On Friday (October 27, 2006), Illinois Democrat Sen. Barack Obama was in Los Angeles for a book signing and a rally for the Democratic Party. The Los Angeles Times heralded his appearances the next day with 1027 words and two photos in a glowing article entitled, "A rising star from Illinois makes some noise in L.A." The piece was displayed prominently on the front page of the 'California' section (page B1). Writer Carla Hall hailed that Obama spoke before a "rapt crowd" and that he "was sent off with a crescendo of applause." She reminded her readers that Obama had "electrified" the 2004 Democratic National Convention as a speaker.

Yesterday (Saturday, October 28, 2006), comedian Bill Cosby was in Los Angeles to speak at an education forum organized by local black leaders. Today, the Times documented the event with 580 words and zero photos in a piece tucked at the bottom of page B3. The title: "More straight talk from Cosby" (by Times staffer Deborah Schoch). (Amid the straightforward reporting that Cosby "chastised" black parents and "chided" teachers, Schoch was able to relay that Cosby was "greeted with sustained applause." But, apparently, things didn't quite reach a "crescendo.")

NBC's "Saturday Night Live" featured some fake Republican ads that were either intended as a) a dead-serious mockery of the GOP exploiting the terror threat and socially liberal causes or b) something so over the top it was just funny to everyone -- or maybe a little gross. About 18 minutes into the show came Robert Smigel's "TV Funhouse" cartoon feature, with President Bush discussing GOP ads. First, Smigel had his Bush introduce the authentic RNC Osama-"real stakes" commercial. Then, he had Bush say that if anyone was offended, the new ads were more festive and fun.

The first one had a Ted Kennedy photo mocked up as a vampire, saying with a Transylvania accent "I vant to cut and run!" Then bin Laden came into the picture and Kennedy was tongue-kissing him. Then "Count Obama" rose up (like Kennedy, an Obama pic mocked up with pointy ears and fangs) and said like the Count on Sesame Street, "One gay marriage... two gay marriages...three gay marriages..." Then it had real audio of Ken Mehlman saying this message paid for by the RNC, with his little picture on the bottom, just like the real ad shown first.  Video (1:15): Real (2.04 MB) or Windows Media (2.33 MB ), plus MP3 audio (356 KB)

It’s election season: Do you know where good taste is?

Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Mike Luckovich certainly doesn’t. In the past week, he has published two cartoons mocking conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh’s recent brouhaha with Michael J. Fox. One used flag-draped caskets to make a truly sardonic point (hat tip to Ms Underestimated), while another could have come straight out of an absurdly sophomoric piece of tripe written by so-called comedian Al Franken. Shouldn't fat jokes be anathema to a Pulitzer Prize winner?

Continuing with such enlightened themes, Luckovich’s most recent piece lampooned Vice President Dick Cheney, waterboarding, and Halloween.

The curious need go to the “Read More” section, as I didn’t want to force these abominations on the unwitting. So, consider yourself warned: Either these are in really bad taste, or my sense of humor is quickly diminishing the closer we get to November 7. You be the judge.

The Des Moines Register editorial page is out with its endorsements for Iowa's Congressional Delegation.  (No Senate race in Iowa this year.)  The current group is 4-1 in favor of the GOP.  The Register would reverse that.  There would only be two incumbents, Democrat Leonard Boswell, and RINO Jim Leach.  Incumbent Steve King in the 5th district is an outspoken conservative.  The "endorsement" of his Democrat opponent is largely an attack on King.  One of the independents is "disqualified" because he "leans Republican", but the endorsee is experienced in working with the mentally ill and college students (who are often pushed toward joining the mentally ill by their liberal college indoctrination).  She's also a woman, and we haven't sent a woman to Washington yet.  (That's unbiased, isn't it?)

SARASOTA, FL. (TheCaptainsAMERICA/IAFF2546) -

This is the very latest information about the mind boggling and illegal activity going on at Sarasota-Manatee Internation Airport with the new Private Airport Firefighters...

See the letter of information below that follows...

To Whom It May Concern:

I have recently finished an Excel spread sheet "training audit" that I developed. I believe it clearly depicts that more than 1/2 of the new work force (provided by Rural Metro) are lacking the "State of Florida Firefighter" required certification...

I created this document from documents obtained from SRQ via our public records request for copies of all training records. They did not give us copies of their Chiefs' training records which would have been included in the original request...

