Donald Trump calls media heads to a meeting, apparently so he can yell at them in person.

Donald Trump called CNN’s Jeff Zucker and Wolf Blitzer, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos and David Muir, NBC’s Chuck Todd, CBS’ Charlie Rose, Fox News’ Bill Shine, MSNBC's Katy Tur, to name just a few for a verbal shellacking.

Here is what happened according to the New York Post: 

“It was like a f−−−ing firing squad,” one source said of the encounter. 

“Trump started with [CNN chief] Jeff Zucker and said, ‘I hate your network, everyone at CNN is a liar and you should be ashamed,’ ” the source said. 

“The meeting was a total disaster. The TV execs and anchors went in there thinking they would be discussing the access they would get to the Trump administration, but instead they got a Trump-style dressing-down,” the source added.

Another source had this to say:

“Trump kept saying, ‘We’re in a room of liars, the deceitful, dishonest media who got it all wrong.’ He addressed everyone in the room, calling the media dishonest, deceitful liars. He called out Jeff Zucker by name and said everyone at CNN was a liar, and CNN was [a] network of liars,” the source said.

Damn! Well so much for the traditional honeymoon period between the new president and the press, this guy is slapping the bride around even before the ceremony.

Trump also went after a few individual reporters:

“Trump didn’t say [NBC reporter] Katy Tur by name, but talked about an NBC female correspondent who got it wrong, then he referred to a horrible network correspondent who cried when Hillary lost who hosted a debate — which was Martha Raddatz, who was also in the room.”

Jesus what a dick!

Clearly Trump could not care less about the kind of press coverage he will receive once he becomes president.

And why should he?

After all he spent this last year convincing his supporters that the media was corrupt and terrible at their jobs, and since the majority of the people are now getting their "news" from fake news outlets what's the downside of turning the legitimate news outlets against him?

Didn't Hitler also take control of the German press, before taking it over and turning it into his own propaganda outlet?

Yes he did.

CNN's Wolf Blitzer gets the tables turned on him during interview with Baltimore community organizer about riots.

Courtesy of Crooks and Liars:   "You want peaceful protests, right?" Blitzer began his interview by asking McKesson. 

"Yes," McKesson replied, after being momentarily taken aback by obvious nature of the question. "Remember, the people that have been violent since August have been the police. When you think about the 300 people that have been killed this year alone. Like that is violence." 

McKesson agreed that the property damage in Baltimore on Monday night had been unfortunate, but he urged Blitzer to remember that there had been "many days of peaceful protests here in Baltimore City and places all around the country." 

"But at least 15 police officers have been hurt, 200 arrests, 144 vehicle fires -- these are statistics," Blitzer countered, robotically reading a police press release. "There's no excuse for that kind of violence, right?" 

"Yeah, and there's no excuse for the seven people that the Baltimore City Police Department has killed in the last year either, right?" McKesson shot back. "We're not making comparisons," Blitzer stuttered. "Obviously, we don't want anybody hurt. But I just want to hear you say that there should be peaceful protests, not violent protests in the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King." 

"Yeah, there's should be peaceful protests," the community organizer replied. "And I don't have to condone it to understand it, right? The pain that people feel is real." 

"And you are making a comparison," McKesson added. "You are suggesting this idea that broken windows are worse than broken spines, right?"

Gee Blitzer could you work a little harder to hide the fact that you are a completely out of touch white dude working for a giant corporation that is terrified of incidents like this?

As it turned out last night was quite calm, in comparison to the night before and even CNN only had this to report:Police arrested two people for looting and one for disorderly conduct, Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said. But most of the 10 arrests made after the 10 p.m. curfew were for curfew violation.

The local residents also came out to take back control of their streets before the curfew went into affect,  some even taking up positions to act as a buffer between potential troublemakers and the police.

In fact today Hillary Clinton came out to express her own frustration with what is taking place on the streets of America and to call for mandatory police cameras.

