On "The Situation Room" this evening, CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux spoke to Paula Zahn about the firestorm surrounding John Kerry's comments suggesting Armed Forces personnel are uneducated:

"And, of course, Paula, what is really telling here is that Kerry, for most of the day, was alone in his explanations, and trying to figure all of this out -- Democrats quietly saying that they really wish Kerry had kept quiet on this one.

"But, late in the day, Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer released a statement, criticizing President Bush's criticism of Kerry. And, then, Paula, late in the day as well, we got yet another press release from Kerry, criticizing, reacting to Bush's criticism of him earlier in the day, calling it smear.

During a discussion on Tuesday's CBS Evening News about John Kerry's seeming insult of troops in Iraq, anchor Katie Couric invoked a deep voice as she mimicked an imaginary possible Republican ad of the future: “John Kerry insults the troops. Do we really want the Dems to take over?” Couric offered her impersonation, an odd persona to be taken on by a broadcast network anchor, during a segment with former Clinton Press Secretary Mike McCurry and former Bush Communications Director Nicolle Wallace. McCurry, confident the media will quickly move on, had predicted: "By this time tomorrow night people won't remember what John Kerry said because the story line will move on and they're be talking about Iraq and how badly the war is going...” Couric turned to Wallace and set up her impersonation of the announcer in an anti-Democratic ad: "Will this really be forgotten by this time tomorrow? Do you think Republican operatives are putting this comment into political campaigns all over the country?” (Full exchange follows)

Video clip (26 seconds): Real (800 KB) or Windows Media (900 KB), plus MP3 audio (150 KB)

This evening's edition of ABC's World News highlighted the role NewsBusters played in getting out the story of John Kerry's controversial comments on education and "getting stuck in Iraq."

NewsBuster Warner Todd Huston was among the first in the blogosphere to break the story. As ABC senior national correspondent Jake Tapper described how "the Republican PR machine mov[ed] into high gear . . . and conservative blogs and talk radio had a field day," two images of NewsBusters appeared on-screen, including one showing Huston's story.

Video (39seconds): Real (1.04 MB) or Windows Media (1.20 MB ), plus MP3 audio (173 KB)

After today, CNN might have to change the “C” in its initials to a “K”, as the cable network has been shilling for Senator John Kerry for hours.

By now, most of you are aware of an extraordinarily demeaning statement made by the junior senator from Massachusetts yesterday in front of a group of college students in California as reported by NewsBusters (video here). Well, some of CNN’s finest have been working the room so to speak trying to convince the American people that this was all a mistake, and that Kerry meant this as a jab at the president.

Correspondent Ed Henry filed a report Tuesday afternoon (video here) in which he stated, “Senator Kerry is insisting that he was referring to the president there, not to actual U.S. troops in Iraq, when he referred to 'getting stuck in Iraq.'" After playing a video clip of White House Press Secretary Tony Snow’s comments on the subject, and reading from some of Kerry’s own remarks from earlier in the day (transcript and video to follow), Henry said the following:

SARASOTA, FL. (NS) -

That great defender of Freedom and Democracy, John Kerry, is at it again...

Today the Massachussets U.S. Senator once again opened his mouth and inserted his foot, making another STUPID and uncalled for disparaging remark about our proud and heroic U.S. Troops serving in Iraq...

Within hours, the National Commander of The American Legion called on Sen. John Kerry immediately apologize for suggesting that American troops in Iraq are uneducated...

"As a constituent of Senator Kerry's I am disappointed. As leader of The American Legion, I am outraged," said National Commander Paul A. Morin...

The commander said the callous comments by Kerry ripped open wounds caused by previous comments made during the Vietnam War, when Kerry returned to the United States and accused U.S. military of unspeakable atrocities against civilians in southeast Asia...

"A generation ago, Sen. Kerry slandered his comrades in Vietnam by saying that they were rapists and murderers. It wasn't true then and his warped view of today's heroes isn't true now."

