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Cartoon: January 10, 2008
Tweet Share on Facebook January 10, 2008 Comment (1) -
Blogging From Air Force One
Tweet Share on Facebook January 10, 2008 CommentWe have a new White House news blogger—the president's press secretary, Dana Perino. And it's good stuff. Trip Notes From the Middle East began when President Bush took off for his current trip to the Middle East. And unlike the usual press release kind of stuff her office puts out, the blog is both newsy and colorful. For example, in one, she talks about life on Air Force One on primary night. "There's always a lot of activity on the flight over—some people read briefing papers, work on last-minute logistical issues, suggest edits to the president's remarks and others, like me, stake out territory to get some sleep on the overnight flight," she pens. "We ate dinner while watching the New Hampshire primary returns come in but I fell asleep before the networks called the Democratic primary." And when Perino awoke "at 2:30 AM EST" to read the news clips, she didn't mention anything about the elections. It's not just words. There are some cool behind-the-scene pictures, too. Go, girl!
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Thompson Will Play as Long as 'Fred Funds' Hold Out
Tweet Share on Facebook January 9, 2008 CommentLanguishing GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson has put his thirsty red pickup truck on his homepage. "Fill the tank," it says. And here's the reason. Actor-politician Thompson plans to stay in the race despite his crummy winnings so far until at least South Carolina. After that, he's out unless he pulls a Hillary Clinton and picks up a surprise win there, we hear. Of course, that's possible for the candidate, who's popular in the South. And, insiders say, Fred thinks he has enough money to get to the January 19 primary. He's seeking an additional $540,000 in "Fred Funds" and already has $370,000.
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The Ron Paul Hottie of the Day
Tweet Share on Facebook January 7, 2008 Comment
We wrote about this pin-up calendar, and now you can see the pictures too at hotties4ronpaul.com.
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Huckabee's Stairway To Heaven
Tweet Share on Facebook January 4, 2008 CommentMike Huckabee's runaway victory over Mitt Romney in the Iowa Republican Caucus gives him good reason to bobble and rock on his bass guitar.
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Dem Howard Dean's 528,468-Mile Journey
Tweet Share on Facebook January 3, 2008 Comment
ILLUSTRATION BY JOE CIARDIELLO FOR USN&WRPhew! What started as a groundbreaking but controversial bid to set up Democratic Party offices in every state, even red ones, has been completed, and party boss Howard Dean has the frequent-flier miles to prove it. Exactly 528,468, after a brief visit to Hawaii last month, his 50th and final state to organize. "And those," he says, "don't include the international trips." Recall that his "50-State Plan" was slapped around in 2006 when party leaders wanted Dean to stop adding offices in GOP states and instead fund House and Senate races. He did both, and now the Democrats control Congress and have full-time officials around the nation. That should help the eventual party nominee, he says. "We do have a field operation in every state, so nobody's going to have to come in to a state and ask which way to the bathroom," says Dean.
Over 35 months, the 2004 presidential hopeful and ex-Vermont guv learned some tricks, like: Don't check luggage. "I go someplace for two weeks, and I don't check luggage, though that usually involves a laundromat." Fly early; know your route. He's so air-smart, friends joke that he should run the Federal Aviation Administration.
"It'll be worth it if we win," he says of his travels. "I like to work hard," Dean adds. "That way, if you don't win, at least you've done everything possible you could to win."
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Gridlock for Gridiron Guests
Tweet Share on Facebook January 3, 2008 Comment (3)The annual spring Gridiron Dinner is among the most prestigious journalism events, but the front-loaded presidential campaign is messing with it. The problem: Big-shot guests, like six cabinet secretaries, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Fox's Bill O'Reilly, and some 29 others expecting to go, lack sponsors. Normally, media execs attend an auction to pick their guests for $280 a pop, but many had to skip it last month because they were covering the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary. Now the media club is begging members to grab the unclaimed guests. Gridiron President Carl Leubsdorf, bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News, isn't worried. "We've had a good response from [auction] absentees and expect to have hosts for all those who were notified previously that they would be invited," he says. "We didn't expect everyone to be taken."
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Is Socialism Part of Hollywood's Strike?
Tweet Share on Facebook January 3, 2008 CommentIt's supposedly about fair pay and getting a piece of the new-media profits, but is the Hollywood writers' strike also about a new socialism push? As it drags on, corporate chiefs like Fox's Rupert Murdoch are saying yes, and there seems to be some evidence. A key writers' guild adviser, for example, has blogged that the struggle is for more than just dough. "How can we build towards socialism from the bottom up?" pens Edna Bonacich on the Center for Labor Renewal blog. The World Socialist Web Site is also on the case. It might be nothing, but Washington activists are keeping an eye on the strike and its political thread, concerned that it could catch fire in a presidential campaign year.
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TV's 'Scud Stud' Enters Politics
Tweet Share on Facebook January 3, 2008 CommentWay back in 1991, NBC's Arthur Kent, in all his TV good looks, won the title "Scud Stud" for his missile-dodging Gulf War reporting. Now he's back in the news, only this time he's the one firing the shots. Kent tells us that he's running for a seat in the Alberta, Canada, legislative assembly, representing part of Calgary. "I enjoyed being a reporter," says Kent, "but I always wondered what I would do if I was at the table." He may soon know. He has been picked as the district's Progressive Conservative candidate. "I'm very much a centrist," he says. Being the Scud Stud helps. "It's a wonderful thing to be recognized in your own hometown."
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Hot Dates for Republican Paul
Tweet Share on Facebook January 3, 2008 CommentMore evidence Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul is on fire. He's got his own "Hotties for Ron Paul" pinup calendar. "This is simply a pretty package for a powerful message," says creator Juliet Annerino. While not as revealing as an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog, it still shows a lot of skin. "August's Hottie," Gina Dumania, for instance, appears in a bubble bath waving two pistols and cheering, "It's time for me to stand up and fight for freedom." The last page shows four Paul babes draped in an American flag. "They are wearing tube tops and shorts under the flag!" the calendar adds. Odd, however: The $15 package filled with historical dates lacks Paul's August 20 birthday.
