Markos on Olbermann

Scott and I caught Markos’ appearance on Olbermann tonight. All in all, he did a good job. However:

1) Damn, dude, SHAVE before you go to the studio. Either that or let them put some more makeup on. Your 5:00 shadow was really obvious.

2) A cotton sweater over a t-shirt is too dressed down for MSNBC.

It’s not just what you say and how you say it. It’s also how you look. Image counts. Daily Kos has already been painted as the home of scruffy liberal elites. The least you can do is not look the part.

Spring Break

So this week is my Spring Break. It doesn’t feel much like a break. I’m working as per usual, three days a week. Plus, with a midterm and a 20-minute class presentation coming up next week, I’m spending my two “off” days up on campus studying and working. In other words, the only thing that’s break-y about this week is that I don’t have to be on campus at night Tuesday and Wednesday.

Not feeling particularly blog-y either. However, John at AmericaBlog has a really nice rant that’s worth a read.

I Heart George Clooney

We need more George Clooneys in the world. Cute, smart, and not afraid to call bullshit:

This is an incredibly polarized time (wonder how that happened?). But I find that, more and more, people are trying to find things we can agree on. And, for me, one of the things we absolutely need to agree on is the idea that we’re all allowed to question authority. We have to agree that it’s not unpatriotic to hold our leaders accountable and to speak out.

That’s one of the things that drew me to making a film about Murrow. When you hear Murrow say, “We mustn’t confuse dissent with disloyalty” and “We can’t defend freedom at home by deserting it at home,” it’s like he’s commenting on today’s headlines.

The fear of been criticized can be paralyzing. Just look at the way so many Democrats caved in the run up to the war. In 2003, a lot of us were saying, where is the link between Saddam and bin Laden? What does Iraq have to do with 9/11? We knew it was bullshit. Which is why it drives me crazy to hear all these Democrats saying, “We were misled.” It makes me want to shout, “Fuck you, you weren’t misled. You were afraid of being called unpatriotic.”

The Politics of Censuring Bush

Usually, the bloviating on Sunday morning talk shows is uninspiring enough that sleeping in seems the better option. Today was one of the days when I woke up and found I should have gotten up early after all. Senator Russ Feingold announced on George Stephanopolis’ show that he will be introducing a resolution to censure President Bush.

Although a censure of Bush would definitely gladden my heart, I found myself wondering more about the timing than anything else. Why now? Is it just to put an issue on the table for the fall elections, or is this part of a plan to raise his profile for 2008? Or is something else going on?

It might also be that the nose counts have been done behind the scenes and the Democrats have determined that they might actually be able to push through a censure whereas impeachment doesn’t even remotely have a chance.

Oh And About Barry Bonds

Here’s what I’d tell him:

You’ve got your single-season steroid-enhanced record, and much good may it do you. Accept the fact that you won’t beat Hank Aaron, retire, and take all the controversy with you.

But please, just go.