Have you noticed...

That the Huckabees look A LOT alike? I mean, I heart Huckabees, but maybe you get a little more genetic distance next time, huh?

Good thing he's not a real doctor

Or else this might be unethical. ETOnline is reporting that Dr. Phil walked Britney to her car. What a scoop. Even he admits she was packing to leave when he arrived. But this didn't stop him from stepping up and taking credit: 

"My meeting with Britney and some of her family members this morning in her room at Cedars leaves me convinced more than ever that she is in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention. She was released moments before my arrival and was packing when I entered the room. We visited for about an hour before I walked with her to her car. I am very concerned for her," McGraw told ET Online.

So the guy who used to advise people on how to act in a courtroom to maximize their settlements, now is trying to take credit for this? Guess it wasn't enough to exploit her on his show with a special episode? Exactly why would you do that, Dr. Phil? Lots of your obese shut in viewers have the same issues? Worldwide fame and media exploitation?

Good first move to help this woman who is under siege: hold a press conference and diagnose her publicly. Are you a doctor like Dr. Seuss is a doctor?

Just more disgusting every day. I now fully expect Bonnie Fuller to exploit the hell out of this, while claiming sympathy on HuffPo. Even Keith Olbermann seemed to grow uncomfortable with Tom O'Neil smiling and cracking jokes on Fridays edition of Countdown talking about suicide concern and her young children, while defending (tacitly) his own role in her obvious breakdown.

Enough!

To me the between the lines reading of this is that Britney is very consciously doing all of this, thinking she can control it. But it doesnt work like that.

Now if the tabloids will kindly do the same (see headline below)

There is a major celebrity reporting backlash brewing. Major. The Britney overkill by the swarm has been noticed by everyone. And all this while Mayor Villa (what's his new name going to be?) was busy trying to further his career in Iowa on stage next to the junior senator from New York (who is likely to stay that way)...

Things will only get worse. Monday, Access Hollywood will join the ranks of the other online sites that haphazardly report the details of other peoples lives, whether they are true or not, for their own profit. Page 6 is launching its own live site from LA in the coming weeks, as well. 

With the competition heating up and the money rolling in to everyone who has gossip to sell, we can expect a couple months of continued crazy. But even the NY Times was unusually judgy this morning: 

Ms. Spears, 26, whose personal life has doubtless made more money for the tabloids, news shows and Web sites than she ever made as a singer...

There's a storm coming against tabloids (that means the disgusting Perez Hilton-esque web sites, too). Killing Anna Nicole didn't do it. This might.

GOP will eat itself

Maybe freedom is on the march. TPM is reporting that the NH GOP is pulling out of the Fox News sponsored debate because they refuse to allow Ron Paul to participate. Seems Mr. Paul doesnt fit the Fox News narrative and is creaming their candidate, Rudy Giuliani.

Bear in mind that Fox News is excluding Paul from the debate, despite the absence of any objective criteria that would shut out Paul and still include some of the other people they're inviting. For example, Paul got 10% of the vote in Iowa, while invited candidate Rudy Giuliani took only 4% and is at about the same place as Paul in New Hampshire polls.

Doesn't seem very democratic to me. But when the GOP turns on its own media outlet, the people are finally having a say. Fox is losing viewers like crazy. Olbermann is catching O'Reilly (who is getting desperate and has turned to ambush jounalism). Fox Business seems to be still born. Less than 6000 daytime viewers against 250k on CNBC.

Hope, indeed.

Obama Brand Blue?

Looks like brilliant branding to me by the Obama camp. Take note that this is true PR. Create a personal link between the consumer and the product that doesn't involve selling them anything. Part of the New Year round-ups was a typical story about hot colors for 08:

Cerulean Blue: Chosen for the millennium for its calming zen state of mind.

It goes on:

In a statement, Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said: “Blue Iris brings together the dependable aspects of blue, underscored by a strong, soul-searching purple cast. Emotionally, it is anchoring and meditative with a touch of magic.”

Future President Obama?

   

Strange Bedfellows Waking Up

I have long contended that the modern conservative Republican movement was hinged on a cynical deal between the rich Republicans and what GHW Bush called the extra chromosome Christians - but the Christians dont know that they have been duped.

The crickets Mike Huckabee is hearing from the far right leaders might just be a wake-up call.

Its easy to give the far right the social issues to fight (abortion, gays, prayer) since the popular trend is against them. Note that since Reagan the only religious conservative gains have been in the judiciary while the Republican Congress has gone nuts to give the rich Republicans what they want. Its a cynical deal because its dishonest. Its easy to give up what you wont ever have.

True conservatives don't think government has any part in private life, whether to advocate for their God or not. Newt Gingrich said that the worst thing that could happen to the Republican party would be to overturn Roe V Wade. Its a 'be careful what you wish for' scenario. He reasoned that no Republican would get elected at any level of government for a generation.

Apparently the 'moral' crowd only turns out for things they are against, unironically.

Ever wonder why GW Bush looks so angry all the time? He is the embodiment of the deal. He was used and now he has nothing to show for it. Pat Roberts goes for Rudy? Thats all about power, not principal. And if the far right goes back to sleep, it could be a generation before the next Awakening.