As NewsBusters previously reported, Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney, had a rather heated interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Friday (video of entire must-see segment here). Seeming to recognize how poorly he performed, Blitzer needed some encouraging words from one of his colleagues. So, he brought on Lou Dobbs to pat him on the back, and chastise Cheney (video available here). After some niceties, Dobbs said:

Well, I, with all due respect, I don't believe Lynne Cheney could be more wrong, both in tone and in fact. The truth is that this government is not functioning. It is dysfunctional, in point of fact.

Government isn’t functioning? Great. Can I have my money back? After all, government seems to be collecting taxes, and spending like a drunken sailor. How is that different than how it has been functioning for the last 76 years? Ignoring such realities, Dobbs continued his government is broken-Lynne Cheney doesn't know what she's talking about tirade:

This one is way too funny. Britain’s the Daily Mail reported on Saturday that the Clintons are having a hard time selling tickets to Bill’s upcoming 60th birthday party, so much so that they have now twice reduced the price. In fact, compared to what they were originally charging, in particular to Hollywood elites, prices have been drastically slashed, and are now being offered to the public (hat tip to Drudge):

When America's liberal elite were offered the chance to pay up to $500,000 each (about £260,000) to attend Bill Clinton's 60th birthday extravaganza tonight - with the added promise of a private Rolling Stones concert - a packed house was expected.

Wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea sent out about 10,000 invitations to Hollywood tycoons, movie stars, captains of industry and Wall Street - with all proceeds to go to the former President's charitable foundation.

Sadly for the Clintons, there weren’t a lot of takers:

When I first tuned to ABC this morning, I thought there might have been some schedule snafu owing to the switch to Standard Time. But no; I eventually realized I was indeed watching Good Morning America and not a late-night DNC infomercial.

You could forgive me for being confused, because the first half-hour amounted to little more than a love-letter to the party of Pelosi.

First up, GMA staged an "Election Pre-Game" panel, complete with that catchy NFL theme music. Nifty game plan, perhaps, but then ABC fielded an unbalanced team. Liberal lion Sam Donaldson, Cokie Roberts - voice of the center-left DC media establishment - and political reporter Jake Tapper. No George Will or other conservative to dilute Donaldson. To strain the pigskin metaphor, GMA host Kate Snow, whose anti-tax cut antics I noted here back in May, served as coach/referee.

For weekend discussion...

It's not just Chris Matthews who sees racial bogeymen behind the RNC's now-famous ad [view here] with a Playboy bunny inviting Harold Ford, Jr. to "call me."

On last evening's "Beltway Boys," normally-kindly moderate Mort Kondracke claimed the Republicans designed the ad to "stir up rednecks."

Mort's fellow "Boy," Fred Barnes, was having none of it:

"You have to be living in the 50's or 60's to think it is racist. . . There is absolutely nothing wrong. It amounts to the way Democrats play the race card and you fall for it."

When it comes to using Mafia references for political purposes, Chris Matthews has a one-way sense of outrage. OK for slurring Republicans. Bad, bad, bad when used against Dems.

Matthews is the king of MSM conniption fits over Republican ads. He pounded for days on the RNC ad about Harold Ford, Jr., accusing RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman of "cesspool" tactics and claiming the ad played to white fears of "losing white women to black guys."

Matthews had a similar over-the-top reaction to an ad [see it here] running in NJ that uses a mobbed-up character to mock ethically-challenged Bob Menendez. Here's how Stephen Spruiell at National Review's Media Blog noted Matthews reaction:

"Well maybe because I've spent so much of my life in New Jersey... but you know, I have to tell you Charlie, it's an ethnic ad. Whatever else it is, it's an ethnic ad. It's about Italians in New Jersey, it's about the mob. Tying Menendez into Torricelli. They're closing the loop, they're making their point, and that has been politics in that state for years, between the WASPy people like Christie Todd Whitman and the Keans, father and son, running against the ethnic people, they tied it all together: If you're ethnic, you're a crook, right?"

The Washington Post has released a new poll purporting to show Michael Steele trailing Ben Cardin by eleven points in the Maryland Senate race.

                   Cardin   Steele      
10/26/06 LV     54         43

The poll of likely voters over sampled Democrats by 8 points based upon election results from 2004.

Party affiliation for the new WaPo poll:

                  Dem.     Rep.     Ind.     Something else     No opinion
10/26/06 RV   56        30       11             3                       1