On MSNBC’s “Daily Rundown” Wednesday morning, Missouri Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill told host Chuck Todd that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid should turn down his rhetoric and work with Republicans to solve the payroll tax impasse. (more)
Since Texas Gov. Rick Perry has made a few missteps in his presidential campaign, some on the political right are on the verge of writing him off. We saw it with real estate mogul Donald Trump and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann: a bump in the polls, then a swift fall. But NBC’s Chuck Todd said Perry will be different. (more)
Last night’s TV news shows produced a calm and relatively balanced treatment of the budget battle for their roughly 16 million viewers. That’s important for Republicans, because they’ve got to win support from the roughly one in six viewers who think both parties deserve equal blame for the conflict. (more)
After calling former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin the “c” word Sunday in Dallas and the backlash that has ensued from it, HBO “Real Time” host Bill Maher doesn’t see that he has done anything wrong, at least if you base his remarks on what he views to be the community standard. (more)
Maybe NBC White House correspondent Chuck Todd is a big wrestling fan, or perhaps he’s like some people in the media that seem agitated by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. (more)
NEW YORK (AP) — MSNBC says Keith Olbermann will be back on the air Tuesday, ending his suspension for violating NBC’s rules against making political donations after two shows. (more)
“There’s just something a tad depressing that it takes hiring a lobbyist to help navigate the Haiti rebuilding process” – Chuck Todd (more)
During the federal response to Hurricane Katrina, FEMA Administrator Michael “Brownie” Brown got a lot of flak from the mainstream media for, well…everything. Some of it was deserved and some of it was little more than mendacious piling-on, but all of it was intense and it lead to Michael Brown’s resignation from FEMA mid-Katrina response. The media is extremely powerful in this country, and what the press coverage of the latest disaster to hit the United States—the BP oil spill—proves is that the media wields this power very selectively. (more)
With Rep. Charles Rangel temporarily stepping aside as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, who’s next in line? (more)
Democratic lawmaker Charlie Rangel denied reports Tuesday night that he would give up his coveted chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee following an ethics reproach last week. (more)
The U.S. Census Bureau’s “Snapshot of America” Super Bowl 44 ad has met with harsh criticism from television writers, media pundits and the Kellogg School of Management, which gave the Census ad an “F” grade — the lowest of any commercial that ran during Sunday’s game. (more)
The White House is trying to stay chipper after Tuesday’s debacle in Massachusetts. (more)
Since the moment Republican senatorial candidate Scott Brown made Tuesday’s special election in Massachusetts a horse race, the reporting of his improbable ascent has been downright offensive. (more)
Ted Kennedy may be gone, but his name is all over the Massachusetts Senate race. (more)
