Solving a Modern Riddle of the Sphinx

Image via WikipediaWhen a leader of a country has been in power for a long time and people are getting tired of the act, what happens?  If this were the United States, that leader would be voted out every four years.  If this were a country where said leader rigs elections and crushes whatever opposition there is, you'd start taking taking to the streets.

Emboldened by the overthrow of the government in Tunisia, the people of Egypt are trying the same thing with President Hosni Mubarak, who is desperately hanging on to power in the face of anti-government rioting that has so far killed 74.  His response has been to shut down social media services and Internet access, as well as kicking the Arab TV network Al Jazeera out of the country for allegedly inflaming the situation.  Just a thought:  Why hasn't China, Iran and other authoritarian regimes thought of that instead of merely restricting the new mediums?

Obviously, the United States would like every country to be as democratic as they are.  Since that's not possible, they've had a history of holding their noses and supporting whatever leader with a dubious reputation will keep them safe from the evils of the world.  Once upon a time, it was communism.  Now it's terrorism, particularly when it comes to Al Qaeda.

For President Barack Obama, the choice (if there is one) boils down to this:  Either stick by an ally who has more or less kept the peace between Egypt and Israel since the treaty was signed more than three decades ago, and who has helped keep terrorists from America's doorstep.  Or accede to the wishes of the Egyptian people and try to work with whatever government succeeds Mubarak, even if it happens to be run by Islamic fundamentalists.

What's important to note is that so far, the Obama administration has declined to take a side in this crisis.  Which is understandable since this is the first world situation the President has had that wasn't inherited, or that involved Mother Nature.  To solve this modern riddle of the Sphinx, he must walk a fine line.

For the people of Egypt, seeking to topple a pyramid that they believe has been making their lives miserable for decades, it's not enough to say that things would get better if they succeeded in getting Mubarak out of the way.  They also have to make sure they're not just replacing one pharaoh with another.

"Winning The Future" While Mending The Present

Image by Getty Images via @daylifePresident Barack Obama's State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress was played under slightly different rules, due to the recent shootings in Arizona resulting in the absence of Democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (for which a chair was left unsat).  There were no shouts of  "You lie!", no finger-wagging from a Supreme Court justice, and members of both parties sat next to each other as if the House chambers were a 1950s malt shop.  Still, there was the requisite number of unnecessary standing ovations that pushed the speech to an hour.  (ABC's George Stephanopoulous counted 45.)

The President talked about "winning the future" in ways which made him sound like the Republican he isn't, as a gesture of goodwill to the new GOP majority in the House, as well as echoing the challenges John F. Kennedy laid down 50 years ago this month.  Obama recited the usual laundry list of proposals (the details would come later) intended to improve the economic picture.  He even asked for a freeze on domestic spending for the next five years.  And he defended the health care law that was passed in the last session, pleading with the new Congress not to gut it in favor of the insurance companies.  All in the spirit of bipartisanship.

The GOP response was given by Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, who basically said that the United States could turn into the next Greece if the budget deficit isn't solved soon.  But he sounded like an adult next to Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who was speaking for the Tea Party in what had to be an awkward moment for the Republicans.  She brought up many of the same themes Ryan did in a more animated fashion complete with charts and graphics.  (If you were watching CNN, however, you'll notice that Bachmann wasn't making eye contact with the camera.)  Both of them talked about how government spending had gone up since Obama took office, without bothering to mention that if George W. Bush hadn't wasted the budget surplus bequeathed by Bill Clinton on two wars when he was President, we wouldn't be in this mess.

President Obama talked plenty about a rosy future for the United States and waxed optimistic about the people in it, which is what someone in his position should be doing.  Maybe the President should concentrate on winning the present, because with the economy going at a snail's pace, that's what a lot of people are facing right now.

Keith Olbermann Takes a Sanity Break

Image via WikipediaThe departure of Keith Olbermann from MSNBC was neither sudden nor surprising.  The sportscaster-turned-liberal firebrand has had run-ins with network executives before, and people in the know say that this move had nothing to do with Comcast taking over NBC.  Maybe not, but getting a brief suspension for making campaign contributions to Democratic candidates certainly greased the skids.

When "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" started eight years ago, its apparent premise was what would happen if a news channel did its own version of "The Daily Show", minus Jon Stewart and the studio audience.  By the end, it became a straight newscast with little room for snarkiness, but plenty of room for The World According to Keith.

Olbermann interviewed the same, like-minded guests (usually liberal journalists and the ubiquitous Arianna Huffington and Michael Moore), and his "Special Comments" became a cry for help.  In taking impassioned potshots at conservative commentators and Republicans, he became the type of person he was criticizing:  Lonesome Rhodes, a character from the 1957 film "A Face In The Crowd" played by Andy Griffith (please rent it, or catch it the next time it appears on TCM.  You won't regret it.).

