Interview With The Vampire: The LIES Went Unasked ...

AND REMAIN UNANSWERED. Whatever revelations emerged, they were, as one observer described them, "throwaway" lines and none that Mark 'The Mole' Halperin, aka Renfield, cared to follow up. A real interview always includes the logical follow-up and quest for clarification. A fake, infomercial "interview" (Halperin, MTP) does not. Memo to Lady Alex: Make sure to have this graphic laminated. Seriously.

How Much Do We Love Joe? Let Us Count The Ways

THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST Memorial Day weekend tributes I have ever seen. Our Vice President is such an asset to President Obama and a gift to our nation:

Why Can't This Happen In Our Congress?

I'll bet the Dems would beat the shit out of the Republicans — they're all cowards and bullies — Paul Ryan would be cowering under a desk. Wouldn't you love to see the Progressive Caucus tear into the GOP Birthers and Teabaggers, fists flying!? Seeing John Boehner with a black eye and a bloody nose would really clear the political gridlock, don't you think? It might even inspire young boys to want to grow up to be congressmen instead of pugilists.

Quotable: America's Smartest Economist Compares Republicans to Manchurian Candidates

"You do wonder if these guys (the Republicans) are moles, Manchurian Candidates for I don't know who, because their real job is to bring down America." ~ Paul Krugman, the smartest economist in America, on the Martin Bashir show. Krugman also likened Paul Ryan to "medieval doctors," alchemists, who would bleed their sick patients — deliberately causing an economic contraction (Britain) with austerity measures leading to a double-dip recession — and when they got sicker, bleed them some more. That's how George Washington was killed.

By the way, when will MSNBC stop disrespecting its viewers with that pompous ass who follows Martin, Dylan Ratigan, and do the switcheroo everybody wants: drop the transcendentally BRILLIANT Chris Hayes into Dylan's slot and send the reactionary windbag off to early morning weekend Siberia!? While I rarely watch the KING OF SOPHISTRY AND FALSE POLITICAL EQUIVALENCE, I'm assuming (pretty safely, since Dylan's thin skin could not tolerate another intellectual epidermal scraping) that he hasn't booked Paul Krugman on his show, even though he'll host every marginal Tom, Dick and Harry with a like-minded POV, like the racist Charles Murray of Bell Curve infamy. Poor Dylan, he's really skeert of Krugman knocking down his pompous libertarian wingnut assumptions and humiliating him on national TV, his own show.

Music Break: Engenheiros do Hawaii

LOVE THIS BAND. THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT ROCK, POP, GOSPEL, BLUES ... From way down under, the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, (where everyone, it seems, has a German surname and heritage), from the beautiful, GORGEOUS city of Porto Alegre. (It might be a good place to move to if Romney wins in Nov.)

Here bandleader Humberto Gessinger teams up with another musician to make beautiful, multi-instrument/layered harmonies ... for two dudes!

Alex Wags To Host The Mole: "A Very Small Man Can Cast A Very Large Shadow" ...

WILL LADY ALEX ASK THE PERTINENT QUESTIONS? We shall see ...

Romney Mole Lands Infomercial With Mitt, Hawks it on MSNBC

WHILE MOST EVERYONE IN the Beltway Media/Cable News land pretends Mark Halperin is a real journalist, we outed the jackass in this blog, not for the first time (Google Halperin's pro-GOP bias laid bare years ago by Eric Boehlert and Glenn Greenwald), it is only the latest iteration of this weasel's continuous flip of the bird to those who try to practice honest journalism in a challenging environment. It doesn't help when MSNBC gives Halperin an open forum to hawk his Mitt Romney infomercials. (And Andrea, I've cut you some huge slack because I like you; but work with us, will you ... stop fawning all over this "dick.")

Mark Halperin is emblematic of the Beltway Media, like the pustulent infection that "embodies all that’s rotten and shallow about D.C.’s pundit class, which fetishizes bipartisanship even as it only demands it of one political party." And if you think that Halperin's meme broadbrushing "the press" on Hardball to whine of nonexistent bias against Romney is of new vintage, check out Glenn Greenwald's exposé of this weasel back in 2008, as he was in the midst of writing his execrable, derivative, plagiarized, gossipy campaign book. With the benefit of hindsight, it's clear now what the weasel Halperin was doing. He put up a spirited defense of Sarah Palin against the supposed barbs of the "liberal press" with Greenwald's unwitting cooperation so he could gain access to that Mama Grizzly treasure trove of raw book material.

