"Good Morning America" Wednesday broke the news about a new ABC News/Washington Post poll finding Republicans now favored over Democrats in the upcoming Congressional elections in November.

"Republicans are in a dramatically improved position for the midterm elections," said Jake Tapper. "They are much more competitive with Democrats and the President as to who the public trusts to handle key issues."

Tapper, with some help from co-host George Stephanopoulos, then walked viewers through some of the numbers (video embedded below the fold with poll highlights, h/t Glenn Reynolds):

On a nightly basis, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann pompously presents himself as being the smartest guy in the room as he belittles every leading Republican in the nation.

But on Tuesday, the "Countdown" host exhibited a staggering level of ignorance as he claimed "federal budget debt" -- whatever that is! -- as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product is "about the same as it was in 1970," and "far less than it was throughout the Reagan administration."

To begin with, there is no "federal budget debt." There's a federal budget DEFICIT and federal DEBT. 

That this self-proclaimed genius doesn't know these are different things is by itself proof of his almost unimaginable incompetence on this subject. 

Yet, whether he meant debt or deficit, what he told viewers during his "Worst Person in the World" segment Tuesday was 100 percent wrong (video embedded below the fold with transcript, h/t Right Scoop, file photo):

Conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh absolutely trashed Wolf Blitzer Tuesday for ignoring Barack Obama's declining poll numbers.

As he opened the program, Limbaugh informed listeners about new data showing the President's approval rating at the lowest point since he moved into the White House.

"He's down to 44% in a couple of polls, 46% in another, and where is the State-Controlled Media reporting this?"

To drive home the point, Limbaugh shared a montage of how Blitzer one day in March 2006 reported George W. Bush's sagging poll numbers almost every hour on the hour (video embedded below the fold with transcript, h/t Right Scoop):

The media's hate parade against the former governor of Alaska hit a disgraceful peak Monday night when comedian Stephen Colbert said on national television, "Sarah Palin is a f**king retard."

In a five minute segment bashing the former vice presidential candidate for her remarks at Saturday's National Tea Party convention, as well as her use of crib notes -- surprise! -- the Comedy Central star ended with the controversy surrounding White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel's "retard" comment.

After playing a clip of Palin telling Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday" that Rush Limbaugh's use of the word was acceptable because it was satire, Colbert concluded, "It is okay to call someone a retard if like Rush you clearly don't mean it" (video embedded below the fold with partial transcript, vulgarity alert):

Chris Matthews Monday went on a twelve minute attack on former Alaska governor Sarah Palin that should make his fellow MSNBCers and the liberal blogosphere quite happy.

Here's how Monday's "Hardball" began:

Can a palm reader be president? What do we think of kids in school who write stuff on their hands to get through a test? What do we think of a would-be political leader who does it to look like she`s speaking without notes? What do we think of Sarah Palin this weekend answering pre-screened questions from a like-minded audience in Nashville, a tea party convention, and still having to put a cheat sheet on her palm to answer what she calls the basics of her beliefs? How can someone presume to be auditioning for president when they can`t even answer questions they know are coming?

And that was just the teaser! Readers are strongly cautioned to prepare themselves for a level of vitriol and invective normally only spewed on television by Matthews' colleague Keith Olbermann (video embedded below the fold with full transcript, h/t The Right Scoop):

In a perfect example of how the mainstream media often channels liberal blogosphere hysteria, what is destined to be called "Handgate" -- Sarah Palin's use of crib notes at Saturday's National Tea Party convention -- was all the rage on CNN Monday.

The network's political editor was even wheeled out to discuss the matter -- as if somehow threatening to national security! -- informing viewers how absurd it was for the former Alaska governor to mock President Obama's use of a teleprompter when she is "using the same kind of aids."

Yep. A teleprompter with EVERY WORD one is going to say in front of a group written on it -- even when speaking at an elementary school!!! -- is the same as having a few words written on your hand (video embedded below the fold with partial transcript and commentary):

One of the reasons many people watch the Super Bowl is for the ads, and one that surely will be talked about at watercoolers Monday is Audi's Green Police commercial.

In it, ordinary citizens are arrested for using plastic instead of paper, throwing away batteries, not recycling orange rinds, possessing incandescent light bulbs, and setting their hot tub thermostats too high all while Robin Zander sings refashioned lyrics to Cheap Trick's '70s classic "The Dream Police."

To give you an idea just how scary this futurist vision of environmentalism running amok was, even the New York Times found it "misguided" (video embedded below the fold, h/t Seton Motley):

UPDATE AT END OF POST: Second one doesn't mention abortion either.

