The Hollywood Liberal

Sunday Talking Heads: March 20, 2011.
Well, originally Dr. Steven Chu was scheduled for the full Ginsberg but he got bumped off a couple shows by Adm. Mike Mullen. Needless to say, the big stories today are Libya and Japan, with a little Budget thrown in for luck. Many of the same-old same-olds are scheduled to enlighten you. Locally, we have Marcy Wheeler appearing with Joe Wilson on Virtually Speaking. Have questions for them? California Sherry will pass them on for you. Foreshocks! I marveled at this animation of the earthquake swarm around Japan, it goes from March 9th to March 14th, the 9.0 was March 11, 2011. We are all hoping for the best for Fukushima Fifty but it’s grim.

Well, originally Dr. Steven Chu was scheduled for the full Ginsberg but he got bumped off a couple shows by Adm. Mike Mullen. Needless to say, the big stories today are Libya and Japan, with a little Budget thrown in for luck. Many of the same-old same-olds are scheduled to enlighten you.

Locally, we have Marcy Wheeler appearing with Joe Wilson on Virtually Speaking. Have questions for them? California Sherry will pass them on for you.

Foreshocks! I marveled at this animation of the earthquake swarm around Japan, it goes from March 9th to March 14th, the 9.0 was March 11, 2011. We are all hoping for the best for Fukushima Fifty but it’s grim.

Washington Journal.

ABC’s This Week: Libya. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen. Then French ambassador to the United Nations Gérard Araud and former Libyan ambassador to the United States Ali Suleiman Aujali, who recently resigned from his post renouncing the Gadhafi regime. Roundtable: George Will, Paul Wolfowitz, Jane Harman, Robin Wright. Finally, Japan. Energy Secretary Steven Chu.  Plus, Michael Chertoff and Bill Richardson.

CBS’ Face The Nation: Libya and Japan. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen. Then, Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA). Plus reports from CBS Correspondents.

Chris Matthews: Is President Obama Failing To Lead? Could Republican Red Hots Spoil The Party?

CNN’s State of the Union: Libya. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen. Then, former CENTCOM commander Adm. William Fallon (Ret.) and former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Richard Myers (Ret.). Plus, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT). Then, Japan. Energy Secretary Steven Chu. Then, Sharon Squassoni, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and radiation epidemiologist John Boice.

Fareed Zakaria – GPS: Japan. Howard Stringer, the Chairman & CEO of Japan’s electronic giant, Sony.  Then, “why in the world is Al Qaeda publishing a women’s magazine?”  Plus, Pakistan with reporter Ahmed Rashid.

Fox News Sunday: Libya. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI). Japan. Energy Secretary Steven Chu.  Roundtable: Brit Hume, Mara Liasson, Bill Kristol, Juan Williams.

NBC’s Meet The Press: Libya. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen. Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL). Roundtable: Andrea Mitchell, Helene Cooper, EJ Dionne, Kim Strassel.

Newsmakers: Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist discusses the debate over federal spending and tax issues before the Congress and Obama administration.

Q & A: Kathryn Wylde, President and CEO of the Partnership for New York City. She is also a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The Partnership for New York City is a nonprofit group of businesses who work to improve the economy of the city.

Religion & Ethics.

60 Minutes: Japan – Scott Pelley reports on the American team working to avert nuclear disaster in Japan after the tsunami crippled a power plant.  The N-word – A Southern publisher’s sanitized edition of “Huckleberry Finn” that replaces the N-word with “slave” over 200 times is the focal point for a debate on the use of the controversial word in American society.  The Archbishop – In a wide-ranging interview with Morley Safer, New York’s Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan discusses the sex abuse crisis in the Catholic church, his current mission and the state of the church in America.

To The Contrary: Topics : 1- Will the revolutions in the Middle East help or hurt women? 2- The advertising power of mom bloggers; 3- Fat Studies: Colleges offer courses in weight and body image. Panelists: The Feminist Majority’s Kim Gandy; Public Notice Executive Director Gretchen Hamel; The Huffington Post’s Amanda Terkel; and Conservative Commentator Dana White.

