It’s a bit early in the day, but if you can stomach it here is a short clip featuring three (3) of our favorite charlatans: Ann Coulter, Geraldo Rivera, and Al Sharpton. Apparently Geraldo calls Coulter an “opportunist” toward the end of this thing, but we were distracted by our own speculation about what happened to the old Al Sharpton, the one who would have eaten this shrunken new morsel of an Al Sharpton for breakfast along with some grits and white gravy. [The YouTubes]

The triangular parry-thrust between conservative commentator Michelle Malkin, Geraldo Rivera and Bill O’Reilly — who for the first time in his stupid life has come across as the least douchey in a group setting– has resulted in Malkin quitting her frequent side gig as an O’Reilly Factor co-host. Rivera hurt Malkin’s feelings (she sometimes has them!) when he told the Boston Globe recently that Malkin was “the most vile, hateful commentator I’ve ever met…. It’s good she’s in D.C. and I’m in N.Y. I’d spit on her if I saw her.” Rivera sort of apologized later during an appearance on the Factor, but the publicity has led Malkin to the conclusion that being an interviewer-subject on teevee offers much less self-satisfaction than viciously attacking people online (agreed).

This is no conjecture on our part, either: Michelle Malkin sent out a heartfelt e-mail explaining her quitting! MORE »

MORE »

• “Silver Spring, Md.: What happened to rumors that Jake Tapper would take over Nightline? He’s young and hip and can bring them a more diverse audience. His new ABC blog, for instance, demonstrates his array of talents.” Did Jake move? [WP]
• “I find it disturbing that any Times editor would come so close to implying - almost in a tit-for-tat sense - that Mr. Rivera’s bad behavior essentially entitles the paper to rely on assumptions and refuse to correct an unsupported fact.” [NYT]
• Could dreamy Chief Justice Roberts preside over getting cameras into the courts? [OrderintheCourt]
• “A Pocatello weatherman who gained attention for an unusual theory that Hurricane Katrina was caused by the Japanese mafia using a Russian electromagnetic generator has quit the television station.” [AP]

Jack Shafer, now using meth instead of writing about it, files on how TV correspondents went from wet, whipped thrill seekers to Murrow-style advocates over the course of week. We noticed, too; such evolution happens when you’re reporting on a situation that you’re living. The government counted on that response when it embedded reporters in Afghanistan and Iraq. Not so sure anyone saw it coming this time. Sean Hannity sure didn’t. Last night, interviewing Geraldo Rivera and Shepard Smith in New Orleans from the comfort and safety of his studio, he responded to their descriptions of the still very desperate situation with a call for “perspective.” Replied Smith: “This is perspective!” MORE »