This week presented a mixed bag for members of the "Not Mitt Romney" movement.
On the one hand, Monday saw the Democrat machine trot out a fourth woman to accuse authentic black man Herman Cain of sexual impropriety. But the Democrats failed to take into account that for every woman who has leveled an accusation against Cain, there are thousands of women who have not. They may want to think twice before trying a stunt like that again. Republican primary voters laughed off the allegations, and continued to support Cain, both financially and in the polls.
On the other hand, Rick Perry, once viewed as the GOP's great white Christian hope, turned in a debate performance Wednesday night that was eerily reminiscent of the space shuttle Challenger disaster. In just 53 seconds, the Texas governor saw his campaign end—not with a bang, but a Yelp.
And in the, umm, third person, Herman Cain gave women yet another reason not to vote for him.
Morning lineup:
Meet the Press: Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett (R); Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN); DNC Chair/Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL); Roundtable: David Brooks (New York Times) and E.J. Dionne (Washington Post).
Face the Nation: Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R); Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC); Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D); Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R); Roundtable: John Dickerson (CBS News), Major Garrett (National Journal), Kathleen Parker (Washington Post) and Former White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers.
This Week: Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett (R); Former U.N. Weapons Inspector David Albright; Karim Sadjadpour (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace); Roundtable: George Will (Washington Post), Democratic Strategist Donna Brazile, Conservative Radio Host Dana Loesch, Jonathan Karl (ABC News) and Christine Brennan (USA Today).
Fox News Sunday: Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett (R); Penn State Alum Franco Harris; Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA); Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC); Roundtable: Brit Hume (Fox News), Liz Marlantes, (Christian Science Monitor), Bill Kristol (Weekly Standard) and Juan Williams (Fox News).
State of the Union: Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX); Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA); Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK); RNC Chair Rence Prebius; Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D); Reliable Sources: Lauren Ashburn (Daily Beast); Clarence Page (Chicago Tribune); Matt Lewis (Daily Caller); Christine Brennan (USA Today); Buzz Bissinger (Daily Beast); Jack McCallum (Sports Illustrated).
The Chris Matthews Show: Nia-Malika Henderson (Washington Post); Joe Klein (TIME); Major Garrett (National Journal); Katty Kay (BBC).
Fareed Zakaria GPS: Bret Stephens (Wall Street Journal); Karim Sadjadpour (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace); PIMCO CEO Mohamed El-Erian; Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D); Libyan Interim Prime Minister Mahmoud Jabril.
By popular demand:
Up with Chris Hayes: New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson (R); Martin Bashir (MSNBC); Former State Department Deputy Director of Policy Planning Anne Marie Slaughter; New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
Evening lineup:
60 Minutes will feature: a report on how lawmakers can legally buy stock based on non-public information (preview); a report on how law enforcement uses tasers, and a new study which says some authorities use it too quickly, causing unnecessary pain and sometimes death (preview); and, an interview with University of Maryland Baltimore County President Freeman Hrabowski, who has turned the University into a well-known producer of outstanding scientists and engineers, many of whom are minorities (preview).
On Comedy Central:
Jon Stewart declared Mitt Romney the winner of the Republican presidential nomination by virtue of the mercy rule.
The Daily Show
Monday: 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Leymah Gbowee
Tuesday: Former NASA Shuttle Commander Mark Kelly
Wednesday: Actress Diane Keaton
Thursday: Director Martin Scorcese
And Stephen Colbert showed his support for Herman Cain by putting his money where his mouth is.
The Colbert Report
Monday: Author Thomas Thwaites
Tuesday: Actor Elijah Woods
Wednesday: Chris Matthews (MSNBC)
Thursday: Author Susan Orlean
Elsewhere:
Buyers of the DVD "Atlas Shrugged: Part One" were shocked to discover that Ayn Rand appeared to not share their self-centered ideology.
The producers of the film version of "Atlas Shrugged: Part One" apologized for an "embarrassing" error on the DVD cover that described the theme of their adaptation of Ayn Rand's novel as one of "self-sacrifice." As disciples of Rand, one of libertarianism's heroes, are supposed to know, Atlas Shrugged is actually all about “rational self-interest."
On Friday, the producers announced plans to replace more than 100,000 title sheets on the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the movie because they "were packaged with an inaccurate synopsis of 'Atlas Shrugged.'"
Whereas, according to the producers, the book presents "a cogent argument advocating a society driven by rational self-interest," the synopsis instead described it as "AYN RAND's timeless novel of courage and self-sacrifice comes to life."
But don't worry. The producers assured teabaggers that neither this screw-up, nor the film's terrible reviews and box office performance, will stop them from releasing parts two and three.
Meanwhile, in another blow to the teabaggers:
A TV channel devoted exclusively to their selfish needs turned out to be nothing but a scam.
A group of conservative investors in Tennessee is suing a California businessman for allegedly conning them into investing in Tea Party HD, a TV channel aimed at tea partiers, that they say turned out to be a scam.
Tea Party HD was founded by Bill Hemrick and Anthony Loiacono in 2010, but Hemrick and the other complainants claim that Loiacono never put in his share into the project and used the rest of the funds as his “personal bank account.” The complaint says he used the money "to pay himself, his family members and his business, Heads & Tails Inc., 'exorbitant rates' for the few projects Tea Party HD undertook," according to Brandon Gee of The Tennessean.
"The alleged purpose of Tea Party HD was to be the 'world’s first HD provider of news about the Tea Party,'" the lawsuit states. "In reality it was an investment scheme to defraud politically conservative-minded citizens who support the Tea Party mission."
And speaking of the "Tea Party mission":
Former naval aviator Sen. John McCain—who famously forgot how many houses he owns during the 2008 campaign—argued that corporations buying yachts and jets at a reduced tax rate would create jobs.
In defense of legislation he is offering in Congress, McCain said his bill would try to ensure that profits brought into the country from abroad at a reduced tax rate would be devoted by corporations to investment and job creation.
"If you brought $1.5 trillion back to the United States of America, it’s bound to have some positive effect somewhere," he said at the Reuters Washington Summit. "I don’t see how it would not. Even if they buy more yachts and … corporate jets and all that, it’s bound to have some effect."
If you believe that, I have a bridge to nowhere to sell you.
- Trix