Courtesy of CNN: 

"As a citizen, a human being, my heart breaks for these young men and their families," Clinton said, listing a number of incidents in the last year that have found black men killed at the hands of law enforcement. "We have to come to terms with some hard truths about race and justice in America." 

She continued: "We have allowed our criminal justice system to get out of balance and these recent tragedies should galvanize us to come together as a nation to find out balance against." 

......

"We should make sure that every police department in the country has body cameras to record interaction between offices on patrol and suspects, that will improve transparency and accountability it will help protect good people on both sides of the lens," Clinton said, calling for body cameras to be the "norm everywhere."

I think that is the right message for this time, and I imagine several GOP presidential contenders will join her. Though to be fair Rand Paul is already there.

Potential GOP candidate for President in 2016, Ben Carson, does not want you to pay attention to the words coming out of his mouth. Just what he is actually TRYING to say.

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

Earlier this year, Carson had told the conservative news outlet Breitbart that the U.S. was “very much like Nazi Germany” because President Barack Obama was using the government to “intimidate the population.” 

“What I heard the comparison of the United States of America — the greatest country in the world, the greatest country ever — to Nazi Germany, I said, what is he talking about?” Blitzer told Carson on Wednesday. 

“See, what you were doing is allowing words to affect you more than listening to what was actually being said,” Carson insisted. “Nazi Germany experienced something horrible. The people in Nazi Germany largely did not believe in what Hitler was doing, but did they say anything? Of course not. They kept their mouths shut.” 

“The fact that our government is using instruments of government like the IRS to punish its opponents, this is not the kind of thing, as far as I’m concerned, that is a Democrat or Republican issue. This is an American issue. This is an issue that threatens all of our liberty, all or our freedom.” 

Blitzer, however, wasn’t satisfied: “But to make the comparison, Dr. Carson, to Nazi Germany, the slaughter of six million Jews by the Nazis, the devastation that erupted in Europe and around the world to the United States of America, I want you to reflect on what that means.” 

“Well, again, you are just focusing on the words Nazi Germany and completely missing the point,” Carson replied. “And that’s the problem right now, that’s what PC-ism is all about: You may not say this word regardless of what your point is because if you say that word, you know, I go into a tizzy. We can do better than that.” 

“We need to get to the point where we can look beyond the word, and look for the meaning,” he said, adding that he had no intention of revising his remarks.

Yes dammit, stop focusing on the actual words that Ben Carson is saying and try to instead derive the meaning of what he would have said if he had used entirely different words.

How hard is that?

By the way this is the guy that is currently leading the polls as a potential Republican presidential candidate if Mitt Romney's wife refuses to let him run again.

Of course that is all bullshit because I think that we all know that sometime before 2016 the conservatives are going to realize that he is black. And you may not have heard but they REALLY don't like black people.

CNN's Wolf Blitzer calls out Ted Nugent for using Nazi buzzwords to insult President Obama. Later, true to form, Nugent chickens out of interview on CNN. Update!

Courtesy of Politicususa:  

“That’s what the Nazis called Jews to justify the genocide of the Jewish community,” Blitzer said in a Feb. 18, 2014, interview. “They called them untermenschen, subhuman mongrels. If you read some of the literature that the Nazis put out there, there is a long history of that specific phrase he used involving the president of the United States.”

The above exchange is in response to news that Greg Abbott brought Nugent onto the campaign trail to help bolster his credibility with the 2nd Amendment crowd and escaped mental patients.

In response Nugent took to Twitter to essentially say "I know you are but what am I?"

CNN Joseph Goebbells Saul Alinsky propaganda ministry mongrels
— Ted Nugent (@TedNugent) February 19, 2014

CNN's Erin Burnett set up an interview with the Motorcity Madman in order to give him a chance to respond to what Blitzer and others were saying.

In fact Nugent even tweeted about it.

UltraNugeTruthLogicFun @ErinBurnett @OutFrontCNN tonite 7ET
— Ted Nugent (@TedNugent) February 19, 2014

However apparently that was before Nugent realized that he's a coward.