Univision’s Al Punto: Senator Cristovam Buarque, Vice President of the Commission of Foreign Relations and National Defense of Brazil; Francisco Altschul, Ambassador of El Salvador to the United States; Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State; and Luis Echavarri, Director-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Nuclear Energy Agency.

Virtually Speaking: Former US diplomat Joe Wilson and Marcy Wheeler talk about the tension between transparency, security in a ‘free’ society. 9-11pm ET.

C-SPAN’s Book TV.

FDL Book Salon: Mediactive. “You and I can take control and make media serve us — all of us — by being active consumers and participants. Here’s how.” Chat with author Dan Gillmor and host Barry Eisler, 5pm ET.

FDL Movie Night Monday: Bob Dylan Revealed offers an intimate biography of who Bob Dylan was, and who he is today.  Join Lisa Derrick for a chat with director Joel Gilbert, 8pm ET.

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Late Late Night FDL: Slippery Glass Slipper
Super Snooper and Blabber Mouse — Slippery Glass Slipper. This Hanna-Barbara cartoon first aired as a segment on The Quick Draw McGraw Show on December 22, 1959.

Super Snooper and Blabber Mouse — Slippery Glass Slipper.  This Hanna-Barbara cartoon first aired as a segment on The Quick Draw McGraw Show on December 22, 1959.

Produced and Directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera.  Written by Michael Maltese.  Animation by Lewis Marshall.  Layouts by Dick Bickenbach.  Backgrounds by Robert Gentle.  Titles by Lawrence Goble.  Production Supervision by Howard Hanson.  Voices by Daws Butler (Snooper, Blabber).  Music by John Seely.

Grab your popcorn, put your feet up on the seatback in front of ya, and aim your spitballs at the ushers please. This is Late Late Night FireDogLake, where off topic is the topic … so dive in. What’s on your mind?

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French Go on Attack Over Libya
A French warplane has fired the first shots over Libya under a U.N.-enforced no-fly zone that began on Saturday. The plane reportedly targeted a Libyan military vehicle during an attack by pro-Gadhafi forces against rebels in the city of Benghazi. —JCL The BBC: A French plane has fired the first shots in Libya as enforcement of the UN-mandated no-fly zone begins. The target was a military vehicle, the French defence ministry said. It came hours after Western and Arab leaders met in Paris to agree [on] a course of action to confront Col Gaddafi. “Our air force will oppose any aggression,” said French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Earlier, pro-Gaddafi forces attacked the rebel stronghold of Benghazi. Read more

A French warplane has fired the first shots over Libya under a U.N.-enforced no-fly zone that began on Saturday. The plane reportedly targeted a Libyan military vehicle during an attack by pro-Gadhafi forces against rebels in the city of Benghazi. —JCL

The BBC:

A French plane has fired the first shots in Libya as enforcement of the UN-mandated no-fly zone begins. The target was a military vehicle, the French defence ministry said.

It came hours after Western and Arab leaders met in Paris to agree [on] a course of action to confront Col Gaddafi.

“Our air force will oppose any aggression,” said French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Earlier, pro-Gaddafi forces attacked the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

Read more

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Radioactive Iodine Taints Japan’s Tap Water
Adding to safety fears for those in Japan, the government there has reportedly found trace amounts of radioactive iodine in the tap water of six areas, including Tokyo. While the levels did not exceed safety limits, the news follows a ban earlier in the day on the sale of food products originating from near the site of the Fukushima nuclear power station. —JCL The Guardian: The Japanese government has reported that trace amounts of radioactive iodine have been detected in tap water in Tokyo and five other areas, amid concerns about leaks from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power station. The ministry says the amounts did not exceed government safety limits, but the announcement has added to safety fears among the Japanese people. Earlier in the day, Japan banned the sale of food products from near Fukushima after finding elevated radiation levels in spinach and milk from the area’s farms. The International Atomic Energy Agency said: “Though radioactive iodine has a short half-life of about eight days and decays naturally within a matter of weeks, there is a short-term risk to human health if radioactive iodine in food is absorbed into the human body.” Read more

Adding to safety fears for those in Japan, the government there has reportedly found trace amounts of radioactive iodine in the tap water of six areas, including Tokyo.

