Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Today's Political Hunch

Like you, I have no clue as to what kind of indictments, if any, may emerge from the Valerie Plame/CIA investigation. But it sure looks like someone "in the know" is going around and leaking to pundits and reporters — or to people who will pass it on to pundits and reporters — that Someone Big is about to be formally accused. Which, given how good this inquiry has been about not leaking or tipping its hand, makes me suspect that this is not going to happen.

• Posted at 9:12 PM · LINK

Just Heard...

From Jay Leno's monologue tonight...

As you know, there is terrible flooding in New Hampshire and it's been declared a disaster area. To give you an idea how white New Hampshire is...FEMA got there in a minute and a half.

• Posted at 8:51 PM · LINK

Life on the Wire

Yesterday, the right-wing news service, Newsmax, issued a "news story." I can't provide a direct link to it but if you hurry, you might still see it in the Google cache. Here's just the first part...

Bono, U2 in Fund-Raiser for Senator Rick Santorum

On Sunday, October 16, a truly unique political event will take place. Teaming up with the legendary rock group U2 for a one-night only appearance will be Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Penn.). The thousand-dollar-a-seat concert has been put together by Sean and Ana Wolfington and will take place at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia in support of Santorums re-election, reports NewsMax's James Hirsen.

U2 front man Bono is no stranger to Washington, D.C. He has come often to the nation's capital to network with politicians on behalf of his many causes...[snip]

Not long after the story was released, the following appeared on the newswires...

STATEMENT BY JAMIE DRUMMOND, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DATA (debt AIDS trade Africa), THE AFRICA ADVOCACY GROUP CO-FOUNDED BY BONO:

It is not uncommon for politicians, from both parties, to organize events at all kinds of music concerts and other entertainment events. If any political fundraising events take place at a U2 concert, it is without the involvement or knowledge of Data, U2 or Bono. U2 concerts are categorically not fundraisers for any politician - they are rock concerts for U2 fans.

Shortly after, the original story was amended on the Newsmax site without comment. The beginning of the story now reads...

Fundraiser for Senator Rick Santorum at U2 Concert

On Sunday, October 16, a unique political event will take place. At a concert of the legendary rock group U2, Senator Rick Santorum will hold a fund-raising event for one night only. The thousand-dollar-a-seat fund-raiser has been put together by Sean and Ana Wolfington, and it will take place at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia in support of Santorum's reelection.

U2 front man Bono is no stranger to Washington, D.C. He has come often to the nation's capital to network with politicians on behalf of his many causes...[snip]

In other words, the first story tried to suggest that Bono and U2 were throwing a fund-raising concert expressly for Rick Santorum and were, by implication, endorsing his re-election bid. The amended story more accurately says that a group supporting Santorum hopes to raise some cash for him by selling tickets to a U2 concert that was always going to occur.

That's quite a difference but it could, I suppose, be an innocent mistake. On the other hand, it's worth pointing out that in the past, whenever a news story favorable to Liberals or Democrats could in any way, shape or form be interpreted as inaccurate, Newsmax has always taken the position that someone deliberately lied.

• Posted at 6:07 PM · LINK

Need a Job?

The Bush administration is hiring.

• Posted at 11:35 AM · LINK

Smurf City, Here We Come!

As we surmised, the video of the Village of the Smurfs being bombed is actually a little more fully-animated than the clip to which I linked earlier. Here's a link to another newscast that includes the actual footage. [Thanks to Joel Wright for sending me there.]

And I have received three e-mails from people who wrote the old Hanna-Barbera Smurfs show telling me how they had longed to do that scene.

• Posted at 9:51 AM · LINK

Question Answered

Radio Guy Paul Harris writes to answer a question that I posed here the other day: Does George Carlin still have Dennis Blair opening for him when he performs in Vegas? According to Paul (who by the way, is heard weekday afternoons on KMOX in St. Louis)...

Just back from a long weekend in Vegas (which I'll blog about in a day or two when I find the time), but with a moment free, here's an answer to a question you posed: Yes, Dennis Blair is opening for George Carlin in his current Stardust run — he even gets billing on the sign out front.

That's nice to hear, and not just that Blair (who's very funny) is still gainfully employed. It's nice to hear that Carlin allows him billing, which some headliners might not do. One of the things that helped kill off opening acts was that in the seventies and eighties, a lot of stars decided it was beneath them to share the marquee. It had to just be their name out there, as large as possible.

This is a rotten thing to do to a fellow performer and also to the audience. The folks paying megabucks for seats have a right to know what they're going to get for their money and to get the best possible show. They don't get that with a surprise opening act. They sit there all primed for the headliner and suddenly, a voice says, "Would you welcome..." and the opening guy becomes this unexpected obstacle between them and what they paid to see. It's kind of like you're all poised and ready to eat Porterhouse steak and just when you think you're about to be served, they say, "Whoa! First, you have to eat this salad you didn't ask for." If he's billed, he's part of the show. If not, not. A comedian friend of mine who opened for several superstars at Caesars Palace told me once that he got half the laughs when he was unbilled. Same routine...half the laughs because he had suddenly become an intrusion. That's annoying, above and beyond the obvious insult.

If you get to Vegas and Carlin's there, go see him. His act has gotten angrier but he's still the best stand-up working today, maybe the best one ever. And Dennis Blair is more than worthy of sharing that stage with him.

• Posted at 12:39 AM · LINK