Rush Limbaugh Gets His Wish: Attention From CNN

Did conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh really says he hopes President Obama fails?

Yes, he did.

In this clip, Rick and his guest Wayne Slater of the Dallas Morning News briefly address this curious Limbaugh-ism, and talk about obstructionism in general, including one senator's issues regarding Hillary Clinton's nomination to be U.S. Secretary Of State.

Were You Watching? 'Course You Were...

Something to take note of today: the TV audience response yesterday was impressive, right? Incredible pictures and unbelievable response from the American people. I'm sure we'll get the ratings later today and they'll be huge. Everybody tuned in!

The problem is: too many people, too many Americans will now tune out.

Why? Because we've become an American Idol society.

We love events. You know, the Super Bowl, the Oscars, the American Idol finals.

Don't bother us though, heaven forbid, with what's actually going on in our government day to day.

Look, I apologize for harping on this, but I have cousins in Cuba who don't know what's going on in their country, because they're not allowed to know.

Here's my point to all of you: if you're lucky enough to live in a democracy, it's not your right to be informed...

It's your responsibility.

A Career Military Aviator Demonstrates That Amazing Water Landing

Rick's guest in this clip: Major General Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle of the U.S. Air Force. He, like the rest of us, watched the news of the USAirways emergency landing on the Hudson River in amazement.

In this clip, Gen. Carlisle explains how that Airbus 320 captain (a former U.S. Air Force pilot) kept his head, followed his training, and sat the plane down perfectly and gently on the water.

In the general's words, it was "an incredible job".

What You Didn't See On Sanchez This Week

Osama Bin Laden. Mr. Roarke. President Evo Morales. What could they have in common?

Well, you didn't see any of them on Rick's newscast this week.

Watch this clip to see what OTHER stories Rick didn't get to.

Their Husband/Dad/Hero?

Think about this, because it happens every time there's a crash, a tragedy...a miracle of this magnitude. The word "hero" starts being bandied about.

When this USAirways crash story broke on my watch, we had plenty of questions and not a lot of answers.

We all watched later as survivors began telling us what happened: their stories, their photos, their impressions.

It sounds like the crew was stellar, competent, quick thinking, well-trained, composed, poised and very much in control.

But are they heroes?

Is that simply the word we first reach for after watching something like this in stunned amazement?

The pilot, C.B. Sullenberger has not spoken publicly yet, but his wife, sick and tired of watching reporters on her front lawn and busy with things like getting her kids off to school, finally decided to stop and talk to them.

Here's what she said:

"You know, this is the Sully I know. I always knew this is how he’d react. So to me this is not something unusual. It’s the man I know to be the consummate professional. So it’s not a surprise. We were very grateful everyone got off the plane safely. That was the first thing that Sully wanted me to make sure I convey that. We were obviously very proud of dad. I know flying is very safe. And when he called and said there had been an incident, I thought he had run into something in the parking lot of an airport! Never in my wildest dreams."
–Lorrie Sullenberger

Hero? What do you think?

Bradley Schlozman. How Blind Was HIS Justice? (Getty Images)

Something to take note of: The federal government's own rules say that when hiring U.S. attorneys, you're not allowed to take into account their political affiliation.

What they think politically is not supposed to matter when it comes to the law, because justice in our country is supposed to be blind. Not political or politicized.

Is it ever totally blind? Of course not!

But what has happened at the Justice Department over the last eight years has both Republicans and Democrats outraged, saying it WAS politicized!

Here is the latest smoking gun: emails that reveal the intentions of a former deputy U.S. attorney.

This is ugly.

His name is Bradley Schlozman. He was the interim head of the civil rights division. It was his job to protect against discrimination. That's what makes this so galling.

In emails, Schlozman branded some people as quote: "right-thinking Americans" pitted against "mold spores", "libs" and "commies".

He allegedly bragged about gutting the civil rights division of lawyers who weren't "real Americans" or "on the team."

He allegedly forced experienced attorneys with solid records out, to make room for people more to his political liking. Were they more qualified? It didn't seem to matter.

And he seemed to enjoy doing it. In one email he allegedly brags about "b--slapping" liberal attorneys. And also writes about one attorney who wrote in "ebonics" and benefitted from "that affirmative action thing."

This, from the deputy U.S. attorney in charge of hiring people for the civil rights division? The civil rights division?

By the way, we invited Schlozman to join this program and explain those emails. He wouldn't come on, but his lawyer did send us a three-paragraph statement saying he says he did not discriminate.

However, that statement includes nothing about Schlozman's language in those emails I just described to you. Read it for yourself at the bottom of this post (after my signature).

Back to his behavior: it certainly does not reflect well on the Justice Department under the current administration. But what will it mean for the next?

As we speak, Eric Holder is being considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee as our next Attorney General. This may be the most important job other than president for the next four years.

But sometimes you can't move forward, without correcting the past.

