This Weekend

Sunday

Meet the Press hosts RNC Chair Michael Steele, New York Times' David Brooks, Washington Post's E.J. Dionne, ex-Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-TN), MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and CNBC's Rick Santelli.
Face the Nation hosts TBD.
This Week hosts DNC Chair Tim Kaine, ex-Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Hugh Shelton.
Fox News Sunday hosts ex-Rep. Pat Toomey (R-PA) and WV Gov. Joe Manchin (D).
State of the Union hosts FL SEN candidates Marco Rubio (R), Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) and FL Gov. Charlie Crist (I) debate in Tampa.

"That's not the most thrilling prospect that I can imagine. Let's put it that way." ex-CA Gov. Gray Davis (D), on the possibility of Darrell Issa (R-CA) having subpoena power, "Daily Rundown," MSNBC, 10/22

Other Weekend Shows

Political Capital features VP Biden and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA)(Bloomberg, FRI, 7pm).
Washington Week features Washington Post's Karen Tumulty, Los Angeles Times' Doyle McManus, AP's Charles Babington and New York Times' Kate Zernike (PBS, FRI, 8pm).
Real Time features actor George Clooney, filmmaker Rob Reiner, ABC's Jake Tapper, ex-Bush comm. dir. Nicolle Wallace and baby daddy/ex-Playgirl model Levi Johnston (HBO, FRI, 10pm).
Situation Room features TBD (CNN, SAT, 6:30pm).
Communicators features VeriSign CEO Mark McLaughlin. Guest reporter is Government Computer News' William "Bill" Jackson (C-SPAN, SAT, 6:30pm).
Huckabee hosts TBD (FNC, SAT, 8pm).
Chris Matthews Show features BBC's Katty Kay, HDNet's Dan Rather, Atlantic's Andrew Sullivan and Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Cynthia Tucker (NBC, SUN, check local listings).
Wall Street Journal Report features Harvard prof./ex-Reagan economic adviser Martin Feldstein, philanthropist George Soros and Union Square Hospitality Group's Danny Meyer (SUN, 10am/6pm).
Newsmakers hosts FCIC co-chair./ex-CA Treas. Phil Angelides. Guest reporters are Washington Post's Zachary Goldfarb and AP's Dan Wagner (C-SPAN, SUN, 10am/6pm).
Reliable Sources features (CNN, SUN, 10am).
Fareed Zakaria GPS features Middle East advisor Richard Holbrooke, CNN's Peter Bergen, National Univ. of Singapore prof. Kishore Mahbubani, Columbia Univ. prof. Simon Schama and Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor (CNN, SUN, 1pm).
Q & A features authors William McKay and Charles Johnson (C-SPAN, SUN, 8pm).

This Morning On TV

"Today" lead with the firing of NPR's Juan Williams and hosted ex-CNNer Lou Dobbs. "Early Show" also lead with the firing of Williams. "GMA" lead with the firing and hosted Williams.

Friday Feature

Jeanne Moos is a CNN national news correspondent based in NYC. During her 27 years at CNN, Moos has covered national and international issues and ground-breaking news and features, but she soon carved out a niche with her off-beat, thoughtful reporting on the quirkier aspects of life. Since the '95 debut of "Making the MOOSt of It," Moos has examined everything from three-legged pantyhose to quirky angles of the '08 presidential campaign. Her reports now appear during "The Situation Room" and "American Morning" as "MOOSt Unusual." Prior to CNN, Moos served as a correspondent at WPTZ-TV, the NBC affiliate in Plattsburgh, NY. When she arrived in '76, she was the first woman correspondent hired by the station. Moos her bachelor's degree public communication from Syracuse Univ., but today she's our Friday Feature!

What were you like in high school?

Studious though I still managed to get myself in trouble once in a while. My friends always teased me about wanting to watch William F. Buckley's show instead of going out beer-drinking.

What's your most embarrassing on-the-job moment? (Or as embarrassing as you'd like to reveal?)

Time I asked an obviously pregnant woman if we could get a shot of her for our pregnancy piece and it turned out she wasn't pregnant.

Time I called former President Nixon "President Reagan" ("I've been called much worse," was his response).

Time I was anchoring a cut-in and mispronounced my own last name... Moose instead of Moos.

What is the most memorable critique/commentary received by a superior?

Worst critique - a voice teacher who hated my voice so much he offered to give me free voice lessons when I was at my first job in local TV news (I decided not to take him up on the offer). Best compliment - viewers who tell me they run into the room to watch whenever they hear my distinctive voice

Guilty pleasure song of the moment?

Nothing "of the moment"... my guilty pleasure is singing along to oldies on XM radio in my car (mortifying that I know the words to one-hit wonders like "Love Potion #9").

If you were the subject of "MOOSt Unusual," what would it be about?

