An Obama Halloween Spoof

Video embedded below.



If you liked that you may also like Berman Post: Crowder - "Obama's HALLOWEEN! (Featuring Carl and Cindy)".

Dierdre Scozzafava (R) Suspends Her Campaign

This move could have major ramifications across the country. It may only be a small election in NY, but a message is being sent to the Republicans that the "R" next to a candidates name is not enough. Run conservative candidates or face serious third party candidate competition.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/31/republican-scozzafava-suspends-new-york-congressional-campaign

"Republican state Assemblywoman Dierdre Scozzafava has suspended her campaign for upstate New York’s 23rd Congressional seat, leaving Democratic nominee Bill Owens and Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman in the race that will conclude Tuesday, Fox News has confirmed.

The move comes on the heels of a new poll that showed Scozzafava had fallen behind her two competitors in a race too close.

The Siena College poll has Owens picking up 36 percent of the vote, while Hoffman has 35 percent. Scozzafava has 20 percent, with nine percent of voters undecided."

Via Gateway Pundit who declares "RINO Season Officially Opens".

White House Set a Trap With Thier Web Site?

Did the White House sets a trap for conservative bloggers with their web site? Whether accidental or intentional the answer seems to be yes. It worked, as a number of people took the bait; rightly assuming that the official White House website should not and would not be used for such games.

http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/2009/10/white-house-plays-games-sets-trap-with-web-site.html

"Think Progress is quick to bash the Right for claiming certain names were on the WH visitor's list that were not the people they appear to be. I neither know nor care what was released to the media. But I know for a fact the disclaimer below was nowhere to be seen when I clicked in before I did my post. And the list was embedded, which it is not now."

Some are not 'buying it';

http://americanpowerblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/administration-denies-william-ayers-and.html

"Yeah. Right. "False positives"? That's a good one.

We just happen to have a "William Ayers" and a "Jeremiah Wright" on the administration's visitors' list along with Thomas Daschle, Howard Dean, Kim Gandy, Edward Kennedy, John Podesta, and Andrew Stern - all Democratic-Socialist power hitters [source].

Yep, those crazy conservatives sure are wacked out. I mean, William Ayers was "just a guy who lived in Obama's neighborhood," remember? Besides, it's not like Obama actually heard Reverend Wright preach hatred of America in nearly 20 years of attending those sermons."

"Do Not Touch" (With Great Reason)

Picture embedded below.

MSNBC Airs an Uncensored Breast Self-Examination

Clear ratings stunt; they even give tacit confirmation of it, but justify it saying it is an important story.

Video embedded below. (Warning - clip contains some nudity)

White House And Fox News Reach a Truce?

It would be smart for the White House to call this off. I would think Fox News would want to keep it going considering how lopsided this battle is and how much this has been benefiting them. Anyone making bets on how long this will last; assuming it is true?

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/west_wing_reportage/fox_news_and_white_house_truce_141563.asp

"A very reliable source tells FishbowlDC that Fox News SVP Michael Clemente met with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs this morning and reached what some are calling a "truce."

Clemente then met with the FNC Washington bureau and encouraged staff to remain "fair and balanced.""

This sage, starting from the beginning; Anita Dunn 'called out' Fox News. Beck responded by installing a 'Red Phone Hotline', then aired a tape where Dunn said that Mao was one of her favorite philosophers. On the defensive, Dunn countered by saying that she was joking, and then added "Let it be noted that I also quoted Mother Teresa, but no one is accusing me of being a saint!". Not only was I was unconvinced, the New York Times declared Fox News the unequivocated victor. Axelrod and Emanuel joined in to take some of the pressure off of Dunn. A new video of Dunn surfaced where she said "very rarely did we communicate through the press anything that we didn't absolutely control", which Beck used. Gibbs has thrown his support behind the White House position. Olbermann (MSNBC) voiced his approval and had a bit of fun. Obama voiced his support confirming that this is the official White House position. The Obama administration tried to block Fox News from getting an interview and possibly thinking about having them removed from the press pool. The Treasury Department seemed to lie in saying that they did not try to exclude Fox News despite the confirmation of Fox News by CBS. The Treasury Department said that Fox News never asked for an interview. Fox News directly refuted that claim and added that the White House had acknowledged the mistake the Treasury Department made. It became clear just how much of a winner Fox News was with a massive ratings spike. White House Adviser Valerie Jarrett called Fox News bias before backtracking ten seconds later. Now there may be a truce.

Similar Images Feature Graduates From Google Labs

Google's 'Similar Images' feature has now graduated from Labs.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/similar-images-graduates-from-google.html

"Today, we're happy to announce that Similar Images is graduating from Google Labs and becoming a permanent feature in Google Images. You can try it out by clicking on "Find similar images" below the most popular images in our search results. For example, if you search for jaguar, you can use the "Find similar images" link to find more pictures of the car or the animal."

PJTV Salutes - "Mr. Really In Your Face Earmarker"

Video embedded below.



Other 'PJTV Salutes' videos:
Berman Post: PJTV Salutes - "Mr. Faithful-Like-A-Trial-Lawyer"

Crowder - "Obama's HALLOWEEN! (Featuring Carl and Cindy)"

Video embedded below.

Schwarzenegger Sends an Apology Message to Ammiano (Joke)

If you have not read this you may miss the joke.

http://www.slate.com/id/2234008 (via)

"
Arnold Schwarzenegger posted a note on Tom Ammiano's Wall:

Sorry if I offended you, Tom. It was immature and
Unprofessional of me to write you a note with a hidden
Code buried in it. I hope you'll
Kindly forgive me. It was a

Mean stunt, and
You deserve

Better. I hope we can
Agree to
Let this one
Lie.

Sincerely,
Arnold. P.S.—You should really
Come over for dinner some time. Maria makes heavenly
Kielbasa."

Obama Photo-op, Proper Respect ... Both?

It is a powerful photo, the president saluting a fallen soldier being returned home for a proper burial. There is some chatter questioning if Obama was honoring the soldier or just posing for a photo-op. I can not tell you what his motive was, but I really hope it was the former.

Picture embedded below.

MyCongressmanIsNuts.com

When you congressman is Alan Grayson (D), and you want to tell people just how crazy he is, time to make a website; MyCongressmanIsNuts.com (via).

