Author: Trish

Advertising Age (subscription) takes us behind the scenes during a FOX News presentation to potential advertisers, where the atmosphere is as full of hype as its programming.

Fox and the rest of the cable and broadcast networks are getting ready to sell their advertising space for the new TV season, which traditionally begins in the fall.

The presentation bashes the competition in pursuit of non-news budgets, “A&E, they’ve gone from high brow to unibrow,” jokes Kevin Brown, Fox’s vice president for East Coast sales. “CNN used to be known as the ‘crisis news network.’ We’ve broken that deadlock.” He continues to detail ratings highs on non-political stories such as the Scott Peterson verdict and the Asian tsunami, but adds that the death of Pope John Paul II was an exception.

“And why not the pope story?” Keeshan asks.

“It’s not a fast-moving story,” responds Rittenberg.

No, it fairly crawled, like my skin does when I think of FOX News and all those affluent households with it blaring away in the background.

On one slide, titled “Who’s Hot/Who’s Not for Upscale Delivery,” Fox News claims to be up 85% in households (adults ages 25 to 54) with income of more than $100,000 during prime time. According to the slide, CNN was up 32%, while ESPN and Comedy Central were down 5%, and Discovery and TLC were down 10% and 43%, respectively.

…Some PHD executives are reluctant to accept some of the arguments made, particularly since figures are from the fourth quarter 2004, which included the presidential election, a particularly good time for the channel…

Rittenberg disputes spinning the numbers. “We’re fortunate that most of the information shows us in a good light. No one’s saying our numbers suck,” he says, adding that first quarter 2005 also compares favorably with first quarter 2004.

Maybe your numbers don’t suck FOX, but your so-called news really blows.

I never thought it would be fun to be a Democrat in Florida again, but the headlines following the close of the state legislative session on Friday were pretty satisfying.

Florida Times Union (Jacksonville):

Governor, His Major Initiatives Left in Cold

This winter, Jeb Bush sent the Legislature a wish list of Medicaid reform, class-size amendment changes and school voucher expansion.

On Friday, legislators crumpled it up and threw it back…

Tallahassee Democrat:

Session Showed Gov. Bush Era Waning

Gov. Jeb Bush hopped the globe to monitor aid for tsunami victims in Asia and mourn Pope John Paul II in Vatican City, but it was a more humbling year at home.

Halfway through the next-to-last year of his second term, Bush no longer can crack a whip and get all fellow Republican lawmakers to follow…

Orlando Sentinel:

Legislators Cut Gov. Bush’s List Down to Size

Like his brother in the White House who is struggling to sell a Social Security overhaul to a reluctant Congress, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush might have reached too far during the just-completed state legislative session…

Miami Herald:

Rebuffs Reduce Gov. Bush’s Power

After a six-year reign as arguably the most powerful governor in state history, Jeb Bush met mortality last week at the hands of his fellow Republicans…

What these stories, and the session itself, showed is that a one-party system doesn’t automatically produce accord. Florida’s Republican governor couldn’t get his signature projects through the Republican State House or the Republican State Senate. And the Republican House and Senate couldn’t get many of their slam-dunks into each other’s baskets.

Why? My theory is that we have a one-party system in Florida, not because everyone thinks Republican, but because the GOP has done such a thorough job of selling the message that the only way to win here is to have the R-label. Hand in hand with that, stacking districts helped a lot too. So now a whole bunch of people who aren’t REALLY Republicans have little elephants on their lapels. And the Jebs of the world still don’t always get their way.

Great editorial in the Orlando Sentinel, first noted on Florida Politics. Most Florida papers are talking about the various egregious aspects of the foster-girl-abortion case (including the fact that only now are people asking about the “older man” who made the girl pregnant) but this one is superb. Of course, FlaPol notes its author actually voted for Jeb.

Bush stomps on rights of pregnant girl
Mike Thomas
Sentinel Columnist

May 5, 2005

The state constitution is optional reading for Jeb Bush these days as he continues using his office to push his personal beliefs.

His most recent action as Pope of Florida was trying to block a 13-year-old girl from an abortion.

Yes, this is a tragedy.

The girl had no legal parents — their rights were terminated for unknown reasons. While under the loving care of the Department of Children & Families, she managed to get pregnant…

…the same DCF that botched her care to begin with moved to block her in court. DCF has become a front operation for Bush. It is his right-to-life security force.

Apparently, the plan was to force the girl to deliver the baby.

A Tavares attorney who specializes in children’s issues, Jerri Blair, says DCF most likely would have then taken the baby and put it up for adoption because the girl could not care for it and had no family support.

The baby would have gone out the door because it is easy to find adoptive families for babies. But the girl would have stayed put because that is not the case for teenagers.