ON THE RECORD STATEMENT – CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO
WILLIAM JORDAN, ATTORNEY FOR MR. SCHLOZMAN
Contact: William Jordan, Alston & Bird

“The Report released today is inaccurate, incomplete, biased, unsupported by
the law, and contrary to the facts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office conducted a
thorough and complete review and declined to move forward. Mr. Schlozman
even took a polygraph examination, which was provided to the government,
that demonstrated his testimony before Congress was truthful and accurate.
He also provided the government with information showing over two dozen
individuals he hired into the Division and promoted into senior supervisory
positions that he knew to be either ideologically liberal or Democrats.
Inexplicably and demonstrating the bias they have shown throughout this
process, the OIG included none of this information in the Report.”

“The OIG Report is unsupported by the law. In this and other reports, the
OIG claims without any legal justification that hiring individuals who have a
conservative view of the law, which is not prohibited, is the same as hiring
individuals because they are Democrats and Republicans, which is illegal. As
Mr. Schlozman testified, he hired individuals from across the political and
ideological spectrum based upon their academic records, respect for the rule
of law, and their ability to separate their personal views from the enforcement
activities of the Civil Rights Division. He is justifiably proud of the
individuals he hired and the record level of enforcement activity of the Civil
Rights Division.”

“Further showing its extraordinary bias and lack of ethical and legal standards,
the OIG leaked to the press its referral of this matter for a criminal review,
causing extraordinary harm to Mr. Schlozman. This review is now complete,
and Mr. Schlozman is pleased that it has exonerated him. The unfairness and
the bias of this Report is also demonstrated by the fact that the OIG and OPR
allowed former Civil Rights Division attorneys, at least one of whom Mr.
Schlozman hired, to conduct the inquiry. The so-called “investigation” was a
Star Chamber-type inquiry from the start. Now, the fact that the OIG refuses
to put the information that Mr. Schlozman provided to the government in its
report – as well as the fact that he took and passed a polygraph exam with
flying colors – shows how flawed, incomplete, and biased its Report truly is.”

Guess Who's Taking A Crack At International Journalism...

Something to take note of today. I want to share with you the thoughts of Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher...you know, "Joe the War Correspondent".

Yes, he's in Israel filing reports, and here's his analysis: (you can find his reports on the web, YouTube, etc. I don't want to link to them here)

"I don't think journalists should be anywhere around war. I mean, you guys report where our troops are at, you report what's happening day to day, you make a big deal out of it, I think it's asinine.

I think media should be abolished from, you know, reporting. War is hell." (Samuel J. Wurzelbacher)

Samuel, let me talk to you directly.

First, I was born in a communist country, so I'm familiar with people like you and Fidel Castro, who think "media should be abolished."

Number two, I've covered wars. And while I can't speak for war correspondents who put their lives on the line every day, I can tell you what they do is essential to our democracy.

Whether you've insulted them, is up to them to tell you.

But I'll tell you who you have insulted.

41 journalists were killed last year and two already killed this year while practicing their craft. They can't speak for themselves because they are no longer with us.

And their children, their wives, husbands, fathers and mothers don't have a TV show.

So on their behalf, Sam, let's see: you're not really a licensed plumber, you're not really a war correspondent, and you're not really even a "Joe".

But I think we all know you.

You know that guy who lives down the street? You know the guy who shows up at the backyard BBQ when there's free food? You know that guy, he knows everything about everything, but really knows nothing. He hates everything, and everybody, but he can't understand why anybody would find fault with him.

You know, the obnoxious guy. There's there's always one at every party or gathering.

You know that guy. We all do!

Well, that guy wasn't made famous by John McCain and Sarah Palin. You were. So we're stuck with you.

But it doesn't mean we can't call you out.

I just did.

Above: Rick & Law Enforcement Analyst Mike Brooks Plan Out Their Live Segment
Below: Rick & Executive Producer Angie Massie.

Monday: Pres. Bush Took Reporters' Questions For The Last Time As Commander-In-Chief

Monday saw another one of those "last time" events for George W. Bush: his final scheduled open news conference from the White House.

Did the press corps go easy on him? Maybe. Did they put him on the spot? Oh, yes.

This clip has highlights of the news conference, some of your Twitter/Facebook/Myspace comments, and plenty of plain-language analysis by Rick and his guests: The Washington Post's Dana Milbank, and Thomas Donnelly from the American Enterprise Institute.

Watch this clip, shown as it aired live on CNN. Listen to Rick & his guests pick it apart. But don't stop there: add your comments.

After all, your voice interests us more than anyone else's.

CNN.COM GM/SVP KC Estenson Gushes About His Favorite CNN Anchor at the 2009 CES (Webnewser)

Headline:
"It's a Rick Sanchez World, We Just Twitter It"

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, TVNewser caught up with CNN.COM's GM/SVP. It seems everyone's talking about the world's Twitterin'est news anchor.

CLICK HERE to see and hear KC Estenson show the love.