The recent shootings in Arizona changed the way Olbermann did business.  His pledge to tone down the political rhetoric and challenging others to do so, and suspending his signature "Worst Persons In The World" segment (again) meant "Countdown" had to be kind and gentle.  Olbermann doesn't do kind and gentle.

Conservatives may be cheering over Olbermann's departure.  But while "Countdown" was the highest-rated program on MSNBC (putting that network on the map because now it had direction it didn't have before), the most recent ratings tell us that it only ranked fifth among cable news shows.  The top four, led by Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity, belong to Fox News Channel.  And their audience numbers doubled those of "Countdown".

Contrary to popular belief, MSNBC is not all liberal, all the time.  They employ conservatives Joe Scarborough as a morning host and former presidential candidate Patrick Buchanan as a commentator, just to name two.  But the remaining progressives--Lawrence O'Donnell, Rachel Maddow and Ed Schultz--will stay on the air as long as Comcast allows.

Olbermann?  It's hard to say.  Having crossed over to the dark side of news, it's hard to imagine him crawling back to sports.  It's also hard to imagine any other network taking him on, knowing what we know now.  Given what's been going on recently, maybe we all need a sanity break.

Combining The Airwaves

Image via WikipediaWhile other signs of the economy are having trouble showing signs of life, we know of one aspect that's been picking up lately:  media mergers and acquisitions.

Together At Last

The Comcast-NBC merger has been given the blessing of the Federal Communications Commission, in spite of opposition from politicians and consumer groups.  This will bring together Comcast's vast lineup of channels with NBCU's vast lineup of channels, as well as  the delivery systems of broadcast, cable and the Internet.  Oh yes, NBC's included too.

This won't come without some strings the FCC is attaching.  For one thing, Comcast has to ensure that their rivals in cable and satellite get equal access to their programming.  For another, they must not show preferential treatment in where channels like Bravo or Versus get slotted on the cable systems they own.

For consumers, this means a couple of things.  First, expect higher bills from your cable, satellite and Internet providers.  Second, if companies like Comcast decide to charge more on access to certain web sites, the Internet is going to look a lot like cable does now.  But we'll have to wait and see how the new rules on net neutrality are going to play out.  Third, for those concerned that Comcast might turn NBC News and MSNBC into a more rightward direction, they say that it will not happen.  We'll see.

This could be the beginning of big changes at the broadcast networks.  CBS might merge with Time Warner, meaning the long-awaited union between its news division and CNN might actually take place.  And Disney could decide to unload ABC on either Discovery Communications or News Corp., the owners of Fox.

Hubbard Branches Out

Just when it appeared that they might be getting out of the radio business, the House of Hubbard (as we like to call it around here) pull off a shocker.  For half a billion dollars, they have acquired 17 radio stations in four cities from Bonneville, a Utah-based broadcaster.

In addition to KSTP-AM, FM and TV in the Twin Cities, the Hubbards will soon become (with the FCC's permission) the proud new owners of stations in Chicago, Cincinnati, Washington and St. Louis.  Bonneville, which is owned by the Mormon Church, will keep its stations in Los Angeles, Seattle, Phoenix, and in its hometown of Salt Lake City where they also own NBC affiliate KSL-TV.

This expansionist move shouldn't detract from the fact that the Hubbards have work to do at home.  Its radio stations are struggling in the ratings, and KSTP-TV's news department took a credibility hit when the Hubbards contributed money to a business group that supported conservative political candidates.

The only question that remains is:  How long will it be before "Garage Logic" is syndicated nationally?

The Golden Globes Go Over The Edge

Cover of Ricky GervaisRicky Gervais' acerbic wit at last year's Golden Globe awards was such a hit with TV viewers that the producers of the show brought him back this year.  After Sunday night, now we know why people like Gervais don't usually get to host awards shows.  Because he's no suck-up artist.

Gervais made jokes at the expense of such Tinseltown luminaries such as Robert Downey, Jr., Angelina Jolie, and even the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (which sponsors the Globes)--much of it deserved, and most of them going over like a lead balloon in the star-studded Los Angeles ballroom where the Globes were passed out.

Indeed, the Globes are a poor cousin to the Academy Awards, with its questionable nominations and other allegedly less-than-savory practices.  But it has rehabilitated itself to the point where NBC now televises it in prime time, and where whoever wins the film awards (this year it was "The Social Network" and "The King's Speech") has a good shot at taking home Oscars come February.

(Aaron Sorkin, who won a Globe for screenwriting "The Social Network", used his acceptance speech to praise Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, for his promise to give away much of his fortune to charity.  Excuse me?  Sorkin depicted Zuckerberg as an anti-social jerk in the movie, and now he's the nicest guy in the world?  Guess money does change everything.)

