Donald Trump has set a new record by going an entire year without holding a news conference.

Hurry get him off the stage, they're asking questions.

Courtesy of CNN: 

Exactly one year ago today, Donald Trump held the first formal solo news conference of his presidency. 

He hasn't held a single one since. 

That puts him dead last among the group of recent presidents. In his first year in office, President Barack Obama held 11 formal news conferences while his predecessor, George W. Bush, held four. Bill Clinton held 14. George H.W. Bush held a whopping 26! (All of these stats come courtesy of Michael Calderone's terrific "Morning Media" newsletter.) 

Trump has made no secret of his disdain for the press and the standard conventions of how a president interacts with the media. More so than any president that has come before him, Trump utilizes the media -- and his base's hatred of it -- to his political advantage. 

The fact that he hasn't held a solo news conference in a full year will be greeted with joy by many of Trump's backers. Good, they will say. You media jackals are only out to get him! 

Which, of course, isn't true. And misses the broader point of why presidential press conferences are important for a healthy democracy. 

The President -- be it Trump, Obama, Bush, Clinton, Tyler, Monroe or Washington -- is a hugely powerful figure. Decisions he makes have profound impacts on real peoples' lives. From what Trump does -- if anything -- in the wake of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting to his tax policy to immigration to a hundred other big and small decisions he makes on a daily basis, it all matters. Bigly.

Say it with me folks, "Snowflake!"

I cannot believe that Trump's supporters bought that bullshit tough guy image of his.

This is by far the weakest, most cowardly, and least effective president that we have seen in over a hundred years.

"This White House can't even run a f*cking conference call."

I can't stop laughing at @jaxalemany's write up of a White House conference call gone wrong: https://t.co/pt1HSUboRb pic.twitter.com/LvzMpFMyCa

— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) January 12, 2018

Courtesy of CBS News:  

It took the White House 22 minutes to figure out how to enable the "listening only" feature on a conference call on Thursday in which senior administration officials announced that President Trump would continue to waive nuclear program-related sanctions, keeping the deal intact. 

"This White House can't even run a f*cking conference call," a reporter on an unmuted phone line angrily exclaimed to the entire call. "They don't know how to mute their line." 

"It's the illegitimate media that doesn't know how to conduct themselves. They can't mute their f*cking phones," an unidentified official said. "Mute your phones." 

Another White House official repeatedly attempted to quiet the noisy line "so the people in charge" could talk. 

"I think if everyone had half a brain and common sense and muted their phones, this wouldn't be a problem," she yelled in an apparent fit of frustration. 

"Hello? Hello?," one reporter interjected, some 15 minutes after the slated start of the call. "Has the call started?" 

"This is Kim Jong Un calling for Donald Trump," another reporter joked as tensions flared. 

"All participants are now in listen-only mode," the operator finally announced, much to the relief of everyone on the call. The call began at 1:07 p.m. 

A State Department official announced at the end of the call that the technical difficulties prevented the senior administration officials from taking any questions from reporters. 

This may seem like a minor thing in the great scheme of things, but in fact it is indicative of the entire Trump White House operation. 

You may even remember that in the first months of the Trump presidency they were having meetings in the dark because they could not figure out how to turn the lights on in the White House. 

This may be the most incompetent administration in American history.

Once again, thank you deplorables.

Sean Spicer kept copious notes?

Courtesy of Axios:  

When Spicer worked at the RNC, he was said to have filled black books emblazoned with the party's seal. Spicer was so well-known for his copious notes that underlings joked about him writing a tell-all. 

One source familiar with the matter said that the records were just to help him do his job. 

"Sean documented everything," the source said. 

That surprised some officials of previous White Houses, who said that because of past investigations, they intentionally took as few notes as possible when they worked in the West Wing. 

When we texted Spicer for comment on his note-taking practices, he replied: "Mike, please stop texting/emailing me unsolicited anymore." 