Courtesy of Media Matters:  

Ted Nugent canceled a planned interview on CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront after comparing the network to Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels and lashing out at host Wolf Blitzer for condemning Nugent's inflammatory rhetoric, including attacking President Obama as a "subhuman mongrel." 

On her CNN show, Burnett revealed that Nugent had canceled the interview two hours before it was scheduled to air, citing illness.

What, he only used the old "I'm too sick" excuse?

I would have thought for something this scary he might have been willing to crap his pants again.

 And this, this is the guy that Greg Abbott thought would bolster his tough guy reputation with Texans?

The Wendy Davis campaign should send Nugent a fruit basket or something for all of his invaluable help.

Update: Wendy Davis weighs in with an e-mail to her supporters:  

When I read what Ted Nugent has said about women, I was outraged. 

Greg Abbott feels differently. His values allow him to embrace an admitted predator who takes advantage of young girls, calls successful women vulgar and disgusting names, and demeans and degrades not just the women of Texas, but anyone who disagrees with his narrow-minded, disrespectful point of view. 

If this is Greg Abbott’s idea of good Texas values, it’s simply repulsive. 

Greg Abbott calls Ted Nugent a “fighter for freedom.” Ted Nugent calls Greg Abbott his “blood brother.” I call their alliance repulsive. This is an issue for every father, every mother, and every family in Texas. 

We will not allow the women of Texas to be treated like this. Help me fight back. Contribute $5 right now to show Greg Abbott and Ted Nugent that their values aren’t Texas values. 

I won’t mince words -- I find Ted Nugent disgusting. And I find it disgusting that Greg Abbott is sharing a stage with him. 

But this isn’t just about my feelings. Every Texan should be offended by Greg Abbott’s decision to make a predator the new face of his campaign. 

Campaigning with a vile character like Ted Nugent is a window into Greg Abbott’s character. And we need to show him that we won’t tolerate it.

You know I think that Ted Nugent just handed the race to the first female Governor of Texas since the 1990's.

Sarah Palin pimps her new show that nobody will bother to watch, and jokes about shooting Wolf Blitzer from a helicopter.

I think this might be the Grizzled Mama with Bristol, but don't hold me to that.

Courtesy of Bitchy Hollywood's ghostwritten Facebook page:

Todd and I had a great time in Pasadena with Sportsman Channel working on "Amazing America with Sarah Palin" and dedicating the network to "Red, Wild & Blue America!" The show premieres in April. I can't wait to show you the inspiring people, places, and things that make this country truly amazing! As I told members of the Television Critics Association yesterday, I'm especially encouraged to have opportunities to empower young women to get outdoors, be self-sufficient, and work extremely hard so they can live life vibrantly. (There's that "live vibrantly" phrase again. I swear she never retires these stupid catchphrases no matter how tired and overused they become. Which is why years from now we will still hear her talking about fundamentally restoring the country, cooking moose chili, and the lamestream media until we want to beat our heads against the wall.) See, I'm convinced the world will be a better place when we have more girls holding fish in pictures and fewer holding selfie cameras in front of the bathroom mirror.

In response to that last remark Palin posted this picture of Piper supposedly playfully mocking her "girls holding fish" comment.

Yeah no reason to think that's a setup or anything.

In that same post Palin, or her ghostwriter, also attempted to make a rather ugly joke at the expense of CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour breakfast yesterday. And, no, friends, upon spotting CNN's Wolf Blitzer at a TCA event, no one was tempted to re-engage any Department of Fish and Game Predator Control Program to scamper away troublesome wolves! I had a nice chat with him instead. (Plus, I adore his mother.)

Obviously this is a reference to the controversial Alaska predator  control program we have up here, which essentially means that she is making a joke about shooting Blitzer from a helicopter like his lupine namesakes.

Of course I guess it's not so funny if you happen to be a wolf.

Or know Palin's reputation for helping to target people who are then shot by crazy people.

