First Door on the Left

CNN Suspends Novak After He Walks Off Set

NEW YORK (AP) – CNN suspended commentator Robert Novak indefinitely after he swore and walked off the set Thursday during a debate with Democratic operative James Carville.

The exchange during CNN’s “Inside Politics” came during a discussion of Florida’s Senate campaign. CNN correspondent Ed Henry noted when it was through that he had been about to ask Novak about his role in the investigation of the leak of a CIA officer’s identity.

A CNN spokeswoman, Edie Emery, called Novak’s behavior “inexcusable and unacceptable.” Novak had apologized to CNN, and CNN was apologizing to viewers, she said.

“We’ve asked Mr. Novak to take some time off,” she said.

A telephone message at Novak’s office was not immediately returned Thursday.

Carville and Novak were both trying to speak while they were handicapping the GOP candidacy of Katherine Harris. Novak said the opposition of the Republican establishment in Florida might not be fatal for her.

“Let me just finish, James, please,” Novak continued. “I know you hate to hear me, but you have to.”

Carville, addressing the camera, said: “He’s got to show these right wingers that he’s got a backbone, you know. It’s why the Wall Street Journal editorial page is watching you. Show ‘em that you’re tough.”

“Well, I think that’s bull—- and I hate that,” Novak replied. “Just let it go.”

As moderator Henry stepped in to ask Carville a question, Novak walked off the set.

Does it not seem that some of our conservative friends are becoming just a bit too sensitive and defensive lately?

Harris Says Newspapers `Colorized’ Photographs, Distorting Her Makeup

During the presidential election recount of 2000, Florida was in a white- hot spotlight, focused on a woman not accustomed to national publicity – then-Secretary of State Katherine Harris.

Harris’ decision against a ballot recount made her a hero to Republicans and anathema to Democrats. She also was bashed for something else: her makeup.

One Democratic commentator compared her to Cruella DeVil of the Disney movie “101 Dalmatians.” Comic Jay Leno said a cold snap made Florida so chilly Harris “put on a third layer of makeup.”

On Monday, on a conservative radio talk show, Harris, now a congresswoman from Longboat Key running for the U.S. Senate, hit back, blaming newspapers for the criticism and charging that some – without saying which – altered her photographs.

“I’m actually very sensitive about those things, and it’s personally painful,” Harris said when host Sean Hannity asked about her image problems from 2000.

“But they’re outrageously false, No. 1, and No. 2, you know, whenever they made fun of my makeup, it was because the newspapers colorized my photograph,” Harris said.

She didn’t explain what she meant by “colorized.”

Asked Tuesday to point to an altered photograph, Harris and her staff could not.

  

Congress to Investigate Whether Palmeiro Committed Perjury

WASHINGTON (AP) – Even after failing a drug test, Rafael Palmeiro insists he was being truthful when he told Congress that he never used steroids.

Congress wants to find out for itself.

A House committee has Palmeiro’s permission to obtain documents from Major League Baseball about the steroid test that led to his 10-day suspension this week. That information will be used to investigate whether the Baltimore Orioles slugger committed perjury in March.

Lying to Congress is a serious matter and we probably should spend a few million of our taxpayer dollars to find out whether Rafael did just that, but what about all those other people who have been lying to Congress these past few years? People like George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condi Rice, Colin Powell, Karl Rove… to name just a few. Why aren’t we investigating them?

Oh, that’s right… they don’t play baseball. Sorry… I forgot.