Some consider the Nation’s Capital as “Fantasyland on the Potomac”. Other outsiders are “Fed Up” with the Federal City. It's better to consider D.C. as “the District of Calamity” (sic).
The Job Creators Network reacted to community activist turned freshman Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez's (D-NY 14th) celebration of chasing away Amazon from expanding its HQ2 to Long Island City (Queens), New York by erecting a pointed message at Times Square. The message offers some economic analysis for the loss of the business opportunity and sarcastically suggests: "Thanks for Nothing" AOC.
The 23rd Winter Olympiad in Pyeongchang, South Korea had a reoccurring theme of Peace, as was evident from the Opening Ceremonies. It was well known that athletes from North and South Korea would march as a unified team into Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium.
One of the draws for casual sports fans to watch the Olympics is the Opening Ceremonies. The pageantry of the Opening Ceremonies, as expressed through artistic expression as well as thematic choice sets the mood for the Olympic Games. Afterwards, there is the Parade of Nations, when all of the competitors gather in a gesture of unity and good will. During this long march of nations, television viewers often have to endure commentary from NBC announcers to add color and context to the visuals. Often this dialogue is pap or seems scripted. However, when the Japanese team made their debut at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, NBC Asia correspondent Joshua Cooper Ramos offered an incredible generalization. Ramos claimed that Koreans looked with admiration to Japan as an important example of cultural, economic and technological transformation. Several hours after uttering this insensitive and insulting insinuation, NBC Sports issued a hasty apology.
NBC paid $967 million for broadcast rights for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, and it would seem that they did not want to insult their hosts. With that in mind, one wonders why NBC keeps pushing North Korean propaganda while covering the Winter Olympics. No doubt that a unified Korean team marching during the Parade of Nations was a big story. It epitomizes the international aspiration of brotherhood and exemplifies the Pyeongchang Game's theme of Peace.
[Front Center] Vice President Mike Pence [Back Center] Kim Yo Jung, sister of DPRK dictator Kim Jun Un
It is understandable that an Olympic broadcaster would want to capitalize on controversy by showing how close Vice President Mike Pence was seated to North Korean Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong during the Opening Ceremonies.
The coverage of the North Korea cheerleaders during the womens' hockey game between Korea and Switzerland does raise eyebrows. It was a cute featurette to have a piece about the some of the 200 woman squad of the North Korean "Army of Beauty" cheerleaders leading chants during the 0-8 rout of Korea. Some say that the synchronized chants of the North Korea Beauty Cheerleaders stole the show. But what what telling is what they chanted and how they performed. These NPDK cheerleaders chanted "Unity" waving "neutral" flags of a unified Korea. After each goal by their opponent, they chanted: "Cheer up!". Perhaps that exemplifies a cultural trait. What has been shown but little explored are instances in which the female Beauty Squad use big heads of a Korean man. Hmm. Who could this be?
UPDATE 02/12/2018 BBC News quotes Korean media that the DPRK Army of Beauties cheerleaders were holding up big heads of Kim Il-sung, the grandfather of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un (the first of the Hermit Kingdom's Juche post World War II dictators). Yet the South Korean Unification Ministry insists that the cheerleaders were just holding up cut outs of "a good looking man".
Schumer's critique might be more credible if the Democrats did not slow roll nearly everything from the 45th President in the Senate. It is understandable that Democrats vote in lock-step for them on legislation, but demanding full debate on each and every Presidential appointee is the politics of obstruction. Moreover, prior to the Inauguration, Schumer expressed willingness to work with the Trump Administration only if he abandoned all of his Republican colleagues, which Mr. Trump has not yet been willing to do. But Chuck Schumer's tears may make a tasty mocktail in the West Wing and makes for compelling copy during friendly questioning with Chuck Todd on Meet the Press.
One of the virtues which Manhattan mogul Donald Trump has capitalized upon to become the front-runner in the 2016 Republican Presidential race is a perception that the blustery billionaire "tells it like it is". Even Mark Cuban, who has had some public dust ups with the Donald, has praised Trump for giving honest answers instead of prepared answers.