Past Alan Grayson posts:
Berman Post: Alan Grayson (D) - "The Republicans Want You to Die Quickly if You Get Sick"
Berman Post: Alan Grayson (D) Not Sorry For His "The Republicans Want You to Die Quickly if You Get Sick"
Berman Post: Grayson (D) Triples Down - Not Sorry For What he Said, Sorry For Not Voting Sooner to End This Holocaust
Berman Post: Alan Grayson - "Republicans Probably Wish There Was a Nobel Prize For Fear ... Hatred ... Racism"
Berman Post: Alan Grayson (D) Called a Female Lobbyist a "K Street Whore"
Berman Post: Cavuto Fires Back at Grayson (D)

Twitter 'Lists' go Live For Everyone

Twitter 'Lists' are now live for all users.

http://blog.twitter.com/2009/10/theres-list-for-that.html

"We’ve been taking our time rolling out the lists feature to make sure things go smoothly and developers have a chance to begin experimenting with our Lists API. For example, TLISTS will provide tools to efficiently build, measure and distribute Lists, while Listorious hosts a directory of 'awesome lists' on Twitter.

Anyone can curate and publish lists, so if you have an idea for one, just click "New list" in the sidebar of your Twitter account and you're on your way. Add accounts to a list using the "Lists" drop drown on a profile page. We believe Lists will be a new discovery mechanism for great tweets and accounts."

ICANN Votes to Move Ahead With Non-Latin Web Addresses

The internet domain name system is about to radically expand. While some fear that it could damage the inter-connectivity of the web with competing language, it should effectively end any serious possibility of a 'second internet' cropping up for another language.

Video embedded below.



"As expected, regulatory body ICANN has approved plans to let web addresses be written in non-Latin characters in a move that it calls the “biggest technical change” to how the Internet works since its invention four decades ago.
...
The proposal means domain names could be written in languages such as Greek, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi or Cyrillic and be understood natively by the servers that connect computers together over the web. Currently, domain names can only be displayed using the Latin alphabet letters A-Z, the digits 0-9 and the hyphen, but in the future countries will be able to display country-code Top Level Domains (cc TLDs) in their native language.

The organization will launch a fast-track process for approving the Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs) scheme on 16 November, and the first IDN-compliant addresses should be in operation by the middle of next year, said ICANN President Rod Beckstrom."

Odds Schwarzenegger's Special 'F*ck You' Message Was a Coincidence - One in Two-Billion

What were the odds Schwarzenegger's special 'F*ck You' message was a coincidence? Gregory McColm, a University of South Florida associate professor of mathematics, pegs the chance at roughly one in two-billion (1:2,000,000,000).

Picture embedded below.



"Gregory McColm, associate professor of mathematics at the University of South Florida, was willing to go there. "Oh good heavens," he said, upon viewing the letter in question. Then he mentioned something about Edgar Allan Poe's "The Gold-Bug" and the frequency of letters, and eventually came up with same initial calculations as Devlin.

McColm, however, opted to include the "I" and go with one in 100 million. Then he did some fast figuring using something called "combinatorics" to account for the fact that the blank lines showed up in the right places to space out I FUCK YOU. McColm's ballpark figure of all this randomly occurring came out to one in 2 billion.

So you're saying there's a chance?"

US Economy Grew at an Annual Rate of 3.5 percent During The July-September Period

We will not be out of the woods until we see some significant job growth and make sure we avoid a spike in inflation, but this does seem like a promising sign.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Economy-returns-to-growth-rb-243710096.html?x=0

"The U.S. economy grew in the third quarter for the first time in more than a year as government stimulus helped lift consumer spending and home building, fueling an unexpectedly strong advance.

Signaling the end of the worst recession in 70 years, the Commerce Department on Thursday said the economy expanded at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in the July-September period, snapping four down quarters with its fastest growth pace since the third quarter of 2007 and exceeding forecasts for a 3.3 percent rate."

Some Dogs Just Are Not Meant to Skateboard

Video embedded below.

Gore Vidal Says He Wanted to Murder Bush

When did this become acceptable; acceptable to the point of not only professing it on TV but that the host would not challenge it?

Video embedded below.

"Desecrated Flag" Used to Push Health Care Overhaul

Video embedded below. (via)

Children Used to Push Health Care Overhaul

Video embedded below.



See also Berman Post: Kids Used in a Video to For Gay Rights Advocates.

Shots Fired at Lou Dobbs' House

Craziness...

Video embedded below.

Rush Limbaugh Has Words For Obama Over Mistaken Stimulus Jobs Report

Video embedded below.

Scientists Create Sperm And Eggs From Stem Cells

Does this mean that woman will become just as obsolete as men? On a more serious note, this could be a dream come true for couples dealing with infertility problems. It could also seriously complicate even the most liberal definitions of family, parenthood, and even the basic notion of mother and father.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1223617/No-men-OR-women-needed-artificial-sperm-eggs-created-time.html (via)

"Human eggs and sperm have been grown in the laboratory in research which could change the face of parenthood.

It paves the way for a cure for infertility and could help those left sterile by cancer treatment to have children who are biologically their own.
...
It centres on stem cells, widely seen as a repair kit for the body.

Scientists at Stanford University in California found the right cocktail of chemicals and vitamins to coax the cells into becoming eggs and sperm.
...
The skin cells would first be exposed to a mixture which wound back their biological clocks to embryonic stem cell state, before being transformed into sperm or eggs.

Starting with a person's own skin would also mean the lab-grown sperm or eggs would not be rejected by the body.

The science also raises the possibility of 'male eggs' made from men's skin and 'female sperm' from women's skin.

This would allow gay couples to have children genetically their own, although many scientists are sceptical about whether it is possible to create sperm from female cells, which lack the male Y chromosome."

Peace.Facebook.com

Facebook pushes for world peace with Peace.Facebook.com; joins the Peace Dot movement. Head over, check it out, and see what you can do for world peace.

Cavuto Fires Back at Grayson (D)

Video embedded below.



