May 2007 - Posts
Alison Stewart in for Keith tonight...
Shades of Success At least 123-Americans have been killed in Iraq this May, making it the third-deadliest month since the war began. Our fifth story on the Countdown: Soldiers still stationed in Iraq, now asking the question, quote: "When are we going to get out of here?"... Amid new questions tonight, that President Bush envisions keeping a military presence in that country for the long haul. Decision 2008 Tonight, the 2008 campaign officially enters the "You know" stage. Number four in our countdown, you know Al Gore is not running, at least not now. But you know why he might be tempted. ODDBALL High Speed Chases If you've seen a police car chase on t-v lately, there's a reason why, more likely than not, it's low-speed. In our third story on the Countdown, the risks of the high-speed chases . Depending on the crime, it would seem police are better off letting a speeding vehicle escape than weaving through heavy traffic to catch the culprit. There are some people in the DC area who no doubt think this. TB Cause no longer TBD?: So, you know that nightmare where your fiance's Dad works in a federal tuberculosis lab, and then during your honeymoon you expose her to one of the scariest forms of tuberculosis there is? In our second story tonight, it turns out that the man who flew internationally... and snuck back into the U-S... knowing he carried an often-deadly form of T-B... is the son-in-law of a longtime tuberculosis researcher who works at... the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Conspiracy theorists, start your engines.
Bacon or Fakin'?
If you haven't seen this thing on the internets, then you haven't been on the internets. It's Monster Pig, and it's more porky than a house transportation bill. But is it real ...or fake ?
Tonight...a Countdown investigation with the only man America can trust during this mutant hog scandal, America's Zookeeper, Jungle Jack Hanna. It's gonna be good.
Some of what we're working on for tonight... How many times have we heard that line from President Bush over the last few years? Why then, should the American people ever have to read a story about his administration actually going to court to
stop to a company from testing its cattle herd for Mad Cow Disease?
You read that right, the administration wasn't arguing against
expansion of testing, it was arguing that one premium beef company should not be allowed to test its entire herd and advertise its product as "mad cow safe", because that might force the larger beef companies (the ones with all the lobbyists and influence) to begin testing
their herds.
WASHINGTON: The Bush administration said Tuesday it will fight to keep meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease.
The Agriculture Department tests fewer than 1 percent of slaughtered
cows for the disease, which can be fatal to humans who eat tainted
beef. A beef producer in the western state of Kansas, Creekstone Farms
Premium Beef, wants to test all of its cows.
Larger meat companies feared that move because, if Creekstone should
test its meat and advertised it as safe, they might have to perform the
expensive tests on their larger herds as well.
Thankfully, U.S. District Judge James Robertson said the government lacked
the authority to restrict the company from testing, and threw the bums out of court.
(bushcow image lifted from baseface )
CONTINUED >>
from
The Boston Globe :
We knew the popular nighttime MSNBC anchor, a former ESPN host and WCVB sportscaster, was a fan of lists. So we asked Olbermann, in Boston on Thursday night to speak at an ACLU-Massachusetts banquet, to give us five quick answers to the following. Here are his responses .
Alison Stewart in for Keith tonight...