When I replied with a "?" (I have known Spicer and his wife for more than a dozen years), he answered: "Not sure what that means. From a legal standpoint I want to be clear: Do not email or text me again. Should you do again I will report to the appropriate authorities."

Well that's an awfully defensive response.

Kind of makes one think that Spicer has already been legally required to hand those notebooks over, and is not allowed to discuss it.

Yes in case you are wondering Spicer is indeed one of the people identified as on Mueller's list of folks he wants to interview.

One White House official said that people are going to wish they had been much nicer to Sean Spicer because he was at a whole lot of meetings.

Methinks that Donald Trump might be one of those who will regret how he treated Spicer.

All blonde women look the same to Trump.

This is my favorite moment of any Trump presser ever. (via CSPAN) pic.twitter.com/l4R6dojUrH

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 29, 2017

I like the look of bewilderment on that Finnish President's face.

As if he cannot believe he is standing next to such a buffoon.

Sarah Palin wants to subpoena close to two dozen New York Times reporters for her lawsuit.

Courtesy of the New York Post: 

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin plans to subpoena close to two dozen New York Times reporters, editors and other workers as part of her defamation lawsuit against the newspaper, it was revealed in court documents Wednesday.

In a motion arguing that the case be dismissed, lawyers for the New York Times complained that Palin’s legal team has served notice that she plans to subpoena “twenty-three non-party current and former Times reporters, editors and other employees – most of whom had nothing to do with the editorial at issue.” 

The subpoenas are part of Palin’s effort to obtain “documents that might reveal, among other things, their ‘negative feelings’ toward her,” The Times told the judge. 

Palin’s legal team also intends to ask the paper to produce “every internal communication it has had about her since 2011,” they said. 

The Times complained about Palin’s discovery requests in a Manhattan federal court filing reiterating its request to have Palin’s defamation lawsuit tossed.

Well this is clearly a fishing expedition.

My new theory is that somebody is bankrolling this lawsuit in the hopes of finding embarrassing information about these reporters in order to smear them and undermine their credibility.

And that sounds like something well heeled Trump supporters might be willing to invest in.

New strategy from White House operatives, attack and discredit reporters.

This was buried deep in a WaPo story:

Trump and his advisers are deeply frustrated that the disclosure by Trump Jr. has overshadowed the positive coverage they expected to receive from the president’s trip abroad, as well as other issues they hoped to spotlight this week, such as the Senate health-care bill and trade. 

A handful of Republican operatives close to the White House are scrambling to Trump Jr.’s defense and have begun what could be an extensive campaign to try to discredit some of the journalists who have been reporting on the matter. 

Their plan, as one member of the team described it, is to research the reporters’ previous work, in some cases going back years, and to exploit any mistakes or perceived biases. They intend to demand corrections, trumpet errors on social media and feed them to conservative outlets, such as Fox News. 

But one outside adviser said a campaign against the press when it comes to Trump Jr.’s meeting could be futile: “The meeting happened. It’s tough to go to war with the facts.”

Attacking the press was a feature of Trump's campaign, and has carried over into his actual presidency.

That being said attempting to dig up dirt on journalists in order to embarrass them publicly, or threaten them privately, is on a whole other level.

And the fact that Fox News, or any other news outlet, would cooperate with an operation like this is shameful and demonstrates a complete lack of journalistic ethics.

The White house leaker discovered. It's Kellyanne Conway.

Kellyanne was at an embassy party last night, leaking sensitive Priebus and Trump White House conversations to @washingtonpost reporters. 1/ pic.twitter.com/XZz48UAG6G

— Kellyanne Leaks (@KellyanneLeaks) June 9, 2017

She held court for an hour or so as folks cycled in/out of her circle. She said Trump gave her a line to talk about "the tapes" to press 2/

— Kellyanne Leaks (@KellyanneLeaks) June 9, 2017

She said Trump told her to say "Jim Comey will have to wait and see about the tapes"; she added "I chose to convert that to 'no comment'" 3/

