The View is Officially a Democratic Talking Points Machine....

....and a bad one at that.

Unless you don't mind having your conservative views bombasted on a daily basis, it's basically unwatchable now. The Monday after the Guantanamo-esque grilling of John and Cindy McCain, Behar actually said something like, "They don't expect that we're actually intelligent and will ask intelligent questions."

No, I think "they" just don't expect that of YOU. And you tend to prove "them" right.

Elisabeth, I am becoming more and more disappointed in your downward spiral sellout. Tell Bill Getty that it's time he turn on the applause light for YOU, for once. Yes, we know he has his finger on the button of the applause light and flips it on at will, typically saving it for the most outrageously liberal statements. After Rosie, it became the show's worst-kept secret.

If The View's audience applause is supposed to reflect the majority opinion of women in America, he should probably flip the switch on the light when EH speaks too. 'Cause I hate to burst his bubble, but I'm pretty sure most women are further from menopausal Behar's concerns and closer to Hasselbeck's. How do I know? Unlike Behar, I actually LIVE in mainstream America and associate with mainstream American women.

What else can you say on 9/11?

...About the day: Not much that doesn't sound redundant.

...If it's not about the day: There's nothing you can say that doesn't sound petty or shallow.

But in the interest of the mission here, I thought it was worthy to report that I just heard Barbara Walters say, "We haven't been attacked since. Maybe this is a day to give George Bush a little credit." And although there's no telling what she was thinking, Joy Behar grinned and applauded convincingly.

Best thing I've seen on TV all week. Best thing I've seen on "The View" - EVER. No offense, EH.

Matt Damon, shut up and go back to being charicatured by Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

CNN: "Where you know we're sincere because our anchors narrow their eyes thoughtfully"

I had almost gained a newfound respect for Anderson Cooper. However, on the eve of September 8, I did a quick 180 (rather than a 360, haha bad joke). Although Fox News would have us believing that it's all coming from the "liberal blogosphere" (seriously, I wish Fox would stop giving blogs so much credence, it's getting way annoying), it was actually Andy Cooper who narrowed his eyes thoughtfully while reporting the news that Sarah Palin may not be who she says she is in regards to religion. After all, she USED to go to a Pentecostal church! Horrors! (Way to insult the millions - yes, millions - of Pentecostals in America, Anderson).

But what strikes me as more amusing than AC's questioning the parallel between Palin's faith and that of "mainstream Christians" (like he knows what that is) is the embarassing double standard that is in play here. Why is it okay to question Sarah Palin's association with a FORMER pastor - meaning, she left the church waaaaaay before running for national office, rather than once it was the focus of a PR crisis - but it was soooo unacceptable, like "how dare they" unacceptable, for Obama skeptics to expose Jeremiah Wright? And: Guess. What. Christians. Ask. Other. Christians. To. Pray. For. The things going on in their lives. Yes, it's true. Try not to fall over from shock. Her calling the war in Iraq "a mission from God" is no more controversial to us than Wright calling our nation "the US of KKKA" is to the elite left. The problem is not her, it's the liberal media's perception of informed - dare we say - Christian voters.

Olbermann and Matthews are back where they belong...

...So does that mean my work here is done? We shall see.

Seriously, this is the best news I've heard all year! Ok, second best. (wink)

Facts are only important when they benefit US!

For conservative supporters of the McCain/Palin ticket, the morning after effect of Sarah Palin's RNC Convention speech was - like most morning afters - nauseating. This time, the waves of discomfort were brought on by those who would dissect each line of her 40 minutes at the mic as if they were dead frogs in a high school biology class.

Consider this little ditty from none other than the Associated Press (which, you may have heard, used to be a legitimate news organization). It appeared as a top story on the Yahoo! News homepage under the headline, "RNC Speeches Fact-Checked." The story is essentially a list of "examples" from Palin's speech, as well as those of Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, wherein what was said from stage did not stand up to the figures dug up by the fact-checking police.

Since about five minutes after the McCain/Palin ticket announcement six days ago, we've been hearing that Palin was initially in favor of the Bridge to Nowhere. Sorry Jim Kuhnhenn of AP, but this isn't breaking news to most of us. Like most politicians, she changed her mind at some point. In the pundit world, this is called flip-flopping. In the sexist world, this is called a woman's prerogative. Either way, it is not unheard of. When Barack Obama does it, it's called "prudence."

Perhaps even more scrutinized than the claims Palin made during her speech were her comments regarding Obama and his policy stances (the few that we are aware of, anyway). MSNBC "correspondents" and CNN commentators chalked up her largely negative remarks about Obama to "sarcasm" and "belittling." Funny, because when Obama sounds off on the opposition, the same people call it "nuance." So, it appears that facts only matter when they benefit the interests of those who would check for them.

MSNBC Convention Coverage - What's Wrong With This Picture?

Keith Olbermann on Hillary Clinton's DNC Convention speech: "Grand slam. Grand slam out of the ballpark, across the street. Across the buildings across the street . . . I don't know how it could have been better. I don't know how it could have been better, Chris."

Keith Olbermann on Fred Thomson's RNC Convention speech: "I think it's fair to say, nearly entirely militaristic in nature and touching to some degree on who John McCain is and what he would do, but mostly standing him next to a flag and a gun."