Right Said Fred Hollywood actor turned Republican politician -- (in this case, turned Hollywood actor again) -- about to make a run for the White House. It's far from official yet... but new reports say Senator Thompson is planning to enter the presidential race in early July... hoping to take advantage of the Fourth of July holiday. The "Law and Order" star... annoucing this week that has already raised several million dollars and is launching an exploratory committee. If you thought the stage was crowded at the **first** Republican debate... now imagine making room for one more podium. Little Girl Lost Unfortunately, stories about missing children are all too common. Most we don't ever hear about, while others dominate the 24 hour newcycle. There's often a lot of discussion about which sad tales of lost children get coverage and which don't, but when the pope gets involved--there's no doubt you'll hear about it on the news. Number four in our countdown, the search for a British four year old has captivated most of Europe for the past 27 days. Her parent's desperate quest has millionaires, celebrities and even benedict the xvi reaching out to the family today. ODDBALL Slipping Through In our number-three story tonight... one of the administration's first responders when it comes to biological warfare... which can include the use of infectious diseases... has been put to the test. Specifically... could the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... in conjunction with the rest of the US government... stop one man carrying a deadly disease... from entering the country? The answer was no... and today was the day for excuses... his for why he did it... and the government's for why it failed to stop him... even though it knew exactly who he was. Try...try...try again! A man survives a skydiving accident... slamming into the earth at 100 miles an hour... and now he's jumping again...we'll take you along for the ride. Your Cheatin' Heart : Renaissance man Mo Rocca joins Alison to break down some major hypocrosy on the part of Tom Delay and some dirty cheating by American Idol winner Jordin Sparks. This segment will knock your socks on your rear!
Some of what we're working on for tonight...
It looks like President Bush has
chosen Robert Zoellick , another member of his inner circle and, yes, another neo-con as his choice to head the World Bank.
Expect a formal announcement today, as well as eventual confirmation of Mr. Zoellick by the bank itself. Perhaps they, like Countdown -- with fresh visions of Bill Frist -- are filing Mr. Zoellick under "coulda been worse."
...in case you were wondering, Tom DeLay believes God is talking to him, or he's just
hearing voices. For what it's worth, fellow Delay followers will be reminded that when he smiled for his mugshot he claimed to be projecting the image of Jesus (and not an indicted ex-congressman and roach exterminator.)
CONTINUED >>
Bloody Monday In his Rose Garden news conference last week... President Bush, having told Americans to expect heavy fighting in Iraq in the months ahead... warning of a quote: "bloody ... very difficult August" The month Mister Bush should have been warning about, perhaps: The one we are in right now. Our fifth story on the Countdown: Ten American soldiers dying in Iraq on Memorial Day... making May, with three days yet to go, already the deadliest month of the year for U-S troops... as well as the deadliest month since November, 2004. An Inconvenient Question Our conversation with Al Gore continues. About the conversation: the national political conversation. And the inevitable conversation about whether or not he's going to... you know. ODDBALL Decision 2008 Again we turn to politics and two of the latest surprises in the 2008 campaign. Our third story tonight... Funny, wasn't it, that Vice President Gore knew it was "500 or so days" to the election. The correct figure is... 515 if you count today. Meantime, good news for a Democrat not undecided...And a seismic shift for conservatives that some might call, "Power Over Principle." Outbreak?: The last time the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quarantined an individual carrying a dangerous disease was 1963. The disease was smallpox. In our number-two story tonight... 44 years later, it's a man with a rare, drug-resistant form of tuberculosis is in quarantine. And this time, there are two planeloads of people who may have been exposed. The C-D-C is now tracking down the passengers who flew with him when he traveled to Europe... and then back to Canada. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD Li-Lo Uh Oh : Lindsay Lohan is in re-rehab after some Hollywood tomfoolery this weekend. Paul F. Tompkins joins Keith to explain how all of this drunk driving business could have been avoided if Lohan hadn't parted ways with Herbie the Lovebug.
Some of what we're working of for tonight... leaked word to the N.Y. Times over the weekend of Iraqi militants leaving that country to carry out attacks elsewhere.
PEACE OUT Cindy Sheehan used this Memorial Day to announce that giving up her role as the face of the nation’s anti-war movement. 21-months after her son Casey was killed in Iraq, Ms. Sheehan posted in a resignation letter on Daily Kos that she has had enough with being smeared and ridiculed, and that she is calling it quits. Can you blame her? Quoting Ms. Sheehan:“I am going to take whatever I have left and go home. I am going to go home and be a mother to my surviving children and try to regain some of what I have lost.”