— Kellyanne Leaks (@KellyanneLeaks) June 9, 2017

...and laughed. Here's where she put those "no comments" and "I can't comment on that" in action: https://t.co/HBzRiIkvtV

— Kellyanne Leaks (@KellyanneLeaks) June 9, 2017

She had a good/cruel riff mocking @Reince45 in WH staff meetings.
"No leaks guuuys" she said, mimicking him in a dopey voice. "Seriously" 5/

— Kellyanne Leaks (@KellyanneLeaks) June 9, 2017

"He should just be honest: 'I'm upset because there's someone working on a story who pronounces it RAYNSE instead of REINCE.'" 6/

— Kellyanne Leaks (@KellyanneLeaks) June 9, 2017

Before some WaPo folks joined her, she was talking about recent weeks in the WH to some other party guests. This expression was telling. 7/ pic.twitter.com/pR8KIuZSsF

— Kellyanne Leaks (@KellyanneLeaks) June 9, 2017

She and @danbalz (who left a bit earlier than others) were joking about the scrutiny they got for a recent, long convo in a public place 8/

— Kellyanne Leaks (@KellyanneLeaks) June 9, 2017

So @KellyannePolls held court for awhile. Along with knocking @Reince45, she also made jokes about the ineffectiveness of his RNC world. 9/

— Kellyanne Leaks (@KellyanneLeaks) June 9, 2017

At one point @KellyannePolls said "Honestly, what the fuck does Marc Short do all day?" 10/

— Kellyanne Leaks (@KellyanneLeaks) June 9, 2017

So @costareports and @PhilipRucker were there for some, but not all of these convos. Costa joined her in a more light-hearted impression 11/

— Kellyanne Leaks (@KellyanneLeaks) June 9, 2017

... (than the meaner @Reince45 one) of an acquaintance who says "Dude!" a lot. It sounded like another WH senior staff member. 12/ pic.twitter.com/V8pNqMp9wL

— Kellyanne Leaks (@KellyanneLeaks) June 9, 2017

Also @nick_ayers was there. He loudly complained about @EricGreitens, and said Greitens was an "Obama lover" and "pro-amnesty." pic.twitter.com/Holz2qQg6P

— Kellyanne Leaks (@KellyanneLeaks) June 9, 2017

I should mention that @KellyannePolls was probably talking OTR to @costareports @danbalz and @PhilipRucker -- but loudly, at a DC party.

— Kellyanne Leaks (@KellyanneLeaks) June 9, 2017

Trump has been accusing just about EVERYBODY else of leaking, including most recently James Comey, but in fact he and his White House staff seem to be the main source of leaks.

After all it was not James Comey or any other intelligence agency employee who told the Russians that Israel had classified information about ISIS.

Now was it?

"That's a fence." Watch Sean Spicer desperately trying to convince White House reporters that some rinky dink fencing is the equivalent of Trump's promised border wall.

Courtesy of Raw Story: 

“Just one question about the photos,” Spiering interrupted. “Are those photos of fences or walls.” 

Spicer insisted that his photos were of walls, even though he referred to them as fences earlier. 

“There are various types of walls that can be built under the legislation that was just passed,” he opined. 

“That is a fence,” Spiering said. 

“That is called a levee wall,” Spicer replied. 

“It’s not the wall the president promised,” CNN correspondent Jim Acosta observed. 

“Hold on, Jim, we’re going to take turns,” Spicer said. 

“So you’re basically just telling the president’s supporters to be satisfied with this existing tough-guy fencing thing until he’s ready to build the wall?” Spiering asked. 

“No!” Spicer exclaimed. “What I’m telling anybody is that the president said he’s going to build a wall and he’s doing it. And he’s using the best technology.” 

“That’s what I’m telling you.”

Keep in mind that this Charlie Spiering is from Breaitbart news. So these answers were not even convincing to a news agency that is predetermined to agree with everything that comes out of this White House.

I have to admit that when I watched this exchange this morning it really cracked me up. 