My fear of flying.

What movie best mirrors your life?

On Golden Pond (summers with my parents at our cottage on a lake in Canada).

If you could have one super power to aid you in your job, what would it be?

Power to turn back time so I wouldn't have to crash so desperately every night to make deadline.

If you could take a road trip with any person in history, who would it be and where will you be going?

Cross country by myself. I'm not spending a week in a car with a stranger... not even with someone fun like, let's say, Truman Capote.

What would I find in your refrigerator right now?

Stocked with items that require minimal skills to prepare.

Finish this sentence: Today I...

Forgot what piece I did yesterday.

In one sentence, your best advice to young, fresh out-of-college journalists.

If you want to be in the TV news biz, better develop a distinct persona. And have a backup career plan.

Don't Know Who Juan Williams Is? You've Been Living Under A Giant Rock.... On The Moon

Now ex-NPR analyst and still current FNC commentator Juan Williams is still talking about the fallout from his controversial comment's on FNC's "O'Reilly Factor" which lead to his firing from NPR.

NPR issued a statement 10/20 p.m. saying Williams remarks "undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR." And NPR CE0 Vivian Schiller sent a memo 10/20 stressing that NPR news analyst's "may not take personal public positions on controversial issues" (Wall Street Journal, 10/22). Schiller, in a press conference 10/21, said Williams "feeling" should stay "between him and his psychiatrist or his publicist - take your pick" (Zongker, AP, 10/22). And this a.m. on "GMA", Williams called Schiller's comments more of a "personal attack" and that she has a "very weak case" (ABC, 10/22).

As for Williams, he says his words were "taken out of context" and that he was fired "for telling the truth." Williams writes in a manifesto on FOXNews.com that he "made it clear that all Americans have to be careful not to let fears lead to the violation of anyone's constitutional rights... There was no bigotry, no crude provocation, no support for anti-Muslim sentiments of any kind" (10/21). And that NPR took "one statement" and they made "it out that I am a bigot. ... Again this, is something I would have said on NPR. It's not something -- it's not like I'm catering to a Fox audience, as opposed to an NPR audience. I expressed a genuine feeling I have if I'm in that situation" ("GMA").

Williams writes: "My boss at NPR called to say I had crossed the line... She never suggested that I had discriminated against anyone. Instead she continued to ask me what did I mean and I told her I said what I meant. Then she said she did not sense remorse from me. I said I made an honest statement. She informed me that I had violated NPR's values for editorial commentary and she was terminating my contract as a news analyst. ... I asked why she would fire me without speaking to me face to face and she said there was nothing I could say to change her mind, the decision had been confirmed above her, and there was no point to meeting in person. To say the least this is a chilling assault on free speech" (FOXNews.com).

But Williams believes he is "able to discern exactly what a feeling is, as opposed to what is a, you know, a public position and ability to report and to hear what others are saying." Ultimately he thinks NPR "was looking for a reason to get rid of me," and were "uncomfortable with the idea I was talking to the likes of Bill O'Reilly" ("GMA").

"This is an outrageous violation of journalistic standards and ethics by management that has no use for a diversity of opinion, ideas or a diversity of staff (I was the only black male on the air)." And NPR's "one-party rule" and thinking has lead them "to enforced ideology," leading "people, especially journalists, being sent to the gulag for raising the wrong questions and displaying independence of thought" (FOXNews.com)

$2M In Unemployment Isn't All That Bad

FNC has "expanded" Williams role "at the network" handing him a "new three-year contract" 10/21 a.m., "in a deal that amounts to nearly" $2M, "a considerable bump up from his previous salary." In his new role, Williams "will now appear exclusively and more frequently on the cable news network and have a regular column on FoxNews.com."

FNC pres. Roger Ailes, in a statement on Williams' new contract: "Juan has been a staunch defender of liberal viewpoints since his tenure began at Fox News in 1997. He's an honest man whose freedom of speech is protected by Fox News on a daily basis" (Gold, Los Angeles Times, 10/21).

Critics Weigh In

Williams' firing didn't come without a push back from "conservative leaders." Ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R) tweeted: "NPR defends 1st Amendment Right, but will fire u if u exercise it. Juan Williams: u got taste of Left's hypocrisy, they screwed up firing you." While ex-AR Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) blogged: "(NPR) has solidified itself as the purveyor of politically correct pabulum and protector of views that lean left" (Gold, Los Angeles Times, 10/21). Washington Post's Eugene Robinson editorialized: "If he was fired for this particular appearance on O'Reilly, then he got a raw deal" (10/22).