CONTINUED >>
Signing of the Times : This weekend President Bush will mark his sixth Memorial Day as a wartime president. This nation, to mark the more than 34-hundred Americans that have been killed for his war in Iraq. And any talk of supporting the 162,000 troops still serving in Iraq -- by bringing them home -- is on indefinite hold with tonight's signing of the war funding bill by President Bush. The Intelligence : So much for his having credibility because he "reads the intelligence". A newly-released report : almost everything that happened in Iraq after we invaded -- the insurgency, the economic chaos, the rise of Al Qaeda -- was predicted by the CIA before the war...and the President knew it.ODDBALL : a shocking theft, committed by an elderly woman on a motorized scooter -- caught on tape! ... Plus, when stage diving goes bad and the newest coolest gadget of the week."A Mighty Heart" : Countdown brings you NBC's Ann Curry's exclusive interview with Angelina Jolie, who is playing the role of Marianne Pearl, the widow of slain journalist Daniel Pearl.Out with a Bang: live shows even after they've announced they're leaving. Rosie O'Donnell's tenure on "The View" comes to an end, three weeks early. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : Senator John McCain has missed more votes than anyone other than Tim Johnson, who is recovering from a brain hemmorage... Fred Thompson is the possible new face in the '08 campaign, too bad he's using the same old fear tactics as everyone else... and former Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith did not just use bad intel in the march to war with Iraq, he's now accused of simply making some of it up.One Shining Moment
: Is our long National nightmare over? Not yet. It's time for the season recap of American Idol, Our retrospective on the finest that this season of Idol had to offer. It's a very short retrospective.
READ THE REPORTS FOR YOURSELF HERE
This should probably come as no shock to anyone, (with the possible exception of the use of the word "Newshole" ), but is it any wonder that Fox Noise viewers seem less informed about the reality on the ground in Iraq?.
Some of what we're working on for tonight... National Security Presidential Directive NSPD 51 and Homeland Security Presidential Directive HSPD-20 that Mr. Bush signed in secret on May 9.
CONTINUED >>
We must have missed Part I of this contest, but we have to say Hillary Clinton and her peeps seem to get the whole YouTube thing a little better than the rest...Senator Dodd, have you been arrested? Are you being held hostage somewhere, forced to do this video against your will? Hint: Get a plant or something. Congressman Tancredo, kudos for trying to mix it up a bit. But could you stop the car please ? We'll hitch a ride with someone less obsessed with illegal immigrants. John Edwards, getting a big star was a good call. Might have picked one without a Hugo Chavez issue at the moment, but hey... Senator Joe Biden wins for sheer volume : 83 videos and counting! This one's 13 minutes long . Not bad, but think about editing it down a tad for the average YouTuber's shorter attention-span. And maybe show a kid getting hurt on a skateboard or something. Oh, we take that back -- Mitt Romney's got 144. Of course, the whole point of YouTube video is to actually have video , but when you're this good looking, we guess it's ok to go with still photos over lousy audio about radical Islam. Mister Giuliani, the whole "they hate us for our freedom " thing is actually pretty much univerally mocked on the internets. Highlighting it as a campaign position will get you that one-star rating everytime. Ron Paul, we sorta hoped the big "internet candidate" would have more than one lone YouTube videothat guy who teaches you how to use your computer. Update: Ok, we missed Ron Paul's current crop of video, including a nice one called "Educating Rudy". Mister Kucinich? Mister Kucinich? Can I go to the bathroom? (Please don't let our good natured ribbing prevent you from actually hearing today's lesson . There should be a test on this stuff.) Finally, Mike Gravel teaches us about the "fair tax". Nothing terribly wrong with his video , except that we keep expecting him to offer us a hard candy from the dish next to the sofa.