"I'd been hiding this for over a decade. I wasn't out." Rebecca Vitsmun talks about the day she came out as an Atheist on national television after surviving the Oklahoma tornado.

I know this is a little long, but at the 8:28 portion Rebecca starts to tell the story of her interview with Wolf Blitzer. However it is around the 9:40 mark that she tells what it is like to be put in a position that every Atheist living in the Bible Belt fears.

Her emotion is so raw, and so honest, that it may serve to explain to those who are religious what it is like for those of us living in America who are not.

After being shocked by the Supreme Court's decision to find DOMA unconstitutional, some Republicans have decided to say "Screw it, we'll just amend the damn Constitution!" Good plan.

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

Representative Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) believes he can ban same-sex marriage nationwide thanks to the Supreme Court’s recent rulings. 

After the federal Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8 were struck down on Wednesday, the Republican congressman announced he would introduced an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Thursday questioned why he thought such an amendment had any chance of passing. 

“I think given this decision, which I think has shocked a lot of Americans, that the court would step this far and accuse Bill Clinton and the Republican Congress of that time of animus — you know, the decision was outrageous,” Huelskamp said. “I think it is going to encourage a lot of folks to step forward and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to protect marriage and protect families and particularly our children.’”

Later I understand that Huelskamp will be trying to catch a rainbow with a butterfly net, get a sample of unicorn urine, and attempt to shoot the moon out of the sky with a slingshot. All of which have a better chance at success then passing this amendment.

Some people simply do not realize that the world has turned toward the light and left them alone in the dark.

Tom Tomorrow imagines what it would have been like if Oklahoma tornado survivor Rebecca Vitsmun had responded to Wolf Bliter's question the way it DESERVED to be responded to.

I am taking NOTHING away from Rebecca Vitsmun as she did a wonderful job, and demonstrated great dignity. But how cool would it have been if she had decided to REALLY rake Blitzer over the coals for his insensitive remarks?

Courageous Oklahoma Atheist has over $50,000 raised for her by grateful fellow atheists.

Courtesy of HuffPo: 

After a vicious tornado ripped through her Moore, Okla. home on Tuesday, Rebecca Vitsmun was lucky to be alive. After graciously handling an awkward moment while discussing the aftermath on national television, more good fortune is headed her way. 

In a Tuesday interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Vitsmun was asked if she was thanking "the Lord" for deciding to escape home with her 19-month-old son. She hesitated for a moment, before telling Blitzer that she was actually an atheist. 

"You are. All right. But you made the right call," Blitzer said, prompting Vitsmun to add: "We are here, and I don't blame anyone for thanking the Lord." 

An Indiegogo community called Atheists Unite has responded resoundingly in support of Vitsmun's poise. Over just a few hours from late Thursday into early Friday, 250-plus funders had raised more than $7,000 for her. According to the page, a fundraising goal of $50,000 in assistance has been set. (Since HuffPo posted this article the amount raised has gone up dramatically and they have now met their $50,000 goal and then some!)


"It's important that our community shows that we have your back when you come out publicly as an atheist," the campaign page wrote. "Let's show the world that you dont need to believe in a god to have human compassion nor does all charity fall under the banner of religion. Let's get this courageous woman and her family back in their own home."

I have to say that as an atheist myself I was REALLY impressed with Ms. Vitsmum's ability to stay true to her beliefs (Or lack of beliefs if you prefer) while being questioned on national television. 

Just like lowering our heads during unexpected requests for prayer, it is sometimes just easier to play along rather than to stand out, but this brave young mother seemed to have no problem. And for that she has earned the respect and admiration of many people, both religious, and nonreligious.

P.S. By the way the most humorous response from the religious right to this rather embarrassing incident for CNN was from Glenn Beck, who seems to believe that it was the result of sabotage from the "forces of spiritual darkness:"  

“I think he was fed some information about the guest he had on beforehand — that’s what producers do — given some questions that he should ask, etc., etc.,” Beck explained. “Some producer, who is sympathetic to the atheist plight or just doesn’t like Christians or whatever it is, thought it was important to point out that, in the middle of the heartland in American where most people are God fearing, there are atheists there too.” 