Well, this straight shooting image has been impeached by a Trump Senior Aide as he wooed the RNC Rules Committee in Florida. Paul Manafort, Trump 2016's recently named Convention Manager, told the GOP party establishment that during Phase One of the campaign, Trump is projecting an image one stage to appeal to voters. But that his image will change and a softer-side will come out.
After Trump convincingly won the New York Primary, it seems that he thought that the Trump campaign tried to implement Phase Two with a revealing NBC Today Show Townhall, in which Trump vowed to raise taxes on the rich (including himself), change the RNC Pro Life platform to make exceptions (which would please his friends at Planned Parenthood) and Trump urged North Carolina to accept Transgenders Bathrooms (because it was hurting business and not a problem).
Towards the Transgender topic, there was a firestorm on social media, and Trump relented during another friendly interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, in which Trump clarified that he believed in States' Rights. Perhaps they implemented Phase Two too soon. Such much for a candidate to tells it like it is and does not pander to anyone.
Trump supporters seem imbued with anger about the establishment and politicians lying to them. This probably explains Trump's mantra against "Lyin'" Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and the new sobriquet against "Crooked" Hillary Clinton (D-NY). Trump's flip flop on transgenders in bathrooms challenges his projected anti-politically correct image as well as the perception that he stands firm. Those mesmerized in the Trump cult probably will believe whatever Trump tells them today, but it plays poorly in expanding his base, particularly for the general election.
Thoughtful primary voters have wondered about Trump's pro-life conversion. Trump took three purportedly pro-life positions in one afternoon, including the modest proposal of punishing the aborting mother, sound like a pro-life parody from Planned Parenthood. It was bad enough that Trump settled on the status quo, but the Trump Today Townhall creates a loophole so large that it threatens abortion on demand until parturition. Pro Lifers probably were not already keen on Trump but his vacillation on an issue of monumental proportion for the last 44 years does not project an image of thoughtfulness or stability.
As for Paul Manafort, his claim to fame was helping wrangle up delegates for President Ford in the quasi-contested 1976 convention in Kansas City. Manafort seems to have pushed Corey Lewandowsky back to being Trump's body man (a role he relished regarding manhandling Michelle Fields). Manafort managed to keep Trump tame on social media for a fortnight and temporarily curtail insulting opponents.
But Manafort's style may be anachronistic. Forty years ago, it would have been easy to lobby the RNC's meeting without being noticed. But when there are diffuse information platforms which reach millions at the touch of a button, this pandering would not go unnoticed. Of course, smart phones make any off-the-record chats suspect. So Manafort's revelations were not to remain secret long.
Wooing waivering delegates may be more complicated than in the '76 campaign. If Trump needs to win more than two score of delegates for a first round victory, he does not have as much leeway as President Ford to shower favors on waivering support, as nice as golfing at Mar-a-Lago may be. Hugh Hewitt has pointed out Paul Manafort's relative dearth of twitter contacts. So who cares? Well, during a contested convention in an information age when a campaign may have to immediately reach out to 2474 delegates, not being Twitter savvy is a liability.
As Manafort joined the Trump organization, a desperate plea was sent out to allies in Washington to register to become delegates. Two problems with that missive. Firstly it was sent to Washington DC prospective delegates (which held its Caucus on March 12th) instead of Washington state. Secondly, the email was sent the day after the deadline. Oops.
While it is unclear how much input Manafort had on Trump's decision to spend $20 million between now and the California primary on June 7th, it seems like a spending strategy from yesteryear. As Jeb! learned in this cycle, dumping a ton of money with carpet bombing commercials may not nudge the needle up. Trump recently hired a California campaign point person two months before the crucial Golden State primary. Cruz has been working those fields for a year. So earned media from friendly sites (like Fox News, Breitbart and Drudge et ali) and profligate paid media may help grease the skids but it does nothing to Get Out the Vote via organization.
Not to mention Paul Manafort experience as being a Washington lobbyist, who has some uncomfortable Saudi, Pakistani and Russian mob connections. Lobbying for foreign interests may be lucrative and par for the course for established Washington insiders, but it runs counter to a Populist, anti-establishment "Throw the bums out" mantra to "Make America Great Again". Moreover, Manafort's cozying up to the GOP Establishment and claiming that Trump is just doing a schtick in Phase One of the campaign obliterates the aura of authenticity.
