News Roundup for 2/2/09

Cocktail weinies in bailout sauce

-Headline of the day-
"Bailed Out Bank of America Sponsors Super Bowl Fun Fest."

Yay!

After getting a $45 billion taxpayer-funded bailout, Bank of America dropped an undisclosed amount -- estimated to be more than $10 million -- on Jalapeño poppers and cocktail weinies swimming in BBQ sauce. NFL officials call it a "multi-million dollar" event and said the "tents alone cost over $800,000."

The bank defends the party, saying it's a "business proposition" and part of its "growth strategy." Because, you know, no one's going to use a bank that doesn't throw a Super Bowl party.

"The prominent sponsorship of the Super Bowl says to the American people we'll take your money and then we're going to go waste it," said Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste.

BoA's an "official sponsor" of the NFL and this requires it to "fulfill its contract to be an NFL sponsor." The bank says "NFL product sales" have increased since they became a sponsor.

NFL product sales? It's a freakin' bank! How about focusing on banking product sales? (ABC News)


-The party of ideas-
Bad ideas, that is. A new poll shows that a majority of Republicans know how to fix their party's problems -- become ridiculous. According to the reporting on a new Rassmussen poll, "a plurality of Republican voters think the party has grown too moderate over the past eight years, and a majority think the party should become more like controversial Alaska Governor Sarah Palin."

That's right, rank and file GOPers think the Republican party hasn't been conservative enough and that Republican officials need to be more like the clueless Mayor of Santa's Village. Whether this means they should start hunting moose, start murdering the English language, or all move to where they can keep an eye on Russia is unclear.

As a lefty, I've got to say this is the best goddam idea anyone in the history of mankind has ever had. GOP party bigs, please, please listen to the nutjobs heed the wisdom of your base. (Huffington Post)


-[Disingenous] Bonus HotD-
"Did POTUS diss Jessica Simpson?"

A Barack Obama interview with NBC's morning host Matt Lauer was about as serious and hard-hitting as you'd expect it to be. Talking about the photo shoot for a US Magazine article on the Obama family, Lauer compared a family portrait inside the magazine with the portrait on the cover.

"They took you out of it," Lauer said, indicating that only Michelle and the girls appeared on the cover.

"It -- it’s -- it’s a little hurtful," Obama replied.

"You got replaced by Jessica Simpson," Lauer joked -- Simpson was in the sidebar on the cover.

"Yeah, who’s in a weight battle apparently," Obama joked back.

Pundits with too much time on their hands freaked out. "Barack Obama may be the most eloquent politician on the scene today, but he laid a big one in yesterday's interview with Matt Lauer," wrote TIME's Karen Tumulty.

The problem? The headline above Jessica Simpson read, "WEIGHT BATTLE."

Seriously, don't we have real stuff to freak out about? There's no need to start making stuff up. (Politico, with video)