And so it is with access to Romney, as Halperin abuses his connections with the very same "liberal press" to sneak in the front door at MSNBC — as if it were the back door — to hawk his Romney commercial. Did Halperin "make news"? Absolutely not. Romney was as controlled and shut off as Ed McMahon's hermetically sealed jar of mayonnaise containing the unscrutinized answers to who Romney really is and what he thinks. So much so that Chris Matthews led off Hardball with this frustrating admission, in advance of giving MSNBC's infamous "senior political analyst" an entire segment to hawk his Romney propaganda:

"Let me start with Mitt Romney's rules of engagement. He's a man of faith, family and business, and that, ladies and gentlemen is about it. This is also a statement of what his opponents, the press, and the public is not supposed to ask about. we're being asked to let a man lead us in the world without knowing what his world is all about. He's a candidate for our highest office who holds himself well beyond the rope line. Who complains about the need to explain himself. There is something strangely and defiantly weird about a man demanding to enter the public world who commands that we keep our distance, do not try too hard to enter his world. We can't talk about his faith, we can't talk about his time as governor, we can't talk about Bain Capital — what CAN we talk about?!"

Were it not for this hard-hitting intro, the smug grinning Cheshire Cat pundit's victory on behalf of Romney and Halperin's selfish commercial interests in promoting his book sequel would have been complete. Even so, it was an astonishing concession to the crap Halperin was peddling — which had to be covered because, for all its obvious flaws, it was one of Mitt Romney's most extensive sit-down "interviews" to date. Still, the Halperin-Romney controlled propaganda con of the "liberal press" was largely successful; the Cheshire Cat pundit was grinning with the smugness of the cat who had just swallowed the canary.

After that, it was Halperin acting as Romney's press liaison, smoothly parrying any attempts by Chris to open that hermetically sealed jar, scoring more brown-nosing points with his GOP clients. When Halperin brings up Bain Capital Romney immediately "pivots" to lying about the President's record. Halperin's response — *crickets*. When asked about Romney's "nervousness" sweating bullets, a lá Nixon's upper lip sweat,  at the very mention of Bain, Halperin comes to the rescue: "Well, he's getting over a head cold so you got to give him a little bit of a slack on that." Then, Halperin immediately (as in his own pivot to try to erase the "nervousness" perception) volunteers this laughable bit of bullshit:

"I think right now one of his great strengths is he's not all caught up in the election ... Gov. Romney's engaged and all that, but in my time with him I found him to be very calm, the same guy from the first time I met him, calm, relaxed, he ... just like the President believes Mitt Romney would be a horrible President" — [actually not; it's the media scrutinizing his lies, the public, particularly those who lost their jobs because of Bain who have expressed such doubts; Chris, unfortunately you never challenged Halperin on this point, but Team Obama's critique is based on FACTS while Romney has consistently LIED about the President's record; where was that question, Halperin?!] — "Gov. Romney in his heart believes the President's been a horrible president; and that really animates him, gives him the ability, I mean, quite naturally to talk about this stuff ... He's not making this up; this is what he believes."

My Lord, what a master propagandist is Mark Halperin ... ROMNEY IS MAKING THIS UP! And the fact Halperin REFUSED, at any point in the interview to raise the issue of Romney's LIES, his veracity with regard to the President's record or, heaven forbid, to correct him, exposes Halperin for the fraud that he is. Watch Chris, Joan Walsh, and David Corn set the record straight; and David being disingenuous about Halperin: "I was just wishing for Mark to stop the interview just there and say, 'wait a minute, that's really not true, is it — can you defend this comment?'" C'mon David, stop insulting our intelligence and acting as if Halperin is a REAL journalist. I think we've established that he's not, don't you:

Quotable: The Irrepressible, Inimitable, Irresistible Ten-Ten-TENDENTIOUS Alex Wags

"THE NIGHT IS DARK AND FULL OF TERRORS ... COMING UP, WE'RE GOING TO ROLE-PLAY." ~ Alex Wags "paraphrasing" the (AHEM) HBO period series, Game of Thrones.

