Gary Busey for Gingrich

Gary Busey was in town over the weekend and he was talking 2012. While his former Celebrity Apprentice boss isn’t in the race (yet?), Busey says he’s going with Gingrich anyway.

"I like Newt Gingrich a lot," he told Hollywood on the Potomac. And he gave him a bit of an endorsement—the way only Gary Busey can. "He's great, he's fantastic. Never mind the past. I'm going to give you a BUSEY-ism for past. Past stands for preoccupation about spent time. You need to get out of the past to get into the now. The word now stands for no other way. That's the best place on earth. I like Newt Gingrich because I like what he stands for, I like what he's done. I like his observation on this country, where the country needs to be."

(Photo Courtesy: Hollywood on the Potomac)

And just in case you're looking for some other Busey-isms...

First Trailer for HBO's Veep

A short trailer for “Veep” – the forthcoming HBO comedy starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as vice president is out. I can't wait for this show! I'm a big fan of "Elaine" and the concept looks funny.

Capitol File magazine profiled Julia Louis-Dreyfus this month and asked her about the forthcoming show. She says the show isn't about partisanship, but, "What it is, though, is a show about political behavior. And that is where the comedy comes from.”

The show premieres in April 2012.

Sarah Palin Wants More TV Time

Sarah Palin’s looking to air another reality show, but so far no network has inked a deal with the Palin clan. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that "Palin and Mark Burnett are pitching another reality series, this one more focused on Palin’s husband Todd and his career as a championship snowmobile racer. But for now, TLC owner Discovery Communications has passed, say sources. And A&E Networks, which entered into a bidding war with Discovery for Sarah Palin's Alaska, also is not interested. So far, networks have balked at the steep asking price – Palin's Alaska went for north of $1 million an episode and sources say Burnett and Palin are asking for a similar payday for the follow-up."

It's hard to get someone to pay you a million bucks when you're no longer relevant. Are Sarah Palin's 15 minutes finally up?

(Photo Courtesy: TLC)

White House Chronicle 12-2-11

Last week, the great Llewellyn King invited me on his program, "White House Chronicle." I had a great time talking about the 2012 campaign, the Euro Zone Crisis, and the Twitters!

Gaga-loo at the White House

Lady Gaga made a surprisingly low key visit to the White House on Tuesday. According to the White House blog, she was there to discuss her anti-bullying initiative. A White House aide confirmed that Gaga met with staffers from the Office of Public Engagement. The pop star expressed frustration about the bullying issue after a teen suicide in September and declared over Twitter, “I am meeting with our President. I will not stop fighting. This must end. Our generation has the power to end it.” Though Gaga didn’t sit down with Obama on Tuesday, she did recently see him at a fundraiser in California. More from Politico’s Click.

(Photo Credit: Interscope Records)

Obama's MV Rental Sells

President Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard Rental is off the market. The Martha’s Vineyard Gazette reported: "Blue Heron Farm, the sprawling Vineyard estate where President Obama has vacationed with his family for three years, has been purchased for $21.9 million by famed British architect Lord Norman Foster and his wife, Lady Elena Foster." Originally listed for $24.5 million, the property boasts “two full-sized homes, a boathouse, a 150-year-old barn that was brought in from Pennsylvania and reassembled, a riding ring, tennis and basketball courts, multiple gardens and an apple orchard,” according to the Gazette. And if that’s not enough, “a white clapboard farmhouse on the property was inspired by the home in the Kevin Costner movie 'Field of Dreams.'”

(AP Photo)

Donald Trump: Debate Moderator

I can't even find the words to explain what this is, so I will let the New York Times do it for me:

Donald Trump is pairing up with Newsmax, the conservative magazine and news Web site, to moderate a presidential debate in Des Moines on Dec. 27.

“Our readers and the grass roots really love Trump,” said Christopher Ruddy, chief executive of Newsmax Media. “They may not agree with
him on everything, but they don’t see him as owned by the Washington establishment, the media establishment.”

Mr. Trump’s role in the debate, which will be broadcast on the cable network Ion Television, is sure to be one of the more memorable moments in a primary season that has already delivered its fair share of circus-like spectacle.

And there's more:

Newsmax sent candidates the invitation on Friday afternoon. It began, “We are pleased to cordially invite you to “The Newsmax Ion Television 2012 Presidential Debate,” moderated by a truly great American, Mr. Donald J. Trump.” Spokesmen for several candidates did not immediately respond to questions from The New York Times about whether they would accept.

What is Ion TV? I'm going to need to TiVo this for sure...

One-on-One with Newark Mayor Cory Booker

This week, the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is launching their inaugural summit on childhood obesity. First Lady Michelle Obama, PHA Honorary Chair, is scheduled to to speak to the conference today about how to end the obesity epidemic. Also attending this week's "Building a Healthier Future Summit" are former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, and James R. Gavin III, MD, PhD, PHA board chair. I had a chance to catch up with Mayor Booker on Tuesday to talk about some of the work being done at this week's conference:

11-29-11 - Mayor Cory Booker wPam by Pamela Kirkland

For more information about the PHA and what's happening in Washington this week, head here.

Wolf Blitzer at the Soul Train Awards (Again)

He made his first appearance last year at the awards show and Doug E. Fresh taught him how to dougie. Well, he was back onstage again this year and...well...you can watch for yourself.




Why Wolf...why?

(video courtesy ABC's Jimmy Kimmel LIVE)

J.R. Martinez to Meet Sec. Panetta

The winner of this season’s MirrorBall trophy, J.R. Martinez, will be heading to Washington soon for a very special meet and greet. According to People Magazine, “Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has invited the soldier and winner of "Dancing with the Stars", to meet him at the Pentagon...During a 10-minute telephone call Friday, Panetta told the dance champion he demonstrated the strength and resilience of wounded veterans. Martinez credited his military training an partner Karina Smirnoff for his performance on the show said a Pentagon spokesman.


