Newsweek's Lisa Miller on Religious Fundamentalists and the Inaugurati

Invoking the threat of "religious fundamentalists abroad" and tacitly comparing them to religious conservatives in the United States, Newsweek's Lisa Miller advises President-elect Obama to ditch the practice of having clergy offer prayers at the presidential inauguration:Our new president might use his Inauguration then to showcase the values that have made this country great: pluralism,…
Ken Shepherd
 

Kyoto Redux: Clinton Vows to Use Cabinet Position to Push for Climate

Secretary of State nominee and Senate Foreign Relations Chair both call global warming a 'security threat.'
Jeff Poor
 

HBO to Air Sunday's Star-studded Inaugural Event, Passed on Bush's

HBO will air the star-studded inaugural event from the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday which includes such headliners as Beyonce, U2, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Usher, Shakira, and Sheryl Crow.Although this cable network is only available for a monthly fee to subscribers, Sunday's celebration will be free to anyone that wants to watch. HBO also aired this event in 1993 when President Bill…
Noel Sheppard
 

Open Thread

For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: you tell us.
NB Staff
 

Washington, DC TV Anchors to Host an Obama Inaugural Ball

The night before the inauguration, Dave Hughes reported Saturday on his DCRTV.com blog, "Virginia's Inaugural Black Tie and Blue Dominion Ball" will be emceed by two anchors at Washington, DC's Gannett-owned CBS affiliate (WUSA-TV channel 9 which is airing ads to sell tickets, see screen capture) while Del Walters, a veteran reporter/anchor until a few years ago for the local ABC affiliate (WJLA-…
Brent Baker
 

Dear NY Times: Willie Sutton's Tax Plan

Bob Herbert wants a tax on financial transactions because 'that's where the money is.'
Donald J. Boudreaux, Ph.D.
 

Dear NY Times: A Taxing Proposition

Herbert's plan claims a small tax on financial transactions wouldn't discourage business, so perhaps a per-word tax on writers should be adopted.
Donald J. Boudreaux, Ph.D.
 

Morning Joe Mocks Olbermann's Special Comment Rants

Far be it from me to sow discord in MSNBC ranks, to stir up old animosities between colleagues there.  But if Joe Scarborough is going to do a mocking imitation of Keith Olbermann in full Special Comment rant, well then, blogging ethics compel me to report it.The jumping-off point on Morning Joe today was Eugene Robinson's current WaPo column. After claiming that he didn't want to kick the…
Mark Finkelstein
 

CNN Paints Barack Obama as Moses

Tim Graham
 

WaPo Leads With Sarcasm, Approval Rating Chart on Bush's Last Press Co

Tim Graham
 

Britney's Single Spells Out Lewd Sex…Literally

The pop princess' new single contains not-so-hidden content considered too raunchy for some radio stations
Erin Brown
 

Networks' Inauguration Coverage: Traditional Pastor a Big Story; Gay C

Rick Warren – not the gay bishop – is controversial to the broadcast news outlets.
Colleen Raezler
 

Sun-Times: Journalists Being Shut Out by Obama

According to Sun-Times columnist and long-time Chicago journalist, Carol Marin, journalists at Barack Obama news conferences have come to realize that Obama has pre-picked those journalists whom he will allow to ask him questions at the conference and many of them now "don't even bother raising" their hands to be called upon. One wonders why journalists are allowing this corralling of the press…
Warner Todd Huston
 

Coulter's Conservative 'View' Not Welcome

Whoopi Goldberg accused conservative author and pundit Ann Coulter of not being able to "take it" during this morning's broadcast of "The View" after Coulter criticized Goldberg and her co-hosts for not allowing her to fully explain statements from her new book, "Guilty: Liberal Victims and their Assault on America."  Goldberg immediately asked Coulter, "What is your issue with single…
Colleen Raezler