According to the majority of poll respondents, Mitt Romney won the presidential debate Wednesday. Still, he produced the oddest comment of the night by a mile. In response to a question about what government-funded programs and ventures he would cut, Mitt gave the curious example of PBS … despite his love for Big Bird . What would happen if Mitt actually visited Sesame Street and gave the pink slip to the affable avian giant and his puppet pals? Something along these lines: Mitt Romney on Sesame Street
President of the Pipe Dreams 5 Lies Mitt Romney Told During The First Presidential Debate While President Obama didn’t exactly bring his A game for the first Presidential debate that took place earlier this week, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney brought his ‘F’ game……F as in full of isht. The good folks over at Rolling Stone Magazine pulled together this list of lies Money Mitt told during the debate: 1. “I don’t have a $5 trillion tax cut.” Romney flatly lied about the cost of his proposal to cut income-tax rates across the board by another 20 percent (undercutting even the low rates of the Bush tax cuts). Independent economists at the Tax Policy Center have shown that the price tag for those cuts is $360 billion in the first year, a cost that extrapolates to $5 trillion over a decade. 2. “I will not reduce the taxes paid by high-income Americans.” Romney has claimed that he will pay for his tax cuts by closing a variety of loopholes and deductions. The factual problem? Romney hasn’t named a single loophole he’s willing to close; worse, there’s no way to offset $5 trillion in tax cuts even if you get rid of the entire universe of deductions for the wealthy that Romney has not put off the table (like the carried interest loophole or the 15 percent capital gains rate.) The Tax Policy Center report concludes that Romney’s proposal would create a “net tax cut for high-income tax payers and a net tax increase for lower- and or middle-income taxpayers.” Moreover, some of Romney’s tax cuts are micro-targeted at American dynasties, particularly his proposal to eliminate the estate tax, which would reduce his own sons’ tax burden by tens of millions of dollars. 3. “We’ve got 23 million people out of work or [who have] stopped looking for work in this country.” Romney is lying for effect. The nation’s crisis of joblessness is bad, but not 23 million bad. The official figure is 12.5 million unemployed. An additional 2.6 million Americans have stopped looking for jobs. How does Romney gin up his eye-popping 23 million figure? He counts more than 8 million wage earners who hold part-time jobs as also being “out of work.” 4. Obamacare “puts in place an unelected board that’s going to tell people ultimately what kind of treatments they can have.” Romney is reviving Sarah Palin’s old death panels lie here. Obamacare does establish an Independent Payment Advisory Board to help constrain the growth of Medicare spending. The body has no authority to dictate the practices of the private insurance marketplace. And the law also makes explicit that this body is banned from rationing care or limiting medical benefits to seniors. 5. “Pre-existing conditions are covered under my plan.” In the biggest whopper of the night, Romney suggested that his health care proposal would guarantee coverage to Americans with pre-existing conditions. This is just not true. Under Romney, if you have a pre-existing condition and have been unable to obtain insurance coverage or if you have had to drop coverage for more than 90 days because you lost your job or couldn’t afford the premiums, you would be shit out of luck. Insurance companies could continue to discriminate and deny you coverage, as even Romney’s top adviser conceded after the debate was over. Loud and wrong, Mitt. Loud and wrong.