(Getty Images)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

We here at the Readout are taking a little time away from the blog to reflect on all the things we're thankful for (including all our readers and listeners!) Happy Thanksgiving to you all and can't wait to see you on the radio on Monday!

Minorities Would be Heavily Affected by COLA Cuts

The clock is ticking for the Supercommittee. There's only a few days left until the deadline for the groups of twelve to come up with a comprehensive debt reduction package of at least $1.2 trillion in savings over the next decade. Democrats have been uneasy about proposed cuts to entitlement programs like Social Security, but with so little time left, the only thing the "super" twelve can agree on is putting everything (even entitlements) on the table.

One cut under consideration is a $112 billion cut to Social Security by changing how the Social Security cost of living adjustment (COLA) is calculated and reducing benefits. Also said to be under review, raising the age of Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67 and increasing out-of-pocket costs for seniors using Medicare.

"People of color, minorities, disproportionately rely on social security because they're disadvantaged in the workplace," says Nancy Altman, co-director of Social Security Works. "Often they don't have private pensions or other sources of income, so they are highly dependent on these benefits. Minority women, especially, are extremely dependent on these benefits."

There was a recent piece in the Washington Post last month detailing just as U.S. demographics continue to change and citing this report:

Maya Rockeymoore, president and CEO of Global Policy Solutions, which put together a new report on the issue with a coalition of left-leaning policy and minority advocacy groups. The report points out that minority Americans tend to rely more heavily on Social Security than white Americans, given the disparities in wealth and income.

The authors points out that minorities are also less likely to have workplace-sponsored pension programs, as they’re less likely to have employers that offer such benefits. And the wealth gap means they have fewer assets to draw upon. (SSI stands for “Supplemental Security Income,”an auxillary Social Security benefit program.)

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (I), pollster Celinda Lake released a poll on Friday showing that a majority of Americans across party lines oppose cuts to Social Security. “We are not going to allow them to cut Social Security,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. said on a conference call earlier today. He conceded the cuts were necessary telling reporters, "we need deficit reduction, but not through Social Security."

(Associated Press Photo)

Friday's Readout

Wolf Blitzer's back to doing the dougie...Marion Barry's on Twitter (oh Lawd!)...and Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) may want to consider going into the firefighting business:

11-18-11 - POTUS Readout (Fri) by Pamela Kirkland

The Blitzer video from last year...

Herman Cain Gets Secret Service Detail

Federal agents will now follow the GOP presidential candidate, and former Godfather's Pizza CEO, after a request for increased security was granted. POLITICO reports, in the past, candidates only recieved Secret Service detail after winning their party's nomination.

“We are protecting Herman Cain,” Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said Thursday night. He said the decision was made by Homeland Security “Secretary Napolitano, at the request of the Cain campaign and in consultation with the Congressional advisory committee.”

“The authority was given to the Service to protect Herman Cain [beginning] today,” Donovan said.

And the news has spurred a parody Twitter account. By Friday morning, @CainsSecretService
had appeared on Twitter. Claiming to be one of the agents on Secret Service detail for Herman Cain, the tweets trickled out earlier this morning:

You wouldn't think I'd have to tell this man that "999" is the #worstpassword he could've chosen for his email.

#ThingsYouShouldStopDoingInYour30s: Consider taking a bullet for a pizza guy on a book tour. #CainSecretService

(AP Photo/Telegraph Herald, Jeremy Portje)

Sen. Rubio Says Supercommittee "Colossally Bad Idea"

Florida Senator Marco Rubio doesn't have much faith that the Supercommittee will come up with a plan by their November 23rd deadline. In fact, he thinks the whole concept behind the Committee was misdirected. "I think the Supercommittee is going to go down as a colossally bad idea. They are debating some of the most important public policy initiatives that this country will undertake in our lifetime and it's all being done behind closed doors, in secret, without any public input."

Speaking on "The Morning Briefing" on Sirius XM's P.O.T.U.S. channel, he told Tim Farley that the idea of a "Congress within a Congress" was a "cop-out." "We have to read leaks and media accounts of what they're deliberating. We can't even have a public discourse over these major issues. What we're debating here is the role of government and how to prevent our country from going into a European-style downturn." The Senator continued, "People pay us to deal with these issues and we need to do our job."

However, he's holding on to a (tiny) sliver of hope, "Honestly, I pray that tomorrow morning the Supercommittee comes out with $4 trillion of spending cuts and pro-growth tax measures that put us in the right direction, but I'm not betting on it."

Listen to his full interview Tim Farley:

11-17-11 - Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) wTim (self-contained) by Pamela Kirkland

Tom McMillen: Members Need to Spend More Time in Washington

In the midst of the Supercommittee negotiations unraveling and the partisan bickering that's gripped the Capitol, former Congressman Tom McMillen thinks a little more time in Washington could help ease some tension on the Hill.

"If you go back to Jerry Ford, he said, 'The lack of civility in Washington is due to the jet airplane,'" says McMillen. "The fact that people are jetting in and out of here and spending two day here they don't get to know their colleagues--in particular their colleagues on the other side. More and more families don't live in Washington. It used to be where you kids and your wife got to know other members' families of both parties. It makes it a different environment."

Another major difference McMillen sees between the time he spent in the House and what it's like to work there now is the 24 hour news cycle. He continues, "In this day and age, people are jetting off. There's TV and talk radio that's chewing them up everyday and it's a very acrimonious environment. We really as a nation, have to realize that we're all in this together and we have to put aside some of this partisanship."

(As an aside, I had to ask the one-time NBA player if he'd had a chance to hoop it up with President Obama. He said, it's an open invitation. "Well I've always offered if he ever needed a tall left hander or two to help the President," he told me.)

