Princess Maria Milito is here. WATCH VIDEO
President Bush says he wants Congress to come back from vacation, but not too soon. He's needs this time to reward the men like 'Swift Boat' ambassador nominee, Sam Fox - who helped get him elected.Recognizing
Fox did not have the votes to obtain Senate confirmation, Bush withdrew
the nomination last month. On Wednesday, with Congress out of town for
a spring break, the president used his power to make recess
appointments to put Fox in the job without Senate confirmation. Senator John Kerry's response: "This nomination was withdrawn because the Administration realized it would lose in the Foreign Relations Committee. Unfortunately, when this White House can't win the game, they just change the rules, and America loses." CONTINUED >>
Some of what we're working on for tonight... willing to hold peace talks with Israel. (Honestly, how could she...) visit to Damascus by three Republican congressman . Just Sayin'...AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Breaking news this morning that Iranian President Ahmadinejad - while repeating allegations that 15 British troops invaded Iranian waters - says he is granting them amnesty anyway, as a 'gift' to the UK. They are apparently free to go home anytime. Members Only jacket . CONTINUED >>
By popular demand, here's the "Dick Cheney in the Bushes" clip we played in the "Soundbites of the Day" segment...write your own caption in the comments section (keep 'em clean please), winner will be named official sponsor of an upcoming blog post!**monetary value = less than pocket lint, but bragging rights last forever.
The Will of the People: President Bush once again bound for vacation in Crawford tomorrow, today slamming Congress for being on vacation away from the capitol, insisting lawmakers should get back to work in order to do the people's business of rubber-stamping whatever it is he wants for his war in Iraq. Senator Russ Feingold joins us with a scathing response to a scathing presidential press conference. WATCH VIDEO "The Full Picture" : John McCain insists Americans are not getting the "full picture" of the progress in Iraq. Former CIA officer Larry Johnson says Americans didn't get the "full picture" of McCain's photo-op in Baghdad Sunday, where he says troops were put in harm's way to make propaganda. WATCH VIDEO ODDBALL : Throwing out the first pitch is a lot harder than you might think, a man with a broken heart is breaking stuff with his head, and the coolest, fastest train you'll see all week. WATCH VIDEO Cash Machines : Barack Obama is still counting his first quarter presidential campaign money. Could he actually beat Hillary Clinton's record setting fundraising? And what good does it do him if he's slipped into third place? WATCH VIDEO Punch Drunk: Anheuser Busch says it isn't marketing its new mini, brightly-colored bottles of booze with fun fruity names to children, but NBC correspondent Peter Alexander reports that parents and advocacy groups aren't buying the pitch. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : The CBS worker who decided to rob a bank in Augusta while working at The Masters... the TSA has two sets of rules; one for you, and one for them... and comedian Rush Limbaugh cracks wise as a woman is shot to death in an Atlanta mall.Lawyers Gone Wild : OJ Simpson suing to stop the Goldmans from auctioning off the rights to his book... and for the Anna Nicole Smith case, Larry Birkhead's lawyer bills him $620,000. It's a bonanza for barristers and Catherine Crier is here to defend the species. WATCH VIDEO
armored tour of that Baghdad market Sunday. (heads up: Mister Johnson uses some adult language in this blog) What John McCain Didn't Tell You John McCain and Lindsey Graham put American soldiers' lives at risk
just so they could have a photo op. That's the bottomline. Why didn't
they do a ride along on a real patrol? Perhaps they could have joined
the U.S. team that responded to an ambush of an American patrol
yesterday? Of course a total of six U.S. soldiers died in that
operation. S***! You can't take real risks. No sir. Instead, U.S.
military resources are devoted to making propaganda. U.S. soldiers
were ordered into harms way just to ensure a congressional delegation
could walk around, look serious, and perpetuate the lie that more U.S.
soldiers must come to Iraq and die. That was a propaganda event and f****** General Petraeus ought to be ashamed. Countdown tonight: 8pm ET / 5pm PT
Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) joins Keith Olbermann tonight to react to the President's press conference today, and describes Mr. Bush as being "beyond stubborn" and "detached from reality" when it comes to the lack of public support for the war.
The War on Reality : In a stunning repudiation of his old boss, Matthew Dowd, President Bush's own ex-chief campaign strategist and top aide, describes a President "Secluded...Bubbled-in", "Wrong" on Iraq in 2004, and John Kerry "right." John McCain's trying to prove he's "right" on Iraq, takes a "stroll" through Baghdad with a security team of 100 soldiers and five hovering helicopters. Presidential candidate, Senator Joseph Biden is our special guest. WATCH VIDEO The Bucks Start Here : Record campaign cash figures released for the first quarter. Senator Clinton leads all Democrats, Mitt Romney blows away the GOP field. WATCH VIDEO ODDBALL : A touching reunion of a circus clown and his favorite bike, plus a man with too much time on his hands does the Village People thing at the horseraces. WATCH VIDEO The Legal Thaw : The Supreme Court today orders President Bush's EPA to take its arm out from behind its own back, and stop pretending it can't stop global warming. The Will Ferrell Mojo: Breaking News: Will Ferrell is a box office magic. $33 million over the weekend...for a figure skating movie. Is he Hollywood's greatest leading man? WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : Matt Drudge's "exclusive smear" of an actual journalist turns out to be...wrong?....made up? Both? ... Plus, Representive Jack Kingston epitomizes "tone deafness", and Bill O'Reilly shows how "civil and fair" he can be by cutting off the microphone of a retired Army Colonel who was getting the better of him. April Fools : And what do Britney Spears, the diaper wearing astronaut and President Bush have in common? They all made the 2007 'Most Foolish Americans' list. Paul F. Tompkins offers his expertise. WATCH VIDEO
armored stroll through that Baghdad market .an opinion or two .
A little baseball for the cognoscenti from the
man who a year ago picked the Tigers to win the Wild Card and Ryan Howard to win
the MVP trophy.
To start in the National League, stay away from the hype. The Phillies are not only not the heir apparent; by June they'll
probably have fired their manager. The overloaded starting staff is underperforming, there is no semblance of middle-innings relief, and the
closer's doubtful. They've stuck Pat Burrell behind Howard in the batting order
and besides is usual troubles with a tight collar in the clutch, he's been in
and out of a back brace. Shane Victorino might do the job in rightfield but
they're expecting Wes Helms to do it at third. Disaster looms.
The Mets had their shot last year but Willie
Randolph wouldn't bunt with two on and none out in the ninth in Game 7 against
the Cardinals. Now, he's toying with batting David Wright second. It's
insanity. The Mets may get what they want out of their rotation, but the idea
that Moises Alou and Shawn Green will both get 500 productive at bats is
ludicrous. They may not get 500 at bats of any kind between them.
CONTINUED >>