While the levels did not exceed safety limits, the news follows a ban earlier in the day on the sale of food products originating from near the site of the Fukushima nuclear power station. —JCL

The Guardian:

The Japanese government has reported that trace amounts of radioactive iodine have been detected in tap water in Tokyo and five other areas, amid concerns about leaks from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power station.

The ministry says the amounts did not exceed government safety limits, but the announcement has added to safety fears among the Japanese people. Earlier in the day, Japan banned the sale of food products from near Fukushima after finding elevated radiation levels in spinach and milk from the area’s farms.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said: “Though radioactive iodine has a short half-life of about eight days and decays naturally within a matter of weeks, there is a short-term risk to human health if radioactive iodine in food is absorbed into the human body.”

Read more

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• March 17, 2011 But What Whole Foods Really Always Wanted to Do Is …
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Norm Stamper: Marijuana and the Democracy Disconnect
There is always a gap between what a political system stands for and the reality of everyday life under that system. Ours is government that…

A New Manhattan Skyline
NEW YORK — The noise at ground zero is a steady roar. Engines hum. Cement mixers churn. Air horns blast. Cranes, including one that looks…

Gary Shapiro: From Japan to the Deficit, President Obama’s Listless Leadership
I don’t deny Obama his right to golf, pick NCAA winners and focus his weekend radio address on gender inequality, but his detachment seems misplaced in light of the triple tragedy in Japan.

Latest James O’Keefe NPR Tape Immediately Proves A Dud
Branded as a revelatory scoop uncovering previously unknown donations from George Soros to NPR, James O’Keefe’s latest sting on NPR was debunked as a non-story within hours of its release. Purporting to “break” news that Soros had previously donated to the public broadcaster, grants from Soros’ Open Society Institute had, in fact, long been publicly known through tax records and even press releases.

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Federal Review Finds Systematic Problems In New Orleans Police Dept.
A federal review of the New Orleans Police Department has found the department used excessive force; made unconstitutional stops, searches and arrests; engaged in biased policing based on race, ethnicity and sexual orientation; failed to provide effective policing services to…

Serfin’ USA with Ollie and Molly Oligarchy!

US, Britain and France Hit Libya With Air Strikes
The US, Britain and France pounded Libya with air strikes Saturday, sparking a furious response from Moamer Kadhafi.

Bill Maher Trashes Muslims Again
I can’t wait for HBO to dump Bill Maher, which they would have done years ago if he directed his hate at African-Americans, gays, Jews, Latinos or pretty much any group other than Muslims. Last night, his guest was…

Important lessons from the antinuclear movement
Japan’s desperate struggle to contain the nuclear catastrophe at the Fukushima Daiichi reactors should bring the Obama’s attempt to reintroduce nuclear power in the US to a grinding halt. Instead, the administration has responded with an anxious defense of nuclear…

GOP Rep. Todd Akin On Social Security: ‘I Don’t Like It’
As Republicans gear up to cut social welfare programs like Social Security, they’ve been careful to craft a public message that says they support these programs, and that their reform efforts are merely attempts to save the social safety net. “Most young people acknowledge that it’s broken — it’s broken so badly that the only […]

As Republicans gear up to cut social welfare programs like Social Security, they’ve been careful to craft a public message that says they support these programs, and that their reform efforts are merely attempts to save the social safety net. “Most young people acknowledge that it’s broken — it’s broken so badly that the only way we fix it and the only way it can continue is we have to look at the eligibility,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said yesterday.

But appearing on CSPAN’s Washington Journal this morning, Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO), who sits on the Budget Committee, had a more honest (and negative) assessment of Social Security:

AKIN: Now, Social Security through the years, for many many people, has been a terrible investment. It’s really a tax, that’s all it is. Social Security is a tax. The government has taken the tax. There’s been more money coming in than going out. And we spend it. That’s not been responsible. I don’t like it. I didn’t design Social Security. It actually came from Bismarck, FDR put it in place.

Watch it:

Despite Akin’s claim, Social Security is far more than a tax. After 75 years in existence, the program “remains one of the nation’s most successful, effective, and popular programs.” It has dramatically reduced elderly poverty — nearly half of seniors today would be in poverty without it — and it is the nation’s most effective tool at alleviating poverty among people with disabilities. It does all this while spending less than a penny per dollar on administrative costs. And despite conservatives’ fear mongering, Social Security is not going bankrupt any time soon.