Tomorrow's Rundown Tonight

A bit late, but here's what's on tap for Thursday's "Morning Briefing."

7:20a ET - Congressman Rob Andrews (D-NJ/1st) We've been talking all week about the Supercommittee and with the members coming right down to the wire, sequestration cuts are becoming a real possibility. We'll talk with Congressman Andrews, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, about possible cuts to Defense if the Supercommittee fails.

7:40a ET - Dr. Fouad Ajami, Senior Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Ajami will join Tim to talk about the growing violence and increased pressed on Syrian President Assad to step down.

8:20a ET - Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) Senators Rubio and Coons, on Tuesday, introduced bipartisan jobs legislation in the Senate--the AGREE Act. We'll talk with him about the bill and why he thinks it's better than what President Obama's proposed.

VP Biden on Regis and Kelly

The Vice President dropped by "LIVE with Regis and Kelly" on Wendesday morning to wish Regis Philbin well on his last week on the air...and to drop of a little present.

Secretary Clinton Photo-Bombed in Honolulu

Occupy Chocolate Rain

You might remember Tay Zonday as the baritone-voiced young man behind the viral "Choclate Rain" video. Well Gawker discovered that he's back and he's got a new song for the 99 percent.

Sen. Orrin Hatch Enters the "Thirty Mile Zone"

Rick Perry-Britney Spears "Oops" Mix

I just couldn't resist doing a little Rick Perry remix this morning:

- 11-10-11 - Rick Perry-Britney Spears Mix by Pamela Kirkland

Today's Readout

With Jon Decker in The Pool...

CNN AM Wake Up with Carol Costello

Tomorrow's Rundown Tonight

Okay...this daylight savings time is killing me. 5:04p ET and the sun was down...but I do appreciate the extra hour of sleep!

Anyway, on to more important topics. Tim Farley's out tomorrow, but the Washington Post's Ed O'Keefe will hop in the host chair. Here's what's on tap for Tuesday's (Election Day Edition of) The Morning Briefing.

6:40a ET - Mark Brewer, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine. We'll kick off our election day coverage all the way up North. This Mainer will talk with us about the different measures on the ballot (including same day voter registration).

7:20a ET - Tom Jensen, Director of Public Policy Polling (publicpolicypolling.com)
So many polls, so little time. Thankfully, we've got Tom to take us all around the country in 10 minutes. On the docket: down to the wire on Personhood Amendment in Mississippi, SB 5 headed for big defeat in Ohio, and Obama under water in Maine

7:40a ET - Thom Mozloom, President, the M Network. Rounding out our hour of T(h)om's, Mozloom and O'Keefe will talk about the latest in political advertising.

8:20a ET - Richard Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO LIVE from Ohio! He's on the ground in the state lobbying against Ohio's Senate Bill 5 before Tuesday's referendum vote.

8:35a ET - Aman Batheja, Reporter "Fort Worth Star-Telegram" and blogger for their PoliTex blog. Texas has 10 amendments to its constitution on Tuesday's ballot.

8:45a ET - Aaron Blake for "The Washington Post's" "The Fix" will jump in.

Tomorrow's Rundown (Friday Edition)

Coming up on tomorrow's show:

7:20a - Rep. Illeana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee, will join us tomorrow to talk about the vote earlier this week to admit the Palestinian Authority to UNESCO. Afterward, the State Department announced it would comply with an existing law requiring the U.S. to pull funding for international organizations that allow entry to the Palestinians. Will Congress try and change the law?

7:40a - The Washington Post's Dana Milbank will be here as usual and we're talking about Herman Cain. Trust me, you won't want to miss this conversation.

8:20a - Senator Tom Udall (D-Colorado). Senator Udall earlier this week, along with Sens. Durbin, Schumer, and Merkley, announced they would introduce a constitutional amendment to reform campaign finance.

8:35a - Education Secretary Arne Duncan will join Tim to talk about the American Jobs Act. And does he think will Congress finally pass legislation to reform "No Child Lefe Behind?"

8:45a - And it's the first Friday of November, so it's time for jobless numbers. Mark Lieberman, Managing Director of Economics Analytics Research will break down the numbers.

I needed a song about Friday that wasn't Rebecca Black:

Did Rick Perry's Campaign Leak the Herman Cain Story?

Herman Cain's Smokesperson® (registered to Tim Farley) Mark Block thinks so. In an interview with Fox News' Brett Baier, he accused the campaign of spreading the sexual harassment claims in an attempt to hurt Cain's campaign. Block also said that, "Rick Perry and his campaign owe Herman Cain and his family an apology."

The plot thickens...

(Did I mention there's a third female accuser now?)



Update: Gov. Perry fired back in an interview with Redstate.com's Erick Erickson.

Rick Perry, Jon Stewart, and a glass of Pinot Noir

Earlier this week I posted video of Texas Governor Rick Perry's much talked about Cornerstone speech.

While the Governor was very animated during his remarks, Perry told the San Francisco Chronicle that he wasn’t on pain medication, as some have speculated, during the speech in New Hampshire last week.

"The Daily Show" spent a few minutes on Monday analyzing Perry's "over-exaggerated" remarks. Eventually Jon Stewart declared (joking of course) Governor Perry drunk. With a laugh, Perry also shot down Stewart's assertion.

"I wasn't that either,” Perry said, adding: “It's not that I wouldn't love to sit down with Jon and have a glass of wine — if he'll buy."

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Honey Badger Don't Care

And apparently neither does Louisiana Senator David Vitter.

*Sidenote: When internet memes make their way to the Senate floor, they are officially dead

Politico's Click blog found this gem from Sen. Vitter earlier today.

Sen. David Vitter mentioned the honey badger in a colloquy with Sen. Jeff Sessions about the upcoming LSU-Alabama football game.