Press Conference Bird Bombed : Mister Bush, crapped upon both literally and figuratively in the Rose Garden this morning. First by an hour of hard questions, second by the bird that pooped on his suit. But the message of the day: If the people of this country, through their votes, tell President Bush to get us out of Iraq, they are ignored. If the Democratic representatives of this country, through their legislation, tell President Bush to get us out of Iraq, they are ignored. But, if his remarks at a news conference today are to be believed -- always a dicey proposition with him -- if members of the Iraqi Government tell President Bush to get us out of Iraq -- we're out. Credibility : One minute we're safer -- the next they're coming to get us. The president says Congress is stretching out the Gonzales investigation -- yet it's his White House that's stonewalling. He was asked today if he has any credibility left -- and it wasn't much of an answer. John Dean joins us.ODDBALL : The wild scrable up a 50 tower of Hong Kong buns and the little toddler who ruined the artwork of Tibetan Monks in a Kansas City train station.Gonzo & Monica : First he told Congress that the meeting with Monica Goodling never took place. Now he's said it did but it wasn't how she described it. That'd be... lying to Congress... right? Fortunately they have Alberto Gonzales's successor ready.Mom is 60:
Science and Life. A 60-year-old woman giving birth to twins. The new mother defends her position... a move even her own daughter doesn't support. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : The police officer who demonstrated his Taser on a willing participant's...special place -- the package store with a drive-thru window that also sells cups of ice for the ride home -- and the Pentaton needs Arabic language experts in the worst way... but not if they're gay. Can't have that.Bury the Idol
: It's over, it's finally over. After a two-hour spectacular, full of song, self-congratulation and kitsch, the latest winner was finally anointed. Princess Maria is here too tell us how many albums what's-her-name is going to sell.
Some of what we're working on for tonight... President Bush's press conference today, we'll try to sort through the spin and bring something to you later in the day (like around 8pm...on the air).children .strengthen sanctions on Iran after new report showed Tehran
is accelerating its uranium enrichment program.
CONTINUED >>
Full Transcript
Fear We Go Again : The President has a secret. He claims Osama Bin Laden was setting up a terror cell in Iraq, from which to strike America. Of course this was in 2005, two years after Mr. Bush kindly opened up Iraq so terrorists could go there. Plus, the Democrats reeling after their Congressional leadership gives away the Iraq store to the President. What do the actual anti-war Democrats do now? And why did Senator Clinton remain silent today?Enter Monica : Accusations of inaccuracy and a lack of candor in sworn testimony. Admissions of inappropriate political litmus tests for prosecutors, and an unusual qualification to be White House liaison for the Department of Justice... she was class president. Monica Goodling goes to the Hill.ODDBALL : An orangutan rampage in Taiwan and the world's oldest wrestler in India, it's a crazy video edition of Oddball tonight.Operation Provocation : With all the real war in the mid-east, today war games were added. U.S. policy-makers again struggling to confront and understand yet another mid-east adversary, and one that really does have nuclear material. A show of force off the coast of Iran.Feud With A View: Rosie O'Donnell and Elizabeth Hasselbeck
finally slug it out live on The View, providing five minutes of the most uncomfortable television in broadcasting history.WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : A convicted murderer gives a shout-out to his favorite football team -- as his last words before execution... the baseball player who threatened his wife by text-messaging a phyoto of his handgun... and the State of Virginia, which welcomes the grandson of the Vice President of the United States into the world with a big stop sign.A Special Comment : The Democrats' Neville Chamberlain Moment, the President's political triumph on the backs of the service men and women in Iraq, and the political earthquake most of the politicians can't even hear, because they are too busy congratulating themselves... too loudly. VIDEO/TRANSCRIPT
Keith Olbermann will deliver a Special Comment tonight on the "compromise" struck between the Democratic leadership and the White House over the latest troop funding bill... "The Democratic leadership has, in sum, claimed a compromise with the Administration, in which the only things truly compromised are the trust of the voters, the ethics of the Democrats, and the lives of our brave, and doomed, friends, and family, in Iraq. You, the men and women elected with the simplest of directions - Stop The War - have traded your strength, your bargaining position, and the uniform support of those who elected you… for a handful of magic beans." Countdown tonight, 8pm ET/5pm PT VIDEO/TRANSCRIPT
Some of what we're working on for tonight...