As I watched Spicer almost turning himself inside out in an attempt to convince these reporters not to believe what their eyes were telling them but in what he was saying instead, all I could think is how much fun Melissa McCarthy could have with this on SNL.

In some ways this is a prime example of the difference between what Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail and what he can actually deliver in real life.

Donald Trump sent his son-in-law to bitch at the parent company of CNN for him. Gee, how presidential.

 Courtesy of New York Magazine:  

Apparently the Trump administration is worried that despite the president calling CNN “fake news” at every opportunity, the network isn’t aware that he doesn’t care for their coverage. The Wall Street Journal reports that during a recent meeting with a top Time Warner Inc. executive Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, complained that the network’s coverage is biased against the president. 

Kushner is a longtime friend of Gary Ginsberg, who’s an executive vice-president of corporate marketing and communications at CNN’s parent company. During a wide-ranging discussion at the White House, Kushner reportedly complained about specific anti-Trump CNN contributors, including Van Jones, a Democrat who worked in the Obama administration, and Ana Navarro, a Republican strategist.

Of course both Van Jones and Navarro are non-whites so how dare they disrespect Herr Fuehrer.

Wonder when he will send Kushner to bitch about Fox's Shepherd Smith or CNN's Jake Tapper who both described his last press conference as "unhinged" and "crazy?"

These were the responses from Van Jones and Navarro to hearing they were singled out for criticism.

"Got a lotta people tryna drain me of this energy." :) But y'all know @CNN has our backs. Do you? RT if yes! (@jaredkushner, u can RT, 2!) https://t.co/DQzfY15f9m

— Van Jones (@VanJones68) February 17, 2017

Really, Little Jared complaining about me cuz I get under President Daddy-in-Law's skin? Oh, baby boy, I'm so sorry. https://t.co/4W8Sh9sHxy

— Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) February 17, 2017

Does not sound like they are too terribly intimidated. Interestingly enough in the third paragraph of the New York Magazine article they reveal what Trump might be using to intimidate their bosses however:

They did not discuss Time Warner’s proposed $85.4 billion sale to AT&T, which is awaiting government approval. In an October speech, President Trump said his administration would not approve the merger “because it’s too much concentration of power in the hands of too few.” Bloomberg reported that Trump’s opposition to the deal actually comes “partly from his frustration with CNN, which is owned by Time Warner.”

In other words Trump seems to be willing to use the power of his presidency to get back at the MSM, or as he labels them "America's enemies," by blocking business deals and damaging their ability to make a profit.

These are of course the techniques he used as an unscrupulous New York businessman, but they have no place in the White House.

The president is supposed make decisions based on what is, or is not, good for the country,

Not on his own personal vendettas. 

Donald Trump holds press conference attacking the press and bitching about the difficulty of this job.

I actually missed most of this because I was at the gym on the treadmill.

However I came home, did some catching up, and essentially cannot believe this really happened.

Here was a link to WaPo so you catch as well.

And if you dont have that kind of time here are a few of his crazier statements:

I'm here following through on what I pledged to do. That's all I'm doing. I put it out before the American people, got 306 electoral college votes. I wasn't supposed to get 222. They said there's no way to get 222, 230's impossible. 

270 which you need, that was laughable. We got 306 because people came out and voted like they've never seen before so that's the way it goes. I guess it was the biggest electoral college win since Ronald Reagan. (This is demonstrably untrue. And in fact Trump's electoral college win is only larger than one modern day president. George H.W. Bush.)


Still can't get over that election can you Orange Hitler?

Every GOP Congressman and Senator watching this is grinding their teeth into dust.

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) February 16, 2017

In response to a question about his campaign staff's reported contact with Russian intelligence:

The failing New York Times wrote a big, long front-page story yesterday. And it was very much discredited, as you know. It was -- it's a joke. And the people mentioned in the story, I notice they were on television today saying they never even spoke to Russia. They weren't even a part, really -- I mean, they were such a minor part. They -- I hadn't spoken to them. 

