"Once You Worked Full-Time"

Paul Shanklin, who calls himself a "Conservative Political Satirist," is among the best there is when it comes to song parodies and vocal imitations. (His work regularly appears on Rush Limbaugh's radio program.)

Paul Shanklin.

His latest, "Once You Worked Full-Time," pokes fun at Obamacare, its Healthcare.gov website, and the impact the law is having on the economy and employment. (The song is a takeoff on "Once in a Lifetime," by The Talking Heads.)

Enjoy!



And the Talking Heads' original...


Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime

"Those are horrible words!...except when our friends use them."

Without wading too far into the mess that Rush Limbaugh made for himself, let's look at the amazing (but not surprising) double standard that exists for those on the Left.

The video clip at the bottom of this post - produced by SHE PAC - pays particular attention to "comedian" Bill Maher - a loathsome fellow, really - who has practically made a career out of being a Republican-hating misogynist. (He also made news, recently, by donating $1 million to the president's Super PAC.)

President Obama's Super PAC, as well as current and former aides, have rejected giving Maher's money back. Who said you can't buy loyalty?

Funny (not), how the president feels compelled to call a political/legal activist after she's called inappropriate names, yet he doesn't even think twice about ignoring "victims" when his own buddies say much, much worse.

As George Orwell wrote in "Animal Farm" - "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others."

Bonus: Apparently, the "get Rush" strategy is starting to have some blowback for the White House...

Dead Air...

News item: Air America noses in...

From its very beginning – yes, from its concept in some loony brainstorming session where “well-meaning” folks were discussing how they’d take down Rush Limbaugh/talk radio and the ascending Fox News – Air America was in a flat spin. A death spiral.

I’m sure it was a smashing idea...at the time (probably made all the more edible with the help of a few drinks…maybe some other “agents of enhancement”). “We’ll fight fire with fire!” no doubt was the battle cry. “If Limbaugh can steal make empty headed voters pull the lever for those guys with an “R” next to their name, I’m sure we can come up with a host or two – NO! A WHOLE RADIO NETWORK! – dedicated to presenting the other side. And once they hear our arguments, there’s no way they won’t buy it. There’s no way they can resist! I mean, look at the way we suck ‘em in with movies and TV.”

Yep. It was a great idea…just like that time we thought about putting screen doors on all our submarines!

Well, Air America finally landed...today…with a resounding thud.

"Ladies and gentlemen…the pilot has some bad news. Um, yeah. We’re going to be making an unplanned landing here. And, um, well, return your seats to their upright positions lock your trays up and kiss your backsides goodbye. We’re going in – hard. Oh, and thank you for flying Air America."

On Thursday, the all-liberal content/host radio network announced that due to “very difficult economic environment,” it was kaput.

From the start, it was only a matter of time before Air America experienced “Controlled flight into terrain.” The economic model was weak, the entertainment was all but missing and programming/content was so predictable that it was nearly possible to turn off any given show, come back several hours later and know exactly what would be airing. In short, it wasn’t worth listening to unless you were driven by an incessant need to constantly hear someone attack (pick one or more): the GOP, big business, the GOP, the Pentagon, the GOP, America’s history of (fill in your favorite reason to loathe the U.S.)…oh, and the GOP.

“It is with the greatest regret, on behalf of our board, that we must announce that Air America Media is ceasing its live programming operations as of this afternoon, and that the company will file soon under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code to carry out an orderly winding down of the business,” the chairman of Air America Media, Charlie Kireker, said in a memorandum. His statement was published on AirAmerica.com.

You could hear the schadenfreude as far away as Dick Cheney’s house.

“The company, which was founded in 2004, never found a substantial audience or sound financial footing. It filed for bankruptcy protection in 2006, but managed to stay on the air at that time. The network churned through several owners and several attempted reinventions, with little to show for it.” (h/t: NY Times)

The network – founded in 2004, made a point of positioning itself as a liberal alternative to conservative talk radio host Limbaugh and the multitude of others who have worked to follow in his footsteps. At one time, the network was carried nationally on approximately 100 stations, but early on it experienced money woes. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2006 and in 2007, a group of new investors bought a one-way ticket to nowheresville on Air America for $4.25 million.

