Tweet Your Meat Lose Your Seat Congressman Anthony Weiner

I can't take credit for the title of this article. I read it in the comments of another article. That person couldn't take credit for it either.

So after weeks of denials, outright lies, and porn stars clamoring for his resignation, the embattled Congressman is turning off the lights and heading home. How many times have I been told not to start a sentence with "so?" So what? Wait a minute. I lost my train of thought.

But then again, so has much of America. The Anthony Weiner sexting scandal seems to be all anyone wants to talk about. I called WBAL radio this morning to comment on the lawsuit filed against President Obama for violation of the Constitution and War Powers Resolution (whereupon the host summarily hang up on me after I offered an opinion about the lawsuit's merits), only to find not more than ten minutes later that the topic had abruptly shifted to Weinergate. How anyone can segue from a discussion about possible constitutional violations to a roundtable on meat tweets, I don't know. I guess the bombing of Libya wasn't sexy enough for radio ratings when weiner water cooler gossip dangled nearby.

Goodbye and good riddance, former Congressman Weiner. Hear that giant sucking sound in the distance? That's the sound of incessant penis jokes (hopefully) making way for a news cycle focusing on matters of national import.

It's about time. Press conference at 2 p.m. EST.

Mainstream Media Sat on Weinergate Until Anthony Weiner Admitted Posting Photo

Weinergate is in full thrust and poised to ejaculate a member of Congress. Too "pun on words" for the latest scandal rippling its way out of Washington? I'll say. What, exactly, is Weinergate?

The weiner jokes have been coming fast and furous since Congressman Anthony Weiner tweeted a picture of his underweared nether regions for benefit of his adoring followers. Last Wednesday, Conservative talk show hosts got wind of blogger Andrew Breitbart's take on the picture and have been spanking the story ever since.

At first, in an underreported news conference, Congressman Weiner denied posting the picture, claiming someone must have hacked into his Twitter account to embarrass him. However, when pressed on the issue, he also admitted not reporting the incident to the police. Sort of strange, given that he's a member of Congress and may have been the victim of identity theft. He also refused to admit or deny whether his nether regions were the ones in the picture, saying that when your last name is Weiner, you're the victim of a lot of penis jokes.

And yet, the national news media barely touched the story. As far as I could tell, there was very little mention of it over the weekend, and if mentioned, it was mostly to portray the incident as a non-story. As recently as yesterday, when I mentioned the controversy to one of my dyed-in-the-wool Democrat friends, she had no idea what I was talking about. Therein lies the true controversy.

Forget about Congressman Weiner doing something so incredibly stupid as to make himself vulnerable to possible blackmail, ruining the lives of his incredibly trusting wife and family, and preying on Twitter groupies who think he's someone special because he wears a government identification badge and works in the Capitol. Forget about whether he should resign (he should), or whether his party should clean house by pressuring him to resign (they should), and forget about whether every single American should be up in arms knowing that a member of Congress is using his time to post penis pictures rather than try to resolve the budget crisis or bring down the price of oil (they should).

Right now, each and every American should be furious at the national news media for burying the story until Weiner decided to come clean in a second news conference. Last week, a Politico blogger characterized the story as an "ambiguous online mini-scandal." Well, if not for the pressure of one relentless blogger, independent web sites, and one very out-spoken woman from Texas, Americans might still be in the dark about the incident, or under the mistaken impression that the story isn't news.

Yesterday, to the chagrin of Nancy Pelosi, who vowed to clean up Washington and keep a tight reign on her party, Congressman Weiner, Democrat New York, finally admitted to posting a picture of himself in his underwear for all the world to see. He also apologized ad nauseum to everyone and their brother, sickeningly so, if you ask me. Too little too late and fuel for the fire to run him out of office, but at least now the national news media is reporting the story.

Not that they had a choice. Now, even late night talk show hosts are taking pot shots at Weiner. By the time that happens, you can stick a fork in the story and roast it for breakfast.