I think the one person -- I don't think I've ever spoken to him. I don't think I've ever met him. And he actually said he was a very low-level member of I think a committee for a short period of time. I don't think I ever met him. Now, it's possible that I walked into a room and he was sitting there, but I don't think I ever met him. I didn't talk to him ever. And he thought it was a joke.Russia is fake news.
.....

Russia -- this is fake news put out by the media. The real news is the fact that people, probably from the Obama administration because they're there, because we have our new people going in place, right now.

As you know, Mike Pompeo has -- has now taken control of the CIA, James Comey at FBI, Dan Coats is waiting to be approved, I mean he is a senator and a highly respected one and he's still waiting to be approved. But our new people are going in. 

Meaning that as soon as his people are in place that this Russian story will quickly disappear.

Which pretty much confirms the authenticity of the New York Times story in my opinion.

Trump calls everything "fake news" that contains a truth about him that he does not want people to know.

On the leaks:

Yes, we're looking at them very -- very, very serious. I've gone to all of the folks in charge of the various agencies and we're -- I've actually called the Justice Department to look into the leaks. Those are criminal leaks. They're put out by people either in agencies -- I think you'll see it stopping because now we have our people in. You know, again, we don't have our people in because we can't get them approved by the Senate.

........

What happens when I'm dealing with the problems in the Middle East? Are you folks going to be reporting all of that very, very confidential information, very important, very -- you know, I mean at the highest level? Are you going to be reporting about that too? So, I don't want classified information getting out to the public and in a way that was almost a test. 

So I'm dealing with Mexico, I'm dealing with Argentina, we were dealing on this case with Mike Flynn. All this information gets put into the "Washington Post" and gets put into the "New York Times" and I'm saying "what's going to happen when I'm dealing on the Middle East? What's going to happen when I'm dealing with really, really important subjects like North Korea?

Perhaps if Trump did not conduct national security meetings in full view of guests at Mar a Lago he would not have to worry about so many leaks?

Just saying.

On the firing of Mike Flynn, and his contact with Russia about sanctions during the campaign:  

No, I fired him because of what he said to Mike Pence. Very simple. Mike was doing his job. He was calling countries and his counterparts. So, it certainly would have been OK with me if he did it. I would have directed him to do it if I thought he wasn't doing it.

I didn't direct him, but I would have directed him because that's his job.

Wait, what? This happened BEFORE the inauguration, and BEFORE Flynn was the national security adviser.

It is most certainly NOT the job of a campaign advisor to be talking to Russia about sanctions before his guy takes office. In fact it was not fucking Donald Trump's job to do that either.

We HAD a President dealing with that stuff and he certainly did not need any interference from Trump and his cronies.

Trump also spent quite a bit of time slamming the media and calling them fake news, defending his desire to "make a deal" with Russia (While also claiming that he had NO contact with them during the campaign.), and bizarrely attacking Hillary Clinton and re-litigating the election.

If you look at this and think he is sane or truthful, you need your head examined as well. Geez, the amount of crazy....#TrumpNewsConference

— Fjola Ingva (@FjolaIngva) February 16, 2017

All in all it was a trip to crazy town, and will undoubtedly provide much material for SNL.

"The only thing that is the end of the world is the end of the world." President Obama's comforting words to his daughters about the election will comfort us all.

 The President talking about his daughters, "But what we have also tried to teach them is resilience, and we've tried to teach them hope, and that the only thing that is the end of the world is the end of the world."

I found that oddly comforting.

Especially right now when it certainly does feel like the end of the world.

The President also added this toward the end of his answer.

"I believe in this country. I believe in the American people. I believe that people are more good than bad."

I have to say that if a man who just watched the arrogant asshole who hounded him for years about his birth certificate get voted into office by a bunch of voters too ignorant to understand what they stand to lose, still has this kind of confidence in the American people, I guess I should as well.

But I don't.

In fact my opinion of my fellow Americans has never been lower.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate his optimism.

I'm just not buying it.