United States Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn) – who had previously built a career on “Saturday Night Live,” – hosted an Air America show from 2004 to 2007 before running for office. Rachel Maddow, who also hosted on Air America, has since gone on to a lucrative career with her own prime-time show on MSNBC. In addition to those two, Air America had a list of hosts that included Ron Reagan Jr., musician Steve Earle, comedian/actress Janeane Garofalo and rapper Chuck D.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we know you have a choice when you pick your radio station…so we thank you for…wait – they’re still listening to conservative talk radio? Oh, no…we’re going in!”


I'm sorry I couldn't do anything about the Minnesota U.S. Senate race, but I like to think I did my part to bring Air America down...

Aloha from Hawai'i...pt. 2

Shall we try again?



I’ll be on The John Batchelor Show tonight (following a short hiatus…after a large cup of coffee being spilled on the studio controls...forcing a postponement of last night’s chat).

I’ll be on for a brief update on “all-things-Hawai’i”…re: Limbaugh, Pelosi, Obama, etc. John and I will start chatting around 9:50 p.m. PST. You can listen to the show at KSFO-AM 560, WABC-AM 77 NY, WMAL-AM 630 Washington, D.C., and on XM/Sirius Satellite Radio. If you’re not in one of the listening areas, you can tune-in via any of those stations’ websites.

And as always…mahalo for listening.

Radio tonight - aloha!

Book 'im, Danno...

I’ll be on The John Batchelor Show tonight for a brief update on “all-things-Hawai’i”…re: Limbaugh, Pelosi, Obama, etc. I’ll be joining John at 9:50 p.m. PST for the discussion. You can listen to the show at WABC-AM 77 NY, WMAL-AM 630 Washington, D.C., and on XM/Sirius Satellite Radio. If you’re not in one of the listening areas, you can tune-in via any of those stations’ websites.

And as always…mahalo for listening.

Radio update - KVEC-AM this afternoon

Unless you've already started celebrating, let me be the first to wish you a Happy New Year's Eve. I hope 2010 is a better year - your best, ever.

Just a programming note: I'll be joining Dave Congalton a little later this afternoon (4:05 p.m. PST) on KVEC 920 AM. If you're not in the listening area, you can tune in via the station's website. The show is a call-in program, so feel free to ring us up and add your two cents' (or more) worth.


Dave Congalton.

We'll be discussing Rush Limbaugh's recent health concerns, what the future of radio (and politics) looks like with/without him, and the media and politics in general.

Rush Limbaugh.

Limbaugh update: There is no word yet concerning additional tests that were run on Limbaugh today. I did, however, receive the official statement/release (below) from my PR contact at the hospital where he is right now.

--------------------------------------




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 31, 2009

Media Contacts:
Cedric Yamanaka
Director of Corporate Communications

N. Makana Shook
Corporate Communications Coordinator


The Queen’s Medical Center Provides Update on Rush Limbaugh

HONOLULU — Rush Limbaugh was admitted to The Queen’s Medical Center on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 after suffering chest pains. He is being treated today, continues to rest comfortably, and remains in good spirits.
Mr. Limbaugh appreciates the prayers and well wishes of his many fans and supporters. He will continue to provide updates on his website, rushlimbaugh.com.

# # #

The Queen’s Medical Center is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation, acute care medical facility accredited by The Joint Commission. The facility houses 505 acute beds and 28 sub-acute beds and is widely known for its programs in cancer, cardiovascular disease, neuroscience, orthopaedics, surgery, emergency medicine and trauma, and behavioral medicine. Queen’s is home to a number of residency programs offered in conjunction with the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii. Queen’s has achieved Magnet® status – the highest institutional honor for hospital excellence – from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Magnet recognition is held by less than five percent of hospitals in the United States. Queen’s is the first hospital in Hawai‘i to achieve Magnet status.

Rush Limbaugh - the next chapter?