“I would just summarize our feelings in Louisiana,” Vitter said. “You all have a great team, maybe one of the best Alabama teams ever, but it really doesn’t matter who LSU’s opponent is, because as we say in Louisiana, the honey badger takes what he wants, and we’re looking forward to doing that on Saturday night.”

Vitter’s spokesman explained the reference: “I doubt the senator has seen the original video, but the honey badger meme has become popular among LSU football fans this season. One of LSU’s star defensive players, Tyrann Mathieu, earned the nickname 'Honey Badger' because he’s fearless and takes what he wants on the football field.”

And just in case you haven't seen the original...

Tomorrow's Rundown Today

Want to know who you'll be hearing on "The Morning Briefing with Tim Farley" tomorrow morning? Well, here it is--tomorrow's rundown tonight.

6:20a - John Kirton joins us from Cannes, France. As co-director of the G-20 Research Group at the University of Toronto, he'll talk with Tim about what to expect out of the economic summit.

7:20a - Our behind-the-scenes guru Adam Belmar. The former Bushie and host of PoliOptics (Saturdays at 6a/noon ET on POTUS) will talk about the President's whirlwind trip to Cannes and the campaign's "We Can't Wait" mantra. (Apparently HE can't wait to get home from France)

7:40a - Dr. Raphael Bostic, Assistant Secretary of HUD for Policy Development and Research and architect of the revamped "HARP". If there's no "silver bullet" to fix the housing crisis, how much will the President's new measure help?

8:20a - Steve Bell, Senior Director of the Economic Policy Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center, wants the Supercommittee to "Go Big or Go Home." He'll talk with Tim about the Bipartisan Policy Center's recommendations for the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.

8:35a - Veteran GOP Strategist Ed Rollins jumps in. Will these sexual harrassment allegations sink Herman Cain's campaign? And what about Congresswoman Michele Bachmann? Does her former campaign manager think she's dead in the water?

8:45a - Senator Tom Carper (D-Deleware). Fresh off the train, Senator Carper will discuss the latest plan to save the Postal Service.

It will be another busy morning that you definitely won't want to miss! See you on the radio.

Rick Perry's Cornerstone Remarks

Texas Governor Tick Perry raised some eyebrows over the weekend with a speech he gave in Manchester, N.H. The Huffington Post's Jon Ward called Perry's remarks "unusually expressive." Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas told the Huffington Post after the speech, "It was different." Here's some (edited) video from those remarks:

Wake Up with Carol Costello

West Wing Week

McCotter Mourns R.E.M. Breakup

You’ve all heard the news by now, the band R.E.M. announced they were splitting up on Wednesday.

And now Congressman Thad McCotter (R-MI), GOP presidential candidate, is bummed that he never got to see them play live. "What's Peter Buck going to do now?" McCotter told The Ticket. "That's too bad. I just downloaded all my stuff onto my iPod late last year during the lame-duck session. And it was one of the ones I found myself going back and listening to. You know, especially when they do the Velvet Underground covers." "I'm bummed, that's too bad," he said. "But all things must pass. They had a good run."

Campaign Advice Courtesy of Chris Christie

Zack Martini, an 11-year-old from Springfield, N.J., is thinking about running for his 6th grade student council and just like any good candidate for office, he's soliciting advice for the campaign trail. This week, he got some much needed advice from none other than his state’s Governor, Chris Christie. At a town hall in Union Township, Martini asked Gov. Christie for some guidance. Here’s what the Governor told him:

Nice Going Mr. President

President Obama on Tuesday joined Open Government Partnership for group photo. Hmm...I don't think waving during the picture was such a great idea.

Friday's Readout

Jersey Shore isn't just costing me braincells anymore...it's costing taxpayers from the state of New Jersey!!

Ron Paul Gets Two Endorsements!!

Congressman Ron Paul scored not one but TWO endoresements this week. Although, one of them may be unwanted:

First up...Barry Manilow!



And next...Drunk Brian?

AM Wake Up w/Carol Costello

In an attempt to beat Snooki at her own game, I went on CNN this morning to show I too can deliver the news!

Ok, not really. But here's the video from my hit with CNN's Carol Costello on "AM Wake Up."

Happy Labor Day! (I'm going back to bed).

And Now, A Word from Donald Trump

Memo from the desk Of Donald Trump, the Donald DOES NOT LIKE Dick Cheney. In a video posted Thursday, the Donald reviews former Vice President Dick Cheney’s memoir, In My Time. Trump takes issue with the VP’s recollection of the decision to go into Iraq and Cheney’s criticism of General Collin Powell. However, it sounds to me like he really just has an issue with Cheney.

Did I mention Trump gave a critique of a book he hasn’t read?

h/t Gawker

West Wing Week: Biden Edition

If you thought the photo-ops from Vice President Joe Biden’s trip to Asia last week were entertaining, check out this week’s “West Wing Week” on the White House blog. The video goes behind the scenes on the Vice President’s trip through China, Mongolia and Japan. They write, “In between meeting with world leaders and speaking with locals, the Vice President took in the sights, sounds and culture of the far east.” Where else can you find video of the VP with a camel in Mongolia? (Tip: Fast-forward to the last 10 seconds of the video)

The News According to Snooki

Newscasters, including myself, are shaking in their boots after Snooki made her debut as a news anchor on Wednesday. The pint sized Jersey Shore star took her turn at the anchor’s desk for AOL's Cambio. With a jar of pickles on one side of her and a can of hairspray on the other, the Snooki weighs in on Beyonce's baby bump, the damage caused by Hurricane Irene, aliens and global warming. She’s got at least one fan out there. CNN’s Anderson Cooper called the “Rennisance Woman” a "little cutie Couric."

Jackie O Tapes to Air on ABC

Here's ABC's Trailer for the never before heard interview of the former First Lady with historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

Obama Countdown App

Counting down the time until President Obama leaves office? There’s an app for that!