“It’s important because it informs others what they are being taught about atheists from atheism and the bully pulpit and other sources of bias that is not a correct reflection of reality in plain view,” he continued. “We are not fighting against flesh and bone, we are fighting the forces of spiritual darkness. And it doesn’t matter what people’s intent are, but I will tell you that, that was there for a reason.”

Oh yeah, if there is an atheist showing up on national television in the wake of a catastrophe  like that they MUST be a plant. After all in the face of such devastation wouldn't that frighten ANYBODY into clinging to superstition and their faith in a bronze age god?

Actually, not so much.

Finally, somebody interviews one of MY people after the Oklahoma tragedy!

Courtesy of Mediaite:

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer demonstrated why you should never assume someone believes in God while interviewing a survivor of the Oklahoma tornado Tuesday afternoon. Blitzer spoke to a young woman named Rebecca, who escaped with her 19-month-old son just moments before the tornado destroyed their home. 

While their narrow escape from harm may have seemed miraculous, Rebecca evidently didn’t see it that way. At the end of the interview, Blitzer told her, “You’re blessed. Brian, your husband is blessed. Anders is blessed… I guess you got to thank the lord, right?” When the woman shrugged off the question, he repeated it, asking, “Do you thank the lord for that split-second decision?” 

“I–I’m actually an atheist,” she responded. After the awkward laughter that followed, she added, “We are here and you know, I don’t blame anybody for thanking the lord.” 

“Of course not,” Blitzer replied. 

Of course I also do not blame anybody for thanking God, regardless of which God it is, for their survival. What these people went through must have frightened them to their very core.

However I cannot help but feel a powerful sense of pride when I see somebody strong enough to go through something like that without the need to seek solace in mythological beings.

And the fact she said it on national television? So awesome!

CNN describes Watertown. Massachusetts during police lock down thusly: “It’s as Though a Bomb Had Dropped Somewhere” Doh!

Courtesy of Slate:

At 5:38 p.m. ET, CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer threw it to his colleague Susan Candiotti to ask her to describe the scene in Watertown, Mass. Her explanation was a bit on the nose.

Seriously, WTF?

You know this bombing at the Boston Marathon was a truly horrible event, but if anything could be described as a positive, it is that it REALLY helped to identify exactly which news outlets could be trusted and which ones could not.

While CNN was running around saying "We see brown people," and Fox News was desperately trying to drive home the point that the suspects were Muslim, and not, repeat NOT, Christians, MSNBC was carrying the banner of journalistic integrity.

It was Pete Williams who put the brakes on when everybody was reporting that the suspects were already in custody, and was the first to report that suspect number two was hiding in a boat.

In fact his consistently careful and accurate reporting led to Kelly O'Donnell tweeting the following:

Can we just make @petewilliamsnbc "employee of the month" now in our DC bureau at @nbcnews ??
— Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) April 19, 2013

I think at one point EVERYTHING that NBC or MSNBC thought they knew about the situation was being run past Williams first for his seal of approval before being reported to the public.

A policy that I think might just serve them well in the future.

Especially since the Right Wing is absolutely convinced that the entire Boston police department, FBI, Homeland Security, and White House have conspired to fool the American people into believing that that these two people were the suspects.

When, according to them, the Saudi National, that was once a suspect and now cleared, was the actual perpetrator of the horrific event.

In fact Glenn Beck is so convinced that he has the goods he is threatening the United States government with an expose on Monday.

All I can say is that I am VERY glad that I am an ardent viewer of MSNBC, and will continue to be a loyal viewer going forward.

And yes I certainly DO hope that Pete Williams gets employee of the year, as well as the many other accolades that he clearly deserves.

CNN's Ali Velshi calls out Republican Congressman ON THE AIR for misleading the American people.