While addressing a group of college students at a campaign rally in Pasadena, Calif., Monday, Kerry suggested that they receive an education or "if you don't, you'll get stuck in Iraq."

Kerry's comments have been rightly criticized by the White House, several U.S. senators and congressmen, military heroes and families. Morin, in a prepared statement, defended the honor of the U.S. military in the face of Kerry's remarks...

"While The American Legion shares the senator's appreciation for education, the troops in Iraq represent the most sophisticated, technologically superior military that the world has ever seen," Morin said. "I think there is a thing or two that they could teach most college professors and campus elitists about the way the world works...

"And while we are on the topic of education, why doesn't the Senator and his comrades in Congress improve the GI Bill so all of today's military members - reserves and guard included - can achieve the educational aspirations that the senator so highly values?" Morin said...

"The senator's false and outrageous attack was over-the-top and he should apologize now."

The MSM troops have begun to rally around their man.

Interviewing Ted Kennedy on MSNBC, Chris Matthews referred to the controversy over Kerry's comments as a 'brouhaha' and a 'rhubarb'. Kennedy was of course only too happy to agree, calling the controversy a "diversion" and even casting Kerry as the victim, claiming he is the "target of Republicans" reacting to his criticism of the war.

A bit later in the hour, Matthews flatly claimed that Kerry only meant to say that Bush hadn't studied enough before he became president and thus got us into a mess in Iraq, and later still:

"I think he meant to go after the President."

"American Morning" reporter Ali Velshi insinuated on Tuesday’s show that corporations favor the GOP partly because "Republicans have kept hourly wages" low:

Ali Velshi: "All right, no big secret that Big Business favors Republicans, or has traditionally favored Republicans. But with polls showing that their friends in high places might be in some trouble leading into this election, Big Business has decided to cozy up with the Democrats. Corporate America likes Republicans. For the most part, Republicans have kept hourly wages and taxes low, and they keep their hands out of business as much as possible. Republicans like corporate America, and its hefty donations."

So, apparently, in addition to attempting to "criminalize science," Republicans also are the party of low wages? Perhaps that should be on a bumper sticker somewhere. Also, do Democrats not like their "hefty donations" from trial lawyers?

Honestly, how much more can ABC tolerate of this? On yesterday’s “The View,” comedienne Rosie O’Donnell said something truly disgraceful about Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, as well as Vice President Dick Cheney.

As the gang was discussing the possibility of a woman becoming president, co-host Joy suggested that Condi could win. This set up O’Donnell to state: “I don’t think she could win, because I think she’s like that person on Scooby Doo who unzips themself and then it’s Dick Cheney’s evil twin brother is inside of her. That’s what I think.”

Amazing. What follows is a transcript of this exchange, and the video is available here, both courtesy of our friend Ian at Hot Air.

Why was ABC’s George Stephanopoulos smiling during his segment on Tuesday's Good Morning America? About ten minutes into the 7am half hour, following a report on Karl Rove’s optimistic outlook for the Republicans in the upcoming midterm election, and an interview with Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman Rahm Emanuel, Stephanopoulos grinned during this exchange with Diane Sawyer:

Diane Sawyer: "We just heard Rahm Emanuel say that the American public is going to turn over the tabletop for the Democrats. We also heard that Karl Rove is smiling. I think it's time to bring in ABC's chief Washington correspondent George Stephanopoulos for a reality check this morning. Which way is it trending--"

George Stephanopoulos: "I'm smiling too, Diane."

It seems safe to assume Stephanopoulos, a former Clinton White House aide, was not smiling in agreement with Rove’s positive assessment of the GOP’s chances for maintaining their majorities in Congress. Perhaps Stephanopoulos' cheery disposition came from the good news he had to report for his Democratic friends and former colleagues:

When John Kerry, child of the 60s, slurred the military with his comment, reported here by NewsBuster Warner Todd Huston, that people who who don't study wind up 'stuck in Iraq,' he was channeling the anti-war Bob Dylan and his 1965 song Subterranean Homesick Blues, which includes this line

"Get jailed, jump bail
"Join the army, if you fail."