Original interview



Past Alan Grayson posts:
Berman Post: Alan Grayson (D) - "The Republicans Want You to Die Quickly if You Get Sick"
Berman Post: Alan Grayson (D) Not Sorry For His "The Republicans Want You to Die Quickly if You Get Sick"
Berman Post: Grayson (D) Triples Down - Not Sorry For What he Said, Sorry For Not Voting Sooner to End This Holocaust
Berman Post: Alan Grayson - "Republicans Probably Wish There Was a Nobel Prize For Fear ... Hatred ... Racism"
Berman Post: Alan Grayson (D) Called a Female Lobbyist a "K Street Whore"

White House Adviser Valerie Jarrett Calls Fox News Bias, Then Backtracks Ten Seconds Later

If this is any indication this lopsided battle is fast turning into a massacre.

Video embedded below.



This sage, starting from the beginning; Anita Dunn 'called out' Fox News. Beck responded by installing a 'Red Phone Hotline', then aired a tape where Dunn said that Mao was one of her favorite philosophers. On the defensive, Dunn countered by saying that she was joking, and then added "Let it be noted that I also quoted Mother Teresa, but no one is accusing me of being a saint!". Not only was I was unconvinced, the New York Times declared Fox News the unequivocated victor. Axelrod and Emanuel joined in to take some of the pressure off of Dunn. A new video of Dunn surfaced where she said "very rarely did we communicate through the press anything that we didn't absolutely control", which Beck used. Gibbs has thrown his support behind the White House position. Olbermann (MSNBC) voiced his approval and had a bit of fun. Obama voiced his support confirming that this is the official White House position. The Obama administration tried to block Fox News from getting an interview and possibly thinking about having them removed from the press pool. The Treasury Department seemed to lie in saying that they did not try to exclude Fox News despite the confirmation of Fox News by CBS. The Treasury Department said that Fox News never asked for an interview. Fox News directly refuted that claim and added that the White House had acknowledged the mistake the Treasury Department made. It became clear just how much of a winner Fox News was with a massive ratings spike. Now White House Adviser Valerie Jarrett called Fox News bias before backtracking ten seconds later.

Steve King (R) 'Grills' NFL Commissioner Over Limbaugh's Failed Bid

Steve King (R) 'grilled' NFL Commissioner over Rush Limbaugh's failed NFL bid
which Obama may have had a hand in, though that did not come up.

Video embedded below.

Google 'Music Search' Goes Live

The rumors were true, Google is now rolling out their 'Music Search'.

Video embedded below.

Fortunate Son

Video embedded below.

"The Philosophy of Liberty"

Video embedded below.

Schwarzenegger Send The Legislature a Special 'F*ck You' Veto Message ... Maybe

Here is the legitimate veto message;



It is subtle, but Tim Redmond spotted something very interesting;

"Read down the letters on the left side of the message

"

Might have something to do with this;

http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=yddu3qzgab5emw&xid=yddt0u1drg5z63&done=.yddu3qzgaboemw (via)

"Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, famously told the governor to “kiss my gay ass” at a Democratic fundraiser last month. Two days later, the governor responded in the veto message of one of Ammiano’s bills.

Earlier in the month, the San Francisco Democrat was at a boisterous Democratic fund-raiser when Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger stopped by to say hello. The governor, a guest of former Mayor Willie Brown, said a few words of greeting and extolled the virtues of bipartisanship. But Democrats, unhappy with the governor in their midst, booed loudly.

“Kiss my gay ass!” Ammiano shouted out.

Schwarzenegger smiled and left. But he was plotting his move."

Have to throw in that 'maybe' because until we get confirmation from an official in the know, and do not bother holding your breath for that, this could be a remarkable coincidence. I am leaning towards intentional, in part because no one has come forward an apologized for an 'unfortunate coincidence'.

More at http://ace.mu.nu/archives/294087.php.

Update (10/30/2009): Berman Post: Odds Schwarzenegger's Special 'F*ck You' Message Was a Coincidence - One in Two-Billion

Alfonzo on "Why Conservatives Don't Need A Leader"

Conservatives do need a leader, but not in the same context that liberals need a leader. Alfonzo does seem to come to that conclusion by the end.

Video embedded below.

Bill O'Reilly - Obama "Doesn't Seem to Understand That Radical People Are Not Acceptable to Most Americans"

Video embedded below.

Card Check Rap

Rapping against the 'Employee Free Choice Act' or Card Check.

Video embedded below. (via)

BlackBerry Tour 2 First Look Video

Here is a first look at the BlackBerry Tour 2 from CrackBerry. The two biggest changes are the addition of wi-fi and replacing the track-ball with a track-pad.

Video embedded below.

Ask.com For Sale?

The search engine market could be shrinking again as Ask.com (formally AskJeeves.com) appears to be putting itself up for sale. The deal may be worth upwards of four-billion-dollars, and there is no clear immediate buyer. Depending on who buys them (meaning one of the 'big two' remaining), a serious anti-trust movement could pick up steam.

http://thenextweb.com/2009/10/27/askcom-sale

"Hold on to your hats ladies and gentleman, search is about to get smaller again if Barry Diller gets his way. Hot off their earnings call for the quarter, Diller’s IAC has mentioned that they would be open to a sale of their Ask.com search engine."

Earth 'Blind Sided' by an Asteroid Earlier This Month

Massive asteroid impact is among the most disastrous things that could happen to humans on earth that has a significant possibility of occurrence. If we wish to protect ourselves from potential cataclysm we have to find them, track them, and when necessary have a viable plan to either push them away or break them up. This is the latest example to show just how unprepared we are.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18046-asteroid-blast-reveals-holes-in-earths-defences.html (via)

"On 8 October an asteroid detonated high in the atmosphere above South Sulawesi, Indonesia, releasing about as much energy as 50,000 tons of TNT, according to a NASA estimate released on Friday. That's about three times more powerful than the atomic bomb that levelled Hiroshima, making it one of the largest asteroid explosions ever observed.
...
No telescope spotted the asteroid ahead of its impact. That is not surprising, given that only a tiny fraction of asteroids smaller than 100 metres across have been catalogued, says Tim Spahr, director of the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Yet objects as small as 20 or 30 metres across may be capable of doing damage on the ground, he says."

"All The Liberal People" Parody Video

Video embedded below.

Basic Email Security Tips From Google

This is mostly pretty basic stuff, but it is always good to remind people.

http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/gmail-account-security-tips.html

"1. Remember to sign out. ...
2. Be careful about sending certain sensitive information via email. ...
3. Enable "Always use HTTPS." ...
4. Be wary of unexpected attachments. ...
5. Make sure your account recovery information is up-to-date."

