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Today in wacky multi-media
Friday, Dec 9, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller * Gov. Pat Quinn appeared on Jonathon Brandmeier’s WGN Radio show this morning. Brandmeier loves him some Pat Quinn. And Quinn was the loosest I’ve ever heard him. He started by deftly ad-libbing through some ad copy and seemed to have a splendid time throughout the entire show. If you do nothing else today, listen to this… That’s the Pat Quinn I used to know. More like this, please. * This next one is not so funny. Apparently, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough is unaware that Rod Blagojevich’s jury convicted him on 17 counts this past June. The host of Morning Joe kept repeating a blatant falsehood on national TV yesterday. “The jury was deadlocked on all but one count,” Scarborough said, referring to Blagojevich as “my friend.” “A 14-year sentence for something that the state, really, had trouble proving, is so excessive.” That was the first trial, Joe. There’s been another trial since then. Maybe you didn’t notice. It was in all the papers. “Put a mark on his name, send him to jail for a year or so,” Scarborough suggested. “This is total BS, total BS,” he said. Yeah, perhaps if he’d just been convicted of lying to the FBI, a year would’ve been enough. But he was convicted of 17 charges this year, plus the FBI lying charge. That’s less than a year per charge. * Watch… Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy A Fox News producer called me a while ago to invite me on some show or another. “I don’t do cable,” I said. He acted like he’d never heard of such a thing. This is national news, he said. You’ll be seen all over the country. “Forget it,” I said. “I do Public Television and that’s about it.” He was so baffled that he was speechless, so I hung up on him. I hate cable news. * SEIU held a demonstration outside CME’s headquarters this week asking people to please, pretty please donate their spare change to the rich… Clever. * And, finally, Rod and George sing the Illinois Song… * More stuff…
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- bored now - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 10:02 am:
=== I don’t do cable ===
respect…
- Michelle Flaherty - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 10:05 am:
It’s like the governor is channeling Ron Santo
- CC - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 10:11 am:
““I don’t do cable,” I said. He acted like he’d never heard of such a thing. This is national news, he said. You’ll be seen all over the country. “Forget it,” I said. “I do Public Television and that’s about it.” He was so baffled that he was speechless, so I hung up on him.”
Awesome. Love it!
- MrJM - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 10:13 am:
\m/ Miller! Whooo! \m/
– MrJM
- walkinfool - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 10:16 am:
Rich: You’re better off staying away from cable news.
I was on national Fox News, a few years ago, as a supposed expert on business ethics. Their first question was on the ways that Clinton’s infidelity had led to a breakdown of ethical standards on Wall Street. My answer was “that’s not what led to these problems”, and they quickly switched to some tape on a missing blond woman, and never returned to my interview.
- Northsider - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 10:21 am:
>>“I don’t do cable,” I said. He acted like he’d never heard of such a thing. This is national news, he said. You’ll be seen all over the country. “Forget it,” I said. “I do Public Television and that’s about it.” He was so baffled that he was speechless, so I hung up on him.
I hate cable news.
- wordslinger - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 10:22 am:
–I hate cable news.–
It’s not news, it’s not entertainment. It’s like what Menkcen said about Calvin Coolidge. “As appalling and fascinating as a two-headed boy.”
- Northsider - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 10:22 am:
Okay… not sure what happened to the rest of my post, but here it is again:
Well done, Rich. I’m a journalist, too, and 98 percent of cable news (and 100 percent of Fox “News”) is a fetid, steaming pile of garbage that has contributed mightily to our societal slouch into Idiocracy. Thank you for refusing to play along with their agenda.
- Because I say so... - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 10:28 am:
You need a like button for that comment Rich!
- ChicagoJ - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 10:30 am:
Rich, you’re my hero.
- langhorne - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 10:37 am:
it is appalling that scarborough, or any other national talking head, would be so far off the mark. the simplest google search would give him a summary. was he the one who said the second trial was double jeopardy?
- Scott217 - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 10:38 am:
I don’t watch Morning Joe anymore, but happened to surf by it, so I watched.
Joe was so over-the-top, I couldn’t tell if he really believed what he was saying, or just looking to stir something up.
Plus, they kept trying to compare state & federal statutes (which didn’t seem to make sense).
(And your standing invite to come on CapitolView is still open.)
Scott
- anon - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 10:44 am:
northsider: and cbs, abc, and nbc are unbiased? would like to read or hear on of your pieces to determine your fairness.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 10:48 am:
anon, there’s bias everywhere. This isn’t about bias. It’s about broadcasting from a fantasy world.
- OneMan - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 10:54 am:
Well so much for that chance to be on Toddlers and Tiaras as a judge Rich…
- anonymice - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 10:56 am:
==I hate cable news.==
Amen! And any other “news” program where the reporters spend more time on their hair than Blago does.
- Zool - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 11:03 am:
The Morning Joe show yesterday was like something from an alternative universe, like the old Cracked Superman comics. Scarborough and Mike Barnicle railing about how Blago received 14 years and you can kill someone and just get 2 years.