WATCH THE LIVE VIDEO HERE . That said, exactly how willing the former Justice Department aide is going to be to turn on her colleagues remains to be seen, immunity or no. Countdown is perhaps most curious to see if she'll be wearing that same Ralph Lauren polo t-shirt she had on in the only photograph we've had of her, until now.
CONTINUED >>
Compromise & Second Surge : Iraq Funding Compromise. The Democrats get benchmarks...The President gets the right to waive the benchmarks. What the hell kind of benchmarks are they if the President can just waive them? Plus, In the interim, the Pentagon to reportedly overlap troops exiting Iraq, and troops reaching Iraq to create a kind of "second surge."George Bush's Monica : A Congressional committee threatens to subpoena Karl Rove, the Justice Department dumps more documents -- but some are repeats...and on deck, for testimony tomorrow: Monica Goodling.ODDBALL : The second best sporting event at Pimlico race track over the weekend, and the little cat at Shea Stadium who thought he had a great hiding place.Meet the Bickersons : Is anything actually wrong with a Senator swearing, in private, at another Senator? Is it another matter though, if the same Senator suggests another presidential candidate should threaten Guatamalans with a Varmint Gun? The road to the White House is beginning to look like a Mad Max movie.Child Attacked by Pit Bulls: WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : The jewel thief who leaves behind his resume, Bill O'Reilly admits to being an extremist right-wing "talk show nut", and the pressure is beginning to get to Shock Jock Rush Limbaugh.First Church of Paris
: Paris Hilton lays it on thick, being photographed with a Holy Bible and "The Power of Now" under her arm as she prepares for her stay in the Big House. Jeffrey Ross is here to... analyze.
A couple of things we're looking at for tonight... willing to cave on submitting an Iraq spending bill without any benchmarks or timetables. Bloomberg news , saying "I hope the moment doesn't come that I feel so separated from the caucus"
that he decides to shift allegiance to the Republicans. CONTINUED >>
Monica Novotny is in for Keith tonight... Worst in History ? Former President Jimmy Carter lashes out at the Bush Administration, calling Bush's foreign policy "the worst in history". The White House fires back, calling Carter "irrelevant", and now the Georgia Democrat says his comments were careless, while the current President shrugs them off. But was Carter right? That discussion won't be taking place. No Full Confidence: The Senate might have a vote of no-confidence on the Attorney General. The House might do the same thing. The Texas Bar Association looking into possible punishments for Alberto Gonzales. The President... not fazed in the slightest... He's doing Tammy Wynette real proud.ODDBALL : Stunts in fire and water, animals run amok and the most dangerous idea in the history of television!The Page Six Deep Six : As Rupert Murdoch moves to try to buy the Wall Street Journal... damaging headlines on exactly how he does business as a so-called "news" man. You're Fired / I Quit:
It's official, according to "The Donald", after six seasons of "The Apprentice"... he's done. He told T-V Guide that N-B-C wanted to do another one "but I just don't have the time." Which is interesting, considering that "The Apprentice" was nowhere to be seen on NBC's fall schedule. Broken Idol News : On the eve of the finale... will the ratings slide continue and is there anything Idol can do to top last year's final results show? All that... and Paula breaks her nose. The Princess is here.