Courtesy of Mediaite:

CNN’s Ali Velshi tore into GOP Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KN) Monday night about his claim that a tax hike on small business would hurt job creation. Telling Huelskamp he didn’t “believe” his numbers to be true, Velshi mockingly asked, “The vast majority of those businesses are in fact not job creators. You understand that to be the case?” 

Huelskamp disputed Velshi’s claim and said that he had “seen research” that raising taxes would impact “41% of business income.” Velshi called him out on his language, saying “41% of business income is not 41% of business, that’s a very, very different and somewhat misleading statistic.” Again Velshi asked, “You understand the distinction, right?” 

Velshi then proceeded to silence Huelskamp from speaking any further, saying, “Sir, you put out information to our viewers, you’re on CNN right now. I would like the information to be accurate.” Huelskamp fought to answer, and when he was asked by Velshi whether he wanted to stand by his information, he said, “That’s our best guess. We’re still working on that.” 

“I think that’s a guess,” Velshi retorted. 

According to Huelskamp, part of the difficulty in obtaining accurate information is that the Obama administration won’t tell his team anything. Velshi slammed him for this misstatement, saying, “We actually don’t have any difficulty getting that information, sir. We don’t need it from the administration, that information is public.”

Yes! This is the kind of thing that we need to see MUCH more of from our journalists, ESPECIALLY after we saw jut how allergic to actual facts they were, and how determined they were to lie to the American people.

Having said that I think Velshi did an excellent job here and even followed it up later in the hour and reported this: 

VELSHI: Wolf, I just want to... I've been doing some research as I promised I would do in the conversation that we had with Congressman Tim Huelskamp, quoting what he said was a study by Montana State University. We're working our way through that study, but I'll tell you the facts that we have right now. 

If businesses... if everybody who earned more than $250 thousand saw an increase in the top tax rate from 36 percent to 39.6 percent, that would be 3.5 percent of all small businesses. That would be 940,000 businesses. That's I think a number that the Congressman was quoting. So at $450,000, it is nowhere near the number that the Congressman was quoting. 

But let's just be generous and say that it was that. Of that number, only a very small proportion are not hedge funds, partnerships, law firms, companies that don't employ a whole lot of other people. So the Congressman's facts are just incorrect on this. There is nowhere near a million businesses that will be affected by this increase of taxing people above $450,000.

And THAT my friends is how you do it!

You know now that Velshi has joined Soledad O'Brien with this whole "holding Republicans accountable for their bullshit thing," I am thinking of possibly tuning in to CNN once in awhile. You know, when MSNBC is once again broadcasting that stupid Lockup series perhaps.

Maybe since they have seen how quickly Fox is losing viewers they might be reconsidering this whole idea of becoming Fox-lite.

Donald Trump loses it on CNN, and makes Mitt Romey oh so proud to have him in his corner. Update: Romney releases birth certificate. With a surprise ending!

This courtesy of Buzzfeed:

"His mother was not in the hospital,” Trump said of President Barack Obama. 

Trump repeated that he believes Obama was born in Kenya, prompting Blitzer to interject: "Donald, Donald, you’re beginning to sound a little ridiculous." 

"No, I think you are Wolf! Let me tell you something, I think you sound ridiculous." Trump responded. 

Trump attacked CNN reporter Jim Acosta's segment before he appeared on the show, saying Acosta was parroting Obama campaign talking points, and took several shots at the cable network's ratings woes. 

Trump added that he believes the Obama campaign attacks on him are “reverse psychology," designed to keep people from truly investigating the issue.

The President is using "reverse psychology?' By doing what? Allowing this idiot to spew this nonsense and then using him as a punchline at the White House Correspondents Dinner?

If you listen to Trump's reason for refusing to drop this issue all he can keep  saying is that  "there are many, many people who do not believe the birth certificate is authentic." What I think Blitzer should have followed up with is, "Are any of these people sane?"

Somewhere Mitt Romney is lying in a hotel room with a pillow wrapped around his head screaming. "What was I thinking? Is it too late to cancel the fundraiser in Vegas?"