The state basically would have forced the girl to become a breeder for another couple.

“We are working for the best interest of the young girl,” said a DCF spokeswoman.

Somehow, the girl didn’t see it that way, and I can’t say that I blame her.

Bush had no legal grounds to intervene, and anyone with a law degree knew it. He eventually had to give up when backed into a constitutional corner, but not before stalling the process in court long enough to increase the medical risk from the abortion (even so, it still would be less risky to the girl than having the baby).

Does anyone really believe that Bush, DCF or all these Christian groups give one hoot about this girl? They simply folded up the circus tent over Terri Schiavo’s hospice and found another place to set it up.

Look at the similarities.

Bush also intervened in the Schiavo case in a blatantly unconstitutional move. He dragged it out, created a ruckus, was cheered on by the zealots and then backed off when his lawyers ran out of tricks.

He also abused his authority over DCF, using it to raise the specter of abuse against Terri’s husband, Michael. Bush never bothered to talk to Michael, and the abuse allegations were false. Bush had to know because DCF had a file that said as much.

There actually was a third case Bush intervened in last week that got little attention. His lawyers helped a Christian legal group that claimed a woman gave birth to a live baby at an Orlando abortion clinic but the baby was allowed to die.

“Something like this never should have happened,” an “outraged” Bush said through a spokesman.

Something like that never did happen, said the medical examiner who autopsied the fetus.

The fetus was stillborn. Bush should be thankful our editors were a bit more skeptical of the story than he was and played it down.

It seems Bush no longer bothers with facts or laws. He simply governs by divine, if not legal, intervention.

Sad story noted on allhatnocattle. Texas Republicans are dissing Willie Nelson. The link to the story in the Houston Chronicle shows even Willie, who unfurls a stage-length stars and stripes during his live show, isn’t the Republicans’ idea of a good American.

A state legislator had proposed naming a 49-mile stretch of Texas Highway 130 being built around Austin in honor of the Texas country music singer.

But two Republican senators, Steve Odgen of Bryan and Jeff Wentworth of San Antonio, said they didn’t want Nelson’s name on the road that crosses their districts, citing the musician’s fondness for drinking and smoking, and active campaigning for Democratic candidates.

While Willie is famous for smoking materials not associated with Republican senators, they do have some things in common. After all, most Republicans are busy either looking for ways to avoid paying taxes or giving themselves refunds on the few occasions they do.

“It’s frustrating, and sad in a way, but at this point, there is no reason to make this an unpleasant experience for anyone, especially Willie, so I’ll take no further action on the bill,” said state Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, an Austin Democrat and the bill’s author.

Barrientos said he wanted to honor Nelson “for so much good music and so many good works.”

The Bunnypants Plan for Feeding the Social Security Budget into the Coffers of Our Buddies on Wall Street isn’t catching on the way previous successful initiatives like the Bunnypants Plan for Coalitionzing Iraq’s Oil and the Bunnypants Plan for Working Up Simple-Minded Christians About Non-Existent Threats from Gays and Constitution Supporters (aka People in Favor of Separation of Church and State) did. Wonder what’s wrong?

Gallup reported this week:

The overall picture for Bush remains lackluster — only 27% of Americans would like to see Congress pass a Republican-backed plan for Social Security this year… Also, just 35% of Americans today approve of the job Bush is doing on Social Security, while 58% disapprove.

Public reaction to the centerpiece of Bush’s reform plan — private accounts — remains more negative than positive –There has been no statistically significant change in support for private investment accounts since Gallup first tested this in December.

This is particularly disturbing because Bush has been really trying on this one. Still, his 60-state and counting (do you get the joke there?) tour at taxpayer expense is a bomb, and I mean that in a bad way. Even after he got desperate enough to pull out the ultimate carrot “needs-based Social Security” no one bit.

Yesterday’s White House “Press Gaggle” given by Trent Duffy aboard the Mississippi-bound Air Force One was hilarious.

Q: Trent, some Republican senators have expressed reservations openly in the last few days about the indexing plan that Bush announced on Thursday. You have Allen, and you also have Brownback, and some of the centrist Republicans, through aides, are also saying that their bosses are not inclined to support it… how can you push it through if you don’t even have full support of all the Republicans in the Senate?

MR. DUFFY: Well, the Senate Finance Committee is just getting started. But he welcomes the discussion. It’s the exact kind of reaction that the President sought to spark when he provided his proposal.

Q: Does that mean he’s open to other ideas to replace the indexing proposal he just made on Thursday?

MR. DUFFY: The President is open to all ideas, as he said — That’s what the President is most interested in, is providing the best solution.

Q: So the final approach that’s approved by Congress does not need to include this indexing proposal?