Alan Grayson (D) Called a Female Lobbyist a "K Street Whore"

Video embedded below.



This was a to far even for him and he has since apologized.

Past Alan Grayson posts:
Berman Post: Alan Grayson (D) - "The Republicans Want You to Die Quickly if You Get Sick"
Berman Post: Alan Grayson (D) Not Sorry For His "The Republicans Want You to Die Quickly if You Get Sick"
Berman Post: Grayson (D) Triples Down - Not Sorry For What he Said, Sorry For Not Voting Sooner to End This Holocaust
Berman Post: Alan Grayson - "Republicans Probably Wish There Was a Nobel Prize For Fear ... Hatred ... Racism"

Obama Ties Bush in Number of Rounds of Golf Played While President

To be fair and clear; Obama has now tied Bush for rounds of golf played while President, but it should be noted that Bush stopped playing 2 years and ten months into office. That means while he has technically tied what Bush did in 8 years, Bush did not play for more then five of them. Still, Obama is on a clip more than three times as fast as Bush.

I do not begrudge the president a break. That includes rounds of golf or visits to a ranch. I would hope that it really is not as much of a break as people assume, as the president can really work from just about anywhere. That is not to say this does not give off a poor appearance especially considering important decisions that are overdue. The main reason I feel this is worth pointing out is the same reason cited below; the huge double standard and disparate treatment by the 'main stream' press for Obama and Bush.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-blumer/2009/10/26/unlike-predecessor-obama-golfer-gets-mostly-favorable-drops-press

"This wouldn't be particularly important if not for the fact that the press made a point of criticizing our previous president for overindulging in exercise and recreation and supposedly "vacationing" too often at his ranch in Crawford, Texas.

But they did, so a Tweet from CBS White House correspondent Mark Knoller is worth noting:

Politico's Click blog picked up the story and put this twist on the tweet: "President Obama Ties George W. Bush on Golf."

...

Hmm. Since when does "two years and 10 months" not get rounded up to "almost three years?" Maybe it's because giving readers the incorrect impression that Obama has played golf more than twice as much as Bush (2 years vs. 9 months) is a little more palatable than the idea that he's actually played almost four times as much (34 months for Bushs's 24 rounds vs. 9 months for Obama's two dozen).

Bush 43 gave up golf after that 24th round in 2003 because he didn't think it was right to be playing during wartime.

"

Defense Appropriation Pushed Back to December?

What is with all of this delay on very important and time sensitive military issues?

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/26/no-defense-appropriation-until-decmber

"Passing a budget is the basic responsibility of Congressional leadership, and it was due on September 30th. In wartime, the annual defense appropriation should have the highest priority over all of the other appropriation bills that comprise the federal budget plan. The Democrats have one of their own in the Oval Office, Barack Obama, who has shown no inclination at all to interfere with Congressional leadership on legislation, not even on his highest domestic agenda priorities."

Google Rolls Out 'Social Search'

The idea behind Google's 'Social Search' is pretty simple. It is that you trust the opinions and advice of people you know more then strangers on the web. Google takes the information you have already given it and then searches your 'social circle' meaning the people you follow in various services and the people they follow (just one 'step' past who you follow [does not include the follower's follower's follower's]), for an answer to your query. This will become a lot more clear after watching the clips (if you are pressed for time skip the first).

Useful -> probobly.

A bit creepy -> maybe, but Google is just organizing the information you have put out there.

A 'shot' at Facebook -> definitely. This was one of Facebook's 'Ace in the holes', that you would trust your friends more then a general web inquiry. Facebook is still inaccessible to Google, but Google has just planted their flag in a place Facebook probobly felt they would have real difficulty achieving.

Videos embedded below.

'Liberate Your Google Docs'

If you are getting nervous about your data being in the cloud, want to switch services away from Google, or are just looking for a quick and easy way to make a back up copy on your hard drive (always a good idea), Google has just made the process pretty simple for you.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/liberate-your-google-docs-with-convert.html

""Convert, Zip and Download" now joins dozens of other liberation features across our product offerings, ranging from Blogger's full blog downloads to email export from Gmail using IMAP and POP3. The feature lets you bundle your Google Docs in a format of your choice (MS Office, Open Office, PDF, etc.) and download them as a zip file. No longer do you have to download each document individually, which can take a lot of time if you have hundreds of documents like I do! All you need to do is select the relevant Docs, click on "Export" from the "More Actions" menu and download them in one go. (Check out the Google Docs Blog for more details.)"

Fox News Gets a Huge Rating Spike Following Obama Administration Attack

How huge was the ratings spike Fox News got from the Obama administrations attack on the network; 9 percent over all and 14 percent in the key demo.

http://www.businessinsider.com/fox-news-ratings-soars-after-snub-from-obama-2009-10

"

Here's a chart comparing network ratings from the period 9/28/2009-10/11/09, which is when Anita Dunn slammed the network, and the two weeks after that ("post feud"). The numbers on the bottom right of this chart show the sequential gain for all demos (+9%( and the 25-54 year old demo (+14%).

As for competition against the cable also rans, Fox News is sweeping the top 11 cable news slots in the 25-54-year old demographic (chart below), and the top 13 slots in all demos. It's kind of ridiculous."

This sage, starting from the beginning; Anita Dunn 'called out' Fox News. Beck responded by installing a 'Red Phone Hotline', then aired a tape where Dunn said that Mao was one of her favorite philosophers. On the defensive, Dunn countered by saying that she was joking, and then added "Let it be noted that I also quoted Mother Teresa, but no one is accusing me of being a saint!". Not only was I was unconvinced, the New York Times declared Fox News the unequivocated victor. Axelrod and Emanuel joined in to take some of the pressure off of Dunn. A new video of Dunn surfaced where she said "very rarely did we communicate through the press anything that we didn't absolutely control", which Beck used. Gibbs has thrown his support behind the White House position. Olbermann (MSNBC) voiced his approval and had a bit of fun. Obama voiced his support confirming that this is the official White House position. The Obama administration tried to block Fox News from getting an interview and possibly thinking about having them removed from the press pool. The Treasury Department seemed to lie in saying that they did not try to exclude Fox News despite the confirmation of Fox News by CBS. The Treasury Department said that Fox News never asked for an interview. Fox News directly refuted that claim and added that the White House had acknowledged the mistake the Treasury Department made. Now it is becoming just how clear a winner Fox News is with a massive ratings spike.

