MSNBC Doc-Blocked Again for Three Days

Christmas programming on the three all-news cable stations: live news on CNN, live news on Fox, and ... a 3-day Doc-Bloc, Lock-Up, "Marathon" on MSNBC!

Now, hard news today is admittedly light, but Fox had an important report about Ahmadinejad's upcoming speech on Channel 4 in the UK, CNN had some new analysis of Rahm Emanuel and Rod Blagojevich, and both had stories about troops celebrating Christmas, and the holidays around the world.

Over on MSNBC, beginning yesterday at 3pm, we've been treated to yet another round of documentaries, and a promise from David Shuster as he signed off yesterday that MSNBC would break in with any breaking news. Now, I have nothing against documentaries, and, in fact, I think they can make powerful and original contributions to our culture. But they are not the same as live news, or even replays of news that happened a few hours earlier. A documentary about Caylee Anthony - which has been on MSNBC at least three times since yesterday - is certainly topical, but right now MSNBC is showing a documentary from its "Crime and Punishment" series, "People v. Alfred Garcia". Ever heard of him? Do you want to?

This year, Christmas and Chanukah are being celebrated at the same time. Chanukah commemorates oil lamps that miraculously burned for eight days, when Judah and the Maccabees stood up to the Seleucid Empire. In remembrance of those days of light, presents are given for eight days.

If I could give a Chanukah present to MSNBC, it would be eight days of uninterrupted all-news programming. This would set them up well for the fierce competition in the all-news cable business in the New Year.

See also MSNBC Runs Canned 'Doc Bloc' as Mumbai Burns

Breath of Fresh Air First Press Conference from President-Elect Obama

Barack Obama just completed his first press conference as President-elect - intelligent, responsive, short, a breath of fresh air.

The emphasis was on the economy, but Obama also answered questions about Ahmadinejad's letter of congratulations and the puppy he will be buying for Sasha and Malia. He missed a chance on that question to say he would be careful not to get a dog that bites reporters - as the Bush dog Barney did to a Reuters reporter yesterday - but he handled that question with humor and a winning concern as a father for Malia's allergies.

It has been a long time since we have had a President with that degree of intellectual acuity, articulation, and humor. JFK and Ronald Reagan are the only ones that come to mind for me.

It felt very good to see it again. I'm looking forward to more.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Columbia: Three Principles

Every once in a while I agree with just the way an event is unfolding.

About Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Columbia University:

1. As a professor who could invite Ahmadinejad to any one of a number of classes at Fordham University, I would not. Although I think it is indeed very valuable to confront world leaders with delusions head-on, and allow students to do the same, I think this value would be offset by the propaganda advantage Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would derive from addressing any class or gathering in America. Such an address and the response it drew could easily be edited to make the Iranian President look good to his supporters back home and around the world.

2. Nonetheless, I think other professors and universities are entitled to reach their own different decisions on this difficult issue. Therefore, I support Columbia University's right to invite Ahmadinejad. Part of the zest and real freedom of American life is that individual professors and universities can make their own decisions in such matters. We would be living in a much poorer place, intellectually, if all classrooms and universities were the same.

3. But I also support the right of Columbia University students, alumni, and indeed any and all Americans to protest Ahmadinejad's appearance at Columbia. This is all part of that same democratic process of a free, open society - and it distinguishes us from the type of closed society Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sits at the top of in Iran.