Back to Gervais, who became known in this country as the creator and star of the original British version of "The Office" (methinks he's still bitter about the way the American version turned out).  It looked like he set out to host the Golden Globes in the worst way possible, and he may have succeeded.  Either that, or Hollywood can't take a joke.

Gervais' performance likely means the end of awards shows hosted by edgy comedians like himself, because the awards organizers and their TV partners would much rather have Ellen DeGeneres, Neil Patrick Harris or some other inoffensive entertainer fronting the proceedings.  The Oscars, which has been on ABC since the 1980s, are using actors Anne Hathaway and James Franco as co-hosts this year.  The Grammys, which have been on CBS almost since the event was first televised decades ago, hasn't used a host in years.  As far as we know, they don't plan on having one this year, either.

Whatever the ratings are, it looks as if Ricky Gervais will not be invited back to host the Golden Globes next year.  Which is unfortunate, because of all the bad publicity they've had over the years, any kind of buzz is better than no buzz at all.

A Day of Inappropriate Words

Image via WikipediaA couple more things on the fallout from Saturday's shootings in Tucson, Arizona:

The memorial service at the University of Arizona's basketball arena for the six people who died was highlighted by President Barack Obama's nationally-televised condolences.  He was widely praised by both Democrats and Republicans (as they tend to do in times like these) for his attempts to mourn the dead, unify the country, and to turn down the harsh political rhetoric that's been going on for some time, though no one really expects it to last.

What the President said that could be construed as objectionable was his description of the victims as "heroes" and "the fallen".  What happened on Saturday was neither a war, nor an attack by terrorists.  These people were not soldiers.  They were ordinary people who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  They deserved better than what they got from the President.

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Sarah Palin, in a video on her Facebook page that might have been mistaken for an Oval Office address, absolved herself of any blame she and her conservative colleagues have been accused of in the wake of the Arizona shootings.  But Palin really stepped into it when she used the term "blood libel", describing the way she believes journalists and pundits incite the violence they claim to condemn.  Unless you're Jewish, chances are you've never heard of this phrase.  It dates back to the Middle Ages, when Jews were falsely accused of coveting the blood of Christian children, and has become an excuse for anti-Semitic behavior since then.

Oh, by the way, Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is on the mend after the shooting.  For what it's worth, she happens to be Jewish.

Whether Palin used the term in her remarks willingly or out of just plain ignorance, the former Alaska governor showed a side of herself that won't endear her to those people she hasn't already alienated.  If Palin ever decides to run for President, this could be the big sticking point.  Or not.

Still Living In The Wild West

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeThe latest mass murder in America occurred Saturday at a political meet-and-greet hosted by Arizona's Democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, which was held outside a Tucson supermarket.  A young man named Jared Loughner allegedly used the occasion to turn it into a shooting gallery, leaving six dead and 13 wounded, including Giffords.  Loughner is now under federal custody and, if convicted, could be sentenced to death.  Meanwhile, Giffords is clinging to life as we speak.

Mass murders have become as American as apple pie.  In this country, you don't need a car bomb or a 747 smashing into skyscrapers to create havoc.  All that's necessary is one person who, for reasons known only to himself (and it's usually a he), goes on a shooting spree in a public place with a weapon that was either legally purchased or stolen.  Then everyone wonders why it happened.

This is made possible by the fact that, though the Wild West era supposedly ended over a century ago, we've never really left it.  From political assassinations to gangland murders (anyone wonder why Al Capone and John Dillinger still fascinates us?) to Columbine and Virginia Tech, the legends of Billy the Kid and Jesse James live on.  Shoot first, ask questions later?  It's still the ethos we live by.

This is the most gun-friendly nation in the world.  We have a Second Amendment which may be the most misunderstood passage in the Constitution when it comes to the part about the right to bear arms.  There are millions of responsible gun owners who keep their weapons in a safe place.  Some states now allow anyone with a permit to carry a concealed weapon.  There are background checks to make sure weapons don't get into the wrong hands.

Don't expect the Wild West mentality to change any time soon.  As long as criminals and the mentally ill find a way to get guns . . . As long as the National Rifle Association has Congress in its back pocket, negating any real gun control laws . . . As long as we glorify violence in all its aspects, there will continue to be mass murders.  And we'll still be wondering why it happened.

Look In The Mirror? Yeah, Right.

Image via WikipediaWe don't know if Gabrielle Giffords, the Democratic U.S. representative from Arizona just starting her third term, is going to survive the assassination attempt made on her and others Saturday outside a Tucson Safeway supermarket.  We do know that it was only a matter of time before all of the toxic political rhetoric of the past few years have finally come home to roost.