The Daily Caller’s writing about an “Obama Clock” app that displays polling data on the President’s popularity along with the U.S. unemployment rate, the gasoline price index, housing values, the national debt — and the amount of time remaining until the next presidential inauguration. The app costs 99 cents and was launched on August 4th. Jeremy Ross, the apps creator, said he’s charging 99 cents for the app in order to prevent its ratings from being downgraded by people who dislike it for political reasons.

Not to make light of a very serious issue, but this is the second drunk driving story of the week...

Congressman Joe Barton's son, Bradley, was arrested late last week and charged with driving while under the influence, according to a local Texas television report. In the Know writes, “Barton's office refused to comment on the arrest of the congressman’s son, telling The Hill in a statement it was a “family matter.” Police in Texas say Bradley Barton had a child under the age of 15 with him in the vehicle when he was pulled over while driving in a school zone on Thursday.Dallas-Fort Worth's WFAA-TV reported that a parent who was in line to pick up her child at school said she saw Barton swerving and alerted a campus officer.”

Survivor: Indiana

Survivor fan favorite Rupert Boneham had no problem scoring votes to keep him on the island, but now he may have his eye on getting enough votes to get elected. The AP reported on Tuesday that the “Survivor: All-Stars” alum is thinking about running for governor of Indiana. They report, “Boneham has formed an exploratory committee to possibly seek the Libertarian Party's nomination for governor.” On his campaign site, he penned an “open letter to Hoosiers,” writing, “While surveying the current choices for our next governor, I do not see anyone that has an understanding of what daily life is like for many Hoosiers nor anyone who appears to understand the harm that misguided government policies are doing to our communities. It is obvious that career politicians are not the answer because they are often the problem.”

Bachmann Hair?

Is it just me or have there been a lot of hair stories about the GOP presidential contenders lately?

The latest according to the New York Daily News stylists have been getting more and more requests for Bachmann hair. "A lot of clients have asked for Sarah Palin hair in the past four years, and now, it's Bachmann," says Andi Scarbrough of Byu-ti Hair Therapy in L.A. "Politicians are the new celebrities, because they're real. They didn't just spring up out of the red carpet." "She has great coppery color that warms her up a little bit," said Angelo David at his E. 43rd St. salon, who confirmed a spike in copycat requests for the candidate's look. "Not everybody wants to look like Kim Kardashian."

President Obama's Half- Uncle Arrested

President Obama’s half uncle was arrested last week in Massachusetts for driving under the influence. Both the Boston Herald and the Globe reported:

On-yango Obama, 67, of Framingham, the half-brother of the president’s late father, was arrested Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. at the corner of Waverly and South streets, said Middlesex district attorney’s spokeswoman Cara O’Brien. When the elder Obama was asked if he wanted to make a phone call to arrange for bail, he said,“I think I will call the White House,” according to the police report.

At first, Mr. Obama claimed that he had not been drinking but then acknowledged having one beer and then two beers, according to the police report. The officer said "Obama then failed three field sobriety tests and was booked without further incident."

@El Bloombito

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is dealing with a paraody Twitter account—en Espanol—but he doesn’t seem to mind. This weekend, one person was so amused at the mayor's persistent yet poorly accented use of Spanish at press conferences that they started a Twitter feed making fun of the Mayor and @ElBloombito has been tweeting ever since. Sample tweet: " Cuidado! Stayo away para los downed linos de power. Que Electrocuto! El BUZZZ!" The account has over 13,000 followers.

Mayor Bloomberg wasn't all that offended when a reporter brought up the Spanglish parody. In fact, his official Twitter account even played along, with the line "Me escuchas, @ElBloombito?"

Monday's Readout

Diaz Balart Question Answered!

If you were listening to the Readout earlier, you heard Chris Core and I discussing sibling districts. Reps. Linda and Lorretta Sanchez and sisters in Congress representing the 39th and 47th districts, respectively.

Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Mario Diaz Balart represented adjacent districts until Mario Diaz-Balart succeeded his brother in the 2010 midterms...

Wake Up with Ali Velshi

Here's my hit from July 4th on CNN with Ali Velshi!

Kathy Griffin Takes on the Palins...again

I meant to post this for you last week...

Kathy Griffin in her latest Bravo special, "Gurrl Down," takes on Sarah, Bristol, and just about any other Palin she can think of.

The Weekend Readout

We're back in business (at least for now!)

If you missed anything that happened this week or just want to relive the quirkier stories from this week...here you go.

Jon Huntsman: Food Truck Connoisseur

Jon Huntsman is a fan of food trucks. In a video posted on his 2012 website, Huntsman says he’s fond of pancakes, omelets, and definitely burritos from a shack. But his all-time favorite are taco trucks, especially his boyhood favorite, Henry’s Tacos in Los Angeles. On vacation, he’s made his family drive “halfway across the state of California, just for a Henry’s burrito.” In another Huntsman video a narrator explains, “Some see a man of the world. His family sees the world’s best pancake chef, who makes a mean egg white omelet.”

Jon's Favorite Foods from Jon 2012 on Vimeo.

Palin's Bus Rolls On

Sarah Palin’s bus tour has been cancelled, or has it? Despite media reports that the bus tour’s been parked, Sarah Palin’s writing that the rumors have been greatly exaggerated. A Facebook note posted Wednesday reads, “Imagine our surprise when reading media reports today that the “One Nation Tour” has been cancelled. Why didn’t anyone tell me? Oh, wait, that’s because it hasn’t been cancelled. (Good ol' media... you never cease to amaze!)...I wouldn’t think it to be such a slow news day that, what with numerous wars and serious economic woes concerning Americans, a bus is driving news stories today. The next leg of the tour continues when the time comes. In the meantime, no one should jump to conclusions – certainly not the media with their long track record of getting things wrong or just making things up.”

