Morning Joe: Harold Ford, Jr., Ideologues, and The Question It Begs

I was watching Morning Joe on MSNBC Tuesday morning as I do everyday, and a very interesting discussion took place between Joe Scarborough, Melissa Harris-Lacewell, Harold Ford, Jr., and my man crush, author and editor of Newsweek magazine, Jon Meacham.

Mika Brzezinski, Scarborough’s co-host, was at the table as well being her usual pretentious, oblivious, ass-hat self, and offering nothing of substance.

Anyhoo…

The conversation centered on former Rep. Harold Ford’s (D-TN) aborted run for the U.S. Senate seat in New York.

Now, when he was a citizen of Tennessee, Ford ran for the U.S. Senate seat in Tennessee and he was defeated because he was deemed to be a Liberal.

After he moved to New York, he was going to run in the Democrat primary against Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), but he dropped out, mainly because New York Democrats find him to be too much of a Conservative.

The conversation brought up a good issue. Do we as voters, focus on a couple of key issues with which we define a candidate…issues that really in the big scheme of things, affect a minority of people?

Scarborough brought up a couple of these issues. Namely, abortion and gay marriage.

He went on to say that actual leadership ability is far down on the list of what voters look at when choosing.

During this back and forth between the panel (minus input from Mika who is a disaster when it comes to critical thinking except for her demand that we tax pop and fast food), I agreed that yes…

Many Americans DO base their vote on these issues, politicians exploit those issues, and in turn we end up with elected officials who are sub-par and nothing gets done.

And…it’s a fucking shame.

So let me put this question to you folks today…

If you are a person who has a Liberal bent on things political, how would you answer the following…

If there is a candidate for President who has a staunch history of being pro-life, and anti gay marriage, yet was guaranteed by God himself that if elected, would reduce unemployment to zero, balance the budget, and eliminate our nation’s debt would you vote for him or her?

I’m thinking that bonehead ideologues such as Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, and many others would say, “NO.” Would you?

And conversely…

If you are a person who has a Conservative bent on things political, how would you answer the following…

If there is a candidate for President who has a staunch history of being pro-choice, and pro gay marriage, yet was guaranteed by God himself that if elected, would reduce unemployment to zero, balance the budget, and eliminate our nation’s debt would you vote for him or her?

I’m thinking that moronic ideologues such as Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, and many others would say, “NO.”

Does that really make sense to you, ‘cause it sure as Hell doesn’t to me…

I am damn well sure that all over this country there are gay men and women who don’t give a rat’s ass whether they can marry or not, because they are too busy struggling to find a job.

And, there are church going women throughout this land who are thinking about how they are going to buy groceries and not about their right to have an abortion that they, in the future, may or may not need.

Abortion, gay marriage, and other issues all have their place at the table of debate, but…

Shouldn’t we focus on the issues that affect every American before we tackle those?

Or, should we stand idly by and allow others who haven’t a care in the world other than for their ratings or reelection bid to determine the course of this country?

To paraphrase Mr. Spock…To you, do the immediate needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one?

Let me know your answer.

Cheers!!

Matt-Man: A Day in the Life...

Happy Thursday, Bitches!!

Today is my scheduled day off and I feel pretty good even after working in the wind and the cold last night. So, all I can say to that is, “Boo Yah!!”

I was reading the comments that some of you left yesterday inquiring as to my whereabouts.

I merely spent the day resting up because I knew I would be working in some shitty weather last night.

I appreciate the concern, and your inquiries gave me an idea for today’s post.

Since, as I said, I am off all day today and so you need not ask what is going on with me, I am going to let you know exactly what I am doing and thinking as the day transpires. That’s right!!

I will be giving you periodic updates as to my doings, ruminations, and other exciting day-off activities.

Consider it as though I am Twittering, only on a grander scale. I think this could make for an incredibly boring scintillating post.

And don’t worry…I will not make each update a new post. I will merely edit and add my updates to this post, so as to not be obnoxious to various reader programs.

So gang…Let’s get livin’ with the Matt-Man!!