President Obama Likely to Make Afghan Troop Decision Between November 7 And 11

This decision should not be made lightly, but there are consequences for taking to long; and it has been about two months since the request first came in already.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/10/president-obama-likely-to-announce-afghan-decision-between-nov-7-and-11-will-likely-seek-more-troops-but-not-40000.html

"Sources tell ABC News that as of now President Obama will likely announce his decision about a new strategy in Afghanistan at some point between the Afghan run-off election, November 7, and the president’s departure for Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, November 11.

There is a chance the announcement may be delayed until the president’s return from the Asia trip on Friday, November 20, but as of now the plan is to have the announcement in that window."

Soledad O'Brien (CNN Anchor) Comes in Last Place in Jeopardy

Maybe CNN Anchor's should stop playing Jeopardy. At least O'Brien finished with a positive score unlike Wolf Blitzer (CNN).

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2009/10/26/another-cnn-anchor-comes-third-celebrity-jeopardy

"O’Brien came in third behind a comedian and a basketball legend:

This month, it was O’Brien’s turn against NBA legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Michael McKean, of "Spinal Tap," "Laverne & Shirley" and "Saturday Night Live." McKean, a previous winner, ended with $24,800, followed by Abdul Jabbar with $8,800 and O'Brien with $6,200.

...

....Wolf was blitzed last month, coming in last with minus-$4,600, behind comic Andy Richter, a past winner who racked up $68,000 for charity. "Desperate Housewives" star Dana Delany came in second.

Matthew Balan, MRC's CNN-watcher, joked that perhaps there's a new prime-time quiz show to be made: "Are You Smarter Than a CNN Anchor?"

"

UN Human Rights Council To Investigate Human Rights Violations by The United States For The First Time Ever

UN Human Rights Council set to investigate human rights violations by the United States for the first time ever because of the "perception that there isn’t enough affordable public housing in urban areas". Just 'head shakingly' crazy.

http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/2009/10/time-to-make-the-un-homeless.html

"I saw this bit of troubling news but didn't have time to pick up on it - Pilgrim at SayAnything did:

For those of you who have never even heard of a “Special Rapporteur,” you may be surprised to find out that one has been appointed by the United Nations (UN), under a special mandate from the UN Human Rights Council (the successor to the corrupt and anti-Israel UN Commission on Human Rights), to open a probe—for the first time ever— into human rights violations by the United States because of a perception that there isn’t enough affordable public housing in urban areas.

If there's anyone who deserves to be homeless it's the UN."

"The Last Supper" in Rubik's Cubes

4,050 Rubik's Cubes to be precise.

Video embedded below.

"inPulse" (Smart Watch) Officially Announced

The "inPulse" (Smart Watch) has been officially announced and you can now pre-order the device. At just under a $150, it is not overly expensive, but not cheap either as some new smart phones will set you back less then that. They should ship out February of next year.

I think this could be a very useful product, but one thing concerned me a bit; (from the FAQ page) "Under normal use, i.e. paired with a BlackBerry, receiving and displaying 20-30 updates per day, the battery should last approximately 4 days.". I would wager that most Blackberry users get more than "20-30 updates per day", much more. Especially considering that the type of person who would want to get this watch is because they are tired of taking their phone out each time they get an update and want to know if it is important enough to have to deal with. Those people could easily be getting more than 100 updates per day. I will be curious to see how long the battery life is under real world conditions.

http://crackberry.com/inpulse-smartwatch-blackberry-gets-official-now-available-pre-order

"inPulse smartwatch for BlackBerry Tech Specs & Key Features

• 1.3" full colour organic light-emitting-diode (OLED) display


• Bluetooth® v2.0+EDR


• 150 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery


• Glass lens and full metal body



• 22mm interchangeable wrist band


• Vibrating motor


• Micro-USB port (for charging)


• Over-the-air firmware updates


• Dimensions: 51mm height x 38mm width x 12mm depth

Jumping over to the inPulse FAQ page reveals other key stats. Battery life is slated at ~ 4 days depending on use and can be recharged in about 30 minutes via standard microUSB cable."

'Memorialized' Facebook Profiles

Facebook's 'reconnect' suggestion feature has brought to the forefront an often ignored question in social media; what to do with the profiles of people who have died. The problem can be compounded if the person died suddenly or otherwise did not leave behind instructions on what they wanted along with their account info (username and password). Facebook now has an official policy of sorts. They refer to it as 'memorializing' an account. The process removes contact information and status updates. It also changes the privacy setting so that only people who are confirmed friends can look at the page. The account is locked down meaning no one can log on as that person, and the wall becomes a memorial allowing friends post tributes. The 'memorialized' account will also no longer show up in Facebook's 'reconnect' suggestions.

To request an account be 'memorialized', head to http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=deceased and fill out the form.

No word on safeguards to prevent a prank, but I would hope it at least includes sending the person an email (or otherwise using the given contact information to attempt to contact them) and a waiting period. Still, I would be shocked if we do not hear about someone 'declared dead on Facebook' trying to unlock their account.

http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=163091042130

"We understand how difficult it can be for people to be reminded of those who are no longer with them, which is why it's important when someone passes away that their friends or family contact Facebook to request that a profile be memorialized. For instance, just last week, we introduced new types of Suggestions that appear on the right-hand side of the home page and remind people to take actions with friends who need help on Facebook. By memorializing the account of someone who has passed away, people will no longer see that person appear in their Suggestions.

When an account is memorialized, we also set privacy so that only confirmed friends can see the profile or locate it in search. We try to protect the deceased's privacy by removing sensitive information such as contact information and status updates. Memorializing an account also prevents anyone from logging into it in the future, while still enabling friends and family to leave posts on the profile Wall in remembrance.

If you have a friend or a family member whose profile should be memorialized, please contact us, so their memory can properly live on among their friends on Facebook."