Politics of Hypocrisy Isn't Pretty in Pink

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Jon Stewart scores a perfect 300. Pinheads of politics didn't even see it coming.

Doubting Sarah Barracuda will bowl 'em over come November.

Dissecting Angelina Jolie Politics Won't Secure Seat at the Lunch Table

Oh those MSNBC celebrity puff pieces. Wherever would The Spewker be without them?

It's a news broadcast. It's a gossip tabloid. No silly, it's two, two, two "this-country-is-going-to-hell-in-a-handbag" moments in one.

Yes, I feel like a "celebretard" following the political nuances of actress and UN Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie. Doesn't everybody?

So, she's an independent who hasn't endorsed a presidential candidate. So what? Will it matter to the middle class when she decides whose political platform best serves starving children in Africa? Do working poor care about the world refugee crisis when they can't pay their own heating bills?

Could Bob Costas be any more of an insensitive neanderthal peppering President Bush with questions while possible Olympic swimming history unfolds?

I love how Keith Olberman uses VH-1's Paul Tompkins as political sounding board. Like the Hannity & Colmes of Politicelebritopia, this spot plays like a mathlete dissecting the cool clique's perceived shortcomings, jealous of all the fawning attention paid Jolie, emasculating her baby daddy as "press agent," and whining about her making him feel bad.

A pathetic longing for a seat at the Jolie-Pitt-Clooney lunch table disguised as investigative reporting. As if.

Celebrity Censorship Establishes Dangerous Precedent

While we were sunning and funning in L.A., the world definitely took leave of its senses, at least that's my sorry conclusion after viewing this segment of Howard Kurtz's Reliable Sources.

Talk about a mixture of celebrities, politics, and media, here are nine plus minutes of informative topical banter leaving me convinced more than ever of too much media power in the wrong hands leading to unhealthy consequences, specifically self-censorship, something freedom lovers everywhere should recognize as a treacherous slide down a slippery slope. Change effected today is free expression squelched tomorrow, meaning we can't have our cake and eat it too. The opinion you suppress today may one day be your own.

Remarks of columnists Ray Richmond and Sharon Waxman are illustrative. Richmond pretty much bashes Oprah Winfrey, blaming her recent dip in ratings on media overexposure rather than her endorsement of presidential candidate Barack Obama. Inexplicably, he also takes credit for making Oprah politically active. Waxman and Kurtz go in a different direction, pointing to the endorsement as a key factor in the alienation of Oprah fans, but citing other unrelated factors as the possible cause for her rating woes.

But the most disturbing part of the segment was the Rachel Ray ad campaign for Dunkin Donuts. Corporate pulled print ads of Ray wrapped in what appeared to be a kaffiyeh scarf, a symbol of Palestinian terrorism in parts of the free world. I am by no means a terrorist sympathizer, nor do I support Islamic fascism. But honestly, a scarf as political statement in print ads for doughnuts? Get real. Ray has horrible taste, yes, but to label her a terrorist sympathizer through a media blitz which eventually forced the company to censor its own ad campaign establishes a very dangerous precedent.

What's next? Shows like The Sopranos are never produced because they offend the sensibilities of Italian-Americans? Ads with actors draped in orange and black can't be shown in New York because they're too reminiscent of The Baltimore Orioles? Where do you draw the line?

And then there are unintended consequences. We'll never know whether Oprah's early endorsement of Obama was instrumental in gathering necessary support from the African-American community or in gaining enough superdelegate support to cinch the nomination. What we can probably expect in the next election are endorsements from only the most devil-may-care celebrities willing to put their ratings or popularity on the line for a particular candidate. This kind of self-censorship is not necessarily a positive development.

Isn't it better to know the political viewpoints of a celebrity before becoming their biggest most devoted fan? I, for one, would rather know which way a celebrity leans, expressing support or displeasure with my pocketbook and letting the chips fall where they may.

Hillary Clinton Ignores Voice of the People

The whole country is buzzing about the Potomac primaries, but I've been too busy to tune in. Working on some other matters as well as a new blog development.

