Here in New Jersey one consequence of the Massachusetts upset is the black eye given to US Senator Bob Menendez, scion of the Hudson County political machine. Menendez is the head of the Democratic Party committee in charge of electing and re-electing senators and, as such, bears responsibility for getting out-manuevered by the RNC in the Bay State.
He’s on several of the Sunday AM talk shows today and we can expect him to deflect blame onto the Coakley team or, more problematic, the voters for “misunderstanding” the President’s efforts on spending, healthcare and unemployment. Do not expect him to blame the record deficits or Majority Leader Harry Reid’s blatant bribery on healthcare votes, despite the fact that Coakley’s numbers began to tank the day Reid gave away the store to Ben Nelson of Nebraska in order to buy his 60th vote.
For the other side of the story, John Cornyn of Texas, Menendez’s opposite number in the GOP, will be on the AM shows getting the kudos he so rightly deserves.
Keith Olbermann Should be Fired for Remark and Perfunctory Apology
Keith Olbermann apologized for his comments about Massachusetts Senator-Elect Scott Brown Friday night just one day after being called out by Jon Stewart over the remarks.
Monday night, Olbermann described Brown as “an irresponsible, homophobic, racist, reactionary, ex-nude model, tea-bagging supporter of violence against women and against politicians with whom he disagrees.”
The comment was immediately met with criticism from the right, most notably from Olbermann’s own MSNBC colleague Joe Scarborough, who described the comment as “reckless.”
Olbermann responded to that criticism by doubling down the next night, adding “sexist” to his litany of complaints against Brown.
But on Thursday’s “Daily Show,” Stewart described Olbermann’s comments as “the harshest description of anyone I’ve ever heard uttered on MSNBC” and performed an impression of Olbermann’s trademark special comments.
Friday, Olbermann played Stewart’s critique in full, offered himself as a guest for “The Daily Show,” and responded with an apology.
“You know what, you’re right,” Olbermann said to Stewart. “I have been a little over the top lately. Point taken. Sorry.”