4:41 A.M.: Woke up. Walked to the kitchen and turned on the coffee pot. Went to the bathroom and took a major leak. The foam from my pee formed the face of Queen Boudica. “Cool”, I said.

5:02 A.M.: Back to the bathroom to take a dump. As it has been for three weeks due to my antibiotics, my rectal discharges are not solid. They are more the consistency of a dirty brown water main break.

5:30 A.M.: Schmoop woke up and I turned on MSNBC’s Way to Early with Willie Geist. Poured second cup of coffee.

6 A.M.: Watching Morning Joe (Brewed by Starbucks) as I typed this post. By the way, I am wearing a T-Shirt and my boxers, Mr. Happy Pants.

More Later…

7:00 A.M.: Schmoop left for work. She's really "thrilled". It's just me and the cat now. Strike up the porn music.

7:21 A.M.: Just got off of the phone with Ryno. He has his first scrimmage tonight after school. He's rarin' to go and sink some three pointers. He promised to drain one for me.

***********************************

9:29 A.M.: Just got out of the shower...shaved...dressed...Feelin' Good. What to do now? Oh, I know!! Let's have a beer!! Yum.

9:46 A.M: A little over five hours into my day, I fired up my first cigarette. Not Bad.

10:05 A.M: After reading P-Man's comment, I said "twat" out loud five times. I smiled.

***********************************

11:48 A.M.: Just got off of the phone with my friend Richard. Richard is a psychologist who calls ME up for advice and my opinion. Is that scary or what? It was actually a nice conversation for once. I think he was buzzed.

12:00 P.M.: Hey Dice!? Look...My Lighthouse is crying!!

12:55 P.M.: Schmoop will be home in 1-2 hours...Do I feed the underage Guatemalan hookers lunch or send them away now to be on the safe side? Advise quickly, please.

*********************************

1:46 P.M.: Man...I have one helluva good buzz going on. Not only does my lung not hurt...My back, where they stuck the tube, doesn't hurt.

2:40 P.M.: After a brief nap, the phone rang and Schmoop 's brother called to announce that he is coming up for suds and frivolity. Oh the Joy, I dig Dave!!

3:39 P.M.: Dave has two grave sites for sale...$1,500.00 if anyone is interested.

*********************************

4:45 P.M.: Somebody call the Police...We're having a domestic violence incident over whether Schmoop's brother is going to pick her up in the morning and take her to her Mom's or whether I will take her. Yes, it's due to Schmoop. God Help Us!!

5:18 P.M.: I'm watching Glenn Beck and he is trashing Andy Stern and SEIU. HA!! As someone who worked for SEIU, (and trust me, I didn't leave on good terms) he is such a fucking liar about the ends and means of both Stern and SEIU. Beck is such a lying, dumb fuck.

5:56P.M.: Okay I thought Glenn Beck was the epitome of stupid, but dig it...I just saw a commercial for a waterproof orthopedic dog bed. I have no idea what I am posting about tomorrow. I'm surrounded by stupid today. So many options!!

Cheers!!

Return From Elba: Don Imus Premiers on FOX Business Network

Today, Monday October 5th, 2009 is a big day in the world of morning talk shows.

The antediluvian, ophidian looking, sarcastic son of a bitch, Don Imus returns to TV today as he will now be simulcasting his radio show on FOX Business Network.

Yes friends, a little over two years after being unceremoniously canned by MSNBC, The I-Man has returned to television.

The President of FOX News and my fellow Ohioan, Roger Ailes, has decided that any wounds resulting from I-Man’s April 2007 “nappy headed ho’s” quote in reference to the Rutgers University women’s basketball team, have healed, and...

The I-Man is ready for “Primetime TV” once more…well, that the I-Man is once again ready for “Holy Crap It’s Early!! TV.”

I was behind Imus when the hubbub over his “ho” remark occurred. I wasn’t behind him because of his remark, although I found it to be pretty damn tame.


I was behind him because of the hypocrisy of those who wanted him fired.

Al Roker who appeared on the Imus in the Morning show numerous times in order to hump his latest book, was “outraged” by what Imus had said.

Baby Daddy, Jesse Jackson used the “scandal” in order to attempt to resurrect his long lost relevance.