However I do agree that overall our trajectory is toward progress and that ultimately we will get there.

In many ways Donald Trump is just an orange tinted, morbidly obese, monosyllabic bump in the road. I get that.

However my hope in that progress is probably not going to kick back in for at least another four years.

Until then my plan is to resist, to fight, and to dog this pompous POS until his last day in office.

(P.S. If you want to watch the entire final press conference you can do that by clicking here.)

Fox News faces yet another lawsuit claiming that Roger Ailes sexually harassed a female reporter.

Courtesy of the New York Times:

On Tuesday, Lidia Curanaj, now a Fox 5 reporter whose legal name is Lidija Ujkic, filed a 28-page discrimination and hostile work environment suit against the network’s parent company, in which she said Mr. Ailes harassed her when she was applying for a job at Fox News. 

According to the complaint, Mr. Ailes asked her to stand up and turn around during a one-on-one interview, so that he could “see [her] from behind.” 

“I like what I see,” Mr. Ailes then said, the suit asserts. Ms. Curanaj left the interview thinking she would land a job offer, according to the suit.

Mr. Ailes had met Ms. Curanaj at a dinner in February 2011 that she attended with Gregory R. Ball, a New York state senator whom Ms. Curanaj had dated. Mr. Ailes brought her into the network for the interview about three months later. 

After his private meeting with Ms. Curanaj, Mr. Ailes contacted Mr. Ball and asked him, “How’s the sex?” and whether she “put out” sexually, according to the suit. Mr. Ball described Ms. Curanaj as a “very nice girl,” signaling that she would not provide sexual favors to Mr. Ailes. 

Shortly after, Ms. Curanaj received a call from Mr. Ailes, who told her that she was not ready for Fox News and that she instead should contact Fox’s local stations, she says in the suit. Ms. Curanaj believed that she did not “receive the position at F.N.C. because Ailes determined that she would not submit to him sexually,” the suit states.

Well that kind of raises a question or two.

If this Curanaj person was rejected simply because Ailes did not think she would submit to him sexually, what does that say about all of the female reporters who DID get the job?

Also kind of makes one wonder how Sarah Palin got that million dollar a year contract with Fox.

Just saying. 

Sometimes the news is so terrible that even reporters have trouble holding it together.

Courtesy of Mediaite: 

CNN’s Kate Bolduan is a reporter who asks tough questions and is often expressive and emphatic when she does it. Today, however, she was expressive in a very different way. While sharing a video of a five-year-old Syrian named Omran Daqneesh sitting in the back of an ambulance with blood and soot all over him, Bolduan was tasked with explaining that he and his family were pulled from the rubble that was once their house. She said that there had been an air strike — which is common, as the country has been embroiled in a violent civil war for years — but had to stop and compose herself a few times.

I started seeing this little boy's image all over cable TV and the internet today and I have to admit that my reaction was very similar to Ms. Bolduan's.

Here is more about the little boy courtesy of the New York Times: 

In the images, he sits alone, a small boy coated with gray dust and encrusted blood. His little feet barely extend beyond his seat. He stares, bewildered, shocked and, above all, weary, as if channeling the mood of Syria. 

The boy, identified by medical workers as Omran Daqneesh, 5, was pulled from a damaged building after a Syrian government or Russian airstrike in the northern city of Aleppo. He was one of 12 children under the age of 15 treated on Wednesday, not a particularly unusual figure, at one of the hospitals in the city’s rebel-held eastern section, according to doctors there. 

But some images strike a particular nerve, for reasons both obvious and unknowable, jarring even a public numbed to disaster. Omran’s is one.

Unbelievably sad, and this little boy is just one of many innocent victims in a war not of their making.

Now if you will excuse me it seems I have something in my eye. 

After his big win last night Donald Trump brings campaign manager who manhandled female reporter on stage with him. You know, because he can.

Courtesy of Slate:  

Lewandowski doesn't usually stand by Trump's side during election night addresses. He's typically offstage, either watching or bossing people around. But there he was tonight, following Trump's wins in Florida, Illinois, and North Carolina, standing immediately to his candidate’s right.