Former Vice President Al Gore is blaming the Mile High altitudes of Denver, Colorado, for President Barack Obama’s debate shellacking last night … seriously. Al Gore Blames the Altitude Whether it will be the game changer he needs to win the White House is an open question, but Mitt Romney won the presidential debate by almost all accounts. Obama apologists have offered various excuses, but the most unusual comes from Gore: “I’m going to say something controversial here,” Gore told Current TV. “Obama arrived in Denver at 2 p.m. today, just a few hours before the debate started.” “Romney did his debate prep in Denver. When you go up to 5,000 feet and you only have a few hours to adjust, I don’t know.” Nor do we. Conservatives are having a field day with this idea, of course, though The Daily Caller’s Matt Lewis suggested earlier that Romney likely prepped in Denver for this reason. That or he really likes the Chipotle workers . Denver has 17 percent less oxygen than cities at sea level. Whether Obama was gasping for breath literally as well as figuratively Wednesday, we may never know. You tell us: Who won the debate? Barack Obama Mitt Romney View Poll » Who should win the election? Obama-Biden Romney-Ryan View Poll »
On top of cursing Mariah Carey off during a heated exchange on the American Idol set this week, did Nicki Minaj also threaten to murder the pop star? Yes, according to Barbara Walters. Wait… what?!? On The View today, the co-host read from notes she took during a conversation with Carey in which the artist alleges “Nicki walked off the set and multiple people heard Nicki say, ‘If I had a gun I would shoot the bitch.'” Barbara Walters Speaks for Mariah Carey Mariah also told Walters she has hired extra security to protect her from Minaj. In response, Minaj – who believes this feud was set up by American Idol producers – has called out Carey on Twitter: “I don’t call tmz n Barbara Walters cuz I stand on my own two feet. Never needed an army. God is good. Insecurity is as cruel as the grave. “I guess it hurts 2 have the producers tell u to ur face that nicki is the best judge we’ve had since simon. Awww, poor u. Keep them lies cmn.” Considering the hype this feud has received, with almost everyone on the show commenting on it and the original video surfacing in the first place, we must ask: Are you buying it? Or could this be a PR stunt for a show in need of a rating boost? Do you think Nicki Minaj/Mariah Carey rivlary is real? Yes, they hate each other! No, it’s a total ratings ploy! I don’t care. View Poll »
The Real Housewives of Miami gossip, back stab, and cry “She Beat me to the Tweet!” We recap all of the “nice nasties” in our THG +/- review. I have one thought when I watch this show. Miami is gorgeous. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about the women, at least not after you spend some time with them. After last week’s debacle at Mynt, Romain and Joanna need to talk. He’s fed up, with reason. When Joanna plays it off like it was only because she was drunk, Romain shoots back “Maybe you’re drunk every day.” Minus 12. That’s a big problem. He asked her not to drink so much and cause any drama on his special night. So much for that. He needs more than an apology. He needs to know she’ll change. Minus 10 . Don’t hold your breath, Pal. Then in another twist, Joanna says she got a call at 4am from a staff member at Mynt. They said Romain was their making out with a dancer. So if Joanna thought this was real, why not get out of bed and head down to the club? Was she too tired, or too hungover to care? Of course the one thing she must do is tell her sister. Minus 8 . I know she has to tell someone but her sister already hates Romain. No good can come of this. Minus 11 . Marta has to spread the word to the other ladies. There’s a surprise. She says if it’s true she’ll cut his balls off. That might carry more weight if she weren’t leeching off of him and her sister. It’s past time for Marta to move out and get her own place. Across town Adriana is being photographed by a famous photographer for an art show. Plus 10 . Sounds like fun. The twist is that he wants shots of her topless. At first Adriana is completely against it. Then she waffles. Minus 7 . One minute she’s incredibly uncomfortable and the next she’s taking her shirt off. That didn’t take much encouragement. In the end, plus 14 . She’s a beautiful woman and the photos looked great…at least what we could see in the fuzzy televised versions. And a plus 11 to Frederic who in one of the funnier moves of the night whipped out his iPhone to make sure he got some shots for his private collection. The photos are great but the art show is weird. Not necessarily the art itself but the guests. Minus 15 to Lea. She’s such a b*tch! Who views a friend’s portrait and asks how much airbrushing they did? Or how about when she sees that someone bought the photo and accuses Adriana of being the buyer. Even if she was kidding it was pretty lame but apparently Adriana doesn’t see it that way. She give Lea a pass on all of it but happily bashes Karent for much lesser offenses. Minus 9 because Adriana’s downright cruel about it as she mimic Karent in front of their friends. And I’d happily hand out extra points if someone could stop her from screeching “She Beat me to the Tweet!” Really. She tweeted before you could. Oh, the horror. Maybe she learned the art of back biting from good friend Lea who drags James, aka Elaine to the event with the intention of bashing Marysol some more in public. Plus 12 to Ana for trying to stand up for her friend. Karent’s taking it from all sides this week. She’s got Lea and Adriana tearing her down and her mother telling her she hates Rodolfo. Unfortunately I’ve got to side with Mom on this one. If Karent’s looking to get married, I don’t believe the problems is that the timing isn’t right. I think the guy isn’t right. Lisa and Lenny have real problems. They’ve been trying to have a baby for three years to no avail. Add on three miscarriages and they’re feeling the strain. Plus 15 to Lisa who seems to be one of the few people bothered by all of the gossip and back stabbing going on by these women. Everyone else just enjoys the drama. The ladies all show up for Gay Christmas…or Winterfest and Lea’s still making snarky comments about Karent. Minus 10 . That seems to be her gift. Well, that and marrying rich. Joanna dancing is the main attraction but they don’t really show it. Just odd cuts of her in different poses. Minus 8 . Was she that bad? And I wouldn’t bash Ana for having a stylist…what Housewife doesn’t need one…but what is she paying her for? That purple dress looked like it came off the rack at Target. Minus 7 . Nothing against Target but these women pride themselves on their designer collections and that was one boring, frumpy looking outfit. There was no sobbing this week, or drunken binges but we did get lots of back stabbing and some nudity so in the end it all evens out. ‘Til next week. Episode total = -35! Season total = -132!