MR. DUFFY: Well, the President has put out his proposal; the Senate Finance Committee is just getting started. And we welcome an active debate in that committee about how best to address a solution —

Q: Where do we stand on the 60-day campaign — is he going to stop going around the country and talking about it? Is that phase over?

MR. DUFFY: Well, I think our presence on Air Force One, traveling to Mississippi as we speak, is evidence that the President will continue talking with the American people —

Q: Was there a strategy shift? Thomas is now going to try and get out ahead, and get something out to the House floor by June. Previously it was Grassley that was going to take the first move, but not until July. Was there a coordinated effort to get the House moving, to give it some momentum?

MR. DUFFY: Those legislative, tactical calls are going to be decided by the members of Congress — But the bottom line is, it is moving forward in both houses, and that’s exactly the kind of momentum that the President wanted to build —

Q: And Mississippi is the 26th state?

MR. DUFFY: I believe. Let me double-check on that.

Q: Virginia was 25, and the previous —

MR. DUFFY: Do we know, Ms. Godfrey, what state Mississippi is?

MS. GODFREY: I’ll have to check.

MR. DUFFY: We’ll provide an asterisk at the end of the gaggle —

Q: One other auto question. The President has been at a BMW plant in South Carolina. Now he’s going to a Nissan plant. He’s never been, as far as I know, to GM or Ford. Is there any significance there?

MR. DUFFY: I’ll check on what plants he’s visited or hasn’t visited, but he was invited by this plant to attend. I know that he’s been working with Senator Lott on coming down and visiting — All good? All right, thanks.

Footnotes that followed indicated that Mississippi is the 26th state to fail to embrace the President’s plan and that in fact, he has never visited a domestic automaker’s plant. And while they have never been asked inside, he did invite domestic automakers to the White House lawn one time to hear him read a speech that contained big words like “hydrogen,” “technology” and “fuel-efficiency.”

Sometimes the facts speak for themselves, and this is one of them. What can I add to this, posted by the American Advertising Federation?

Bush States Indecency Position, Then Clarifies

President Bush said he supports extending indecency standards to cable and satellite programs, currently exempt from such regulations. Responding to a question on cable and satellite indecency at the American Society of Newspaper Editors convention, where he was a speaker, Bush said, “Yes, I’m for that. I think there ought to be a standard. On the other hand, I fully understand that…the final decision is a parent turning off the TV.”

Later, a Bush spokesman said the President does not support extending indecency standards to cable and satellite programs, saying he was referring to House legislation from last year that would raise fines broadcasters pay for airing indecent material.

The idiot has no idea what he thinks, unless whoever is on the other end of the wire under his suit tells him. In short, one-syllable words. Speaking very slowly.

Reminds me – really good Borowitz Report recently.

During a speech in Flint, Michigan today, President Bush sent shockwaves through the debate about Social Security by admitting that he no longer understands his own proposal for revamping the nation’s retirement program…

“I have read it over and over and over again, and I’ve got to tell you, I do not have a clue what it means,” Mr. Bush told his audience…

If I didn’t KNOW it was satire…

What’s the speck of light on Florida Sen. Bill Nelson’s forehead that follows him wherever he goes these days? It’s the laser from the scope of the rifle of national Republicans, who are trying to sweep him up in the “Democrats hate people of faith” war they invented.

Miami Herald:

The Democrat is one of 20 senators targeted by [James] Dobson’s Colorado-based Focus on the Family, which is running newspaper ads bashing Democrats for holding up Bush’s most conservative judicial nominees…

”There is only one reason Sen. Nelson and fellow liberals are desperate to block these judges,” the ad reads. “They would easily be confirmed by a majority of the Senate, because they represent the president’s mainstream American values.”

Yeah, that’s it. It’s because their acceptance is a slam-dunk, not because they’re psycho nutcases. And since when does the president represent “mainstream American values?”

At the dog park the other day, the discussion around the bench was fear over the growing deficit and gas prices. One dog owner was Jewish, one Muslim, and the rest of us some brand of Christian. Our ages range from 20s to 60s. Not one of us supported any of the president’s policies – economic, military, or social.

But what I really object to is having another do-nothing, partisan halfwit like Mel Martinez forced on Florida by outsiders.

A spokesman for Nelson suggested Dobson is ”acting vindictively without regard to the facts.” Nelson, spokesman Dan McLaughlin noted, has voted for 206 of Bush’s 215 nominees – including Miguel Estrada, Bush’s nominee for a federal appeals court.

Nelson, acutely aware of the GOP’s desire to take his seat in 2006, joined fellow Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska in voting to end the filibuster against Estrada, who ultimately withdrew his nomination.

”This ad is completely without merit, based on Dobson’s partisan vindictiveness,” McLaughlin said.