Update: I almost forgot to refute Trump's claim that Obama provided a biography that identified he was born in Kenya to a publisher.  You can find that here.

Update 2: For those who are claiming that Mitt Romney is staying above the fray in this whole birther debate, perhaps you could explain why Mitt Romney just released this.

However I am not sure this was a smart move on Romney's part as it sort of brings up a rather controversial family fact of its own:

Yes, Republican Mitt Romney appears eligible to be president, according to a copy of Romney's birth certificate released to Reuters by his campaign. Willard Mitt Romney, the certificate says, was born in Detroit on March 12, 1947. 

His mother, Lenore, was born in Utah and his father, former Michigan governor and one-time Republican presidential candidate George Romney, was born in Mexico. 

So on a day when real estate and media mogul Donald Trump was trying to help Mitt Romney by stirring up a new round of questions about whether Democratic President Barack Obama was born in the United States, Romney's own birth record became a reminder that in the 1968 presidential campaign, his father had faced his own "birther" controversy.

So let's get this straight. While Romney is climbing into bed with the man who falsely claims that President Obama is not legitimate because he was not born in this country, he releases a birth certificate which shows that his father, who once ran for President himself, actually WAS born in another country?

Can everybody say "Awkward?"

In a attempt to embarrass President Obama over "open mic" gaffe, Mitt Romney manages to draw fire from BOTH Russian President and the Republican Speaker of the House.

"Wait, what I said wasn't smart? Well it sounded smart inside my head!"

The other day Mitt Romney said this about Obama's incident with the open mic:

Well, my guess is it has to do either with nuclear arms discussions, or it has to do with missile defense site. What he did both on with nuclear weaponry already and the new START treaty, as well as his decision to withdraw missile defense sites from Poland, and reduce our missile defense sites in Alaska from the original plan. 

I mean, these are very unfortunate developments and if he's planning on doing more and suggest to Russia that he has things he's willing to do with them he's no willing to tell the American people, this is to Russia this is without question our number one geopolitical foe, they fight every cause for the world's worst actors, the idea that he has some more flexibility in mind for Russia is very, very troubling indeed.

That statement about Russia being "our number one geopolitical foe" did not go over very well with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev who responded in this way:

 “Regarding ideological clichés, every time this or that side uses phrases like ‘enemy number one’, this always alarms me, this smells of Hollywood and certain times (of the past),” Medvedev sniped. 

“I would recommend all U.S. presidential candidates … to do two things,” Medvedev added sharply. “First, when phrasing their position one needs to use one’s head, one’s good reason, which would not do harm to a presidential candidate. Also, (one needs to) look at his watch: we are in 2012 and not the mid-1970s.”

Ouch!

And if that wasn't embarrassing enough House Speaker Boehner also took Mitt to task for attacking the President while he was representing America overseas:  

“Clearly while the president is overseas, he’s at a conference and while the president is overseas I think it’s appropriate that people not be critical of him or our country.”

It just goes to show, you can appear to be  right out of central casting for the role of President, but that does not mean you have what it takes inside to do the job. And apparently what's inside of Mitt Romney right now is a whole lotta stupid!

Perhaps he can get Palin to help in dealing with Russia.  I understand she has been staring at them from her front porch for years.

CNN correspondent goes ballistic over Fox News allegations that he was used as human shield in Libya.

From TPM:

"[T]his allegation is outrageous and it's absolutely hypocritical. When you come to somewhere like Libya, you expect lies and deceit from a dictatorship here," Robertson told Wolf Blitzer. "You don't expect it from the other journalists."

Fox claims their own correspondent, Steve Harrigan, declined to accept the invitation from the Libyans for fear of being used as a propaganda tool, and perhaps a human shield. But Robertson claims Fox did indeed send an employee on the trip -- not a regular news guy -- and that Harrigan has been asleep on the job since hostilities began.