Drive By PR (Politics)

When will the pundits learn? So many talking heads trying to tell us what we know and why we know it. This country is terribly racist, but Sen. Obama isn't running as a Black candidate, he is running as a candidate who is black. Gov. Huckabee is not running as the Christian candidate, but as a candidate that is Christian.

We have spent a generation now slicing and dicing the electorate to exploit our fears, including of one another. Its not unlike tabloid fame. There has to be some there, there as we say. You can earn it or you can create a temporary facsimile. But eventually, people start to see through the pitch.

January 4, 2008
Cafferty: Obama’s historic win?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
...What we don't know yet is whether Obama's victory was an anomaly created by the polarizing nature of Hillary Clinton combined with the widespread opposition to President Bush or whether we saw the start of something truly historic last night. I will wager you this: if he wins, students in classrooms around the country will be listening to Obama's victory speech last night 20 years from now. It was beyond brilliant.

It's not just that Obama won, it's how he did it.

Our next president has to be president of all the people, not the ones that voted for him (or her).

I hate to say it, but...

LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!

Now that it seems official that there are bigger issues at play here, will the tabloids, paparazzi, news helicopters, broadcast media and online sites share in the blame? This woman has been chased around the world for most of her life, knowing nothing like privacy or support.

But there is blood in the water and God knows these sharks aren't about navel gazing. Bonnie Fuller will be quick to profit from this tragedy just as she decries its damage to 2 young children who are watching their mother self-destruct on her next exploitative cover.

Britney built that industry. Will they be responsible for the life that they have nearly destroyed?

Where are the authorities in all of this? Any casual viewer can see that it took 6 police cars and decoy ambulances just to get her to the hospital? Why wont the LA police exert any control over these vultures? They camp on Mulholland and swarm, dangerously into streets, private property, onto cars. How many ambulances going to Cedars Sinai last night with other patients were slowed down or harassed by the media?

It has to stop. Why cant she even break down without people enjoying it and profiting from it? I thought at least people had a reasonable expectation of privacy while in the hospital. But you can rest assured everyone who can will sell every scrap of information on her.

'08 is about change and the tabloids are about to experience a back lash.

I told ya so (the good kind)

This is what a statesman, patriot and public servant sounds like. Working without notes, here is the tail end of the speech he just gave. Wow.

Hope is the bedrock of this nation, the belief that our destiny will not be written for us but by us. By all those men and women who are not content to settle for the world as it is, but have the courage to remake the world as it should be.

That’s what we started in Iowa.

That is the message we now carry to New Hampshire and beyond. The same message that we had when we were up and when we were down. The one that can change this country brick by brick, block by block, calloused hand by calloused hand - that together ordinary people can do extraordinary things.

Because we are not a collection of blue states and red states, we are the United States of America and we are ready to believe again.

Senator Barack Obama. Future President of the United States. I'm still for a 3rd party or strong independent movement, but this makes me hopeful that change is coming. Watch this turn into a wave. 57% of young voters went to Sen. Obama compared to John Kerry's 35%.

MLK said that the white man has to forgive the black man his anger and the black man has to forgive the white man his fear. Sen. Obama's victory is going to be a sign for black Americans to start getting involved, that their vote counts, and NH, SC and NV are going to show it.

08ing Change (Iowa Update)

Now comes New Hampshire. Huckabee scares me as a politician, but he seems like a good guy and the Republicans can learn a lot from him in their message delivery. Jimmy Stewart did it better, but he had a better chance of being president. From the Des Moines Register:
Democrats
1,688 of 1,781 precincts - 97 percent
Barack Obama - 38 percent
John Edwards - 30 percent
Hillary Clinton - 29 percent
Bill Richardson - 2 percent

GOP
1,393 of 1,781 precincts - 78 percent
Mike Huckabee 31,508 - 34 percent
Mitt Romney 23,682 - 25 percent
John McCain 12,520 - 13 percent
Fred Thompson 12,484 - 13 percentWatch this Thompson number. When the fear sets in, the right may run to Thompson as electable.

PR Fact: Did you know that every president since color television has had blue eyes?

PR Spin: A massive turn out for 2 true agents of change. The media still wants to paint the country blue and red. They will get it soon. Watch for coming stories featuring 'change' so they can  give their narrative a headline.

Seriously? This is news?

This is just embarrassing for ANYONE who reads it.

Brit Shows for Depo -- Then Splits
Posted Jan 3rd 2008 3:05PM by TMZ Staff
Britney Spears showed up for her deposition for a grand total of about 45 minutes. The popwreck, who wore a hot fuchsia dress with Christian Louboutin shoes, clearly did not sit for all the questions Mark Vincent Kaplan wanted to throw at her.
For some reason, Britney left -- and we're trying to find out why. There's a news conference scheduled.
Stay tuned ...

THERE'S A NEWS CONFERENCE SCHEDULED? YOU GOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO FIND OUT THE SHOE BUT YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR A NEW CONFERENCE? LIKE A REAL NEWS ORGANIZATION? 