"El Rushbo"...

As you read this, Rush Limbaugh - perhaps the loudest, boldest and best-known voice on the right side of the political aisle - is resting in a Honolulu hospital room after being stricken with chest pains during his golf outing on Wednesday.

I know it sounds like a bit tin-foil hat-wearing, conspiracy theory stuff but I wouldn't doubt it if some time in the not-too-distant future we hear Mr. Limbaugh is retiring for "health reasons" (hence the photo of Gary Cooper below as Lou Gehrig). btw...I'm not inferring that there's anything to do with ALS...the disease that knocked down Gehrig.


Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig in "Pride of the Yankees"...

From the Associated Press: "Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh was taken to a hospital after suffering chest pains and was resting comfortably Wednesday, his radio program said in a statement."

According to Honolulu television station KITV, "Paramedics responded to the call at 2:41 p.m. at the Kahala Hotel and Resort. Rush LimbaughLimbaugh, 58, suffered from chest pains, sources said. Limbaugh was sitting in a chair in his ninth-floor hotel room at the Kahala when emergency crews arrived, sources said. He told medical crews that he was taking medication for a back problem, sources said. Paramedics treated him and took him to Queen's Medical Center in serious condition. He will not be released from the hospital on Wednesday night, sources said."

Early reports had Limbaugh being listed in serious condition but those could not be confirmed.
I reached spokespeople at Queens Medical Center in Honolulu earlier this evening. They would not comment on Limbaugh being a patient or about his condition.

According to a statement released by Kit Carson, Limbaugh's chief of staff (for his radio show), "Rush was admitted to and is resting comfortably in a Honolulu hospital today after suffering chest pains."

We'll see what the days and weeks bring. Needless to say, the most formidable media personality of the last several decades - and political force majeure - moves through his next round of recovery.

Words mean things

A man on a horse...

Whoever thought the last elections would usher in a new era of civility, politeness and generally cordial relations ‘tween one and all was sadly mistaken.

We haven’t even completed our first year of Hope (fulfillment) & Change (can you spare some?) and we’re at each others throats like the next election is tomorrow. We can be comforted knowing that Americans have always gone toe-to-toe with each other over political, cultural and other subject matter – great and small. It’s just that today’s 24/7 news cycle, the speed and immediacy of the Internet, talk radio, cable TV and a host of other venues make the discourse seem louder/ruder than ever.

Over the course of the last week, we’ve seen the relationship between the White House and Fox News go from worse to “down the rabbit hole.”


Do the hustle...

Meanwhile, conservative talker Rush Limbaugh continues to – depending on your political views – lick his wounds from the NFL’s cold shoulder/make hay out of being pushed aside because of pressures exerted by people like the race-hustling Reverends Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Al Sharpton. Sure, he doesn’t have a minority ownership in the St. Louis Rams to brag about (like anyone would, anyway), but he has a whole new platform to stand on…and a new megaphone to yell with. He’s not just someone who can talk about “how the Left silences its critics,” he’s someone who stands as an example of it. No one thinks Rush is poor (or middle class…or even wealthy…he’s uber rich), but in getting swept aside by a government-like entity (the NFL) for expressing his views – and being slandered along the way with accusations of non-existent racist remarks – he’s become a symbol for many an aggrieved.

Feeling the heat for being called out for the false accusations of racism, numerous news outlets have either given half-hearted corrections (no apologies) or even taken to a renewed pursuit of Limbaugh. Earlier, a reporter who has been staking out the Limbaugh beat for CNN engaged a psychologist in attempt to gauge the talk show host’s “state of mind.” Needless to say, it wasn’t a favorable assessment. Limbaugh’s response? He “called Costello[the reporter] his ‘stalker’ before suggesting she ‘go sit on a fire hydrant and improve your day’.”



Shhhh, be vewy qwiet. It's Fox season...

Add words: If you’ve been watching what’s come out of the White House lately, you’ve got to wonder: who is the enemy…Iran or Fox News? Did the White House actually urge other networks to disregard Fox News? Interestingly, those rallying first – and loudest – to the Fox journos’ aid…have been other news people.