Some of what we're working on for tonight... hard proof as to why Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee wanted to delay Phase II of its report on pre-war intelligence, shall we say, indefinitely. As part of that report, we are now learning that "Two intelligence assessments from January 2003 predicted that the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and subsequent U.S. occupation of Iraq could lead to internal violence and provide a boost to Islamic extremists and terrorists in the region."CONTINUED >>
King Cheney It was thirty years ago tomorrow that Richard Nixon, the disgraced former president, appeared on television and told interviewer David Frost, quote, "When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal. Tonight, in the fifth story on our Countdown... Nixon's former intern... Vice President Dick Cheney... has provided the nation with this administration's equivalent of that claim... his lawyer telling a judge Mr. Cheney can not be held legally responsible for anything that he says, true or false and, furthermore, that Cheney, because he holds the vice presidency... an office meant to serve the people... has absolute immunity against any lawsuit brought by any of the people. Under Armored The quest to give our troops the best protection possible. As Congress and the White House negotiate over war funds... Lisa Myers investigates whether we're using the best body armor possible. ODDBALL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrCqPaSm8TA This does not absolve you from completing your civic duty and actually watching the show. Carry on.Feeling the Heat : While lately having confirmed the existence of the problem...The Bush administration is again emphasizing it will not support any limits, targets or plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming. Polls show a majority of democrats, independents, even republicans, consider global warming a crisis and favor immediate action, due in no small part to the efforts of Al Gore and his documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," a phenomonon that's pushed the issue to center stage. Our third story on the Countdown, is this the climate Al Gore needs, to recycle himself back into politics in 2008? As the Wheel Turns: Just when you thought the world of fast paced bike racing couldn't get any more interesting...Greg Le Mond, Floyd Landis and Floyd Landis' manager take it to a whole new level. They Invented a three man bicycle!! Actually, it's something far more disturbing. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD
"D.C. Idol"
Gonzo's No Confidence Vote, Wolfowitz Hits the Bricks You heard it here first: Alberto Gonzales could quite possibly be the next president of the World Bank. Hey, in this administration, it could happen. Our fifth story on the Countdown: As one Bush administration scandal reaches a conclusion another still on its ascent to a boiling point. NBC News learning tonight that an agreement for Paul Wolfowitz to resign from the World Bank has been reached, just as Senate Democrats reach concensus to seek a no-confidence vote on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. .5% Too Much Congress wants to give our fighting men and women a three-and-a-half percent pay raise. But the White House says... that's too much. We'll examine if this administration really supports our military. ODDBALL Air Traffic Poison Our third story on the Countdown is the kind of thing that, if you aren't already slightly afraid of flying, will make you slightly afraid of it. Air Traffic controllers the very people responsible for keeping your plane safely in the air and safely back to earth possibly poisoned by a deadly gas while trying to do their jobs. And then told, through their dizziness, to keep doing their jobs.
Back to the Grassy Knoll: Lone gunman or multiple shooters. In our number two story on the Countdown: the debate has flared up again... this time predicated on the idea that forensic science gets better with every passing decade, and the last word of 1977, may only be the preamble of 2007. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD Melanie Morgan, sister of Pat, Bay Buchanan, and Comedian Rush Limbaugh duking it out for the top honor tonight. Doolittle Downer
With George Bush & Tony Blair sharing a
final walk through the Rose Garden this afternoon, we thought it might be nice to reminisce a bit with this oldie but goodie...
The Washington Post is once again assisting the memory-challenged Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, by
uncovering that the Justice Department had designs on firing far more U.S. Attorneys than Gonzo could apparently recall during testimony.
Justice Weighed Firing 1 in 4 The Justice Department considered dismissing many more U.S. attorneys than officials have previously acknowledged, with at least 26 prosecutors suggested for termination between February 2005 and December 2006, according to sources familiar with documents withheld from the public.
Senate Vote on the War, Does the Czar Get a Vote?: It's the Senate version of Goldilocks and the three bears. Our fifth story on the Countdown: the Senate, today defeating a Democrat Amendment that in terms of ending the war was deemed to be too hot, then defeating a Republican Bill, that was deemed to be too cold. No clue when the guy with the room temperature porridge shows up... But the President has been able to find a so-called "War Czar" who -- it turns out -- was against the escalation of U-S troops in Iraq. Gonzo & The Wolf : A top Republican Senator calls on the Attorney General to resign...Four Democratic Senators say yesterday's story of the trip to John Ashcroft's hospital bed may mean Mr. Gonzales **lied** to the Senate. And you can fire me, but only if first you say I've done nothing to deserve getting fired. Wolfowitz and the World Bank -- Continued.