Without a doubt, the highlight of Alex's ALWAYS unpredictable show, with her eclectic/roguish cast of characters. Second best moment, James Lipton's appearance. He made the adorably severe Maggie Haberman laugh, though the rest of the time she intimidated her colleagues (even Alex) and terrorized fiction writer John Heilemann when he had the audacity to chuckle at Maggie in mid-sentence while expounding her wisdom. (Paraphrasing, too (!)) ... Maggie, icily, doing her De Niro Taxi Driver impression: "You laugh, John. Are you laughing at me; was it something I said ...?!" Heilemann, ducking behind Patricia: "Nonononono ..." Hmm ... now I'm wondering which one of the scantily-clad (or not at all) Game of Thrones characters Alex takes a fancy to.

ALEX WAGS REAL-LIFE FUNNIES:

Should Ed Rendell Be Suspended From MSNBC?

NOT UNLESS HE'S PERSONALLY PROFITING BY JOINING "DEMOCRATS" Cory Booker (still the apple of Rachel's eye), Harold Ford, Mark Warner and DeVal Patrick in undermining Team Obama's message against Bain's predatory vulture capitalism. Specifically, the jobs-killing practice of buying viable companies, gutting labor, benefits, and pensions, devastating the community, then leaving behind a trail of destruction, while extracting a neat profit for itself (Romney) and its investors.

But, again, you heard it here first. We always said the old geezer is a poor fit for Alex, noisily blowing his nose into the mic like a caricature of the weird relative you trot out for Thanksgiving, and everywhere else he shows his face (a frequent guest on the Rev, who can't buy a clue about some of his guests), except Moron Joe, which is an admittedly Republican show, whose only function is to provide GOP sound bites from Republicans who refuse to go on the other shows.

Nice try, Rachel, but there's no equivalence whatsoever with John Sununu saying Bain Capital "on the whole" is "fair game" considering their previously agreed-upon strategy to cherry-pick examples helpful to them saying piously, "see, you must look a the entire record," and that ASSHOLE Cory Booker going on MTP to say the attacks on Bain are "crap" and "nauseating" and the American people are "sick" of them. I'll take a Sununu "gaffe" anyday over the still-developing damage to the Obama campaign being wrought by Cory Booker and connected cohorts like Ed Rendell, who I am convinced is using his MSNBC platform to personally profit. Predictably, Chris Matthews, a decent sort, is baffled by his buddy's behavior seen through Chris's Pollyanna rose-tinted glasses.

BOOKER C. CONTEXT: HOW CORY IS ALL OUT FOR HIMSELF

HERE'S CORY BOOKER'S CAREFULLY GROOMED "postpartisan" public persona on display. As Chris Cillizza, and others in the Beltway Media elites admiringly point out, Booker's political career is carved out on the backs of the Democratic base, progressives, who Cillizza (as is his elitist wont) postulates "the politics of his comments ultimately will play out." Naturally, we must put up with this kind of condescending garbage from the Idiot Punditocracy/Beltway Media:

“Long term I think this is probably a net positive for [Booker],” said one Democratic consultant closely following the situation. “Realistically the base is always going to be fascinated by him/love him anyway.”

Really?! The schism Cory Booker is creating in the "base" and among "progressives" is not ideologically driven but class driven. Booker is making a pitch for his peeps, the Wall Street elites, nominal Democrats, affluent selective self-described liberals ready to assuage their conscience and open their pocketbooks to the "future" of the party, Booker, so long as he plays ball. Meaning don't fuck with our wealth-creation prerogatives.

But Booker may have underestimated the depth of populist OWS-driven outrage in the ranks of the so-called "base" and among progressives who believe fundamental Wall Street reform is part of the equation. Our voices aren't silent. We're just not being heard in the Beltway Media elites and corporate cable news.

Quotable: Steve Kornacki, Who KNOWS What Cory Booker's All About

"More likely, Booker went on the show to help himself and to advance his own long-term political prospects. And on that score, his appearance was a success." ~ From Steve Kornacki's excellent Salon piece, deconstructing Cory Booker's 'it's all about me!' appearance on Meet The Press.

Do you still think so, Steve? Let me put it this way: Cory Booker is a PM Democrat; like his other ULTRA-OBNOXIOUS EVIL TWIN Harold Ford, he's still operating politically under PRE-(FINANCIAL)-MELTDOWN assumptions, as a veritable Wall Street lapdog. His cynical attempt on TRMS to drive a wedge between progressives, as Rachel inexplicably stood down and didn't push back, FAILED MISERABLY.

I ask again, HOW STUPID DOES THIS ASSHOLE THINK WE ARE?! He will NEVER AGAIN have our support to advance his political career. The Democratic Party and its progressive base is about supporting AM candidates. Figure it out Cory. You might want to consider switching parties.