Add Fox dust-up: Perhaps the best push on this came from from ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper. Here’s the transcript from his ABC News blog, Power Punch:

From this morning’s gaggle in White House press secretary Robert Gibbs’ office:

Tapper: It’s escaped none of our notice that the White House has decided in the last few weeks to declare one of our sister organizations “not a news organization” and to tell the rest of us not to treat them like a news organization. Can you explain why it’s appropriate for the White House to decide that a news organization is not one –

(Crosstalk)

Gibbs: Jake, we render, we render an opinion based on some of their coverage and the fairness that, the fairness of that coverage.

Tapper: But that’s a pretty sweeping declaration that they are “not a news organization.” How are they any different from, say –

Gibbs: ABC -

Tapper: ABC. MSNBC. Univision. I mean how are they any different?

Gibbs: You and I should watch sometime around 9 o’clock tonight. Or 5 o’clock this afternoon.

Tapper: I’m not talking about their opinion programming or issues you have with certain reports. I’m talking about saying thousands of individuals who work for a media organization, do not work for a “news organization” -- why is that appropriate for the White House to say?

Gibbs: That’s our opinion.

Last add Fox vs. White House add: Ruth Marcus at the Washington Post puts it this way: ”There’s only one thing dumber than picking a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel — picking a fight with people who don’t even have to buy ink.”



Hello to my friend, Anita!...

Speaking of White House words: Megan McCardle over at “Radical Chic,” gives her view on White House Communications Director Anita Dunn’s ridiculous statement about Mao Tse-Tung being a philosophical touchstone: “I thought that this must be some kind of grotesque conservative exaggeration, but no, White House Communications Director Anita Dunn really did tell a graduating high school class to emulate Mao Tse-Tung's bold and imaginative attitude during his takeover of China. Most of us look at the tens of millions who died and maybe think twice about trying to imitate the late Chairman, but hey, think different!”



He's gaffetastic!

It's always nice to close with a Joe Biden gaffe: from “The Gaffe-inator”– “The U.S. is in a depression. The U.S. is in a depression.” (I'll bet the prez was thrilled with that revelation.)

Shoe's on the other foot?

The shoe bomb is on the other foot: “Five top officers in Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard were among at least 20 people killed by a suicide bomber in the south east of the country.”

This is gonna be fun! Al Sharpton threatens to sue Rush Limbaugh for his op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. Like Sharpton can be defamed...


Sharpton vs. Limbaugh? Fight of the century?

All opposed…? According to a Democrat-funded study, just because you disagree with the president it doesn’t mean you’re a racist. Do tell…

And now, a special message from the French government: “Give us your money or you will die.” Seriously.


Mon dieu!

Last item: Balloon Boy saga brought down to Earth…

Tonight's show: "The Tale of the Questionable Authorship"

A tale of two books?



John F. Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winner, "Profiles in Courage," helped him launch his presidential bid. After years of speculation as to who wrote it, former JFK speechwriter Ted Sorensen owned up to authoring the tome.



One of two books "written" by now-President Barack Obama, "Dreams from My Father" has been under scrutiny since Obama began running for office. This week, long-suspected author and/or editor, William Ayers, reportedly said he wrote it.

Note: Since I first posted this, the story - which has taken on a life of its own throughout the blogosphere and across the mainstream media - has become very hot. The blogger who originally reported the incident seems to agree with a number of pundits - conservative and liberal - who think Ayers was pulling the blogger's leg. (Even Rush Limbaugh dismissed the notion - rather quickly - on his show today.)

Let's talk about this: I'll be on Dave Congalton's radio show tonight at 6 p.m. (Pac time). Dave's show airs on the Central Coast, but if you're not within the broadcast area you can listen online at http://www.920kvec.com/.

Tonight we'll be chatting about the president's friend, William Ayers, and his (suspect) declaration on Monday that he actually wrote Barack Obama's "Dreams from my Father."

Callers are always welcome during the show at: (800) 549-KVEC or (805) 543-8830.