"I see him more times at breakfast than out on trips with government officials here," Robertson said. "So for them to say and call this -- to say they didn't go and for them to call this and say this was government propaganda to hold us there as human shields when they didn't even leave the hotel ... is ridiculous."

You know it must literally drive the REAL reporters crazy to have to pretend that Fox News actually employs journalists instead of propagandists for their corporate overlords. 

I love watching Nic Roberston call them on their bullshit on the air.

Sarah Palin appears to have developed diarrhea of the mouth. Talks with Wolf Blitzer, forgets she is no longer campaigning, and brings up Bill Ayers.

Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said Wednesday that she does not regret her interview CBS's Katie Couric and wishes she was more available to the media during the campaign.

"I should have done it, yes. And her questions were fair," Palin told CNN's Larry King Wednesday. "Obviously being a bit annoyed with some of the questions, my annoyance shows through."

Translation: "Her questions were fair, you know for a "Gotcha" journalist, but it annoyed me that they would not let me see the answers ahead of time or let Meg Stapleton answer them for me. And by the way I think Katie Couric was really just jealous that I clearly read way more magazines and newspapers then she does. I bet she does not read ALL OF THEM like I do."

Palin had some well-publicized fumbles during interviews with CBS Katie Couric in late September leading up to her vice presidential debate.

"Certainly I should have done the interview. And to attribute I think that interview to any kind of negativity in the campaign or a downfall in the campaign, I think it's ridiculous."

Translation: "I don't want it to be true that I destroyed John McCain's campaign so "poof" it is magically not true. And everything is once again fine in my "Sarah-centric" universe."

Palin added that she wished she talked more to the media.

"In retrospect, in hindsight, I wish I would had more opportunities or that we would have seized more opportunities to speak more," Palin said.

Translation: "That gag they made me wear on on my mouth smeared my lipstick and left my lips all puffy."

In two interviews with CNN Wednesday, Palin reflected upon her unsuccessful bid for the White House and discussed President-elect Barack Obama's incoming administration.

The Alaska Governor said she would be honored to help out Obama and his new administration, even if he did hang around with an "unrepentant domestic terrorist," if he asked her for assistance on issues she highlighted her campaign, such as energy or services for special-needs children.

"It would be my honor to assist and support our new president and the new administration," said Palin, whom Sen. John McCain chose as his running mate in August.

Translation: " Since this is not FOX News I need to pretend like I will work with the Arab."

When asked about some of the tough rhetoric she hurled from the stump, she said she was "still concerned" about Obama's ties to former Weather Underground member-turned-Chicago college professor William Ayers.

Translation: "Gotta keep the crazies a little riled up for 2012."

"If anybody still wants to talk about it, I will," she said. "Because this is an unrepentant domestic terrorist who had campaigned to blow up, to destroy our Pentagon and our U.S. Capitol.

"That's an association that still bothers me, and I think it's fair to still talk about it," she continued.

Translation: "Wow it sure feels good to be able to trash talk Obama again. That is the part about campaigning I miss the very most. That and the hate filled racist mobs."

"However, the campaign is over. That chapter is closed. Now is the time to move on and make sure all of us are doing all that we can to progress this nation."

Translation: "Calm down Sarah, pace yourself. It is still a few more years before I can finally run the kind of campaign I want to and win the White House. I wonder if they can ship in moose to hunt like they do birds for Cheney?"

Michael Moore absolutely obliterates Wolf Blitzer.

Michael Moore does not pull any punches and calls Wolf and the CNN team on their failure to ask the hard questions during the lead up to the war and about the negative coverage his move "Fahrenheit 9-11" received from CNN.

He is clearly angry at his treatment and feels that CNN is doing the bidding of their pharmaceutical advertisers by attacking his findings in the movie "Sicko".

I have to say that I really enjoyed watching Wolf get called on his arrogant attitude and I could not help but notice that he failed to answer any of Moore's charges.

P.S. I saw Michael Moore and Sanjay Gupta arguing this out on Lary King tonight. It got a little testy.