The first of the two Pro-Life Super Bowl ads featuring college football's Tim Tebow and his mother has been made available on the Internet, and it doesn't even mention or refer to abortion.

Steven Ertelt of LifeNews.com posted it a few hours ago; makes you wonder what all the fuss was about.

As you watch, keep in mind that this was the one CBS rejected for airing during the actual game, and will only be shown during pre-game festivities (video embedded below the fold with transcript, h/t Hot Air):

Conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt and liberal publisher Arianna Huffington squared off on Sunday in an epic ideological battle about Fox News's Glenn Beck and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.

With Howard Kurtz moderating on CNN's "Reliable Sources," the outspoken pair found very little to agree about.

Unfortunately, Kurtz was by no means an impartial host oftentimes letting Huffington off the hook while pressing his conservative guest more strongly on points he didn't agree with (video embedded below the fold with transcript and commentary):

In potentially a new broadcast television low, "Saturday Night Live's" Andy Samberg, playing White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, went into an f-bomb laden attack on former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin last night.

In what was sarcastically billed as "an even-tempered apology" by Emanuel for his highly-publicized comments concerning some liberal Democrats being "retards," Samberg began by going after these "stupid f**king babies who can't keep their mouths shut."

But the real venom was saved for Palin who Samberg referred to as a "f**king harpy" and a "half a f**king politician."

Samberg concluded by threatening the former governor Facebook style, "Poke me again, and I will write s**t on your wall so obscene your computer will cry" (video embedded below the fold with partial transcript, vulgarity alert): 

A rather shocking thing happened on Sunday's "Meet the Press": host David Gregory asked Alan Greenspan and Henry Paulson if it would be a mistake to let the Bush tax cuts expire.

Chatting with the former Federal Reserve Chairman and former Treasury Secretary, Gregory referenced Tuesday's Wall Street Journal article about what the impact of allowing these tax cuts to expire would be on the budget and the economy.

Gregory first asked Paulson and then Greenspan, "Is that a bad idea?" (video embedded below the fold with transcript, relevant section at 6:48):

The predictable media attacks on Sarah Palin were all over the television dial after her keynote speech to the National Tea Party convention Saturday, and talk radio host Bill Press more than lived down to what one would expect from such a liberal shill.

Appearing with Ed Schultz on MSNBC, Press said that if he paid her $100,000 speaking fee, "I'd want my money back."

Much as the AP did Sunday, Press accused Palin of not offering one idea.

After giving what appeared to be a campaign speech for President Obama, Press then said of Palin, "I don't think she even knows what's going on in Washington" (video embedded below the fold with partial transcript, h/t MoxNews):

It was a metaphysical certitude the liberal media would bash Sarah Palin's marvelous keynote speech to the National Tea Party convention in Nashville, Tennessee, Saturday, but what the Associated Press did is inexcusable.

First, it attached to its Sunday piece a tremendously unflattering photo of the former Alaska governor.

Then, it ripped her with the very first sentence (emphasis added, h/t NB reader Joe De Angelis):

Sarah Palin delivered the keynote speech at Saturday's National Tea Party convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

The former Alaska Governor touched on a number of subjects including how President Barack Obama is doing, the economy, the Christmas Day bomber, and the state of the conservative movement.

As it seems a metaphysical certitude her detractors in the press will tear this speech apart in the coming days, the entire address is embedded below the fold in five parts for your review courtesy our friend The Right Scoop:

Comedian Bill Maher Friday said President Obama has become so populist that he's demanding to see his own birth certificate.

Appearing on the "Jay Leno Show," Maher also accused Democrats of being so hapless, "They couldn't sell a cub scout to a pedophile."

But Maher wasn't only going after the Left, for after mentioning how terrible a bowler Obama was, the comedian quipped, "Ann Coulter offered to lend him one of her balls, that's how bad he was" (video embedded below the fold with partial transcript):

It seems rather serendipitous that the New York Times would publish an amazingly flattering article about Sarah Palin on the same day the East Coast got walloped by a massive snowstorm.

But to see the Gray Lady quote an Alaska editor saying the former governor is "as big a celebrity as Princess Di” gives one the feeling hell really hath frozen over.

Readers are encouraged to strap themselves in tightly, for Mark Leibovich's "Palin, Visible and Vocal, Is Positioned for Variety of Roles" is by no means what conservatives have grown to expect from the Palin-hating media:

Rachel Maddow on Friday referred to attendees of the National Tea Party convention in Nashville, Tennessee, as white-hooded racists.

Continuing MSNBC's sad tradition, Maddow first attacked one of the convention's speakers: "The opening speech last night was given by failed presidential candidate, ex-congressman and professional anti-immigrant, Tom Tancredo who started the event off with a bang, a big loud racist bang."