BAINWASHED! Cory Booker Pulls A George Romney

WATCH CORY BOOKER's "hostage" video in which he reenacts the modern version of Mitt's dad, George Romney, whose national political ambitions were dashed when he claimed to have been "brainwashed" about Vietnam after touring the war zone. Not only was Cory BAINWASHED, he was 'NAUSEATED' too! So the question remains:

Who BAINWASHED Cory?! Was it the High Priest of the Beltway Media and paulayntard David Gregory?! Was it President Obama's sinister Chicago reelection pol David 'AXE' Axelrod, whose benign baker look conceals a ruthless political butcher?! Or was it the SOILED BOT underwear legions of Mitt's EVIL EMPIRE?! Take a look at Cory's "hostage video" (according to Moron Joe) before his still-BAINWASHED TRMS interview, for clues:

P.S. Rachel, Do You KNOW Who Cory Booker Really Is?!

EXCELLENT REALITY CHECK: Watch the Lawrence show segments on Cory Booker with Martin Bashir guest-hosting. Steve Kornacki and Kristal Ball cast a much-needed spell of context and reality on the continuing Booker farce. Kornacki, in particular, who has covered this guy from the beginning of his political career, described him as a "third way" "centrist" business Democrat, chummy with Wall Street and uncomfortable with the attacks on his friends at Bain. Kornacki even took out the Booker quote to that effect, which he had written down on a piece of paper. Now that's what I call a real journalist. Steve has this guy down PAT. And he's been a frequent guest on TRMS. (Ever considered picking his brain on Cory Booker, Rachel?) Blind faith is no way to do interviews as the PEOPLE's surrogate.

IT'S TOO BAD THIS GUY DIDN'T DO THE BOOKER INTERVIEW

I WISH I DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE SAID IT.

RACHEL SCOOPS LAWRENCE: LETS CORY BOOKER SLIDE

THIS IS THE INTERVIEW ... IT AIN'T PRETTY, FOLKS ... Unfortunately, for the wrong reasons. Rachel plays Larry King and totally blows it:

Cory Booker blames "some sectors on the Left"?! Really, Cory ...? And Rachel, how could you let that slide? Those "sectors on the Left" are otherwise known as the Obama campaign; those Bain ads are from the OBAMA CAMPAIGN. Don't talk to US about the GOP "conflating" the Rev. Wright attacks with the Bain attacks from "some sectors on the Left" rather than the OBAMA CAMPAIGN, Mr. Booker. How DARE YOU, AND HOW VERY DISHONEST OF YOU!

You know, and this goes for you, too, Rachel, those of us representing certain "sectors on the Left" would LOVE TO TAKE CREDIT FOR THE BAIN ATTACKS. EXCEPT THIS IS ONE THING THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN IS DOING RIGHT. RACHEL, YOU HAD A RESPONSIBILITY TO POINT THIS OUT AND PRESS CORY TO STOP CONFLATING THINGS AND USING THE LEFT AS A SCAPEGOAT/WHIPPING BOY.

LOUSY INTERVIEW, RACHEL. YOU LET YOUR FRIENDSHIP FOR CORY CLOUD YOUR JOURNALISTIC JUDGMENT. We don't really care what Cory Booker thinks about "equity capital" — we don't really know, because Rachel didn't ask ANY pertinent questions. It's the DISHONESTY we can't stand. Want to blame the Left for the Bain attacks, Cory? Hey, we're used to it.

WHERE DO I SIGN UP!? HOW 'BOUT, "THE LEFT ACCEPTS BLAME FOR BAIN. STANDS WITH CORY (NOT!)."  GIVE US A LINK ON YOUR WEBSITE, RACHEL.

TRAITOR CORY BOOKER'S TRUE ALLEGIANCE

CORY, YOU F*@G ASSHOLE, listen up:

(a) IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!

(b) IT'S NOT EVEN ABOUT PRESIDENT OBAMA;

(c) GO EAT A PAELLA IN THE IRONBOUND; IOW, STFU & RETURN TO BEING A LOCAL POL!

Kristen Wiig's Farewell From SNL ...

THIS IS REALLY TOUCHING, and you can see her holding back tears, in Mick Jagger (host) Stones-themed goodbye. Kristen is moving on to bigger and better things. But what of SNL?! Doesn't it seem like Kristen accounts for at least 50% of the show's comedy? Not to mention all the lame routines she's rescued with her spontaneous self-hilarity ...