This was not an accident. It was a display, and a vile one. Lewandowski was accused of aggressively grabbing Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields at a Trump event last Tuesday. She was bruised. The Trump campaign first denied that anything had happened, smearing Fields as either dishonest or delusional. Breitbart, Fields’ own publication, which serves as a mouthpiece for the Trump campaign, refused to fully defend its reporter, arguing instead the most likely explanation was that a Secret Service agent had grabbed her. Eventually, video emerged that showed Lewandowski lunging for Fields. Fields filed a police report, and she and a number of other Breitbart staffers resigned—all while the campaign continued to deny that Lewandowski had anything to do with it.

Meanwhile Breitbart's response to former staff members going public is to threaten them.

Courtesy of Politico:

Breitbart is getting litigious. 

The company sent out cease and desist letters to some of the employees who left the company in the past week, multiple sources with knowledge of the letters told POLITICO. Six staffers resigned in the past few days, citing the aftermath of how the site handled one of its reporters, Michelle Fields, accusing Donald Trump's campaign manager of strong-arming her as she tried to get the candidate's attention. 

I think this might be one of the best previews yet of what life would be like under Donald Trump presidency.

People being being abused by jack booted thugs, and pressure from propaganda outlets to keep quiet about it.

Now where have we seen this before?

And the beat goes on. Update!

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/10/29/cnbcs-sshow-epic-proportions-full-moderator-breakdown/
Posted by Sarah Palin on Friday, October 30, 2015

Man she cannot shut up can she?

If you follow that Breitbart link it takes you to an article trashing the moderators of the CNBC debate, and claiming that if Republicans want to win they have to target the media as their opponent rather than Hillary Clinton.

Which in my mind is a admission that they can't beat her.

And of course Palin is all over this because for all intents and purposes they are playing her song.

After all she has been blaming the media for her defeat in 2008 (Yes HER defeat.) since the day after Obama won.

In Palinworld everything would be just fine if people did not ask those super hard questions, such as "What do you read," "What does the Vice President do," and "What color is George Washington's white horse?"

So now it seems that Breitbart and others think that EVERY Republican candidate should be shielded from answering questions from the media that might stump them or reveal their ignorance, which means that essentially the entire GOP has now devolved into a much chunkier version of  Sarah "I can see Russia from Alaska" Palin.

Does this mean in some sick twisted way that the Palin curse has essentially won out?

Oh well screw your ghosts, vampires, and zombies this Halloween, because THAT is the most terrifying thing I have ever heard!

Update: Check this out, Charles P. Pierce of Esquire magazine agrees with me:

The Palinization of conservative rhetoric is now complete.

True that. 

Virginia reporter and her cameraman shot and killed during live broadcast. (Warning! Footage may be upsetting to watch.) Update!

Courtesy of CBS News: 

A gunman killed a reporter and videographer for a CBS affiliate in Virginia in a shooting that was broadcast live Wednesday morning. 

The affiliate, WDBJ-TV in Roanoke, reports that police are looking for a suspect. 

Alison Parker, 24, and Adam Ward, 27, a reporter and cameraman respectively for WDBJ-TV, died in the shooting, the station's general manager, Jeff Marks, said during a broadcast later in the morning. 

Marks said that Parker and Ward died shortly after 6:45 a.m., when the shots rang out. 

"We heard screaming and then we heard nothing," Marks said.

This is an ongoing story so updates will be provided as they come in.

Update: I just heard that the woman being interviewed when the shots were fired was injured but is alive.

Update 2: Photo of the reporter Alison Parker, and her cameraman Adam Ward.

Update 3: Here is an image of the shooter captured from the camera footage.

Update 4: The shooter has now been identified. He is Vester Lee Flanagan.

Update 5: Here is a better photo of Flanagan from WDBJ-T.

MSNBC is reporting that he was upset about being fired and claimed it was due to racism.