ODDBALL : The ancient English tradition od political checks and balances puts emphasis on the 'balances', and the driver-less mini-van is finally here, driving itself in circles around a German parking lot. Whoo hoo. GOP Deal or No Deal : Hip waders and flip-flops handed out in South Carolina for last night's second in the nation GOP debate. Who served up the baloney and who got called out for chameleon-like behavior? A full disection of last night's GOP Debate as the contestants/candidates, threw down on what looked like a gameshow stage.
No Place for a Prince: His very namesake is one of the most famous soldiers in British royal history. Henry the Fifth, the boy King, who led the English to victory against the French in Agincourt in 1415. And in doing so, was immortalized by Shakespeare as a great patriot and mighty warrior, rallying his troops to charge into the breach once more with the exhortation "'Cry God for Harry, England and St. George". But in our number two story on the Countdown: that all works less well in 2007 than it did in 1415, where, among other things, you needed members of the royal family to leed the fight because you couldn't trust any other general to not turn the troops around and shoot at the royal family. The current Prince Harry is not going to Iraq after all.
WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : Little "Bubba" from Illinois has a gun permit -- even though he's only 10 months old...a man in Minnesota is upset that he can't get a gun permit -- just because he's blind ...and a Republican Congressman from Virginia whose aide has been indicted says he's the target of a political smear campaign , by a fellow Republican.
American I-Dull : The one-time hit TV show has apparently lacked some of its previous punch in recent weeks. If the ratings are any indication, it appears that American Idol may pulled an Arthur Fonzarelli and waterskiied over some killer fish. Our American Idol Princess Maria Milito discusses.
Washington Post today sums up the testimony of James Comey on Tuesday, and the amazing story of Gonzales and Andrew Card's trip to the bedside of John AshcroftJAMES B. COMEY, the straight-as-an-arrow former No. 2 official at the
Justice Department, yesterday offered the Senate Judiciary Committee an
account of Bush administration lawlessness so shocking it would have
been unbelievable coming from a less reputable source. If you haven't read the accounts of Comey's testimony - David Shuster's report on Hardball is a MUST SEE .CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT NOW .
No, not from Iraq , you silly goose! From the World Bank! ABC is reporting Paul Wolfowitz will resign this afternoon from the organization, quoting bank officials saying they're finalizing an 'exit strategy' allowing Wolfowitz to leave today and 'still save some face'. Wolfowitz' attorney says that reports of his
resignation are "premature," but it does appear he is negotiating an exit from the World Bank. NBC can report the two sides are involved in what appear
to be final conference calls on language of a likely resignation - so
all of this is changing rapidly. "Mr. Wolfowitz will not resign under this cloud - and he is awaiting the decision of the full board which has heard from him last night and seen all the evidence. If the full board does not clear his name and exonerate him - he will not resign." So Wolfie's position is: fire me, but I won't quit until you say I did nothing wrong.CONTINUED >>
"Thrown Under the Bus" : The etymology is unclear, but the phrase is politically apt, especially tonight. We're checking for tire treads on the just resigned Deputy Attorney General, Paul McNulty, after he got rolled under the wheels by his erstwhile boss Alberto Gonzales. The White House today indicating it might be willing to give Paul Wolfowitz a glimpse of the pavement and the oncoming vehicle. Mr. Wolfowitz himself has evidently given his girlfriend at the World Bank the up-close view of the underside of the old Greyhound.Jerry Falwell 1933-2007 : The death of Jerry Falwell, the Reverend who brought the Religious Right into prominence in the Republican Party.ODDBALL : The Countdown Bear Chase of the Week, the Rosie Ruiz of dog track racing and the Chinese manage to make the sport of soccer even more boring - through technology.What Oversight? : The one word that might sum up the Bush Administration is "relentless." Though a lot of the wheels have fallen off with deafening retorts and booming salvos, only these guys would have thought to take a federally mandated, presidentially appointed board of watchdogs designed to protect the muzzling of Civil Liberties... and try to muzzle their report hinting at the deterioration of Civil Liberties.Assault & Cowardice: WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : Glenn Beck sees a vast left-wing conspiracy in the spate of recent radio firings and suspensions... a guy in Arkansas makes a quick 15 bucks - selling his neighbor's dog at his tag sale... and Dr. Laura tells the wives of U.S. soldiers to stop "whining."D.C. Idol : It's a battle of the bands--- Washington style. Tony Snow on the jazz flute versus Bob Schieffer singing country. We here at Countdown have come to expect more from our politicians when they take the stage. Hence we've decided to hold the first ever competition of D-C Idol. We've picked five of the best political musical performers in modern memory. All you have to do is vote for your favorite .