- Scoot - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 11:03 am:
Scarborough is one of many examples as to why the national media has lost my respect. Kudos Rich.
As for the SEIU..please give my spare change to all the greedy wealthy Democrats in Illinois!
- 47th Ward - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 11:05 am:
I think the cable news people find it hard to understand why someone wouldn’t want to go on national shows to promote themselves. Who doesn’t want to be famous? Who doesn’t want to be a shameless self-promoter, flogging whatever bs they want to sell, whether it’s an idea or a product. It’s like running for a low level political office simply to serve, not to use it as a stepping stone to something better.
It’s an alien concept to those people Rich, and one of the reasons we love you. You are way too thoughtful for cable news.
- South of I-80 - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 11:05 am:
“Breaking News” and reported as such 15 times an hour……ain’t “Breaking News”!
Good call Rich!
- IrishPirate - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 11:23 am:
I forget the specific names, but twenty years ago during the Gulf War some retired Army General was on the TEE VEE being interviewed by some panel about the war. He was asked what the ecological and health effects of the oil well fires the Iraqis set were going to be.
His answer: Not my area of expertise. I don’t know.
The panel was visibly dumbfounded that he refused to pull an answer out of his lower region.
- Downstate Illinois - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 11:30 am:
Rich, your attitude towards cable is like many journalists’ attitude toward bloggers.
- MeAgain - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 11:33 am:
Rod & George Sing; “Now dat dar is funny, I don’t care who you are!”
- Aldyth - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 11:34 am:
Doing the right thing for the right reason. Way to go, Rich.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 11:35 am:
DI, was that meant as some sort of insult? lol
What people think is their problem.
- OneMan - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 11:37 am:
Have to give Quinn credit for knowing where NIU was going for it’s bowl
- OneMan - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 11:41 am:
You are right Rich, listening to Quinn in this context it’s like he is a different guy
- Rich Miller - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 11:42 am:
Agreed, OneMan. The guy is a walking encyclopedia.
What I liked most, though, was that for the first time in a long time he seemed to be enjoying himself in public. He always seems like Eeyore. There are problems here, but being governor is a great job, man. Enjoy it while you can.
Plus, I’d rather have a happy governor than a depressed and angry governor any day. Not good for my business, but better for the state.
- soccermom - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 11:45 am:
I wish I’d known Rich didn’t do cable before I sent his photo to Who Will Be America’s Next Top Model…. (They’re starting a new male edition.)
- South of I-80 - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 12:00 pm:
What was funny about Quinn this moring was that the ad copy that he was reading cold was for “The Trump Tower”! I wonder if The Donald will pull his ad from GN. But, it was a great spot!
- Wensicia - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 1:14 pm:
Cable “news” programs compared to real television journalism, is like comparing MAD magazine to Time.
==This is national news, he said. You’ll be seen all over the country.==
I’m surprised Rich didn’t say “Bite me!”
- jb - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 1:37 pm:
==He was so baffled that he was speechless, so I hung up on him. I hate cable news.==
This is why I love you…
- Rich Miller - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 1:44 pm:
===This is why I love you… ===
Uh… Mom?
- Jaded - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 2:19 pm:
Scarborough apparently needs a better class of friends…and a smart phone.
- Anonymous - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 2:32 pm:
The Governor was really fun to listen to. And he is indeed at least passingly knowledgeable about a great many topics. Plus, I like his choice of an after work drink, same as mine, though I like mine neat.
- Pot calling kettle - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 3:12 pm:
==“I do Public Television and that’s about it.”==
Don’t even have cable at our house. BTW, do you do Radio?
- Rich Miller - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 3:18 pm:
===BTW, do you do Radio? ===
I’m too busy these days to do much of anything that doesn’t involve getting paid.
- Anonymous - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 3:22 pm:
Thanks Rich for saying no to cable news. As most everyone has said, cable news is far from unbiased news. Although you can find some bias on the regular stations too, I am glad that you stick to public television. You do have standards.
I refer so many people to read your blog that don’t have a clue what’s going on; and of them there are many.
- NIref - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 3:23 pm:
You could have been a conteder, you could have been somebody…
- Springfield Skeptic - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 3:30 pm:
The problem with broadcast news in general was perfectly summed up by Don Hewett, the founding producer of 60 minutes. I think it was Mike Wallace who told the story of Hewett walking into a production of that venerable show and announcing: “I have good news and bad news. The good news is that for the first time in TV history the News Division of this network has shown a profit for the corporation. The bad news is that for the first time in TV history the News Division of this network has shown a profit for the corporation.
I rather think that really competent, insightful journalism on television ended with that milestone. Thank God for Capitol Fax and those few like it.
- Jaded - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 4:04 pm:
“I don’t do cable”
Rich, if I had your face I wouldn’t do cable either…
What? Don’t tell you weren’t getting sick of this love-fest and weren’t looking for a good reason to throw out a “bite me”!
- Rich Miller - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 4:07 pm:
lol
- west side don - Friday, Dec 9, 11 @ 4:14 pm:
14 years is completely outrageous. Send someone from Countrywide to jail, Fitzy, then maybe I’ll be impressed