The Grease duo who melted hearts as love-torn high school couple Danny and Sandy in the 1978 smash big screen musical are joining forces again on a holiday album. This Christmas: John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John is due out November 13th, almost 35 years after their classic brought the two together, setting a new standard for teen romance pics at the time. A chance text from Newton-John to Travolta one Christmas prompted Travolta to come up with the idea for a Christmas collection. Newton-John noted that their Grease hit “You’re the One That I Want” had just become the best-selling duet in pop music history. “From the moment we decided to do this, magic happened,” Travolta said as quoted on Amazon . “Everyone we contacted agreed to do it.” Continuing Travolta said, “My desire was to make This Christmas an intimate album, not something too ostentatious or showy. I wanted people to be able to play it around the house or in the car during the holidays, and make us part of your celebration. Gathering around house listening to Christmas music has always been an important part of that time of the year to my family.” They’ve also solicited the vocals from some fellow celebs to add extra pipe-wattage to the album. Barbra Streisand, Kenny G, Cliff Richard, Tony Bennett and James Taylor are among those whose famous voices can be heard on various tracks. “It just fell into place,” added Newton-John, a four-time Grammy Award-winner, who has five number-one singles under her belt and 100 million albums in sales worldwide. “With our busy schedules, I don’t know how we got it done. John and I have always connected. That’s never gone away. When we’re together, we have a good laugh and feel bonded to one another. We’ve been through some amazing experiences together.” And the potential cash cow that the album may generate will head to their respective charities. Travolta’s charity named after his late son Jett will go to fight children’s disabilities, including autism and seizures, while Newton-John’s will go toward the search for a cure for cancer and helping victims of the disease. And here’s the Track List: 1. Baby It’s Cold Outside 2. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (featuring Kenny G) 3. I’ll Be Home for Christmas (featuring Barbra Streisand) 4. This Christmas (featuring Chick Corea) 5. Silent Night 6. The Christmas Waltz 7. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (featuring Cliff Richard) 8. Winter Wonderland (featuring Tony Bennett and The Count Basie Orchestra) 9. White Christmas 10. I Think You Might Like It 11. The Christmas Song 12. Deck the Halls (featuring James Taylor) 13. Auld Lang Syne/Christmas Time Is Here (Medley) [Source: Yahoo , Amazon ]
Kendra Wilkinson And Hank Baskett Have A Date Night Swirly-girly Kendra Wilkinson and her NFL baller hubby Hank Baskett recently ook some time off from mommy and daddy duty to hit the Hollyweird scene for date night. The lovebirds got all cuddly at the Resident Evil 6 red carpet premiere in L.A. before heading to a Nas concert later that evening. Their adorable little blonde-haired toddler Hank Jr. was no where in sight as they lived it up in the city of lights. Images via Wenn
Also in Friday afternoon’s round-up of news briefs, newcomers Hotel Transylvania and Looper are tracking strong in the weekend box office. And two new titles are heading to theaters. Terrence Malick’s To The Wonder Headed to U.S. Theaters The film starring Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams and Javier Bardem is the story of Marina (Kurylenko) and Neil (Affleck), who meet in France and move to Oklahoma to start a life together, where problems soon arise. While Marina makes the acquaintance of a priest and fellow exile (Bardem), who is struggling with his vocation, Neil renews a relationship with a childhood sweetheart, Jane (McAdams). Bold and lyrical, the film is a moving, gorgeously shot exploration of love in its many forms. Magnolia Pictures, which picked up U.S. rights to the Terrence Malick-directed feature, plans a 2013 theatrical release. Generation Um… Heads to U.S. and Canadian Theaters The film is set at the end of another night out sets the stage for an intimate unfolding of the relationships John, Violet and Mia have, with each other and the city around them. As