Al Sharpton, who once said, “White folks was in caves while we was building empires…We taught philosophy and astrology and mathematics before Socrates and them Greek homos ever got around to it.” was driving the Fire Imus Bandwagon.

MSNBC and CBS Radio were outraged as well…not by his comment, but by the fact that they were losing advertising revenue over the incident.

Jackson, Sharpton, MSNBC, CBS, and many other people and groups wore their hypocrisy and phoniness on their sleeves over this “scandal.”

It was completely and intentionally blown out of proportion by civil rights ambulance chasers and multimedia bean counters.

But…that is in the past. Today, Imus, while he has continued to air his show on radio, begins anew on TV.

I’m going to watch it today, but eh…

While I have always found Imus to be funny in a rude, asshole type of way, I’m hooked on Morning Joe (Brewed By Starbucks) on MSNBC.

I know, Joe Scarborough is as Conservative as they come, but he has the best guests on…and they come from all political spectrums.

On top of that, if I want to be amused by a rude asshole, I’ll just read my old posts (like this one) or write a new one. So…

I’m glad that Imus is back. I think he got a raw deal by being fired, although he did get a 40 Million Dollar settlement from CBS.

But hey, if you’re one of those who thinks he didn’t get punished enough, consider this…

Even though Imus is back on TV, he’s on FOX Business Network. FOX Business Network, People!! Holy Cow!!

It’s channel 353 on the Bagwine cable box. Who has the strength and where-with-all to punch THREE numbers into their remote!?

I bet Ailes would have rather put Imus on FOX News Channel in the morning in place of the Fox and Friends Stooges: Doocy, Kilmeade, and Carlson, but being the smart guy that Ailes is, he recognizes something important.

People who watch Fox and Friends during the week, don’t like to think for themselves. They want the right wing honey served to them on top of their morning oatmeal.

The I-Man? He sometimes has opinions that go against the grain of those types of people. Ailes doesn’t want to upset those folks, especially during breakfast. It could very well confuse them for the rest of the day.

Cheers!!

Way Too Early With Willie Geist and Morning Joe on MSNBC: Actual Thought Goes Well With Coffee

I am an early riser typically.

On most days I arise at 5:30 A.M.…

Or to be more accurate, at 5:30 A.M., I get off of Kelly in order to go take a leak, plug the coffeemaker in, fire up the day’s first cigarette, and then turn on the TV.

The channel on the Bagwine TV is immediately turned to MSNBC.

At 5:30, MSNBC kicks off with, Way too Early with Willie Geist. I dig the Willie, and his half hour show is a great way to wake up. It’s news, but he makes it amusing.

At 6 A.M., Morning Joe (Brewed by Starbucks) begins, and runs until 9:00 A.M. If you want to know what the day’s headlines are, enjoy politics, and revel in intelligent discourse, this is the morning show that you need to watch.

Morning Joe is hosted by Joe Scarborough, a former Congressman from Pensacola, FL. His co-hosts are Mika Brzezinski, and the aforementioned, Willie Geist.

Scarborough is almost as conservative as people can be. His lifetime voting record in Congress earned him an ACU rating in the low to mid 90’s. How could I, Matt-Man, enjoy watching a guy like this?

He’s not a nut job conservative who believes in Death Panels or the claim of Obama being born in Kenya, and is more than comfortable in criticizing his own, beloved GOP. On top of that…

Scarborough can be pretty damn funny. I like that. He and Willie Geist are the Abbott and Costello of morning shows…but it’s in a smart way.

Mika Brzezinski is sitting next to Joe the entire time. And Mika? She’s easy on the eyes, can read the news as well as anyone, and…she is freakin’ annoying as hell!!

She’s a nanny state chick who wants everything that is bad for a person’s health, such as Big Macs, sugary drinks, and of course tobacco to be taxed out the ass. Rarely does a day go by that she doesn’t bring it up. And, she…never…shuts…up!!

And while I don’t find Mika to be too bright, her IQ is still at least 20 points higher than the combined IQ of Steve Doocy, Brian Kilmeade, and the uber-vacuous Gretchen Carlson over at Fox and Friends.