Obama-Bieber Gridlock NYC

Apparently President Obama and Justin Bieber were both be in New York City on Thursday afternoon. My Fox New York warned the citizens of Gotham that the visits would turn the city into a gridlocked mess--which they did. They write, “Expect 'Obama-Bieber' gridlock throughout the day especially in Midtown Manhattan and the West Side of Manhattan as the two very popular and heavily protected figures travel around town.” President Obama will arrive at approximately 5 p.m., to attend two fundraisers. Bieber, meanwhile, will be attending a launch of his new fragrance “Someday” at Macy's Herald Square.

The Baby Whisperer

"Brilliam" for President

He can deliver the "Nightly News," he can deliver a punchline, and he can slow jam , but does Brian Williams have what it takes to become the next leader of the free world?

The Full Ginsberg think so! The political sketch comedy group from New York think that he would be a dandy Commander-in-Chief. So much so, that they've come up with at 30 second ad for television.

And the Emmy Goes To.....Sarah Palin?

So Sarah Palin will be a candidate one way or another. Her docu-drama "Sarah Palin's Alaska" has been entered for Emmy consideration in four different categories: cinematography, picture editing, music composition and best reality program.

According to the LA Times, "It's not the first time politics and entertainment have mixed at Hollywood awards. Minnesota's U.S. Sen. Al Franken is a five-time Emmy winner: four as a writer and producer of "Saturday Night Live" and another for writing "The Paul Simon Special" in 1978. Jerry Springer was the mayor of Cincinnati (1977-1978) before becoming better known for his infamous daytime talk show, but the only major showbiz award he won was a Razzie Award as worst new star for the 1998 film "Ringmaster." And, of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger was the star of the "Terminator" films and many others before serving as governor of California. In 2004, he won a Razzie as "worst Razzie loser of our first 25 years.""

However, I would imagine that if Sarah Palin is a candidate for best reality program, that would put her tete-a-tete with Kathy Griffin. This could get ugly...

Bristol's Memoir Leaks...

The literati have been waited with bated breath for this day. The day 20 year old Bristol Palin’s memoir hits the bookshelves. In her book, "Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far," Bristol mentions appearing with Johnston onstage at the GOP convention in St. Paul during her mother's vice presidential run. That “somehow legitimized us as a couple,” she writes. The couple split soon after their son, Tripp, was born in December 2008 because Johnston "who cheated ... about as frequently as he sharpened his hockey skates" had been unfaithful again, writes Bristol. A year and a half later, the relationship was back on, and Johnston proposed. And I think we all know how that ended...

Bristol v. Meghan

via The Daily Caller

The author of “Not Afraid of Life” is also not afraid to publicly criticize the McCain family. "Dancing with the Stars” finalist Bristol Palin takes many
jabs at former presidential candidate John McCain, his wife Cindy, and daughter
Meghan in her new memoir “Not Afraid of Life,” which hit bookstores
Tuesday.
Bristol writes about her experiences on the 2008 campaign trail,
when her mother Sarah ran alongside John McCain. Bristol, who was pregnant
during the election cycle, didn’t have glowing things to say about the
McCains.
“I’d never seen people with so much Louis Vuitton luggage, so many
cell phones, and so many constant helpers to do hair and makeup,” Palin writes,
adding that Cindy McCain looked “like a queen” and carried “herself like
royalty.”
Bristol was also apparently turned off when the would-be first lady
asked to be the godmother of her unborn baby.
“I had just met her and I
wondered why she wanted any type of guardianship over my child,” Bristol writes.
(Bristol
Palin lost virginity during drunken moment)
Meghan McCain, who penned her
own memoir “Dirty Sexy Politics” last year, famously complained that she was behind the Palins, who “don’t share,”
in line to get her makeup done.
“I was running late that morning, and hoping
to get some help with my hair for a photo shoot,” McCain wrote. “I entered the
makeup room and looked around. But all the chairs were taken. The stylists were
busy with the Palin kids, as well as Levi…Levi, Bristol, Willow, and Piper, who
was 7, needed to be styled first.”

Weiner Gets An Action Figure

What would Congressman Anthony Weiner’s Twitter scandal be without an action figure of its own? HeroBuilders.com is offering the "standard" doll for $39.95 and an “adults only" version for an extra $10. Both are dressed in a gym shirt and shorts with a label that reads "Tweet This." On Tuesday, the demand to see the small plastic version of the congressman was so high, that the traffic crashed the site. Emil Vicale, founder of HeroBuilders.com, told POLITICO that two other dolls – the Sarah Palin doll and the Jennifer Wilbanks runaway bride doll – have crashed the site in the past.

By the way, you can accessorize your Weiner doll with a Blackberry and stand for an additional $18.

Tea Party Camp!

A Florida tea part group is offering a weeklong summer camp—offering kids a chance to learn more about the nation’s founding principles. Organized by conservative writer Jeff Lukens and staffed by volunteers from the Tampa 912 project, Tampa Liberty School will meet every morning July 11-15. The camp hopes to introduce kids ages 8 to 12 to principles that include "America is good," "I believe in God," and "I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable."

St. Petersburg Times

First Lady, Daughters in Los Angeles

First Lady Michelle Obama, with daughters Malia and Sasha in tow, have been in LA the past couple of days. The First Lady is making the fundraising and speech rounds in support of her husband's reelection campaign.The first lady reportedly raised $1 million with her shmoozing Monday — but the awesome Universal Studios Hollywood VIP tour that Sasha and Malia got? Priceless. The two girls were accompanied by Michelle's mother, Marian Robinson, for the private tour, a witness tells us, experiencing many park attractions, including "King Kong 360 3-D" and "Jurassic Park: The Ride." The girls also got a private tour of the set of iCarly. Meanwhile, their mom dined at Hollywood hotspot Osteria Mozza.