BlackBerry Storm 2 Gets Official

The rumors were off by a month. The BlackBerry Storm 2 was officially announced by Verizon. At $179 with a 2yr contract (after a $100 mail in rebate), it is not a bad price. The new 'click' technology sounds interesting, because the clicking feature on the first Storm was what turned me off to it. You can get your hands on the device in two days (28th of October).

http://crackberry.com/verizon-officially-announces-blackberry-storm2

"Key Features:

* Smooth design and premium finish with sloped edges, chrome accents, glass lens and stainless steel backplate
* Large (3.25"), dazzling high-resolution 480 x 360 display at 184 ppi
* Capacitive touchscreen with integrated functions (Send, End, Menu,
* Escape) and new SurePress technology that makes clicking the display practically effortless
* 3G and global connectivity support for making phone calls in more than 220 countries and accessing data in more than 185 countries (with more than 80 destinations in 3G)
* Network Connectivity: EV-DO Revision A; UMTS/HSPA (2100 MHz); and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks
* Supports Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
* 256 MB of Flash memory
* 2 GB of onboard media storage and a microSD(TM)/SDHD memory card slot with a 16 GB card included"

"Every Cent You Make" Taxing Parody Song

Video embedded below.

Obama Administration "Disgusted" With Israel

The Obama administration is reportedly "disgusted" with Israel (via). This feeling is from Israel's refusal to halt 'settlement construction'. This is just another attack against Israel from the Obama administration over 'settlement construction' which is just part of the reason only four percent of Israeli Jews think Obama is Pro-Israel which was in the margin or error; a stunning reversal from the numbers while Bush was president. Given Obama's call for a "Contiguous Palestinian State" potentially splitting Israel in half the number would likely be smaller now, and the feeling is almost certainly mutual (the feeling of disgust that is). This a disturbing, pointless, and potentially catastrophically dangerous geopolitical shift we are watching unfold before our eyes.

Do More Than 44,000 Americans Die Every Year Just Because They Have no Health Insurance - No

You hear politician and pundits make this claim fairly often in support of a government take over of health care. Leaving that issue aside for now, the question must be asked if the 44,000+ American deaths yearly from a lack of health insurance is true. The answer is almost certainly a no. While the 'true' number may be next to impossible to accurately calculate, the 44k number is very likely a substantial overstatement. Head to http://nooilforpacifists.blogspot.com/2009/10/health-of-america-part-20.html for an extensive breakdown on why that is.

Update: After an email/comment questions; Carl took a stab at figuring out what the real number is. He concluded a three percent difference in mortality between insured and voluntarily uninsured is probably the right number. Beyond that, the difficulty of figuring out the true cause or contribution from all the different causes of increased mortality makes it almost impossible to know.

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai Questions if US is a Reliable Partner

This is the problem with dithering. You can not expect someone to rely on you when you refuse to make a commitment in either direction. Even if your plan is a slow withdrawal, you allies have to know so they can prepare and act accordingly. Keeping the plans a secret, or not knowing what you are going to do in the near term, rightly makes your friends nervous. If you do not make some commitment or your plan's known, they are forced to assume and prepare themselves for a lack of support from you. You become an unreliable partner.

Here is where the major problem comes in. If the United States is not a reliable partner, and the Afghan government does not think they can prevail alone, they are forced to either look for a new partner, make a deal with the enemy, or capitulate. The ladder two options are extremely unpleasant, and I do not know who else could and would step in as a reliable partner that we would want to.

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-world/karzai-questions-us-reliability-as-partner-20091026-hfy6.html

"Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai questioned the reliability of the United States as a partner Sunday, as he fought off criticism of his government’s legitimacy following fraud-marred elections.

Karzai’s main challenger, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, warned in an interview with CNN that the US strategy will not succeed without a credible partner in Kabul, blaming Karzai for deteriorating conditions.
...
“Is the United States a reliable partner with Afghanistan? Is the West a reliable partner with Afghanistan?” Karzai asked. “Have we received the commitments that we were given? Have we been treated like a partner?”"

Via Gateway Pundit with the simple into "It Has Begun…"

Obama Chooses Engagement With Sudan

What is wrong with Obama choosing to engage with Sudan, or at least his method. It is more the method then action. It is harder to put it much clearer then Allahpundit did, though I helped a bit with some strategic bolding.

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/17/surprise-obama-reverses-course-chooses-engagement-with-sudan (bold mine)

"The new State Department assessment of Darfur is that genocide is indeed still taking place there, a rebuke to “Cookies” Gration’s own belief that merely the, ahem, “remnants” of genocide are now present. Presumably that rhetoric is The One’s way of keeping the heat on Bashir internationally, as a concession to angry human-rights activists, but it means we’re now in the surreal position of offering “gold stars” to a regime which, by our own admission, is still engaged in crimes against humanity. There’s something to mull over in an idle moment while you’re watching football tomorrow."

Any "Save Darfur" protesters feel like commenting? Feel free to pick up your jaw from the floor first.

Obama Going Beyond The Government's "Duty to Defend" 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

I said before that I find it a little disingenuous for Obama to keep saying that he will end the policy without doing anything to actually accomplish that. Now, Obama is actually 'going beyond the governments "Duty to Defend"' to maintain 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'. That is, Obama is not only not doing anything to get rid of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', but is fighting to keep the policy more then is required.

http://online.logcabin.org/news_views/reading-room-back-up/obama-administration.html (via)

"In a move consistent with other contradictory behavior on LGBT issues, the Obama administration has directed its Justice Department to file an extraordinary motion to get Log Cabin Republicans' lawsuit against the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' law thrown out of court, despite a federal judge's ruling that it can proceed. The 11th-hour move for interlocutory appeal, which seeks to stay proceedings and block discovery, was surprisingly formulated at the same time that President Obama was reassuring LGBT activists that he still firmly opposes the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' law at the Human Rights Campaign's annual dinner earlier this month in Washington, DC."

Fox News VP - "Of Course we Requested The Interview", White House Acknowledges Error

Fox News Senior Vice President Michael Clemente said "Of course we requested the interview" directly refuting the Treasury Department's claim as to why Fox News was not initially included in the round of interviews. More, Clemente said the the White House admitted that it was their mistake that Fox was excluded implicitly acknowledging that Fox did indeed ask for the interview. In this context the 'slight' was no an intentional banning of Fox but some sort of clerical or communication error. That seems a lot more plausible then any of the Treasury Department's justifications/excuses but given the recent exchange between the two, there is still a significant possibility that it was an intentional 'slight' that the White House was forced to rethink after the other networks balked.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/24/fox-executive-refutes-reports-pay-czar-interview-requested

""Of course we requested the interview," Fox News Senior Vice President Michael Clemente said, responding to reports citing the White House as claiming it had excluded Fox News from a series of interviews Thursday with Kenneth Feinberg set up through the five-network TV pool.