Anyhoo…

Morning Joe, unlike the right wing propaganda over at FOX with Hannity and The O’Reilly Factor, and the left wing love fest that takes place on MSNBC with Countdown with Keith Olbermann and The Rachel Maddow Show, is incredibly balanced.

The show is balanced not so much by the trio of hosts, but by the guests that they have on. They have the best guests on morning show TV, period.

Whether a person is Liberal, Conservative, or Moderate…If that person is someone who has influence in our country and the world in all areas from economics, health care, or international relations, they appear on the show.

Recurring guests include Liberals such as, Eugene Robinson, Lawrence O’Donnell, and Mike Barnicle.

Conservatives include Pat Buchanan, Dan Senor, and Peggy Noonan. Anyone in the know, appears on Morning Joe (Brewed by Starbucks).

There you have it folks. Nothing really funny here today, but I just wanted to give you a tip.

If you are tired of all of the left and right wing crazies that appear on cable TV, and want to hear informed and thoughtful opinions (whether you agree with them or not) being bandied about, there is a place that you can go.

And that place is called…

Morning Joe (Brewed by Starbucks)...in spite of Mika.

Cheers!!

Get Your Hand Out of My Chips!!

Sunday morning I was watching Fox and Friends Weekend.

Yes, I watch it on the weekends because well...

The two dudes are not incredibly hateable like their weekday counterparts, Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade.

And…

Unlike Fox and Friends weekday Gumby Gal, Gretchen Carlson, Alisyn Camerota can put complete sentences together and is smokin’ hot.

Anyhoo…

They had uber-nutjob and founder of National Action Against Obesity (NAAO), MeMe Roth on. Oh, how I loathe her simple, skinny ass.

She’s a Food Nazi who has called for boycotts of Girl Scout cookies, said that Jordin Sparks should not have won American Idol because she’s fat, and wants junk food banned altogether.

She’s a goofball and media whore, and her appearance on F&F just fired me up about this whole movement to tax and/or ban “junk food”.

Roth is far from alone in the movement to tax or ban certain products. Governor Patterson of New York wants to tax sodas that are high in sugar.

It’s all because there is a childhood obesity epidemic and the Guv wants nothing but the best of health for the cheeeeldren.

Oh, and the 1.2 BILLION Dollars the tax would generate for the state would be nice too.

Individuals and advocacy groups popping up over the issue of junk food related obesity are almost always involved in the cause for one of two reasons.

Either they want to generate money through taxes or…

THEY CAN’T MIND THEIR OWN DAMN BUSINESS, BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY KNOW WHAT’S BEST FOR OTHERS!!

Jesus Christ, now dig it…

Weekday mornings I watch Morning Joe on MSNBC. It’s hosted by Joe Scarborough, a former U.S. Rep from Florida.

He’s quite the conservative, but I find him funny and they have really good and varied guests on.

The only drawback to his show? His co-host, Mika Brzezinski.

Oh dear God, she is a Junk Food Nazi just like MeMe Roth.

She finds it super duper that smoking is banned in all places but one’s bathroom.

And, she loves the fact that Gov. Patterson wants to tax soda.

She think it’s “cool” because he is taxing things that are bad for people.

She often berates Scarborough for his weight and sometimes refers to herself as, “Mommy”. Uh-Huh, if that doesn’t hit the societal nail on the head.

Some people want to be everyone’s mommy and dictate how they live. I’ve got two words for Mommy Brzezinski and others of her self-rightgeous ilk…

Get Stuffed!!

Because of people like these, laws have been enacted that force us to wear seatbelts, helmets, and in turn, veto our personal choices and responsibility.

They have grossly exaggerated the effects of second hand smoke which has forced smokers to hide in the shadows while paying exorbitant taxes. And now…

These same people want to tell us what to eat and drink, all in the name of the children.

Gimme a break. It’s all about the money and busy-bodyism.

So, Food Nazis, let me eat my junk food tax free and guilt free, because while it might not be good for me, it tastes so much better than the line of bullshit that you are feeding me.

Cheers!!