Willie Nelson Backing Gary Johnson...again

GOP presidential candidate Gary Johnson’s on-again-off again endorsement by Willie Nelson is back on! On Wednesday, Nelson’s Teapot Party penned a blog post pushing for Johnson to be included in CNN’s Republican debate on June 13. The post points out that Johnson was part of Fox’s May 5 GOP debate and that the upcoming CNN-sponsored debate “includes every candidate from the May 5 debate except Johnson.” “How come?” They write, “CNN claims Johnson doesn’t have enough public support, but Johnson contends his name “wasn’t even on” some of the polls that CNN used to determine the debaters.”

Twitter Gets a Little Quieter (shhh)

Twitter has been a little quieter this week in the wake of Congressman Anthony Weiner’s Twitter scandal. According to The Hill's Emily Goodin, a new study by TweetCongress says members of Congress tweeted roughly 28 percent less last week than they did the week before. And that number has continued to drop this week—especially among Democrats. On Monday, the day Weiner admitted he'd lied about the extent of his online activities, there were just 120 Twitter messages sent by Democrats—roughly 30 percent less than usual. Republicans, meanwhile, sent 338 Twitter messages Monday—18 percent less than average.

Stephen Colbert's Not Rep. Garamendi's Type

Last night on the Colbert Report, Congressman John Garamendi took part in Stephen Colbert’s Better Know a District segment. The two covered a lot of ground in the short, satricial segment. Colbert asks the Congressman why he’s too good to live in his own District—Garamendi represents the 10th, but actually lives in the 3rd. The Congressman, a self-proclaimed “tree hugger,” talks about his environmental record and defends voting to resume drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. But I think the Rep. might have hurt Colbert’s feelings when talking about his opposition to California’s Prop 8.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Better Know A District - California's 10th - John Garamendi
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

Michelle Obama is Teaching Everyone How to Dougie

Michelle Obama’s teaching the administration how to dougie, one Cabinet member at a time. The First Lady proved to be something of an authority on the subject in May when she busted a move for her Let’s Move Flash Workout—doing the dougie with a group of students in Washington, DC. On Wednesday, the first lady corrected Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius who mispronounced the name of the dance. In her remarks, Sebelius noted that the first lady had recently done “The Doogie with Beyonce.” When it was Mrs. Obama’s turn to speak, she said, “I have to say, Secretary, it’s actually called The Dougie, not The Doogie. …I know your cool factor just went down by one, but it’s okay.”


The dougie lessons starts 1 minute into the video

Santorum Wants Lohan Endorsement

Last week, I mentioned that Miley Cyrus had a bone to pick with GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum. The former Senator isn't happy that Hannah Montana criticized him on the Twitters, but he's talking about the story nonetheless. On Monday, Santorum addressed the pop star's Twitter rant against him.

“When she came out against me, we actually had a family meeting and decided whether I can continue on in this process and, you know, we had to talk to the kids and it was difficult,” Santorum said. “But we’re actually holding out. We still think we might get Lindsay Lohan. And with that, we can continue. So, we’re waiting.”

**Note to the Senator's campaign, you might want to hold out for a little less controversial endorsement.

Jimmy McMillian Is A Ladies Man?

Jimmy McMillan has done many things in his life. He's run for Mayor of New York several times. He's run for Governor of the state. And now, he's running for President of the United States. But one thing Jimmiy McMillan's never done is fall in love.

If you thought presidential hopeful Jimmy McMillan was only about rent and it's propensity for being "too damn high," then we've got some news for you. Turns out, Mr. McMillan has all sorts of issues. Most of them seem to be with women, but they're issues nonetheless.

Wanted: Gov. LePage's "Open for Business" Sign

State police in Maine are investigating the disappearance of Gov. Paul LePage’s “Open for Business” sign from Interstate 95 and so far the ledes include a Craigslist ad and a ransom note left at Stephen King’s radio station. According to the Bangor Daily News, “It disappeared sometime before Memorial Day but has not been found. A tongue-in-cheek advertisement appeared briefly Thursday on Craigslist offering a “right-wing political sign” for $1,000. A similar message was left in a “ransom note” taped last week to the door of WZON-FM, according to a radio station employee. The note was composed using letters cut out of newspapers and magazines and glued to a piece of paper. State police say they have several leads on the stolen sign.”

Prime Minister Harper Gets a Cat

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has a new pet cat and he’d like the internet to help name it. The Harpers announced the arrival of the newest, furry member of their family Saturday on the prime minister’s Facebook page — and offered the public the chance to name the grey tabby. Early suggestions from commenters included Majority (or Major), as well as the current favorite among his Facebook fans, Stanley—in honor of the Stanley Cup. Other choices include Gandalf, Griffin, Earl Grey, and Vingt-Quatre. The poll will close later today.

Sen. Schumer wants "Law & Order" Back in NYC

Attorney General Eric Holder may want “The Wire” back on television, but Sen. Chuck Schumer wants to bring "Law & Order" back to New York. “LA is a great city, but Law & Order is much better in NYC,” he tweeted on Thursday. Politico's writing, “The hit series used to be filmed in the Empire State, but its East Coast location was tossed aside for the sunny skies of Los Angeles last year. The New York Daily News reported that the senator wrote to NBC programming bigwig Bob Greenblatt urging him to move the show back East. He pointed out that if “Law & Order” comes home, it would mean about "4,000 jobs and about $79 million for the local economy."

Piper Palin--Star of the "One Nation" Bus Tour

Sarah Palin's East Coast tour may be a dry run for her potential presidential campaign, but the real star of the show this week has been the former governor's 10-year-old daughter, Piper. The youngest Palin daughter has been at her mom's side all this week during the ex-governor's tour of historical sites. Sarah Palin described her jaunt this week as a "family vacation," and Piper has had a starring role in her mother's diary from the road. But Piper isn't thrilled with all of the media attention that her mom’s bus tour is attracting. Upset with a Time magazine photographer snapping pictures, the 10-year-old reportedly said: “Thanks for ruining our vacation."