Because Thompson's speech largely focused on McCain's POW experience, and included details that should cause the skin of any American to crawl regardless of party affiliation, Olbermann's comment revealed that he has recently achieved a new level of desperation (I didn't think it was possible either). I mean, someone hand this guy a Patriot of the Year award for altogether dismissing 75% of the speech. "A flag and a gun???" What the hell does that even MEAN? No wonder Joel McHale, host of E's "The Soup" and frequent brown-noser of celebrities he'd like to impress, just called Olbermann "one of the finest newsmen of his generation." LMAO at you, Joel, but not for the usual reason.

Will there be equal rights for ALL candidates' children?

This just in: Conservative families don't claim to be perfect.

In this case, the family in question - and you'd pretty much have to be under a rock at the moment to not know which one - has handled their recently reported situation with unquestionable integrity and amazing class, and has even managed to avoid using middle-class ghetto speak (yes, I believe there is such a thing) phrases like "I don't want her to be punished with a baby."

Who said that? The same person that released a statement absolving his campaign of any responsibility for what is being said about this family by his hate-filled supporters. Perhaps that was not his intention, though - God forbid anyone cast doubts on his sincerity. With him, it seems that questioning ANYTHING is off limits.

I'll be watching MSNBC's RNC Convention coverage tonight to assess whether liberals believe that family really is off limits, though. Let's see if what was good enough for Chelsea, good enough for Al Gore Jr., and certainly for the Obama girls is equal distribution for 17-year-old Bristol Palin.

Do YOU care how many homes John McCain owns?

I also started this blog so that I'd have a place to put my rejected submissions to AC. So, because it's a week-old story that everyone's sick of and I don't plan to blog over the weekend, here's one that was sent back to me yesterday:

If the news that John McCain was not clear on the number of homes in his name when asked by Politico.com a few days ago (although you can be sure he knows now) came as a shock, the question should be asked: Do you honestly care? Furthermore, do they honestly find Barack Obama's transaction history to be more relatable?

He certainly seems to think so. We can almost pinpoint the moment the Obama campaign heard the news, because a figurative cash register sound ("Cha-ching!") seemed to chime around the world as every major news outlet began pouncing on his capitalization of McCain's gaff. Obama, who purchased a Chicago home for a reported $1.65 million in 2005, seems to believe that this should be the nail in McCain's coffin, stating at a Virginia campaign stop:

"If you're like me, and you've got one house, or you are like the millions of people who are struggling right now to keep up with their mortgage so they don't lose their home, you might have different perspective."

I'm wondering: Does having "one house" ensure that Obama is like every other American? In his favor, at least Obama had the good sense to separate himself from those who are facing foreclosure. But are Americans who purchase their homes from a neighborhood real estate agent and fund their loans from the first bank who approves them - or gives them the lowest interest rate - really like Barack and Michelle? Do most Americans purchase the lots adjacent to their homes to expand their backyards? Some, perhaps. In that regard, those people are indeed like the Obamas.

But do the homeowners who purchase said lots do so with the aid of a convicted felon/old friend/former employer/prominent supporter of their career ambitions (or in Obama's case, political campaigns)? I don't know, you tell me.

And while you're at it, tell me if it matters to you that the Obamas did that very thing, (don't believe me, believe the Chicago Sun-Times). If the answer is no, I suppose John McCain's real estate portfolio shouldn't matter to you either.

The First Post

With the DNC Convention in the can, and the appointment of the first Republican Vice Presidential nominee this morning, it seems like a good enough day to start a new blog.

We've endured four days of flowery, largely misleading speeches; now, with John McCain and Sarah Palin aiming to make history, it only figures that all those opposed tried to stink up the joint before the announcement was formally delivered.

When MSNBC (SHOCKER!) got the word this morning, they immediately assigned producers the task of getting on the phone with any female dignitary they could who would provide them with the stand-offish reaction they needed to make their point for them (because of course, they don't have an official viewpoint, but they make sure their guests do). In this case, they got a hold of Democratic congresswoman Debbie Something-or-other from the district of Who Cares. To the presumed delight of the network, Deb channeled a quintessential self-important next door neighbor's voice and said something like, "If John McCain thinks he's going to win over Hillary supporters with THIS move...He. Is. Sorely. Mistaken. I know Hillary Clinton, and Sarah Palin is no Hillary Clinton." Original, Deb. Just because Lloyd Bentsen died doesn't mean everyone can go around using his brand of zinger like it's their own. To be fair, though, it's now two hours later, and now that the formal announcement was over, their hosts are actually being nice. Of course, that will likely change tonight when Matthews and Olberman get their say. Bitter much?

Not only is Sarah Palin gorgeous (a runner-up for Miss Alaska in 1984), she's a kick ass Hockey Mom of 5 (so Nancy Pelosi no longer has the monopoly on that claim) with real-live executive experience. Three days ago, Hillary's Evita-like presence had us all thinking that perhaps maybe she really is the end-all-be-all example of feminine success. And as a Girl Scout mom who has longed for a visible role model in government for my daughters, I almost gave in (I know, I know). Right now, though, listening to Palin address the cameras/Ohio rally crowd on the anniversary of women's suffrage - and, graciously lauding Hillary for her accomplishments at one point during the speech - I'm relieved, excited, and amazed.

Think about it: This woman's story, if you listen to it, has all the makings of a chick empowerment flick (PTA to City Council to Mayor to Governor to Vice Presidential nominee). All I can say is "Soooooo, who's shattering the Glass Ceiling NOW?"