Here is my look back at the most memorable moments of 2007
Most Embarassing Political Moment
Winner: Pants down, it has to be Larry Craig. The closeted Craig should have followed my advice, Denial is a river in Egypt and when you’re in trouble, stop digging
Runner-Up: Nancy Pelosi, for using a picture of a Canadian soldier on her web site as she attempted to show her support for veterans.
Worst Predicition
Winner: Chuck Hagel on the Surge
“It’s Alice in Wonderland. I’m absolutely opposed to sending any more troops to Iraq. It is folly.”
“Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska described the move as “the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam, if it’s carried out.”
Runner Up: Harry Reid, “The war is lost”
Second Runner-up: Almost everything Paul Krugman said or wrote.
Biggest Disappointment
Winner: Fred Thompson. This one hurts. He smartly used the new media to build the buzz. Remember his video smackdown of Michael Moore? His positions on the issues are excellent, but he has not proved to be an effective campaigner. It is especially disappointing considering the weakness of the overall field of candidates.
Best Political Moment
We the people lighting up Capitol Hill switchboards and killing the amnesty bill, despite the best efforts by the president and members of both parties to pass it quickly. This was a nice reminder to all of us that our voices still matter and that we can have an impact when we get angry and motivated enough to participate in the process.
Runner Up: Fred Thompson and his statement on religion in politics, which came in the wake of the big Romney Mormonism speech.
Worst Political Moment
Winner: the left’s attack on General David Petraeus, whether it was MoveOn’s General Betray Us ad, or Hillary Clinton’s arrogant comment to the General that it required a “willing suspenion of disbelief” to believe what he was saying.
Worst MSM Moment
Winner: The complete lack of interest in progress in Iraq. It’s nothing short of a disgrace.
Runner Up: The complete lack of accountability for the loathsome congressman John Murtha, who made so many headlines when he was accusing the Haditha Marines of cold blooded murder of innocent women and children. When the charges fell apart, and one Marine after another was cleared of any wrongdoing, Murtha has escaped any real accountability. We spoke several times this year with the famlily of exonerated Haditha Marine Justin Sharratt. Murtha owes this man an apology, at a minimun. In my mind, he deserves to be censured by the House.
Second Runner-Up: Time Magazine’s Person of the Year that had General Petraeus as the fifth selction.
Hmmmm, I’m sensing a theme emerging….
Best Work by a Blogger
Winner: Michael Yon, for his outstanding reporting from Iraq, at a time when most of the MSM had gone home.
Runner-Up: Bob Owens of Confederate Yankee for his outstanding reporting on The New Republic’s latest credibility implosion.
Second Runner-Up: Gateway Pundit for continued excellence, especially tracking these media stories of massacres in Iraq that never actually happened.
Book of the Year
Winner: Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10
Most Annoying Issue of The Year
This is easy, Global Warming.
Schadenfreude of the Year
Winner: The New York Mets epic collapse.
Favorite Music Moment
Winner: 21-year old hottie and bass prodigy Tal Wilkenfeld stealing the show at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival.
Favorite Pop Culture Moment
Winner: Lynn Spears book on parenting. This was an absurd notion when it was just one daughter who was a disaster. Now her 16-year old daughter Jamie Lynn is pregnant. The book, sadly, is on hold for now. What could the title of a Lynn Spears parenting book be? How about “If I Did It?”
Runner Up: Alec Baldwin, for his infamous voice mail to his daughter. He’s another solid candidate for a book on parenting.
Second Runner-Up: Paris Hilton’s inheritance goes to charity.
Favorite Sports Moment
Minutes after winning a second World Series, veteran Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield was being interviewed on the field. Mike Timlin, himself a 40+ year old veteran pitcher, interrrupted the interview and paid an emotional tribute to Wakefield for his decision to take himself out of the line-up because of a shoulder injury. It was a great, emotional moment.
Bruce McQuain from QandO joined us for another edition of Someone You Should Know. The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Thanks to Matt, Bruce is now on board and we are lucky to have him as part of the show.