For all these reasons, Social Security is beloved and respected by Americans, even if it isn’t by Akin. The program’s support among Americans is so strong that a PPP poll from January found that 67 percent of tea party supporters would rather raise taxes than raise the retirement age on Social Security.

No Coverage Zone: Media Ignores Brutal Crackdowns By US Allies Bahrain And Yemen
One of the major factors in the success so far of the “Jasmine Revolution” — the wave of pro-democracy revolts across the Middle East — has been the empowering international press coverage of the protests. Yet in recent weeks, this coverage in the United States has been overwhelmingly focused on just one country where these […]

One of the major factors in the success so far of the “Jasmine Revolution” — the wave of pro-democracy revolts across the Middle East — has been the empowering international press coverage of the protests.

Yet in recent weeks, this coverage in the United States has been overwhelmingly focused on just one country where these revolts are occurring — Libya. While the events in Libya, where rebels are battling the Qaddafi dictatorship, certainly merit coverage, the American press has unfortunately failed to provide the same detailed coverage to the events in Yemen and Bahrain, two U.S. allies where mostly nonviolent protesters are being brutally put down by the armed forces in those countries.

A ThinkProgress analysis of press coverage by the three major U.S. cable news networks — CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News — from March 14 to March 18 finds that Bahrain received only slightly more than ten percent as many mentions as Libya and that Yemen received only six percent as many mentions as Libya:

– Libya: Libya was mentioned 9,524 times by the major cable news networks.

– Bahrain: Bahrain was mentioned 1,587 times by the major cable news networks.

– Yemen: Yemen was only mentioned 599 times by the major cable news networks.

The lack of coverage of the situation in Bahrain and Yemen isn’t disturbing just because the atrocities being committed there merit coverage. It’s especially alarming because, unlike Libya, both are close U.S. allies and recipients of major U.S. military and economic assistance — meaning that the U.S. actually bears a responsibility to make sure its assistance is not being used in ways that are contrary to American values.

One network that has been paying close attention to the revolts in Bahrain and Yemen is Al Jazeera English. It filed a detailed video report yesterday from the scene of a government attack on protesters in the capital Sana’a. Watch it:

Al Jazeera English is currently running a campaign to petition U.S. cable and satellite providers to bring the network into more American homes.

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Obama authorizes military action against Libya

Palin warns of China’s rise in visit to India
U.S. politician Sarah Palin stressed the importance of America’s ties with India, saying they were based on the shared values of freedom and free-market capitalism, while sounding a warning note on China’s rise during a speech Saturday in New Delhi.

Dems Say Party Failing to Humanize Budget Cuts
Mike Lillis, The Hill
A growing chorus of Democratic loyalists argue their party is losing the messaging battle over spending by failing to put a human face on cuts proposed by the GOP. Instead of shining the spotlight on the programs slashed and the people affected, Democrats have let the debate revolve around the cumulative size of the cuts, the critics charge. That attention to an arbitrary figure “” and not the underlying programs on the chopping block “” has spun the debate into a fight over numbers that lacks a human element.

Mega-Banks & The Next Financial Crisis
James Freeman, Wall St. Journal
At the height of the housing bubble, hedge-fund manager Paul Singer was shorting subprime mortgages. By the spring of 2007, he was warning regulators on both sides of the Atlantic that the world was facing a major financial crisis.They ignored him. Now the founder of Elliott Management says the biggest banks are headed for another credit meltdown. Among the likely triggers for the next crisis, Mr. Singer sees one leading candidate: Monetary policy “is extremely risky,” he says, “the risk being massive inflation.”

What’s Our Plan in Libya?
James Jay Carafano, New York Post
Judging from his press conference yesterday, it seems President Obama is unaware of the oldest maxim in war — “The enemy gets a vote.”Hours earlier, for example, Libyan Foreign Minister Musa Kusa declared to journalists in Tripoli that the regime had declared a ceasefire — so there was (supposedly) no threat to civilians and thus no justification for bombing his troops.