Justice Department Demands More Episodes of "The Wire"

Like me, Attorney General Eric Holder was a BIG fan of HBO’s cop drama “The Wire,” so on Tuesday while at an event with stars from the show, the AG took the opportunity to press the show’s creators to please, please, please make another season.

"I want to speak directly to Mr. Burns and Mr. Simon: Do another season of ‘The Wire'," Holder said, drawing laughter and applause from the audience. "That's actually at a minimum. … If you don't do a season, do a movie. We've done HBO movies, this is a series that deserves a movie. I want another season or I want a movie. I have a lot of power Mr. Burns and Mr. Simon."

Speaking at a press conference announcing the launch of the "Drug Endangered Children Public Awareness Campaign," Attorney General Holder was joined by Wire stars Wendell Pierce (Bunk), Sonja Sohn (Kima) and Jim True-Frost (Prez).

The Herman Cain Train is Here

Herman Cain is serious about his 2012 presidential bid. How serious do you ask? Well, he’s made a music video to accompany his campaign. Tech President says it’s a “spirited homegrown video that ends with Cain supporters repeating the campaign slogan "Raising some Cain." That reminds me of “Raisin’ McCain” from 2008, but I imagine John Rich was too busy winning this season of Celebrity Apprencite to record a song for Mr. Cain. Now, may I present to you, "The Official Herman Cain Train Music Video."

Hannah Montana Knocks Rick Santorum

I guess she's just bein' Miley...

Miley Cyrus is not happy with Urban Outfitters or Rick Santorum, for that matter. She knocked the former Senator on Twitter last week, pointing out that Urban’s president had contributed to Santorum.

"Not only do they steal from artists but every time you give them money you help finance a campaign against gay equality."

#SHADYASHELL "IF WE ALLOW GAY MARRIAGE NEXT THING U KNOW PEOPLE WILL BE MARRYING GOLD FISH" - Rick Santorum UO contributed $13,000 to this mans campaign."

Click points out, "It may not be the best news for Santorum, who is expected to launch his campaign next week, because Cyrus has more than a million Twitter followers. Fortunately for him, however, most are probably too young to vote."

Gen. Martin Dempsey, A Brief Discography

President Obama nominated General Martin Dempsey to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday. The announcement came to the White House with plenty of praise, but abosolutely no mention of the General's singing skills. That's right! General Dempsey has something of a YouTube discography and shows that he can really carry a tune.

The Wonder Years

There are many qualities a voter weighs about a presidential candidate before deciding whether or not to vote for them, but what about the (always embarrassing) high school photo? The Atlantic has yearbook photos for the entire field of 2012 GOP presidential candidates. Chris Good writes, “One of these former teens will probably win the GOP's White House nomination in 2012. Since the press will inevitably rifle through their histories with astonishing thirst and thoroughness, we may as well take this early campaign moment to glimpse them at their most innocent, ungainly, ambitious, preppy, or long-haired, before the serious digging begins.”



See if you guessed right at the Atlantic!
From the Yearbook to the White House: The 2012 Republicans in High School - The Atlantic

Jon Huntsman, Loving REO Speedwagen Now and Forever

Former Utah Governor and possible 2012 Republican presidential candidate John Huntsman was in San Francisco on Tuesday. The San Francisco Chronicle's Carla Marinucci caught up with the former Ambassador to China while he was in town and asked him about his time as a mullet-sporting, high school dropout from a little REO Speedwagon cover band called Wizard (this is all true). So aside from a serious interview that appears in today's chronicle, Marinucci pressed Huntsman on his rock-n-roll cred.

Did the First Lady Snub the Poles?

First it was the report that President Obama’s code name while in the UK was ‘smart alec.’ (Which, by the way, it was not). The latest scandal report come from Poland and the First Lady’s apparent dislike of Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski. Michelle Obama is cutting her time in Europe short to return early from the trip. The ‘official’ story is that she’s leaving to be with daughters Sasha and Malia. But the Polish press thinks the First Lady is snubbing Poland because she hates the country’s President. The original story from a conservative Polish newspaper is that President Komorowski made a joke about the First Lady's "fidelity" during his Washington visit.

We'll let Nasz Dziennik and some very loose translation explain the original incident:

But the real reason for absenteeism Michelle Obama is different and has to be a diplomatic response to the blunders and nietakty errors committed by the president to Bronislaw Komorowski, during his visit to the USA. And especially for being one of the statements undermined the marital fidelity of his wife of U.S. president. Komorowski wanted a joke, but instead provoked international outrage. It is no wonder, then, now that Mrs. Obama does not want to meet with the Polish president.

The Duchess Meets the FLOTUS

The two fashion power houses met on Tuesday and of course the question on everyone's mind...what did they wear?!

Kate Middleton wore a flattering taupe Reiss dress. And while any designer would love to have a royal endorsement (especially from the new, young Duchess), Middleton's wardrobe choice crashed the Reiss website. A Reiss spokesperson said that traffic to the site increased by over 300 percent when news broke that the duchess had worn their taupe Shola dress to the meeting with the POTUS and the FLOTUS. The dress retails for $340 and quickly sold out. The designer tweeted about their technical difficulties on Tuesday, writing, “Due to unprecedented demand, Shola mania has crashed our website! We are endeavouring to bring the Reiss brand back to you ASAP!”

In other fashion news, Michelle Obama wore an ivory floor-length Tom Ford gown to the state banquet at Buckingham Palace Tuesday. The BBC was live-blogging the details entire event, including Ms. Obama’s accessories. The gown, which showed “off her figure” was paired with elbow length gloves and a large bow at the waist. The POTUS wore white tie and tails.