It's the same song that contains the famous line "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows," from which the domestic terrorist group The Weathermen took its name.

On Monday’s CBS "Evening News," correspondent Sandra Hughes highlighted "trend-setting California" for "tackling ground-breaking issues the federal government won’t touch." She listed liberal policies enacted by California, such as funding embryonic stem cell research, raising the minimum wage, providing discounts for prescription drugs, and for enacting "the nation’s most restrictive law on greenhouse gas emissions." Hughes further noted that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s "saving grace" has been his decision to work with Democrats instead of against them.

"Evening News" anchor Katie Couric introduced the segment calling the Congress do-nothing, and portrayed California as a trail blazing state:

The New York Times sure doesn't like it when Republicans fail to give proper respect to Democratic politicians. Here's Mark Leibovich in his Tuesday story from the home district of House Speaker Dennis Hastert, "Controversy Gives Hastert Time at Home."

"Mr. Hastert is also fueled by what appears to be a genuine dislike of Representative Nancy Pelosi, the House minority leader, who would be speaker if Democrats gained 15 seats next week. To invoke Ms. Pelosi as speaker is a Republican talking point, but when Mr. Hastert does it, it smacks of disdain.

I don't get it.  In Oklahoma, we've been using optical readers for as long as I can remember.  You mark your choices with a black marker and place the paper ballots in a slot in the reader.  The results are instantly known, and there is an undisputable (unless a liberal loses, I guess) paper trail.  None of the needless 'screen errors' and inability to recount.  What's wrong with the rest of America?!   

Today's starter: After the media led the general public to clamor for electronic voting, now they're starting to raise questions about it, possibly in preparation for a Democratic loss?

In any case, if there is a problem with electronic voting (deliberate or not), the media ought to share some of the blame.

On this morning's Today show NBC's David Gregory interviewed Michael J. Fox in what was essentially a campaign ad for Democrats and embyronic stem cell research. Gregory went "on the trail," with Fox in Columbus, Ohio in a segment that, with the exception of a very brief soundbite from the President, played like one of those Democratic Convention PR videos.

Gregory let Fox preach for embryonic stem cell research without contradiction as Fox declared: "By most polls 70 percent of Americans are in favor of this issue so, in a way it's put up or shut up time. I mean if you really believe this, we're waiting for you." And while it's perfectly fine and expected to have sympathy for Fox, it's quite different for Gregory to cheer on Fox's agenda, as NBC's White House correspondent seemed to do when he left viewers with these final words:

Want to know just how dirty a word “liberal” is? Well, the blogger who posted a blackfaced abomination of CNN host Wolf Blitzer on Sunday has responded to the blogosphere’s outrage by asking folks to stop referring to him as a liberal. In fact, he’d rather be called a racist, a hypocrite, a communist, or a lunatic. I kid you not.

In his Monday evening post on the subject, Whiskey Bar blogger, aka Billmon, an alumnus of Daily Kos, stated the following to his faithful readers:

One thing that really annoys me about the reaction to blackface Blitzer is the number of right-wing attack artists -- like this one -- who insist on referring to me as a "liberal" and Whiskey Bar as a "liberal" blog.

This is slander. I'm not exactly sure how to describe myself politically these days, but liberal is definitely the wrong word.

He comically concluded:

In the Katie Couric gravitas debate, it's always easy to point out that Tom Brokaw held the same job as Couric, but never dressed up in drag as J-Lo on Halloween like Matt Lauer did. Katie was Mae West and Donald Trump, among others.