Manifort may be heralding Trump 2.0 but based on the recipe formulation, it may go over like New Coke, with customers yearning for "The Real Thing".
ESPN fired former Major League Baseball star pitcher and TV Color Commentator Curt Schilling because of sharing a meme on transgender bathrooms on Twitter.
Disney owned ESPN insisted that the company was dedicated to inclusiveness, so it terminated someone with a view which different from the current politically correct line. It is intriguing that Disney owned ABC Good Morning America report blurred out the image of a transvestite who would have been eligible to use whatever bathroom which he/she/zei felt like using. It seems that the ideals of diversity and inclusiveness can not be particularized in a reductio ad abusurdum.
There seems to be an academic and corporate corporate push to be intolerant towards "ciscentrism" and those who do not acquiesce to "the new normal" regarding self designated transgendered bathroom fluidity. It is dubious if ESPN would punish an employee for sharing progressive political memes.
From its inception, DC-Jockularity recognized the convergence of sports and public policy. ESPN's aggressive application of standards reinforces the idea that ABC/Disney/ESPN is a progressive entity which pushes its agenda even unto sports coverage and will not brook dissent.
Much to the Trump camp's chagrin, the Donald is markedly underperforming compared the the polls and the large crowds, especially in closed primary and caucus contests. To remedy this lack of follow thru by truant Trump supporters, Donald Trump started a campaign schtick to urge attendees to take an oath to get out the vote for the Donald.
Unfortunately, the optics of having crowds raise their right hands in the air looks like a fascist salute. Several days after this tactic was applied, Donald Trump went on MSNBC's "The Morning Joe" to deny that he knew anything about it. Trump claimed that comparing this Trump pledge to a Nazi salute was crazy.
Oh--our mistake (sic). It's just unfortunate optics that are repeated in rallies leading up to Super Duper Tuesday.
Lest we forget how Donald Trump could not immediately recognize and condemn any support coming from ex Klansman David Duke and white supremacists. It would but stupid to prematurely alienate a small segment of fanatical Southern Pride voters when their votes count.
Contributing to this authoritarian aura around Donald Trump was his response in the Detroit GOP Debate when he was asked for his reaction if the military would refuse an illegal order. Trump insisted that this would never happen because: "They're not going to refuse me. If I say it, they'll do it." Besides, this would just be killing the families of terrorists in retribution for their war crimes. A day later, Trump PR flacks walked back this bold blurtation.
Trump social media warriors are quick to excuse these strong man assertions, noting that Mussilini did not originate the quote and that it is hate speech to see the similarities between a fascist salute and a Trump loyalty pledge.
When Jimmy Fallon supposedly pulled something during his Tonight Show monologue, former host Jay Leno tagged in. During the segment, Leno tagged Hillary pretty hard.
As Dr. Ben Carson was surging to the top of national political polls for Republican primary preferences, he was interviewed on Meet the Press by Chuck Todd. Dr. Carson dared to gently touch a third rail of politics, by comparing attitudes about abortion to slavery in antebellum America.
These viewpoints are nothing new, as he stated them publicly a couple of years ago at the Value Voters Summit. What is notable is that Carson was not popularly pleasing an evangelical crowd but standing firm to his values with a soft spoken voice as the general populace gives his candidacy scrutiny.
Dr. Carson's strong pro-life values are in contract with Donald Trump's evolutionary anti-abortion ethos. In 1999, when Trump was reading himself for a presidential run through the Reform Party, he declared that he was "very pro choice". As he toyed with a run for the Republican Presidential nomination for the 2012 cycle, Trump told CPAC 2011 that he was pro-life. In the 2016 primary campaign, Trump claimed that he was pro-life because of personal friends testimony during a primary debate. Later, Trump clarified that he believed in abortion in cases of rape incest and the health of the mother (which is little different than current late term abortion loopholes). Maybe if Trump repeats that mantra often enough, like "I'm a Presbyterian" his followers will be believe it.
As Planned Parenthood funding continues to be under assault, it is likely that the Lamestream Media will spin Dr. Carson's principled comparison to an outrageous "War on Women" meme. But at least we know where Carson stands and based on his history doing neo-natal pediatric brain surgery, he has credibility for his strong stance.