Update 6: New reports coming in that the shooter has now taken his own life. Before doing that he also filmed the shooting from his perspective and uploaded it to Facebook under his stage name, Bryce Williams.

Update 7: More here. Also news that Flanagan is NOT dead, but that he is in very bad shape after shooting himself.

Update 8: Here is the terrifying video that the shooter took himself.  Warning it is very hard to watch, and will probably be take down pretty soon.

Update 9: Okay now the reports are that the suspect, Vester Lee Flanagan, has died. 

President Obama smacks Major Garrett down over "nonsense" question. Update!

Courtesy of HuffPo:  

President Barack Obama publicly scolded CBS News' Major Garrett during a gathering of the press corps at the White House on Wednesday, chastising the reporter for asking if the president is "content" to celebrate the Iran nuclear deal while four American hostages remain in Iran. 

"That's nonsense. And you should know better," Obama replied.

I watched much of this press conference, and enjoyed how determined the President was to answer every question posed by the reporters in the room. The guy was clearly having the time of his life answering questions about the new deal with Iran.

However when Garrett stood up and asked this insulting and disrespectful question I thought it might anger the President so much that he would end the press conference.

Instead he gave his answer, though clearly with some irritation, and went right back to taking any and all questions from the pool of reporters.


Correction: My earlier post said that Garrett was reporting for Fox News, however he is actually now reporting for CBS.  My bad.

Update: Here are some of the folks who are applauding Major Garrett's question:

God bless you, Major Garrett

— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) July 15, 2015

.@MajorCBS hits a second homer.

— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) July 15, 2015

How dare @MajorCBS make Lord Obama uncomfortable! Off with his head!

— S.E. Cupp (@secupp) July 15, 2015

So you can understand why I briefly forgot that Garrett no longer worked for Fox News.

Hillary Clinton aides use rope to corral reporters during parade appearance.

Clinton advance aides create a rope line for the press, moving with the candidate pic.twitter.com/9S7CpVt7x4

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) July 4, 2015

Courtesy of ABC News:  

At the Fourth of July parade Hillary Clinton marched in Saturday in Gorham, New Hampshire, reporters following the candidate were kept -- and at moments, dragged -- behind an actual moving rope line. 

The rope, which two Clinton staffers held on to on either side, was meant to give Clinton space as she walked down the parade route, but photos of reporters being dragged behind the rope as she marched have gone viral on Twitter.

I saw this yesterday and have to admit that I was kind of shocked.

I mean it is one thing to have a roped off area for reporters to stand during an event, but quite another to use a rope to herd them down the street like cattle. 

Ultimately I am unable to really defend this action, and think it is really bad optics and not at all helpful to the Clinton campaign.

Does anybody else have a different opinion on this?

Female Fox News host eviscerates her own network over sexist article called "How to land a husband at the Masters"

Okay that is one gutsy newscaster.

Well if she gets fired I have little doubt she will quickly find a new job. she's pretty awesome.

Here is a little more info about Katie Nolan.

Sighting of Hillary Clinton's "Scooby Van" causes reporters to run after it like children chasing an ice cream truck.

Courtesy of Mediaite:

 MSNBC’s Clinton beat reporter Alex Seitz-Wald heroically remained in place and on camera Tuesday afternoon as the rest of the political press corps chased Hillary Clinton’s so-called Scooby Van upon its arrival at a roundtable meet and greet in Iowa. 

Seitz-Wald had just been answering anchor Thomas Roberts’ question about which entrance Clinton planned on using when her motorcade pulled up, causing about 50 or so reporters and camera crew members to chase it around the back — where Clinton had gone, according to Seitz-Wald, in hopes of avoiding the media.

Wow, that seems a little embarrassing.

I mean this is Hillary Clinton not the Beatles. 

I actually find it a little ironic that just yesterday SarahPAC released that video showing reporters following Palin's bizarre bus tour, and then today here is this footage of Hillary demonstrating what a real media frenzy looks like.