Monday, January 06, 2003

G.I. Journalists In For A Jolt: Wally Isaacson and Eason Jordan, writing in the Wall Street Journal, start off the new working year (Thursday and Friday were throwaways in the count) explaining and, to a degree defending, CNN's multimillion dollar investment in covering the "Big One." The new twist is something called "embedding" reporters with the troops. That should change not a few attitudes about the military.

Creepy Clone Cable Con: Howie Kurtz does a pretty good job of defending print journos coverage of those ding-a-ling- cloniacs who occupied the media window over the holidays. He cites several doubters among the big media papers. Now, who will speak for the cables who ran hours of interviews with that woman whose mauve gums must have had dental schools holding emergency meetings and the loony Raelian who insisted that Connie Chung call him "Your Holiness." And, she did.

For He's A Reggaluh Fella: Dan Balz in the WaPo deconstructs the charisma free John Edwards' championing of the "regular people." Other than routine users of Metamucil, who are these regular people and does anyone truly aspire to be one? Talk about a lifeless idea! Who gives this fluffball longer than Kansas to be gone?

Pumping Frum: For an author, a big black Monday morning headline after a night-before tease over at the Drudgereport (It's okay, we know you've already been there and that's fine with us. He's the appetizer, we're the meal) is like knowing for sure you are going to heaven. This morning he's doing a "Bill Gertz" for David Frum and his new book about the inner workings of Bush's first year White House. We seriously doubt that the Bushies are one bit disturbed about The Right Man: The Surprise Presidency of George W. Bush but Drudge's stirring the controversy pot gets the ball rolling for a terrific book. We read it this weekend and it is fascinating. You know you want to read it so get it while it's hot. It will very likely sell like crazy.

Tiny TV Moments That Make Us Shake Our Head: Only because we have to, we checked in with the MacLaughlin Group Sunday to catch them (taping in black tie - not a bad look) doing the predictable New Year's Resolution bit. Suddenly we heard James Warren, the effete editor of the Chicago Tribune, take a hit at Ann Coulter right out of the second act of La Cage au Folles. He resolved to "switch TV channels every time I see Ann Coulter, the venomous conservative, who resembles a two-legged Pez dispenser with blonde mop at the top." As attacks go it beats a swift smack in the head with a Fendi handbag but not by much. (Notice we did not call Warren hooded-eyed and balding) What is the matter with that guy?

-Your Occasionally Astonished LComStaff