Love the ominous ending though, right?

Drive By PR (Lynne Spears)

Here we go again with the great hypocrisy of the tabloids over Misha Barton's DUI and Lindsay's champagne. Fine. They have money to grub. 

Just like all the finger pointing at Lynne Spears, though, the general public seems to enjoy a bit of hypocrisy themselves. 

TRCB Thinks:

How responsible were you at 16-25?

Hw many parties, bars, clubs, after-parties and hook-ups did a really good night involve?

No multiply (x):

How many millions of dollars did you have?

How many venues rolled out the red carpet for you and whomever you wanted, including gifts travel, hotels, private planes? 

How much are you and your friends paid to show up? (A friend of Justin's got 50k for getting him to a Vegas club where they stayed 15mins and didn't take a photo).

How many people are pursuing you either honestly or to use you?

How many people were selling details of your every movement? Discussion? Mood altering substance?

You have no real responsibilities, so why not go out, since:

Your parents, friends, hangers-on and everyone you know is exploiting you and not exerting any control...

Your career is predicated on being seen, photographed, written about, speculated on and discussed...

You never had a real home life or normal childhood and your parents are media whores...

16,000 people died as a result of drunk driving last year in the US. Why didn't any of those drivers call cabs? Their friends? Their families? The venues? Valets?

Im not excusing anyone at all and LOTS of celebrities lead very responsible lives. True stars aren't involved in this lifestyle at all, Lindsay excepted, and don't need/want the tabloid fame. It is a beast that must be fed. And, Without being famous, if you had the scrutiny they do at the that age and we all had the resources for cabs, rides, etc. - who is left to toss that first stone? Not me.

I assume many reading this have had their own share of close calls, at a minimum. What were your excuses/reasons? 

Jan 3 - Iowa Showdown

Quick predictions, in order:
Dems - Obama, Hillary, Edwards
Reps - Huckabee, McCain, Romney

I love Edwards, I just think that he lacks the charisma of Obama, and we need that right now. Obama/Edwards with Sen. Edwards playing the part of domestic dick (cheney), sign me up.

But the party, the money, the election system all have to change.

Looking for Bloomberg, Nunn, Hagel et al to save the world in the coming weeks.

Has anyone heard from Rudy?

There are PR lessons everywhere

This is the first, Don't Lie. Stunning report from the UK.

Footage of Bhutto's death
Last Modified: 30 Dec 2007
By: Jonathan Rugman
Channel 4 News has exclusively obtained dramatic new footage which shows in clear detail the moment of Benazir Bhutto's death.

Three bullets are heard being fired before a suicide bomber then detonates his device.


A firearms expert has told this programme that the video shows what appears to be a concussion strike, the possible moment of impact when a bullet struck the former Pakistani prime minister.


It contradicts the official Pakistani government account that Mrs Bhutto died from hitting her head on the sun roof as she ducked into the car.

Please note, any use of this footage must acknowledge Channel 4 News

Done. Its pretty compelling and graphic. Check it out here.

This may shock you

but Im a Republican. Thats right, I said it. Or, I should be a Republican.

Well, to be accurate, Im a fierce Independent who most closely identifies with the most far right fringes of CLASSIC Republicanism, NOT its demon step-child this most recent awakening has produced.

I mean the classic, as Thomas Paine said, 'that government is best which governs least' type. Mostly because I have tremendous faith in people, especially in the information age. However, somewhere along the way, big business took over. 

"What's good for GM is good for America" is exactly wrong, in every way. Government should be involved only in enforcing fair practices in trade, both foreign and domestic. The market will work most efficiently when government backs off trying to help business. 

BUT (and here is where we part company), it must not advocate for any side other than the American citizen, ever. 

Every time I hear a representative of the government refer to Americans as 'consumers', it says that their priorities are not straight. Government does not act on behalf of business to regulate the consumers. Government regulates business, when necessary, on behalf of the American people. 

Businesses do not have a right to free speech. Or foreign policy. Or domestic policy.

Once freed from that burden, they are free to adapt to the needs of the American people, instead of adapting us.

All of this presupposes that this current 2 party system is the right system, which I reject. Why do we think competition is best everywhere except in our politics? Aren't the parties just businesses? When did independence become a bad thing to the right? 

Now I know what you're thinking, that government shouldn't be in the business of providing services as well. I would prefer that the federal government took an active managerial role to public issues with the states taking the lead. The right answers are not always uniform nationwide, but rather regional. The federal government should play more of an honest broker role and banker, of course.

As a nation, we have established certain priorities that we collectively wish the federal government to also administer like education, emergency services, national parks and monuments and historical preservation. One of the services I feel strongly about, though, is healthcare right along with the federal judiciary. For the current brand of right wing Republican, states rights is code for bigotry. For this reason a strong federal judiciary is needed, with tough laws to protect all Americans from any discrimination.  

Healthcare is a humanitarian priority that we owe to every American. I think that no American wishes to see another suffer and would even support preventative care. More on this coming.

Our balance is off as a nation and this election is really going to be important. I think we are better than how we have been focused grouped. On Sep 12, 2001 we were all Americans. We can be again.