Clemente also said that the White House had acknowledged that an employee at the Treasury Department made a mistake in initially excluding Fox."

More at http://hotairpundit.blogspot.com/2009/10/foxnews-executive-of-course-we.html.

This sage, starting from the beginning; Anita Dunn 'called out' Fox News. Beck responded by installing a 'Red Phone Hotline', then aired a tape where Dunn said that Mao was one of her favorite philosophers. On the defensive, Dunn countered by saying that she was joking, and then added "Let it be noted that I also quoted Mother Teresa, but no one is accusing me of being a saint!". Not only was I was unconvinced, the New York Times declared Fox News the unequivocated victor. Axelrod and Emanuel joined in to take some of the pressure off of Dunn. A new video of Dunn surfaced where she said "very rarely did we communicate through the press anything that we didn't absolutely control", which Beck used. Gibbs has thrown his support behind the White House position. Olbermann (MSNBC) voiced his approval and had a bit of fun. Obama voiced his support confirming that this is the official White House position. The Obama administration tried to block Fox News from getting an interview and possibly thinking about having them removed from the press pool. The Treasury Department seemed to lie in saying that they did not try to exclude Fox News despite the confirmation of Fox News by CBS. The Treasury Department said that Fox News never asked for an interview. Now Fox News is directly refuting that claim and says the White House has acknowledged the mistake the Treasury Department made.

Palestinians Riot in Jerusalem After Hearing Jews Planned to Visit The Al-Aqsa Mosque

Palestinians began hurling rocks and dropping heavy objects off the roof onto Israeli police in Jerusalem after a rumor spread that said Jews planned to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The fighting has died down, but there were some fears that the violence could spread as this is how the second Intifada started. Hamas was blamed for inciting the unrest. And yes, you read that right; this started because of a rumor that Jews had the 'audacity' to visit a Mosque situated at the holiest site in Judaism, the Temple Mount.

Maybe it is just me, but if the Palestinians really want their own country they should take serious steps to end the religious violence, protect religious sites of other religions, and grant safe access to the believers to their respective sites; just as Israel has done.

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE59O06E20091025

"the confrontation between Israeli police in riot gear and rock-throwing Muslims alarmed by rumors that right-wing Jews planned to enter the site was a reminder that Jerusalem remains a cauldron of heated religious and political passions.
...
Police, who also used tear gas in the Jerusalem clashes, did not go into al-Aqsa mosque, situated on al-Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary), regarded by Muslims as the third-holiest site after the cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.
...
Police said the violence began after Palestinians threw stones at officers on patrol in the area. Police then rushed onto the compound behind riot shields, using stun grenades and batons to repel protesters, who retreated into the mosque.

During the clash, dozens of young Arab men threw rocks, lumps of masonry and water tanks from the roofs of houses at police in the narrow alleyways around the mosque compound, which overlooks the Western Wall, Judaism's key place of prayer."

Treasury Department Claims Fox News Never Asked For an Interview

The Treasury Department is saying that they did not try to exclude Fox News, Fox News excluded themselves. They are saying that Fox News never asked for an interview. It is an interesting explanation, but here as well you would have to assume Fox is telling a bold face lie. If Fox never requested and interview in the first place, they could not claim that they were excluded. Someone here is either lying or intentionally misleading the public. I am still leaning toward believing Fox News given what else has 'gone down' recently.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/wh-were-happy-to-exclude-fox-but-didnt-yesterday-with-feinberg-interview.php (bold mine)

"Feinberg did a pen and pad with reporters to brief them on cutting executive compensation. TV correspondents, as they do with everything, asked to get the comments on camera. Treasury officials agreed and made a list of the networks who asked (Fox was not among them).

But logistically, all of the cameras could not get set up in time or with ease for the Feinberg interview, so they opted for a round robin where the networks use one pool camera. Treasury called the White House pool crew and gave them the list of the networks who'd asked for the interview.

The network pool crew noticed Fox wasn't on the list, was told that they hadn't asked and the crew said they needed to be included. Treasury called the White House and asked top Obama adviser Anita Dunn. Dunn said yes and Fox's Major Garrett was among the correspondents to interview Feinberg last night."

This sage, starting from the beginning; Anita Dunn 'called out' Fox News. Beck responded by installing a 'Red Phone Hotline', then aired a tape where Dunn said that Mao was one of her favorite philosophers. On the defensive, Dunn countered by saying that she was joking, and then added "Let it be noted that I also quoted Mother Teresa, but no one is accusing me of being a saint!". Not only was I was unconvinced, the New York Times declared Fox News the unequivocated victor. Axelrod and Emanuel joined in to take some of the pressure off of Dunn. A new video of Dunn surfaced where she said "very rarely did we communicate through the press anything that we didn't absolutely control", which Beck used. Gibbs has thrown his support behind the White House position. Olbermann (MSNBC) voiced his approval and had a bit of fun. Obama voiced his support confirming that this is the official White House position. The Obama administration tried to block Fox News from getting an interview and possibly thinking about having them removed from the press pool. The Treasury Department seemed lie in saying that they did not try to exclude Fox News despite the confirmation of Fox News by CBS. Now the Treasury Department is saying that Fox News never asked for an interview.

Pay Czar to Expand Regulatory Powers Beyond TARP Recipients?

This is a big part of why I said you should be nervous about Obama's Pay Czar trying to cut executive salaries for some TARP recipients. It may start with a few (politically unconnected) TARP recipients; but if you think the government will not try to expand from there, I have a bridge I would like to sell you.

http://legalinsurrection.blogspot.com/2009/10/most-monumental-power-grab-you-never.html

"The pre-weekend information dump included an announcement by the Federal Reserve and Treasury Department that the federal government proposes to extend its control over pay packages beyond financial institutions which received bailout funds.

According to the press release, the government proposes to monitor and, if need be, veto pay packages at any banking institution subject to federal regulation:

Flaws in incentive compensation practices were one of many factors contributing to the financial crisis. Inappropriate bonus or other compensation practices can incent senior executives or lower level employees, such as traders or mortgage officers, to take imprudent risks that significantly and adversely affect the firm. With that in mind, the Federal Reserve's guidance and supervisory reviews cover all employees who have the ability to materially affect the risk profile of an organization, either individually, or as part of a group.