the day fades into night, secrets are revealed, compromises are made, loneliness is acknowledged, laughter is cherished, lies are dispelled and disappointment is dealt with – and the unusual circumstance that binds these three late-night characters together comes into focus. Phase 4 Films which picked up U.S. and Canadian rights to the film plans a Spring 2013 release. Around the ‘net… Andrew Garfield and Marc Webb Head for Spider-Man Sequel Garfield will return as Peter Parker and Marc Webb will direct the Columbia Pictures sequel set for May 2014. Emma Stone is in talks about a possible return. The next installment will be released on 3-D, Deadline reports . Fox Searchlight Eyeing Natalie Portman for Jackie Kennedy Drama The specialty division handled Portman’s Oscar turn in Black Swan . The Noah Oppenheimer scripted drama follows the former first lady in the immediate assassination aftermath of John F. Kennedy, Deadline reports . Sony’s Hotel Transylvania Tracking Solid $30M Weekend Hotel Transylvania and newcomer Looper are off to a stung start, with the latter tracking at $18 – 20 million. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis starrer, Won’t Back Down , however, may only cross $5 million, THR reports .
The Real Housewives of Miami starts off with sun and fun and palm trees and ends with “A Mynt Meltdown” and one hot mess of a night. We recap all the tears, fears and accusations in our THG +/- review. The help plays a big role in the lives of the Housewives and sometimes it’s hard to figure out who works for whom. Lisa’s housekeeper/assistant/confidante Daysy’s main job seems to be to keep Lisa company. Minus 8. How much do they pay her for that? Of course Daysy’s working towards her bonus prize. A brand new body is hers once she sheds some pounds. Yes, working for the Boob god of Miami has its perks. Plus 10 Lea can do one better. She’s got Freda, her housekeeper who has two assistant housekeepers, her own guest house and even has Lea doing her hair. Plus 12. Here’s to enjoy the perks of one’s labor. But wait. What labor? It seems Freda doesn’t do much in the way of keeping house but the kids and the dogs love her so Lea pays for her room and board. Heck, Freda doesn’t even have a bathing suit unless Lea buys it for her. Is this her housekeeper or another one of Lea’s kids? Minus 15 . We barely see Rodolfo who is off somewhere filming his Latin soap opera. He tells Karent he doesn’t want to hear any more about these texting rumors. Yeah, I bet he doesn’t. Minus 7 . Ana’s working on her puffy eyes. It looks like she’s been crying after a fight with boyfriend Mark. He wants to know when her divorce will be finalized. Plus 12 . I don’t blame him. It’s been two years and Robert’s still hanging around the house reminding her that his new girlfriend is 15 years younger than her. Minus 15 . That means his girlfriend is probably closer to his daughter’s age than his. Elsa’s no where to be found in this episode but Marysol and drag queen Elaine have a tiff over whether or not Marysol kicked her off the red carpet last year. Minus 13 because nothing was really resolved and everyone just left fuming. Finally we come back around to Joanna and Romain. Romain becomes a US citizen and congrats to him. Plus 20. That’s a huge accomplishment. It’s also the ten year anniversary of his club Mynt which only makes me wonder how this club remains so successful in a hot spot like Miami where a club is old news a month after it opens. But Romain wants to celebrate his good fortune and all of the housewives are invited. Adriana flirts shamelessly with the guy who diligently tells her he only likes blondes. Specifically his blonde, Joanna. Plus 10 although he may rethink that before the night is over. Joanna has a few too many when she spots the club DJ who once dated, cheated on, and dumped Joanna’s sister Marta. Her reaction is over the top. The odd thing is that the bad break up took place quite a while ago and Joanna knew the guy still worked at Mynt. Why make a scene now on Romain’s big day? Minus 11 . Maybe she’s bored with Romain and trying to sabotage their relationship. Maybe she’s extremely sensitive where her sister is concerned. Or maybe she’s just nuts. Will this be the end of the road for this gorgeous Miami couple? Episode total = -5! Season total = -97!