Brian Williams has been the chief anchor and managing editor of the NBC Nightly News for ten years. The 55 year old news personality also hosted a prime time news magazine show titled "Rock Center", which tried to capitalize on NBC's identification with the Manhattan landmark Rockefeller Center. Alas, Brian Williams "Rock Center" was cancelled after two seasons in 2013 for the lack of interest.
Perhaps the memory of Rock Center not being interesting enough encouraged Brian Williams to conflate his combat zone correspondent stories. Williams original report from Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 seemed close to the truth (without revealing that William's Chinook helicopter was a half hour behind the bird under fire).
When Williams went on Late Night with David Letterman in 2013, the story had been embellished to having rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) and AK47s fired at William's helicopter and the pilot getting a purple heart for a wounded ear (which never happened).
Williams revisited his war stories when paying an on the air tribute to Sgt. Major Tim Terpak who had been honored at a New York Rangers hockey game. This caused the New York Times to scrutinize Williams ever evolving escapade.
After Navy veterans who eyewitnessed the operation called Williams out in Stars and Stripes for the inaccuracies in this reportage, Brian Williams claimed that he misremembered:
“On this broadcast last week in an effort to honor and thank a veteran
who protected me and so many others following a ground-fire incident in
the desert during the Iraq War, I made a mistake in recalling the events
of 12 years ago. It didn't take long to hear from some brave men and women in the air
crews who were also in the desert. I want to apologize: I said I was
traveling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG fire. I was instead in a
following aircraft. We all landed and spent two harrowing nights in a
sandstorm in the desert. This was a bungled attempt by me to thank one
special veteran, and by extension: our brave military men and women -
Veterans everywhere -- those who have served while I did not. I hope
they know they have my greatest respect… and also now my apology.”
Alas, veterans do not readily accept Williams half-hearted apology as a Fog of War mistake as the story had grown significantly in a dozen years. Williams Chinook story had been likened to Stolen Valor as Williams claimed to be in combat in which he was not involved.
NBC has officially refused to investigate the Chopper Whopper incident and is allowing Brian Williams to handle it himself. Presumably this is because Brian Williams has been the face of a successful NBC Nightly News operation for a decade and the network would literally and figuratively lose face by calling their star into question. Howard Kurtz analogized that NBC is treating Brian Williams as if he was too big to fail.
In response to Conflate-Gate, Williams supposedly self imposed a brief hiatus from the anchor chair, so he is not the center of the news. In other words, he is waiting for the media storm to blow over. But now that Williams is established as a self-aggrandizing reporter, he may have lost his gravitas as a truth teller.
Brian Williams coverage of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 has been impeached. Williams claimed that he saw dead bodies floating outside of his window. Well, the Ritz Carlton is in the French Quarter, which is the highest point in New Orleans, which FEMA disputes the flooding to be low to nonexistent. Williams claimed to have gotten dysentery from drinking floodwater, but the New Orleans Advocate quotes Dr. Brobson Lutz, who was treating people near the French Quarter: “I saw a lot of people with cuts and bruises and such, but I don’t
recall a single, solitary case of gastroenteritis during Katrina or in
the whole month afterward." Three separate individuals have disputed William's claim that gangs of thugs had overrun his posh pied-de-terre in the French Quarter.
At present, Brian Williams and by extension NBC News has become the butt of jokes, questioning their credibility in truth telling. An effective internet series of memes places Brian Williams as a Zelig like figure in anachronistic poses, like being present for the lunar landings.
If Saturday Night Live were not a left leaning NBC property, it might even satirize William's tall tales. But that is not how the Lamestream Media works today.
While the furor may subside, if Williams remains as anchor at Rockefeller Center, trust in NBC may fall like a rock. In 1992, Dateline NBC aired a report "Waiting to Explode" which questioned the safety of GM's Chevy trucks. To make more dramatic television, NBC strapped incendiary devices during the crash test. After this became exposed and General Motors threatened a defamation lawsuit, then NBC News President Michael Gartner admitted to the mistake and had Jane Pauley (who had no connection to the story) give a 3 1/2 minute on air apology. In the end, Gartner and three producers lost their positions as NBC News struggled to keep their bone fides as reputable reporters.