Whether the issue is health care, immigration, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or anything to do with Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, anger has become a constant theme in the ongoing yin and yang of left vs. right.  Oh sure, there's been shouting matches at town hall meetings and outright racism at Tea Party rallies.  But not to the point where the debate is settled by a bullet.  Until now.

It's the easiest thing in the world to say that the left and the right--that includes politicians, journalists, cable news, talk radio and bloggers (such as myself)--need to step back and take a hard look at how much they're contributing to the problem.  America was built on passionate political debate, but it doesn't take much for somebody to go too far.

You know what's going to happen, don't you?  After a brief period of pious soul searching following a tragic event in which everyone vows to turn down the volume on political rhetoric, we're going to go right back to sniping and finger-pointing with no chance of compromise.  That is, until the next public figure faces the wrong end of a gun.  Rinse.  Lather.  Repeat.

Michele Bachmann for President? Seriously?

Image via WikipediaThe 112th Congress is off and running, with Democrat Nancy Pelosi passing an oversized gavel to Republican John Boehner (how symbolic) to commemorate his new role as Speaker of the House.  Soon, the GOP-controlled body he presides over will try to undo all of the legislation President Barack Obama and the Democrats passed in the previous Congress.  Which will promptly be voted down by the still-Democratic Senate and/or vetoed by the President.

But we have bigger fish to fry.  According to several news outlets, Minnesota's Sixth District Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is considering running for the White House in 2012.  She hasn't officially said yes or no to the possibility, but the mind boggles.

Bachmann is already a well-known figure to anyone who watches the cable news channels.  Unfortunately, it's usually for inserting her foot into her mouth, while sympathetic Fox News hosts look on without bothering to question whatever it was she just said.

Bachmann declared herself the Tea Partiers' biggest champion (Sarah Palin notwithstanding), even though one of the objectives of the movement in the last election was to displace the incumbents.  She's now in her third term.

We mentioned that Bachmann represents Minnesota's Sixth District, though there seems to be precious little evidence of that.  Sure, she's sponsored bills in Congress, but they seldom get anywhere.  Now that the GOP controls the House, the congresswoman has lined up a big, important job.  She's going to be on the Intelligence Committee.  (Insert your own joke here.)

With a resume like that, people who know more about politics than we do rate Bachmann as a long shot to win the GOP nomination.  That won't matter to her, because the more face time she gets on TV during the primaries, the better her profile will be.

There's one other thing.  Until recently, Tim Pawlenty was Governor of Minnesota.  When he was in office, particularly during his second term, almost everything he said and did was deduced by political experts and opponents to be a dress rehearsal for a White House run.  Now Bachmann is threatening to blow Pawlenty's not-yet candidacy out of the water, just like John McCain passed him over for Palin as his 2008 running mate.  Life's not fair, right?

Just more proof that, in today's Republican party, the inmates really are running the asylum.  And we all pay the price.

Cleanup Crew At Work

Image via WikipediaMark Dayton took the oath of office as Minnesota's new governor Monday, the first DFLer since Rudy Perpich two decades ago.  This is just weeks removed from his defeating Republican Tom Emmer in what turned out to be a pointless recount.

Like any new governor, Dayton's first task is to clean up the mess left over by his predecessor, which in this case is Republican Tim Pawlenty.  Dayton inherits a $6.2 billion deficit, caused mostly by Pawlenty's insistence on cutting back on essential services while adding no new taxes, and vetoing anything the DFL-controlled Legislature came up with.  That makes for excellent conservative credentials should Pawlenty ever decide to run for President.

Dayton ran (and won) on a pledge to tax only the wealthiest Minnesotans as a way to pay down the deficit, which is interesting coming from a member of one of the richest families in the state.  But now he has to work with a Legislature that has been taken over in both the House and Senate by the GOP, something that hasn't happened in 40 years since the two parties were known as "Liberals" and "Conservatives".  The Republicans won here and everywhere else because they promised to not raise taxes on anybody.  The rich included.

Problem is, how much money is enough to keep state government running without raising taxes?

In his inauguration speech, Dayton stressed cooperation between the Governor's office and the Legislature, which he isn't likely to get.  That's unfortunate, because so much needs to be done before the session ends in May.  Besides the deficit, there's the matter of getting thousands of unemployed Minnesotans back to work.  And, oh yes, there's that Vikings stadium that can no longer wait another season.

So while Governor Dayton will be working to undo the damage Pawlenty did in the past eight years, the former governor will be off on a tour to promote his new book.  Conveniently, the tour will be going through such primary stops as Iowa and New Hampshire.  Just in case he's serious about making the White House his next forwarding address.