While Council on American-Islamic Relations' spokesperson Ibrahim Hooper says: "That view point expresses intolerance and bigotry." And Muslim Public Affairs Council pres. Salam Al-Marayti thinks: "the firing was justifiable. ... We don't want to surpress these apprehensions or misapprehensions and prejudices. They exist" (Welch, USA Today, 10/22). Weekly Standard's William Kristol wrote: "The standards of political correctness must be maintained. ... And so Juan had to go" (Stelter, New York Times, 10/ 21).

Salon's Walsh writes that "I do think the entire Williams transcript makes it clear that in his own Fox-toady way, he was trying to defend Muslims and critique his Fox brethren who can't distinguish between al Qaida supporters and the vast majority of peaceful, observant Muslims."

"Which leaves me troubled about his firing, I have to say. Williams has long been a problem for NPR. The network made him stop using his NPR affiliation when he appeared on Fox News a while ago. Maybe it's been looking for a reason to cut ties. But even the excuse given for his firing by NPR CEO Vivian Schiller -- 'He expressed views. That is not compatible with his role as a news analyst. Plain and simple' -- is ludicrous. How does a news analyst not express views?" (10/21).

Chit Chat On The Air Waves

Redstate.com blogger Erick Erickson, Juan Williams being fired from NPR: "It was a perfectly legitimate statement for him to make. I mean compare that to Michelle Martin of NPR just a couple of months ago on our network imputing that somehow Christianity had something to do with Tim McVeigh blowing up the Murrah building or Nina Totenberg back in the 90's saying Jesse Helms was probably going to get AIDS or another NPR reporter saying Newt Gingrich wanted to lynch black people. None of these people got fired. Frankly I think it has more to do with Juan Williams being a Fox News contributor than anything else" ("John King, USA," CNN, 10/21).

GWU prof. Frank Sesno, on Williams being fired from NPR: "The fact of the matter is, he and NPR were on a collision course and have been for a long time. He knew that. They've documented that. ... But fundamentally, NPR says in its publicly published ethics code the following: NPR journalists, quote, 'should not participate in shows, electronic forums, or blogs that encourage punditry and speculation rather than fact based analysis.' They're very explicit about this" ("American Morning," CNN, 10/22).

NPR Debate

Huckabee wrote on his blog: "It is time for the tax payers to start making cuts to federal spending, and I encourage the new Congress to start with NPR." "NPR receives no direct federal funding for its operations" but "between 1% and 3%" of its $160M budget comes "from competitive grants awarded by publicly funded entities such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Arts" (Los Angeles Times, 10/21).

Palin tweeted: "NPR should receive NO fed tax dollars..." (Zongker, AP, 10/21). While Wall Street Journal's Emilio Karim Dabul opines: "Anyone who cares about freedom of speech should protest what has been done... NPR's consistent tilt to the left has caused them (Americans) to reject it as a viable source of news... and to demand that public funding to NPR cease" (10/22).

"Daily Beast"'s Howard Kurtz writes: "I'm not jumping on the defund-NPR bandwagon being pushed... It's just as unfair to the radio hosts and reporters who aren't ideological to have the government punish them. ... There's no constitutional right to a high-profile media job." (10/210).

O'Reilly, on NPR, fallout, and his theory on how NRP financing: "Here's something interesting. You say it's 1 or 2 percent of their budget, the federal money. That's not true. They play a shell game, NPR. They charge their affiliated stations across the country money. So the affiliated stations, which raise money locally and get local tax money, have to kick into the Washington operation. So it's more than that. So there is a lot of tax money going in. ... But I do think that NPR's days at the trough of the taxpayer are coming to an end" ("On the Record," FNC, 10/21).

And Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) will "introduce legislation to defund NPR" (Politico, 10/21).

Fear Itself Isn't Too Profitable

Comedy Central's Jon Stewart is leading in merchandise sales for his 'Rally to Restore Sanity' over Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert's 'March to Keep Fear Alive.'

CafePress VP Amy Maniatis: "In terms of sales, it appears Team Sanity t-shirts and gear are doing 50 times the sales of Team Fear" (Lennard, Politico, 10/22).

The Color Of Fox News

"A former Fox News technician" in NYC "has sued the network and seven colleagues, alleging he was subjected to racism."

Harmeen Jones "filed the" $5M suit "in a Manhattan court.

He claims "he was subjected to a barrage of 'racist, sexist, and extremely offensive comments' on a daily basis" (AP, 10/21).

And He Would Know Evolution...

FNC's Glenn Beck "thinks evolution is a bunch of monkey business." Beck doubted evolution on 10/20.

Beck: "I haven't seen a half -monkey, half person yet. Did evolution just stop? ... iis only interested in what God has to say on the matter."

Beck: "I don't know how God creates. I don't know how we got here. If I get to the other side and God's like, 'You know what, you were a monkey once.' I'll be shocked, but I'll be like, 'Whatever'" (Alfano, New York Daily News, 10/21).

Laugh Track

No political jokes on late-night 10/21.