News out of SC today (h/t TPM Muckraker):

All the networks aggressively wooed Sanford's office in the period during and just after his disappearance, in an effort to convince that their show offered the perfect forum for him to address the controversy. CNN's John King told Sawyer he had always appreciated Sanford's "kindness, candor, and hospitality," and added, in a transparent attempt to bond, "I'm all for anonymous escapes myself." George Stephanopoulos offered his show, ABC's This Week, as a "civil forum to address this week's events." And producers for CBS's Face the Nation, ABC's Good Morning America, several Fox shows, and many others gave Sanford's office the hard sell too.

David Gregory, channeling Russert, promised Sanford's people they could frame the conversation anyway they like.

Isn't that precious?

From Cronkite:

What do I regret? Well, I regret that in our attempt to establish some standards, we didn't make them stick. We couldn't find a way to pass them on to another generation.

"which I read as expecting her to separate herself from the crazies."

Separate herself? She is one of the crazies, Joan. In fact for months now she's been running for Queen of the Crazies. And I have it on good authority that this is so. Allow me to quote my unnamed source on this: "Now, I've debated Cheney, so I know she'll do anything from rudely interrupting to lying to make her point..."

(Cue Camille...time to once again prove her bona fides as an UNCONVENTIONAL THINKER by penning a paean to Crazy Liz...we know it's coming...)

That was the Duke rape case that Kate obviously slept through. This piece epitomizes everything readers do not expect to find on Salon. Save it for the lynch mob, girl.

Period. End of sentence. All else is epilog.

I understand all the political talk shows are feverishly trying to book Liz Cheney so she can answer a few questions about how her father worked for eight years to undermine the Constitution. Should be quite a grilling.

All this alleged rightwing "rationality" on the birther issue does not auger a new era of fair play or respect for Obama. The psychotic sorcerers are looking around and seeing their army of apeshit apprentices have totally run amok and they're desperately trying to rein them in.

Well this is how a salon is supposed to work, isn't it? Gather a bunch of folks into one place and throw a topic out there for everyone to discuss. When it works, as this one obviously does, you elicit a broad spectrum of opinion from a lot of folks....some of it quite insightful and heartfelt (thank you guy from Oakland with your rock 'n roll girl); some of it ludicrous in spite of itself (looking at you Thadeus Crumb: "Of course, she'll probably make us read about that revelation, too." Really, Thad? Mary Elizabeth MADE you read her piece? And I suppose she MADE you post about half-dozen comments on it as well...)

A word on farts before I go...never made a fart joke in my life...and I watch the characters in any Judd Apatow comedy and wonder who are these guys...they are completely different from my own being a guy experience. Yet I find them endearing and funny and believe there are any number of women whose lives could be amused if not enriched by knowing them.

Gosh, Dobbs going after Maddow...Scarborough going after Beck...now Salon after Huffpo! All this media on media bashing all of a sudden. This has to be a good thing, right? (Unless there's a consultant pool they're all sharing and some focus group has told them this is the best way to gin up more traffic during the dog days of summer...)

In our 21st Century Washington DC, it's not just the Geneva Conventions that are "quaint," but the Constitution itself. There's really not enough shame for this to go around.

There's a very telling moment in the DVD extra for Superbad that greatly underscores this observation: "But the last section of the movie falls too easily into ready-made conclusions about the 'sanctity of family.' 'Funny People' is more perceptive about makeshift families than it is about real ones..."

Apatow has brought his young daughter into the commentary session (I think she's 8 and most of the cast is there). It's a real frat club atmosphere, and Apatow is clearly uncomfortable with the language that his movie family is using around his real family. Finally it's one f-word too many and he takes his daughter out in a huff. To which Jonah Hill can be heard commenting: what was he thinking bringing his daughter into a discussion about Superbad?

Good question. Great moment.

RE: "I'm happy to help him too. I mean, get him help. Because he needs a lot of help; I couldn't handle that alone."

You've got Camille, who should be along shortly to echo your misbegotten belief that Rush is merely an entertainer. Yes, and Rev. Coughlin was merely a song and dance man.

Sometimes I think that while all the angry right-wingers are out teabagging and shouting down health care reform, all the angry lefties are home writing letters to Salon.