In the meantime, take a look at this missive from Howard Kurtz of The Washington Post. Nice links, good analysis, fair and balanced reporting. A lot of work went into this piece. When unable to create, the next best thing is linking, I always say.

BTW, despite the spin, I bet Bubba is kicking himself right now. Obama and his "once in a lifetime" political movement is just the kind of wave Bill would love to ride, wishes he could ride, if not for the ball and chain.

It's all over, Bill, she just doesn't know how to gracefully dance off the stage.


Barack Obama Hillary Clinton

Ann Coulter Savaged for Bashing Jews and Judaism

The Britney Spears of the conservative movement, a blemish on the face of “kinder, gentler, compassionate conservatism.” A Connecticut anorexic in King Arthur’s Court. A transvestite refugee from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. So refers Michael Savage from his beleaguered talk show fest, The Savage Nation, to none other than Ms. Ann Coulter.

Wow. The shark turning against one of its own, such a rarity in politics (wink). Then again, I can always count on Savage to speak his mind, not his party line. Problem is, sometimes he goes a tad too far. Last night’s rebroadcast was no exception.

It all started on Monday when Coulter appeared on Donny Deutsch's CNBC show, The Big Idea. Seemingly out of nowhere, Coulter began a spew against Jews. Her anti-Semitic vitriol rankled Savage so badly, he devoted more than half of yesterday’s broadcast lambasting and pummeling Coulter into dog meat. To add insult to injury, all but one of his callers received a tongue-lashing for failing to echo his outrage. One allegedly Orthodox Jew said he didn’t see Coulter’s comments as anti-Semitic because she only parroted the fundamental Christian doctrines she was raised to believe. Savage ordered him to “grow some balls,” warning he would be one of the first people tortured in a Polish pogrom. Yes, old Mike was in rare form.

So, what exactly did Coulter say? Mmmm, basically that Jews are imperfect beings because they don’t believe Jesus was/is the messiah, and that America would be a better place if all Americans were Christians. But don’t rely on a paraphrase. Read for yourself Coulter’s final attempt to worm her way out of the point of no return:


I have to say, I was slightly offended when Coulter insinuated women should lose the right to vote because they elect Democratic presidents. But this latest bit of Jew baiting is downright unseemly. Not selling enough books, so let’s whip up a media frenzy by picking on the "purple state" Jewish host of a niche cable program. Yeah, that’s the ticket.

Bad publicity is better than no publicity, or so they say. Too bad Coulter didn’t get the memo about the bigot exception. Her obvious bias against Jews is too palpable to ignore. The inevitable reaction of a closet Klanner desperate to plug a book destined for the dusty dollar bin.

Ann, darling, your 15 minutes is up. Make sure not to trip as you step off the stage. Ooops, too late.

Savage was right to be outraged. Ann should get the hook, the quicker the better. My problem with Savage arose later in the program. After advocating for harmonious understanding and peaceful co-existence between Jews and Christians, Savage blasted some priest for ministering to homosexuals. Taking up the cause of one vulnerable population only to beat down another struck me as hypocritical and self-serving. A real turn off that dulled his message about Coulter, to say the least.

If Savage intends to use his talk show to make the world a better place, as he claims, then he should try harder to fake a social conscious. Or at least save the gay bashing for a different broadcast.

Ratings Spike for Larry King Live

I have nothing against Larry King Live. On second thought, the image of Larry liplocked with the late great Marlon Brando vaguely reminds me of naked Borat and the fat man. Ech. Yech. Ptoo.

Number one cable ratings. Not too shabby, Paris. Perhaps Barbara Walters was wrong to pass on your jailhouse release ramble. On second thought...

Kudos to Bill McCuddy, Fox News entertainment reporter, for giving me my LMAOMoment of the day. He succinctly dubbed the interview "Punxatawney Paris." The news gophers flash their cameras and everyone goes home. Kinda like this who cares event .

Then again, I would have hung around to dance the Pennsylvania Polka .