From there, she went after the audience (video embedded below the fold with transcript):

Conservative publisher Andrew Breitbart had some harsh words for media members Saturday saying, "It's not your business model that sucks, it's you that sucks."

Addressing the National Tea Party convention in Nashville, Tennessee, Breitbart accused the press of "contempt for the American people."

"In order to create the perception that the minority is the majority and the majority is not just the minority, but a bad, racist, homophobic, all those buzzwords that they learned in the freshman orientation class at Wesleyan, are used as weapons to try to destroy you and intimidate you to not speak up and to speak your mind," said Breitbart to an enthusiastic crowd.

"And your days of doing this are over" (video embedded below the fold with partial transcript, h/t Gateway Pundit):

99 years ago today, Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois.

As our 40th President, he took our nation from the depths of a crippling recession while ending the Cold War.

On what would have been his 99th birthday, let's remember him for what is likely his greatest speech.

On June 12, 1987, President Reagan addressed a large crowd of Germans on the west side of the Brandenburg Gate, and told then Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to "Tear down this wall" (video embedded below the fold with full text):

NewsBusters reported last month that Chicago's long-time comedy group Second City was working on a new show called "Rush Limbaugh! The Musical!"

The show opened Wednesday, and the first audio of its contents has been made available on YouTube.

In it, the cast sings "Our Man Rush" in a "Rent" motif just before Mark Sutton in the leading role asks, "God, give me a sign that America is ready to follow the conservative doctrine" (YouTube audio embedded below the fold with transcript followed by early reviews of the show):

Greg Gutfeld Friday said comedian Jon Stewart's opinion of Fox News is "nuttier than squirrel poop."

"Stewart's got to stop whining about Fox tilting to the right," declared the "Red Eye" host during his Greg-alogue.

This was in response to what the "Daily Show" host said about FNC during his often heated discussion with Bill O'Reilly Wednesday. 

Much of his criticism did not sit well with the outspoken Gutfeld who marvelously concluded, "Fox News only looks right because everything else is left" (video embedded below the fold with partial transcript):

The Left and their media minions may not have enough time to fully express their anger before it happens, but a second ad featuring Pro-Life advocate and college football star Tim Tebow is now scheduled to air during the Super Bowl pre-game show.

Adding insult to injury, this one's supposed to run four times.

Try to feel the liberal media's anger as you read USA Today's article on this subject:

Jon Stewart Thursday cited a NewsBusters headline that used the word "Rips" to describe what he did to Rachel Maddow in a "Daily Show" segment three weeks ago.

In a sketch mocking recent blog headlines involving him, the Comedy Central star referred to how NewsBusters and others depicted his January 14 response to Maddow's use of the Haitian earthquake disaster as an excuse to criticize former President George W. Bush. 

NewsBusters reported this on January 16 with the headline "Stewart Rips Maddow for Using Haitian Disaster to Bash Bush, Maddow Foolishly Strikes Back."

The "Daily Show" host referred to this twice in Thursday night's segment called "The Blogs Must Be Crazy" (video embedded below the fold, relevant sections at 1:06 and 2:52):

A heated debate about the political leaning of Fox News happened Wednesday when "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart was invited on the "O'Reilly Factor."

"What you have been able to do, you and Dr. Ailes, have been able to mainstream conservative talk radio," said the Comedy Central star.

"Don't give me I'm a Republican shrill," countered host Bill O'Reilly. "That's bull."

The pair also battled over Fox host Glenn Beck with O'Reilly finishing the interview by saying, "If you think that Beck shills for the Republican Party, you're out of your mind."

After the discussion, Dennis Miller reviewed the segment saying, "I think he's one of the most compelling TV presences in the last 20 years," fascinatingly adding "the two state-of-the-art shows for information and entertainment in America right now are your show and Jon's show" (videos of both segments embedded below the fold with partial transcripts, h/t Hot Air):

Conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh believes that many of the Miss America contestants he met last week know more about politics than elected officials he's spoken to.

"I've really been impressed with all of them," Limbaugh told Fox News's Gretchen Carlson in a segment that aired on "Fox & Friends" Tuesday.

In his first interview since being rushed to the hospital in December, Limbaugh discussed the event, how he thought it was "the big one," as well as what he felt about President Obama's State of the Union address last week and the significance of Scott Brown's election in Massachusetts.

Yet, what has really caught the attention of some in the media was Limbaugh's comment, "I love the women's movement -- especially when walking behind it" (video embedded below the fold with transcript, h/t the Right Scoop):