All of our interviews are also available for download at iTunes and Podcast Alley via the Pundit Review Radio Podcast.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week Kevin and Gregg give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 7-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
I’ve been fortunate to see live performances from some legendary jazz masters, such as John Coltrane’s band mates McCoy Tyner and the late, great Elvin Jones. Unfortunately, I never got to see Oscar Peterson live. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter because my house is filled with hours upon hours of his great music. This will be the soundtrack here today as I recover from Christmas, clean the house and pack up the old toys for donation.
Jazz Pianists Pay Tribute to Peterson
NEW YORK (AP) — Oscar Peterson’s dazzling keyboard technique, commanding sense of swing and mastery of different piano styles could leave even his most accomplished peers awe-struck. His death brought forth tributes from jazz pianists spanning the generations.
Herbie Hancock, another jazz piano legend, said Peterson’s influence could be found “in the generations that came after him.”
“Oscar Peterson redefined swing for modern jazz pianists for the latter half of the 20th century up until today,” Hancock, 67, wrote in an e-mail. “I consider him the major influence that formed my roots in jazz piano playing. He mastered the balance between technique, hard blues grooving, and tenderness. … No one will ever be able to take his place.”
Powerline’s Scott Johnson has a great post remembering Peterson.
J.D. CONSIDINE has a nice tribute, King of the keys made jazz a pleasure
Tis the season for nauseating campaign Christmas commercials. The disingenuous Mike Aw-Shucksabee got things rolling, downhill I might add, with his now infamous “is it a cross?” ad.
John Edwards is out with his “two America’s” ad, vowing to speak for the less fortunate.
Hillary Clinton has come out with the worst ad of all. Clinton’s ad is a combination of revealing and horrifying. It is revealing because Hillary’s idea of a present is spending other people’s money, and horrifying because of the nanny state implications of what’s she’s doing.
Leave it to Fred Thompson to deliver the best ad of the Christmas season,
All Men are Created Equal is the name of this excellent video. After watching it, it is clear to me that all men are NOT created equal. The men (and women) who have fought and defended this country are a special breed of people, especially this current generation, who volunteer to do so. I am in awe of what they do for the rest of us. Make it a point to give back somehow this holiday season. Here is a great way to do it.
This video was done in response to a BLACKFIVE-TV thank you to the troops video.
I am on record as saying that Time Magazine has never, ever had an easier choice than they did in 2007 when it comes to selecting the Person of the Year. Gen. David Petraeus is the clear choice.
They didn’t just screw it up, they screwed it up massively.
The guy I thought they’d pick, Al Gore, was the runner-up.
Certainly, given all that he has accomplished, Gen. Petraeus must have finished third, behind Gore? Nope, that would be fiction writer J.K. Rowling. No, really, JK Rowling. Are we talking about Time Magazine here or US Magazine?
Time went ahead and selected Vladimir Putin as their Person of the Year.
Gen. Petraeus came in fifth. Incredible.
In November, I did a post titled, Bill is intent on destroying Hillary
My earlier prediction with regard to Hillary’s presidential campaign was the Bill would somehow subconsciously torpedo her presidential ambitions late in the general election campaign. Maybe it would be having his picture snapped leaving some urban cougar’s apartment, something along those lines.
Now I think the combination of his massive ego and temper may do her in long before the general election.
Since then, it has been one misstep after another. He has said that he was against the Iraq war from the beginning, he’s attacked Obama’s inexperience, claimed that George H.W. Bush would work for Hillary’s administration, and now this,
Bill Clinton seen as upstaging Hillary
Hillary Clinton’s husband may be a political genius, but he’s also a Bill in a china shop.
And Tuesday, he went on a minirampage, grabbing unflattering headlines and hogging the spotlight at an event with Magic Johnson while stumping for his wife in Des Moines.
The long grind of the presidential campaign has led to a development that I didn’t think I’d see in my lifetime. People are realizing that they are sick of the Clinton’s, and don’t want a replay of their twisted soap opera back in the White House that Bill so indelably stained the first time around.
What until the MSM get around to the story of Bill being a campaign liability more than an asset. How will his temper and massive ego handle that? Not very well is my guess. I can hardly wait.