This just in....
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/06/obama-wins-north-carolina_n_141803.html

Obama WINS NC!!

Here is what I take away from this--and I see it bubbling up everywhere--not just from right wing tools.

We now, all of the sudden, have a watchdog media. Amazing.

One other thing, I love how Scarbie equated the media's cheerleading a war to Obama's transition as President elect--huh?!?!?!?!?!?!??!

This is why there must be a mdia push back component to Obama's admin--there is no question he will be under the microscope--The Campbell Brown unified gov't gaffe is a great example of this new watchdog posture overriding even the facts.

Haven't sen much coverage ogf this huge news about NC--

Also, Joe Lieberman must go. The things he said about Obama were disgusting, hateful, and i some cases dangerous. We won't have 60 anyway, and on most issues, we will be able to get 60 anyway--Collins and Snowe will vote on most core issues: If Lieberman will go against the Dems for spite, then so be it.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/243314.php

Morning Jackass: "as americans we all want a successful obama administration"

Ya know I'd like to believe him, but I just don't.

Mathews on the other hand, I find to be very sincere. This country DOES need a successful presidency very badly.

I predict Tweety is going to tear it up over the next few months, because he just doesn't care anymore. This will be great television, but more importantly great for the Country.

I'm not sure I get Matthew's argument. I think it's important for the press to question unusual behavior, like Emanuel's public hemming and hawing. Of course, in the grand scheme of things, it's not all that important. I don't think anyone's going to argue that the Obama presidency has failed because they mishandled the naming of the Chief-of-Staff on Day One of the transition.

Bob said that he will be open to criticize Obama when he messes up. Not saying that this is what happened here (far from it, I think Emanuel has the brass knuckles and balls for the job) but Matthews sounds like an idiot. We all want Obama to succeed, but we gotta pick our battles. Questioning the timing and timeline of this announcement is small potatoes. If Scarborough had made a comment to the effect that Obama's handling of this meant that he was a failed president who should be impeached, then yeah, go for the jugular.

Nobody cares about this crap. Let's keep our powder dry for when the right-wing venom really starts to spew. My two cents' worth, and even that is inflated prices.

Yeah, Matthews, after seeing the country go to hell in a handbasket is born again (apparently he remembered his roots working for Tip O'Neill). I'll say this about that: I won't ever forget him sitting there, smirking with John Sununu and PJ O'Rourke on a Sunday morning, the three of them trashing Gore, like drunk, circle jerking college buddies. "So, which Al Gore will show up to tonight's debate? Hah?" Chris chuckles to his drinking pals, who grab the low-hanging fruit with all the alacrity of a kid on a merry go round grabbing at the brass ring, giggling. "And so, tell me, what should the Gore campaign do? I mean, if you were the Gore campaign..." The two republican guests just sorta looked at each other quizzically, as if to say "Is he kidding? Why didn't he invite a democrat on to defend Gore if he wanted to know that?" O'Rourke said something to the effect that "Well, I don't know what they should do, but here's what they might consider...yada yada yada." Me? I just screamed at the TV wondering why there was no "equal time" allotment for someone--anyone--to fight back against this chucklehead fest.

Screw Matthews. He was sitting in one my old drinking haunts in NW DC once with his lovely wife and teenage son. I remember him looking over at me and I just glared at him--ever since then, I have a really hard time listening to him.

don't be fooled--Tweety has no compass--he will blow in the wind depending on the day--trust me.

You know, on principle at least, I do agree with Scarborough here, but as JG pointed out - amazing that we will now have a media intent on doing it's frickin' job when it was out to lunch for at least the majority of the past 8 years. Scarborough is a goddamn hypocrite. Oh so NOW it's your job to question authority and ask tough questions, and display some healthy skepticism to the political powers-that-be? Incredible, but not surprising.

Wait ... you're telling me people actually watch this kind of crap? I mean ... instead of doing something useful? Remarkable.

Chris Matthews has gotten a bad rap of late. He wasn't a huge supporter of Hilary and everyone tried to blame him for that. Now, Arlen Specter is an absolute asshole. I had to write him a personal letter along with hundreds of veterans before he would support the New GI Bill. I hope Chris runs and will nail my letter to Arlen to every VFW's door like Martin Luther's Theses.

Yeah, GIJ, he's on the right side of left now, and that's cool, but I remember the election of 2000, and then? Not so much. In fact, I thought he was a Republican masquerading as a journalist until I looked up his bio because he constantly trashed Gore, and glad-handed all the Bush acolytes. I remember thinking at the time, "Christ, this is the mainstream media? Is he just going overboard to the other extreme to cover up his past working on the Hill? They're supposed to be balanced."

JG - PERFECT take on Tweety

I gave kudos to Tweety (under the Emanuel blog) for this dressing down of Joe.

What isn't shown on this clip is what preceeded it - the minutes-long rant of Scarborough (and Lawrence O'Donnell) about how Emanuel wasn't planning on taking the Chief of Staff position, but that the rumors were purposely leaked a week ago to give Emanuel media coverage because he wanted Obama's Senate seat.

Tweety isn't honest. I've written to him telling him that even though he speaks the truth one out of ten times (i.e. Bachmann) it doesn't excuse him for lying the other nine. Though I'm not in Specter's district and would never want Specter re-elected, I promised Tweety I would do everything in my power to see he's not even elected in a primary (a la internet $$ raised for Bachmann's opponent, though it looks like THAT didn't work...)

And...

yesterday Brian Williams took Joe down a peg. While introducing Williams, Joe was his usual mocking, put-down self. Williams said something to the effect that the people have voted and have decided they don't want that kind of divisiveness and negativity.

Williams earned some points for that (I was shocked!)

I live on the west coast, and I'm glad that this show comes on before I normally get up in the morning.

Mika and Joe "holding (Obama's) feet to the fire?" I find this new watchdog mentality of the msm, two days after Obama was elected, stunning. More lengthy discussion of Emmanuel's acceptance of this post, as opposed to the msm's relative non-questioning of the Bush admin in the run up to the war, on torture, on no bid contracts, etc.

Joe seems to refer to himself as a "journalist." Not. He's a washed up former Congressman who got two gigs on MSNBC.

And I don't know that the big deal was about when/where/how Emmanuel was going to accept this position. Does that really matter. Sheesh.