This morning was typical -- Lauer and Al Roker were Pirates of the Caribbean -- Lauer was Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow, Roker was Davy Jones. Ann Curry was Cher, except as a Cher with no dance moves. But the sleazy kicker was news anchor Natalie Morales as Madonna -- complete with 1990-era cone bra. Not only did she have breasts that could put an eye out, she was shimmying and shaking and pelvis-thrusting like it was midnight at the dance club. Eek, were children watching? (I'd have a better shot, but she was a constant blur as she vamped.) And is this someone we can take seriously when she now reads the latest on housing starts? Or are we going to hear the disco beat of "Express Yourself" in the background?

The Pasadena Star News yesterday reported on a rally for failing California Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Phil Angelides, at which John Kerry warned students in the audience that if they didn't get an education they would have no other alternative than to be forced into the US Armed Forces.

"Kerry then told the students that if they were able to navigate the education system, they could get comfortable jobs - 'If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq,' he said to a mixture of laughter and gasps."

(Updated by Noel Sheppard: Video available here.)

Rahm Emanuel missed his calling in life. Rather than heading the Dem congressional campaign committee, he should have become a professional in the sport of freediving - holding your breath and diving without any breathing apparatus. Judging by his performance on today's Good Morning America, there's no doubt Rahm would have been a world champion.

In the closely-controlled world of the first half-hour [really 22 minutes] of the morning news shows, hosts keep a tight rein on their guests. Even notorious gabbers like Joe Biden are lucky to get in 15 seconds in before being cut short. Katie Couric, for all her liberal leanings, was a master of the technique.

The Times sets their premise quite straightforwardly with their very first sentence in a recent discussion of a new theory on the source of morals being promulgated by Harvard biologist, Marc D. Hauser.

Who doesn’t know the difference between right and wrong? Yet that essential knowledge, generally assumed to come from parental teaching or religious or legal instruction, could turn out to have a quite different origin.

What follows is several slaps at religion, the Times asserting that religion has nothing to do with morals short of serving as "social enforcers of instinctive moral behavior".

But the Times seems not to understand the entire point of morals and the claims religions make about them. Few religions claim to have created morals by their practices and tenets but are merely re-enforcing what God has already given us. So, contrary to what the Times assumes, no religion, Christian ones especially, claims to have somehow invented morals with their religious ideals. They attribute creation of such to God.

Mediabistro's TVNewser reports that MSNBC is "already running nonstop political coverage from 9am to 10pm Election Day" with the Matthews-Olbermann co-anchoring to begin Tuesday at 6pm until Wednesday morning 6am. Other typical MSNBC analysts will be joining them such as Andrea Mitchell, Pat Buchnan, T.Carlson and Howard Fineman and a few other predictables. I just thought anyone suffering from insomnia might want to use this opportunity.

The gossip site Gawker reports CBS is trolling on Craigslist for that reliable species of American weirdo, the traditional family-values Christians who have Islamophobia:

Do you get nervous when you see a Muslim on an airplane? Have your opinions about Muslims changed since September 11? Do you have family or friends that get nervous around Muslims?

A NEW CBS SHOW SEEKS New York families who have traditional family values but are uneasy around Muslims.

The show will profile families in different communities across the country. This one hour documentary-style series from the producers of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Deal or No Deal" will take a look at the people and cultures that make up America.

Depending on how the election turns out next week, the story by Dean Reynolds on Monday's World News on ABC will be proven eerily prescient about the impending GOP setbacks or an illustration of a news media too eager presume disgust toward Washington, DC amongst Republicans. Anchor Charles Gibson set up the story by noting how Republican congressional incumbents “are fighting to hold three seats” in Indiana “against strong Democratic challengers” and that from LaPorte, Reynolds “reports that Republican voters are quite disillusioned." Reynolds featured a bunch of local Republicans who expressed how they are “frustrated," “confused," “concerned” and have “disgust." Reynolds recalled how "President Bush won Indiana's second congressional district by 13 points two years ago, but today:" Susan Resteau, Republican candidate for sheriff asserted: "A lot of people are just fed up with everything in gen