If NBC News dared to drop anchor, there might be other roles in which Brian Williams would be the perfect person. Williams would have been perfect for 30 Rock but alas the comedy series has been cancelled. Perhaps as a correspondent for the Onion. Maybe Steven Colbert needs a jocular sidekick for his stint on CBS's Late Night.
Then there is the question of what NBC News would do to fill the empty anchor chair. When NBC was considering a replacement in October 2014 for David Gregory on Meet the Press, the execs at 30 Rock promised Daily Show comedian Jon Stewart a truckload of money to take the serious gig. Stewart declined the NBC offer by saying: "News and entertainment have melded in a way. But they would be
overcompensating on the entertainment side. That’s certainly not an
outlandish decision, although I don’t necessarily think that’s the best
direction for it.”
Jon Stewart did not want NBC News to become a joke. So what do they do now with their credibility falling like a rock?
After the Newton, Connecticut school shooting, NBC Meet the Press host David Gregory, wanted to score visual points for gun control advocates by brandishing a 30 round ammunition clip as he dressed down National Rife Association President Wayne LaPierre.
Gregory checked with DC Metropolitan Police, who unequivocally informed him beforehand that this was a clear violation of law. Yet Gregory arrogated to do so anyways. Nevertheless, the DC Office of Attorney General exercised prosecutorial discretion in not seeking any punishment on the NBC News star host. In a letter to NBC Attorney Lee Levine, the government proclaimed:
OAG has made this determination, despite the clarity of the violation
of this important law, because under all of the circumstances here a
prosecution would not promote public safety in the District of Columbia
nor serve the best interests of the people of the District to whom this
office owes its trust.
Yet in nearby Talbot County Maryland, the full force of the law was readied to be exercise to excise "hand guns".
Two six year old boys playing Cops and Robbers on a playground at White Marsh Elementary School were slated to be suspended as they dared to use finger gestures which mimicked guns. Parents were incensed at pulling the disciplinary trigger on kids who were just playing. Although there was probably a zero tolerance policy which mandated the suspensions, the penalty was quickly forgotten when the parents lawyered up and there was an outraged public.
It is likely that the kids would not have gotten into any trouble if they attended Sidwell Friends school, like David Gregory's scion does, as well as the First Daughters as did US Attorney General Eric Holder.
Progressives ignore the actual law because a prominent Lamestream Media type who is well connected can flagrantly violate real gun laws with impunity. Yet little boys would have been suspended for playing cops and robbers with finger guns. As would be noted in George Orwell's Animal Farm, some of us are more equal than others.
If liberal leaders really want to deal with gun violence and the problem with handguns, maybe politicians from Chicago ought to consider the epidemic of violence with handguns in the Windy City, which has strict gun laws instead of fanning politically correct fears about guns without really solving the problem or respecting Americans' Second Amendment rights.
The coverage of the North Korea cheerleaders during the womens' hockey game between Korea and Switzerland does raise eyebrows. It was a cute featurette to have a piece about the some of the 200 woman squad of the North Korean "Army of Beauty" cheerleaders leading chants during the 0-8 rout of Korea. Some say that the synchronized chants of the North Korea Beauty Cheerleaders stole the show. But what what telling is what they chanted and how they performed. These NPDK cheerleaders chanted "Unity" waving "neutral" flags of a unified Korea. After each goal by their opponent, they chanted: "Cheer up!". Perhaps that exemplifies a cultural trait. 
Brian Williams coverage of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 has been impeached. Williams claimed that he saw dead bodies floating outside of his window. Well, the Ritz Carlton is in the French Quarter, which is the highest point in New Orleans, which FEMA disputes the flooding to be low to nonexistent. Williams claimed to have gotten dysentery from drinking floodwater, but the New Orleans Advocate quotes Dr. Brobson Lutz, who was treating people near the French Quarter: “I saw a lot of people with cuts and bruises and such, but I don’t
recall a single, solitary case of gastroenteritis during Katrina or in
the whole month afterward." Three separate individuals have disputed William's claim that gangs of thugs had overrun his posh pied-de-terre in the French Quarter. 
