LiveBlog for Monday, April 13, 2009

twitter2Follow Producer Chris Lavoie on Twitter!! Get updates on Steph’s appearances on TV, upcoming guests on the show, and much more.

vanhollenRep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about President Obama’s overseas trip, climate change, and the future of the auto industry.

begala• CNN’s Paul Begala calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about Obama’s overseas trip, the president’s economic plan, the fight between Rove and Biden, and pirates.

• U.S. Navy snipers opened fire and killed three pirates holding an American captain at gunpoint, delivering the skipper unharmed and ending a five-day high-seas hostage drama on Easter Sunday. Capt. Richard Phillips is resting comfortably after a medical exam. He had been tied up inside a lifeboat for most of the ordeal.

President Obama twice authorized the military to use force to rescue the U.S. captain who was being held by Somali pirates. In a statement, Obama said, “I share the country’s admiration for the bravery of Capt. Phillips and his selfless concern for the crew. His courage is a model for all Americans.”

• President Obama and his family took communion yesterday as they celebrated Easter at St. John’s Episcopal Church in their first public worship service since the inauguration. Every president since James Madison has attended services at St. John’s, located across from the White House.

The Obamas now have a 6-month-old Portuguese water dog named Bo. It was given to the Obama girls as a gift from Sen. Ted Kennedy.

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He kind of has a point about that not being able to satisfy the dog crowd.

Remember that lady, yesterday, who claimed to be a Obama supporter but then called him a liar based on a TMZ report?

Did he screw up by calling them the "doggie rescue squad"?

I have to say, those self-appoint dog rescue people do give me the creeps, a little.

I don't know much about it, but I think that "Navy" guy was totally wrong about his history.

My little bit of college history reminds me that dealing with pirates created some of the oldest international law enforcement treaties. (I should probably Google it, but I'm too tired.)

This is true: the military guys who ARE experts are usually humble about it.

The military guys who PLAY THE MILITARY CARD were probably stock clerks.

Did the Navy train that guy to second-guess his Commander in Chief?

Hi, everyone. I'm usually working so I cant't follow the blog. But I have a burning question. What happened to David Shuster and 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. on MSNBC. Did he get replaced by Ed Schultz. I Love that Ed got a show, but I also loved watching David confront the people who lie when he interviews them.

I am so happy to be here. I listen every morning and unfortunately, I make it to work by 6:30am, so I only get 30 minute dose and now I can listen on my computer at work Shhhhhh.
Have a great day.

May I repeat because my my link to Kos didn't work out The Professianally Angry, the Politically Correct, the Right Wing and Madison Avenue are all buying puppies for Sasha and Malia! Great! Calgon, take me away!

Hi, all. New here and can't contribute much during the week since I usually am working. But got a couple of days off and thought I would join the fray.

LOVE Steph and the Mooks!

Cindy,

I checked your link about Amazon. You really think Amazon de-ranks gay books? Kind of hard to imagine why they would do that.

Ron.

Shaf,

Thanks for the comeback. It's an interesting story, for sure, but Americans being victimized by gangs and thugs overseas is NOT very unusual.

What IS unusual is for the president or even the FBI to get involved. Usually, it's just treated like a crime.

well, bye all.

Ron

Amazon.com under criticism for de-ranking gay-themed books
http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/04/amazon-gay.html#

Bye all! Johnny Depp for piracy czar!

Have a great week, everybody (I'll be out of town for work so no more liveblogging for me).

Have a great day. See you on Memorial Day (my next day off).

It's been fun y'all. prolly next week before I do this again.

love you, bloggoes!

Buh Bye! :mrgreen:

#359 Agreed, Ron. The symbol of American commerce being interrupted increased the visibility of the act, IMHO.

Great show and blog! Have a great day, peeps!

I told you, I told you! Now the 'Bama is gonna outlaw Privacy!

I knew it! Black helicopters!

France! Gaahh!

#359 I think a lot of it is that it happened on the high seas.

Cindy...you know where the phrase "the shores of Tripoli" comes from in the Marines song, right? And like you said, we've had a history of taking on pirates.

As Thomas Jefferson said, "millions for defense, not one cent for tribute."

I think Jefferson had it right. Besides, if it keeps a bunch of Blackwater guys from being unemployed with weapons to play with...

Bye all. Sorry I couldn't play more. Tomorrow is another day.

all the mainstreams news channels should combine into one - the ADD News for busy people

How is this captain "one of our guys" other than he is an American who is a victim of a crime?

No offense. But how did this incident get so large?

I've been an American living overseas and we're almost always on our own in these things.

Hey Barack, tell us about the puppy!

#352 And since hell hasn't frozen over, it ain't gonna happen.

346 -- interestingly, I think that passage is addressing depression. so, yeah, bleak. but it does raise some interesting issues.

The Professianally Angry, the Politically Correct, the Right Wing and Madison Avenue are all buying puppies for Sasha and Malia! Great! Calgon, take me away!

347 Not sure, but I love Al. Wish he were one of my senators!!

caller, you're looking for depth in corporate news reporting :lol:

If I had an AK-47 pointed at my head, I would consider my life to be in imminent danger.

plus also this ship was loaded with relief supplies FOR Africa

Midwestruth - Frankly I was wondering WHEN the navy would get involved BECAUSE we have a history of taking on pirates going back to the USS Constitution (1801-1805)

. . . her first duty with the newly formed United States Navy was to provide protection for American merchant shipping during the Quasi War with France and to defeat the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Constitution

347-Do we have any Minnesotans blogging right now?

Is there any more news on the Al Franken issue?

344-that's just bleak. I've got all kinds of things to do, even if it's just staring at the redwoods. "I like to watch."

342-capt, you ol' softie! I'll check it out. See ya.

331 --

"I remember once when I was about eleven years old
On a summer day
I was aware of the nothingness of life
I said to my mother, there’s nothing to do
She said, just go outside, you’ll find something to do
So I went outside and did things
Now it seems there is more to do inside than outside
But still there’s nothing to do
We simply manufacture circumstances that create a necessity to do something "

From "Afternoon of Insensitivity (part 3)" by Jandek

I gotta jet again but please consider checking out:

IFAW.org

The International Fund for Animal Welfare works to improve animal welfare, prevent animal cruelty and abuse, protect wildlife and provide animal rescue around the world. From stopping the elephant ivory trade, to ending the Canadian seal hunt and saving the whales from extinction, IFAW works to create solutions that benefit both animals and people.

One of my pet projects.

See ya all in the morning on the morrow!

Be good

Yeah, as Jim just said, there's probably a much better word for "bitch" in German. Gimme a minute.

Karl the Destroyer is smacked down by Paul the Fine American

323 Not at all! For me, it's often a chance to visit with another mom while my kids play with a friend.
327 I like that! My rich friends have all 3 - Greed for more money although they have millions, anger at the gov't for taxes and poor for entitlemens as well as the audacity to suggest they should have equal access to healthcare, and ignorance of the realities of the world for non-trust fun babies!

I don't understand all the subtleties of German slang, but one translation might be:

Sie sind jetzt alle meine Hündinnen

not to stomp on the testosterone-fest (Testo-Fest?)...but it seems like this action is all about the Navy being used to protect commercial interests. Just like the oil companies getting the Navy to sonar-bomb the ocean floor to map possible drilling sites. If aid workers were held hostage would the Navy/Army/Marines get sent in to rescue them?

lol

from twitter
TheOnion: Michael Bay Signs 50M Deal To Fuck Up 'Thundercats' http://bit.ly/ddco

#331 Impossible! I always overthink everything.