Some of what we're working on for tonight... Today Paul Wolfowitz finds out whether he gets to keep
his job at the World Bank. In a final bid of
unchivalrous, legal maneuvering, Mr. Wolfowitz is now
blaming his girlfriend for the series of events that
led to his having given her a raise and a promotion at
the bank. Mr. Wolfowitz now claiming that he was
forced to oversee his longtime companion's transfer to
a different job at the bank, because the ethics panel
was afraid to confront her, seeing as its members knew
she was "extremely angry and upset." Women:
"Its members did not want to deal with a very angry
Ms. Riza, whose career was being damaged as a result
of their decision," Wolfowitz said in his response to
the investigating committee's report. "It would only
be human nature for them to want to steer clear of
her."
the Guardian , where it is testified that an angry Wolfowitz threatened retaliations if his indiscretions came to light. Wolfowitz was quoted by one witness: "If they f--- with me or Shaha, I have enough on them to f--- them too!"CONTINUED >>
It's apparently quite difficult to find small family farmers to use as "death tax" campaign props, when small family farmers aren't really effected by the "death tax" in the first place. 'The
Official Newspaper of Anamosa, located in Jones County, Iowa' tells the story of Deb and Jerry VonSprecken, who were invited by the Giuliani campaign to host a rally at their small, 80-acre farm. “Tony (Delgado, Guiliani campaign worker) said, ‘I’m sorry, you aren’t worth a million dollars and he is
campaigning on the Death Tax right now.’ then he said they weren’t
going to be able to come,” Deb VonSprecken said.
“I invited him into my home,” Deb said of Giuliani, fighting back tears.CONTINUED >>
Breaking Gonzales-Gate News : For the fourth time in three months, a central figure in the U-S attorneys scandal is resigning. And for the fourth time in three months, it is not Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. It is instead, the highest-ranking figure to go so far in this scandal, Gonzales's number-two man at the Department of Justice, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty.Iraq'ing the Boat : The Vice President rattles the sabres against Iran, at the same time the Secretary of State tries to convince them to open up dialogue. Dick Cheney also decides - four years into the war - he's not sure how things will end in Iraq.ODDBALL : Running a marathon is tough enough without dressing in a wacky costume with your facial pores painted shut, and the most hilarious group of Indian cops you ever did see.Eyes on '08 : Hillary Clinton, pulls out perhaps her biggest gun - her husband, the former president, using YouTube to sell her candidacy, and the ten-deep GOP presidential field, may be about to get even deeper.L Ron Hubbub:
They claim he had an agenda. He claims they were trying to brainwash him... just another day in Scientology-land. A BBC reporter filming a documentary on the Church of Scientology starts screaming at one of its spokesmen. The whole thing caught on not one, but two cameras - the BBC's and the Church's. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : The elementary school faculty that decided it would be a good idea to stage a fake gun attack on the students, Ann Coulter pulls some mighty big strings to get out of her Florida legal trouble... and Bill O'Reilly is back with his own brand of thug-journalism.Dear Paris 