This is an earth-shattering development in the annals of government control, yet because the information was released on a Friday, it has received little press attention relative to its importance."

Obama Administration Reverses itself; Missile Shield in Poland Back on

In a word; Great! Slightly more drawn out; good decision now, but should not have scrapped the initial plan in the first place.

You may remember I had this to say when Russia balked at new tough sanctions against Iran; What was the point of scrapping the Eastern European Missile Defense Shield? You know, the missile shield that Russia wants further retreat on. The shield Russia wanted us to drop despite having their own on the North Korea border. The shield Obama hinted he would drop if Russia promised to help us with Iran, Russia said no, Obama publicly made the offer, and without getting a commitment scrapped anyway. A shield which we really need.

Well, it appears that the Obama administration is reversing the last decision and going forward with ground base missile interceptors on Polish soil.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/21/biden-polish-leaders-agree-revised-missile-plan

"The Obama administration reached a new agreement Wednesday with top Polish government officials to place a new generation of missile interceptors on Polish soil, a surprising turnabout from just a few weeks earlier when it appeared the United States was ready to abandon its missile defense program in Eastern Europe.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk emerged from a lengthy private discussion to announce that Poland's participation in the missile defense system was, essentially, back on -- though in a new format that involves delivering a smaller number of defensive weapons in 2018."

More at http://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/21/us-reversing-itself-on-missile-defense-again.

Protesters Heckle And Try to Arrest Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert

Protesters heckled and tried to make a citizens arrest on former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert when he was speaking in San Fransisco. In total, 22 people interrupted the speech and were arrested. A few thoughts; why are liberals so intent on shutting down legitimate free speech (all the while claiming they are not), how did so many of them get into this relatively small event, what would happen if conservatives started using these tactics?

Video embedded below.

Human Rights Watch so Bias That Found Now Speaking Out Against it

When your organization is so off course that one of the founder feels compelled to condemn the work you do, it may be time for some serious self reflection.

http://nooilforpacifists.blogspot.com/2009/10/hrws-own-founder-sees-bias.html

"As the founder of Human Rights Watch, its active chairman for 20 years and now founding chairman emeritus, I must do something that I never anticipated: I must publicly join the group’s critics. Human Rights Watch had as its original mission to pry open closed societies, advocate basic freedoms and support dissenters. But recently it has been issuing reports on the Israeli-Arab conflict that are helping those who wish to turn Israel into a pariah state."

Head to the source for much more.

Man Arrested For Being Naked in His Own House

A 29 year old American man was arrested in Virginia after a women cutting across his law looked in his window and saw that he was naked. He was naked in his own home, not intentionally flashing anyone. Here is what I think this case may come down to, would someone have been able to clearly see him from a public street. If not, then the new rule/law would be that trespassers have a right to not be exposed to the legal residents nudity!?! It is hard to even express what such a rule would mean. How would that be any different then someone breaking into your house to rob you, catching you and your significant other having 'relations', and then calling the cops on your for indecent exposure? You could draw the line and what is visible from outside the house; but then the 'peeping tom' would be doing nothing wrong, and after getting an 'eye full' could call the cops on you.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6406630/Man-arrested-for-making-coffee-in-own-home-while-naked.html

"A spokesman for Fairfax county police, Mary Ann Jennings, said Williamson was arrested because officers believed he wanted to be seen naked by the public.

The 29-year-old faces up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine if he is convicted. He is fighting the charge and seeking damages from police."

Tiger Hawk links to a great little thought experiment:

"In addition to wondering what the hell the world is coming to when a trespasser calls the cops on somebody standing in his own kitchen in whatever state of dress or undress, Michelle Catalano poses an interesting thought experiment:

What if the tables were turned? What if Williamson were a woman and a man walked by the house instead of a woman? What if that man happened to look into the window, staring long enough to see that the woman inside was naked? Would he call the cops to say he was flashed? Probably not, because he would end up in handcuffs for being a peeping Tom. A woman looks in on a naked man and thinks he is committing a crime. A man looks in on a naked woman and she thinks he is committing a crime. Weird how that works.

Discuss among yourselves with as much wit as you can muster."

Dealing With a Partial Roof Collapse

Yeah, had an interesting afternoon. The good news was the loud crashing sound I heard was not a cabinet or shelf collapsing. The bad news was the sound was from a boarded over trash shoot that for some reason extended up past the roof was collapsing; right above my apartment (I live on the top floor). Everything should be fine now, but it was a bit nerve racking for a while wondering if I was about to get a hole punched through my roof.

Treasury Department Lies That it Did Not Try to Exclude Fox From Pay Czar Interviews?

Treasury Department said that it did not try to exclude Fox News from interviewing the Pay Czar. The evidence, that Fox News did get the interview. Such is consistent with the story that they first said no but relented when the other networks objected. Of course it is notoriously difficult to prove a negative. Still, to believe the Treasury Department you would have to conclude that Fox News reported a bold face lie which could easily be refuted if the other networks came forward and said it never happened. Indeed the opposite has happened an another network has reported the same thing with a decent recap. Does this meant that the Treasury Department told a bold face lie? The only work around that I can come up with where neither side is lying if it was some other branch of the government (or a person in a different branch) that issued the 'no Fox News' order.

Video embedded below.



This sage, starting from the beginning; Anita Dunn 'called out' Fox News. Beck responded by installing a 'Red Phone Hotline', then aired a tape where Dunn said that Mao was one of her favorite philosophers. On the defensive, Dunn countered by saying that she was joking, and then added "Let it be noted that I also quoted Mother Teresa, but no one is accusing me of being a saint!". Not only was I was unconvinced, the New York Times declared Fox News the unequivocated victor. Axelrod and Emanuel joined in to take some of the pressure off of Dunn. A new video of Dunn surfaced where she said "very rarely did we communicate through the press anything that we didn't absolutely control", which Beck used. Gibbs has thrown his support behind the White House position. Olbermann (MSNBC) voiced his approval and had a bit of fun. Obama voiced his support confirming that this is the official White House position. The Obama administration tried to block Fox News from getting an interview and possibly thinking about having them removed from the press pool. Now the Treasury Department seems to be lying that it did not try to exclude Fox News from the Round of interviews; though it has been confirmed as true by CBS.